Eighteen books this year. A pretty good effort, along with the truck load of comics I managed to get through as well. Still trying to prioritise women writers over men and still having no regrets. For years I've been wanting to try and read poetry and at the end of the year finally got around to looking into the Beat poets, true to form though I sought out women writers first and thoroughly enjoyed Elise Cowen's work.
I did try to read more non-fiction and I am quite happy with all the ones I managed to get through. My general pile of shame got down to three books at one point, and then it shot back up to a healthy ten or so. Very glad that I didn't come across any terrible books this year. I also continued to edit and publish my novel House of Discordia and the second novella of my Deus Ex... series.
Books Read in 2019
- What the Hell Did I Just Read / David Wong
- Marque and Reprisal (Vatta's War, #2) / Elizabeth Moon
- The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5) / Andrzej Sapkowski
- Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2) / Martha Wells
- All the Birds in the Sky / Charlie Jane Anders
- Dr Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology and the future /Alice Gorman
- Sphere / Michael Crichton (audiobook)
- I Hate Everyone But You: A Novel about Best Friends / Allison Raskin and Gaby Dunn
- Endling: 600 Years from Home / Kit Walker
- Ascension (Tangled Axon, #1) / Jacqueline Koyanagi
- Designer Relationships: A Guide to Happy Monogamy, Positive Polyamory, and Optimistic Open Relationships / Mark A. Michaels
- Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #1) / Laurell K. Hamilton (a re-read)
- Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life / Amy Gahran
- To Be Taught, If Fortunate / Becky Chambers
- The City in the Middle of the Night / Charlie Jane Anders
- Rethinking Narcissism: The Secret to Recognizing and Coping with Narcissists / Craig Malkin
- Elise Cowen: Poems and Fragments / Elise Cowen
- How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems / Randall Munroe
- The Key (Invisible Sun RPG) / Monte Cook Games
Most anticipated read: To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
Look, every year that Becky Chambers puts out a book it's going to be my most anticipated read. To Be Taught was a joy to read and my only complaint was that it left me wanting more. Chambers' makes me want to be a better writer and to expect more from the stories I consume.
Most interesting read: Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life by Amy Gahran & Dr Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology and the future by Alice Gorman
I've already written about Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator and how it opened my mind to a plethora of other relationship styles, so I felt that I should write about another book I read that had me reading facts out loud to whomever would listen. Alice Gorman's look at space archaeology as a field was enlightening. I'm a bit of a space nut but had never considered how things such as cable ties left at Woomera can tell us about space exploration. The most fascinating part of this book is how Australian focused it is, discussing Australia's part in the space race and highlighting First Nation voices present in this history.
Unexpected gem: All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
My local book store recommended Charlie Jane Anders to me and I started with All the Birds. What a wonderful journey that was. My thirst for character studies that Becky Chambers set up in me was not let down by Anders' stories. The second book I read of hers (The City in the Middle of the Night) was just as amazing. Strong characters let loose in a world and we're along for the ride.
