Favorites of 2012

Bit late, but you know.

I read How to be a Woman this year. It was freaking fun. Caitlin Moran is hilarious. She is interesting, she writes well, she is a brilliant person. It made me want to read other books and listen to different music, and it makes me want to read more biographies, because she’s freaking awesome. I’m going to try to get a hold of Moranthology this year.

Bit predictable, but since I am a nerdfighter this is obviously one of my favorites this year. I read it in one sitting, more specifically one bus journey. I cried and laughed and confused the other passengers. I think it’s John’s best book so far. It is funny, and it’s beautiful and I loved it a lot. Well done John.

The Windup Girl was freaking brilliant. It was hard to get into, because I was a bit confused, but when I got into it I loved it. Bacigalupi is brilliant. I loved the complex world that he had created. I liked how “likely” it seemed. Because it seems sort of vaguely likely that calories become so important and such a coveted commodity. And I loved how Anderson Lake was written and how he felt about the Windup Girl.

I really, really loved this book. I loved it after like 30 pages, I was captured and it is so beautiful. I loved the little stories about the different tents. I loved the characters. I loved the way it travelled around. I liked the main story and it was beautifully written, and I want to read it again.

I still feel like Cate Tiernan has somehow tricked me, cause the premise seemed a bit stupid and the characters seemed a bit annoying, but it is freaking awesome. I love it. Nas is wonderful, Reyn is hot, and the story is brilliant. I love how Nas develops. I like the concept. This series is awesome and I am so looking forward to the last installment, which I will find at some point.

How, why, I’m, it’s, I don’t know. I loved this book so much, and I am not entirely sure what it is that appeals to me, because the story is in no way related to my way of life. The protagonist is a little girl, and I bloody loved this book, and I will read it again and again. It was just such a surprise and I loved it so much. Happy dance.

The way to get me to read a book is to put on the back that it is a retelling of Cinderella set in Japan, where Cinderella is a cyborg and there’s this race of Moon-people coming to visit. And I will read that shit. It was awesome. It was funny and it was a brilliant take and I can’t wait to read Scarlet. It’s amazing.

Oh September, you awesome little Ravished child travelling on the wind. I loved it so much. I am deeply excited about the second book, which I haven’t read yet. The writing is amazing. It’s surreal and weird and funny and there’s a dragon (wyvern) who thinks he’s related to a library, how is that not the best thing ever? I think it might be.

It was so good. It was like early Supernatural, which is good. Following urban legends around, killing ghosts, fighting evil, and it was so much fun. Again, sequel, I’m a happy camper. I like the characters, I like the style, I’m excited.

So I loved this book, although I’m not entirely sure what it is that made me all drawn in. I think it’s because of Charlie’s voice and because of the backstory that seeps out through his letters. I like Charlie, but at the same time I sort of want to shake him and yell at him and tell him to snap the hell out of it.

So, another Catherynne M. Valente book. This one was very different from the other one and it was frakking awesome. It’s based on Russian legend of Koschei the Deathless, who is a sort of witch. A regular girl, Marya Morevna, becomes Koschei’s wife and she eventually becomes his downfall. Oh my God it was spectabulous. I loved it. Marya is amazing, the writing is beautiful, the world is so amazeballs. I loved it and now I’m gushing.

So my sister’s boyfriend’s brother Peter wrote a book. Obviously I had to read it, cause we’re not in any way related, but we’s supportive. Luckily it was um really good. It was really dark and horrible and sort of made me ache inside and want to cry. It’s about a family of four who work as travelling entrepreneurs. It is told from the perspective of a 10-year old boy, Armin, and he muses on travelling and his older sister Stasia. I just wanted to hug Stasia and tell her she was good, and she didn’t have to be like she was and oh God Peter, you’re a dick. I loved this book. I should read it again, but I need to wait for a while I think.