Not everything I read this year was great. Some were just good, or even only 'ok', but as far as I can recall I managed to avoid anything that was totally dire. Which may mean that I've been playing it safe - caution should have been my middle name! - but then again, as someone once said, 'Life is too short for bad books.'
I did read a few less this year - 40 according to Goodread's statistics - which reflects the fact that the year has been busy in other ways! Life can be so intrusive. All the more reason to avoid the substandard. Fortunately, there's a lot of very good writing out there - here's some of my favourites.
SF was the biggest category in my reading this year, and there were some real gems. 'Before Mars', the third in Emma Newman's 'Planetfall' series was a highlight from the early part of the year, and apart from that there has been some seriously good stuff from Tom Toner (the Amaranthine Spectrum) and Andrew Bannister (Creation Machine). But Dave Hutchinson's brilliant 'Fractured Europe' sequence is my winner this year. I read all four books straight off, and was fully absorbed all the way through.
Europe in Autumn by Dave Hutchinson.
Spy novels often have a touch of SF about them anyway - all that hi-tech gear - so it's not too much of a jump to take a spy story a little way into the future, to where Europe has changed dramatically (but not implausibly) into a splintered jumble of tiny states and miniature nations. (After all, that's exactly where a lot of it came from, and not too far in the past either). In this future, a courier service morphs into a spy network, and a young Estonian chef (Rudi) is recruited as one of its agents.
And, for the first hundred pages or so, that's pretty much it. Rudi has various adventures as he learns his new trade and carries out different missions, it's well paced and nicely crafted, full of interesting characters and clever ideas - but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. There was nothing (apart from Rudi) to connect these things together, and I found myself wondering when - or even if - it was actually going to develop a plot.
Because there are some novels out there which subsist entirely on wordflow and characterisation, perhaps a bit of description, but never actually developing anything you could really call an actual story. I was worried that 'Europe in Autumn' might be one like that.
I didn't need to worry. The plot was there all along, it just took a while to emerge, but when it did it was something completely unexpected and absolutely brilliant.
I'll say no more for fear of spoilers, which for a story like this would be an absolute crime. I hope I haven't said too much anyway!
Looking forward to the next one in the series.
In Fantasy, Emma Newman's name cropped up again - I burned through all five books of her 'Split Worlds' series with barely a pause! Another good read in this category was 'Destiny's Ruin', third in this series from Philip S. Davies - a great example of how YA fiction can be both deep and exciting. And 'Blackwing' by Ed McDonald was a great discovery - new author, great new series. But my top pick is by another Newman - Peter Newman, husband to Emma. This is the first of a trilogy, I've also read the second, just as good, and the third is in my sights!
The Vagrant by Peter Newman.
World building is a crucial skill for any fantasy writer. Peter Newman has it in abundance.
The world of the Vagrant is brilliantly conceived and vividly portrayed - but it is not a pleasant place. A human world, invaded by horrific beings, largely abandoned by their immortal rulers, it is rife with corruption and cruelty - not to mention indifference. But it is also tainted with strands of loyalty, compassion and courage. And even love.
So it seemed very appropriate that the nameless hero - The Vagrant - marches through the war-torn landscape carrying a sword and a baby. Along the way they meet many enemies, but also friends. It's a sad, sick world, but it still has hope in it.
Of course, hero's carrying swords are pretty standard in fantasy writing, but a sword and a baby? That unlikely but brilliant worked juxtaposition was something that really made this book stand out for me, and the image has stuck in my mind!
It's an engaging, well structured and powerful story which kept me up far too late. The Vagrant's journey does not have the end that might have been expected: the sequel (The Malice) takes the story further and is just as good. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in the series, 'The Seven' in 2019.
I haven't read as much crime this year as previously. One exception was 'Reasonable Doubts', by the Italian writer Gianrico Carofiglio, who always tells a good story. There was also a new author to me, G. D. Abson, and his Russian based novel 'Motherland'. But my favourite in this category was...
Tin Sky by Ben Pastor
Good characterisation is essential for any story: in Martin von Bora, Pastor has created one of the most in depth and well developed characters I’ve ever come across. As a German Army officer who’s been through some of the worst of the fighting on the Russian Front, you’d expect him to carry some deep scars, but just how deep those scars go, and just what lengths he will go to to maintain some sense of personal decency, we don’t really find out until near the end of the book.
The background is equally well developed. German-occupied Ukraine is vividly evoked, with all it’s casual cruelty and the pervading tension as the Wehrmacht prepare for the next big battle.
And, whilst coping with his own personal issues and his responsibilities as commander of a newly formed unit, von Bora finds himself trying to unravel a complex murder mystery who’s roots, he discovers, go deep into the past. A task made more complicated by the internal divisions between the Army and the SS.
The result is an absorbing and hugely satisfying story. It is one that requires the reader to concentrate – small details that are slipped into the narrative later turn out to be significant, and if you missed it, you might end up scratching your head and wondering where that came from. In fact, if I have a criticism it’s that the author is a little too fond of that tactic, and a touch more clarity at some points would have been helpful.
But, that minor point aside, this was overall a very well written book. It’s the first I’ve read by this author, I hope it will not be the last.
Historical fiction is a genre I regularly go back to. With good reason - there's some great reading to be found here. Such as 'The Cairo Brief' by Fiona Veitch Smith, latest in her historical crime / thriller series featuring a young female reporter in 1920's London. Or 'Nici's Christmas Tale' by Jean Gill, a spin off from her excellent 'Troubadour's' series (book 4 was on my list last year). But this is the top choice - another from Joanne Harris, always one of my favourite authors.
Holy Fools by Joanne Harris
Joanne Harris is always excellent at building atmosphere, and this is a particularly good example. Set in a small convent on the French coast during a hot summer in 1610, she steadily builds an atmosphere of madness and intrigue, and ratchets up the tension by steady increments to build towards a powerful climax.
What isn't always noticed is how big a part structure plays in this process. It's a subtle weaving of different points of view, a slowly gathering insight into plans and motivations and personalities, all done with a perfect judgement of pace.
It's no surprise to find such masterful storytelling coming from this author, but it's always satisfying.
Not just Historical Fiction, but also History. Tom Holland's 'Dynasty' was a fascinating look at the Roman Empire - 'The Rise and Fall of the House of Cesar' - but there was also this intriguing look at 'Englishness' - the roots of our national character.
The Last Wolf: The Hidden Springs of Englishness by Robert Winder.
What is Englishness, and where does it come from? Robert Winder thinks it derives, ultimately, from the geography.
He starts from the fact that there are no wolves. There are no wolves because England is part of an island, and therefore it was possible (by about 1290) to largely eradicate wolves. Which in turn made it possible to keep huge flocks of sheep, which produced vast amounts of wool, which made a great deal of money: and Winder goes on to show how that, and other geographical factors (a large amount of rain, for example) have shaped those things that are considered quintessentially 'English'.
He openly admits that he is not a Historian, and that the idea is controversial, but as another non-historian, I found his arguments compelling. But in anycase, much of what I enjoyed about the book wasn't about it's main theme at all, but about all the fascinating little side-trips and anecdotes that kept cropping up throughout. I didn't know, for example, that the phrase 'bring home the bacon' derived from an old village tradition, or that a steeplechase was originally a race between two village churches (many of them built with money made from the wool trade).
His writing style is smooth, well paced and lucid, slightly marred in my opinion by his excessive love of lists, which he produces at every opportunity. Well, to be fair, it's a subject that lends itself to lists. And perhaps it's an English thing to do.
Recommended for anyone who likes a bit of a wander through England.
And finally - because I need to finish somewhere, and I've arbitrarily decided on six as the number for this year - one of the most unusual books I've read this year. A look at Death by an expert.
All that Remains: A Life in Death by Sue Black.
I recently heard Sue Black talk about her book at an event in Bath, and she was an excellent speaker. No great surprise to find that she is just as good at writing. The flow of words is smooth, the construction neat and logical, taking the reader from humorous anecdote to fascinating insight to thought provoking idea and to deeply moving scene, without any distractions.
The degree of science is nicely judged as well - enough in there to make it clear she knows what she's talking about, and a great deal more than she says: enough explanation so that the average reader understands what she's talking about, and is illuminated: not so much that it gets boring or sounds like showing off. (Except in the last paragraph of the acknowledgments, where she is deliberately showing off. OK, we'll allow that one!)
An excellent book for anyone who expects to die, and for any immortals with a purely academic interest in the subject.
So on to 2019 - and some more great books!
I did read a few less this year - 40 according to Goodread's statistics - which reflects the fact that the year has been busy in other ways! Life can be so intrusive. All the more reason to avoid the substandard. Fortunately, there's a lot of very good writing out there - here's some of my favourites.
SF was the biggest category in my reading this year, and there were some real gems. 'Before Mars', the third in Emma Newman's 'Planetfall' series was a highlight from the early part of the year, and apart from that there has been some seriously good stuff from Tom Toner (the Amaranthine Spectrum) and Andrew Bannister (Creation Machine). But Dave Hutchinson's brilliant 'Fractured Europe' sequence is my winner this year. I read all four books straight off, and was fully absorbed all the way through.
Europe in Autumn by Dave Hutchinson.
Spy novels often have a touch of SF about them anyway - all that hi-tech gear - so it's not too much of a jump to take a spy story a little way into the future, to where Europe has changed dramatically (but not implausibly) into a splintered jumble of tiny states and miniature nations. (After all, that's exactly where a lot of it came from, and not too far in the past either). In this future, a courier service morphs into a spy network, and a young Estonian chef (Rudi) is recruited as one of its agents.
And, for the first hundred pages or so, that's pretty much it. Rudi has various adventures as he learns his new trade and carries out different missions, it's well paced and nicely crafted, full of interesting characters and clever ideas - but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. There was nothing (apart from Rudi) to connect these things together, and I found myself wondering when - or even if - it was actually going to develop a plot.
Because there are some novels out there which subsist entirely on wordflow and characterisation, perhaps a bit of description, but never actually developing anything you could really call an actual story. I was worried that 'Europe in Autumn' might be one like that.
I didn't need to worry. The plot was there all along, it just took a while to emerge, but when it did it was something completely unexpected and absolutely brilliant.
I'll say no more for fear of spoilers, which for a story like this would be an absolute crime. I hope I haven't said too much anyway!
Looking forward to the next one in the series.
In Fantasy, Emma Newman's name cropped up again - I burned through all five books of her 'Split Worlds' series with barely a pause! Another good read in this category was 'Destiny's Ruin', third in this series from Philip S. Davies - a great example of how YA fiction can be both deep and exciting. And 'Blackwing' by Ed McDonald was a great discovery - new author, great new series. But my top pick is by another Newman - Peter Newman, husband to Emma. This is the first of a trilogy, I've also read the second, just as good, and the third is in my sights!
The Vagrant by Peter Newman.
World building is a crucial skill for any fantasy writer. Peter Newman has it in abundance.
The world of the Vagrant is brilliantly conceived and vividly portrayed - but it is not a pleasant place. A human world, invaded by horrific beings, largely abandoned by their immortal rulers, it is rife with corruption and cruelty - not to mention indifference. But it is also tainted with strands of loyalty, compassion and courage. And even love.
So it seemed very appropriate that the nameless hero - The Vagrant - marches through the war-torn landscape carrying a sword and a baby. Along the way they meet many enemies, but also friends. It's a sad, sick world, but it still has hope in it.
Of course, hero's carrying swords are pretty standard in fantasy writing, but a sword and a baby? That unlikely but brilliant worked juxtaposition was something that really made this book stand out for me, and the image has stuck in my mind!
It's an engaging, well structured and powerful story which kept me up far too late. The Vagrant's journey does not have the end that might have been expected: the sequel (The Malice) takes the story further and is just as good. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in the series, 'The Seven' in 2019.
I haven't read as much crime this year as previously. One exception was 'Reasonable Doubts', by the Italian writer Gianrico Carofiglio, who always tells a good story. There was also a new author to me, G. D. Abson, and his Russian based novel 'Motherland'. But my favourite in this category was...
Tin Sky by Ben Pastor
Good characterisation is essential for any story: in Martin von Bora, Pastor has created one of the most in depth and well developed characters I’ve ever come across. As a German Army officer who’s been through some of the worst of the fighting on the Russian Front, you’d expect him to carry some deep scars, but just how deep those scars go, and just what lengths he will go to to maintain some sense of personal decency, we don’t really find out until near the end of the book.
The background is equally well developed. German-occupied Ukraine is vividly evoked, with all it’s casual cruelty and the pervading tension as the Wehrmacht prepare for the next big battle.
And, whilst coping with his own personal issues and his responsibilities as commander of a newly formed unit, von Bora finds himself trying to unravel a complex murder mystery who’s roots, he discovers, go deep into the past. A task made more complicated by the internal divisions between the Army and the SS.
The result is an absorbing and hugely satisfying story. It is one that requires the reader to concentrate – small details that are slipped into the narrative later turn out to be significant, and if you missed it, you might end up scratching your head and wondering where that came from. In fact, if I have a criticism it’s that the author is a little too fond of that tactic, and a touch more clarity at some points would have been helpful.
But, that minor point aside, this was overall a very well written book. It’s the first I’ve read by this author, I hope it will not be the last.
Historical fiction is a genre I regularly go back to. With good reason - there's some great reading to be found here. Such as 'The Cairo Brief' by Fiona Veitch Smith, latest in her historical crime / thriller series featuring a young female reporter in 1920's London. Or 'Nici's Christmas Tale' by Jean Gill, a spin off from her excellent 'Troubadour's' series (book 4 was on my list last year). But this is the top choice - another from Joanne Harris, always one of my favourite authors.
Holy Fools by Joanne Harris
Joanne Harris is always excellent at building atmosphere, and this is a particularly good example. Set in a small convent on the French coast during a hot summer in 1610, she steadily builds an atmosphere of madness and intrigue, and ratchets up the tension by steady increments to build towards a powerful climax.
What isn't always noticed is how big a part structure plays in this process. It's a subtle weaving of different points of view, a slowly gathering insight into plans and motivations and personalities, all done with a perfect judgement of pace.
It's no surprise to find such masterful storytelling coming from this author, but it's always satisfying.
Not just Historical Fiction, but also History. Tom Holland's 'Dynasty' was a fascinating look at the Roman Empire - 'The Rise and Fall of the House of Cesar' - but there was also this intriguing look at 'Englishness' - the roots of our national character.
The Last Wolf: The Hidden Springs of Englishness by Robert Winder.
What is Englishness, and where does it come from? Robert Winder thinks it derives, ultimately, from the geography.
He starts from the fact that there are no wolves. There are no wolves because England is part of an island, and therefore it was possible (by about 1290) to largely eradicate wolves. Which in turn made it possible to keep huge flocks of sheep, which produced vast amounts of wool, which made a great deal of money: and Winder goes on to show how that, and other geographical factors (a large amount of rain, for example) have shaped those things that are considered quintessentially 'English'.
He openly admits that he is not a Historian, and that the idea is controversial, but as another non-historian, I found his arguments compelling. But in anycase, much of what I enjoyed about the book wasn't about it's main theme at all, but about all the fascinating little side-trips and anecdotes that kept cropping up throughout. I didn't know, for example, that the phrase 'bring home the bacon' derived from an old village tradition, or that a steeplechase was originally a race between two village churches (many of them built with money made from the wool trade).
His writing style is smooth, well paced and lucid, slightly marred in my opinion by his excessive love of lists, which he produces at every opportunity. Well, to be fair, it's a subject that lends itself to lists. And perhaps it's an English thing to do.
Recommended for anyone who likes a bit of a wander through England.
And finally - because I need to finish somewhere, and I've arbitrarily decided on six as the number for this year - one of the most unusual books I've read this year. A look at Death by an expert.
All that Remains: A Life in Death by Sue Black.
I recently heard Sue Black talk about her book at an event in Bath, and she was an excellent speaker. No great surprise to find that she is just as good at writing. The flow of words is smooth, the construction neat and logical, taking the reader from humorous anecdote to fascinating insight to thought provoking idea and to deeply moving scene, without any distractions.
The degree of science is nicely judged as well - enough in there to make it clear she knows what she's talking about, and a great deal more than she says: enough explanation so that the average reader understands what she's talking about, and is illuminated: not so much that it gets boring or sounds like showing off. (Except in the last paragraph of the acknowledgments, where she is deliberately showing off. OK, we'll allow that one!)
An excellent book for anyone who expects to die, and for any immortals with a purely academic interest in the subject.
So on to 2019 - and some more great books!