Top 10 for 2012

As I said in the last blog post, I wanted to do my highlights of 2012. Now I’m going to start off by saying that these are not necessarily books published this year, but I read them this year and so they have helped make up my Year of Reading.

I understand that the year isn’t over, but If I read anything stand out between now and New Year I’ll be sure to let you know.

I figured I’d give you my Top 10. Now, these are only in a loose order, it can be very hard to rank several different kinds of genius, and so I’ll do my best.

# 10

The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas by David Almond and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

This is a tame book for a David Almond Title, but for me, that will give it more general appeal. It’s quirky, fun, and tender at its core. There is one passage that won me over. He basically describes techniques writers use to tell stories, to jump from place to place and back and forth in time, while actually telling you the story! It was brilliant! I’d quote it, but it goes on for a few pages, so I’ll let you read it for yourself.

Find it on Goodreads

Lips Touch - Three Times by Laini Taylor

This book was recommended to me by a friend who shares many of my tastes. She showed it to me in a shop, taking care to point out the stunning production value of the hardback edition and the beautiful illustrations by Jim Di Bartolo. I don't even think she had read it yet, but for some reason I bought it only to have it become shamefully neglected among the hundreds (simply too many) books that I own and haven't read yet.

Well, now I've read it, and why did I leave it so long?!?! It was fantastic!

It is a collection of three stories that each explore a different style of mythology. Not strictly, mind you, but that's the beauty of a fiction writer, they can take any inspiration they like and create their own world. And that is exactly what Laini Taylor has done, created three separate but vivid worlds. In the author's note she says "Like a magpie, I am a scavenger of shiny things: fairy tales, dead languages, weird folk beliefs, fascinating religions, and more." But she points out she is no scholar, nor should she be; this is not non-fiction.

What it is, however, is brilliantly written! Even though paranormal romance can bore me silly at times, right from the beginning the quality of her writing had me lapping it up. I should clarify: these stories aren't strictly paranormal romance. In fact, they would be better described as mythology based fantasy. But in each story, a kiss, or lips touching, plays something of a key part.

The three stories each begin with a series of illustrations that provide a visual prologue for the story to come.

Goblin Fruit

Spicy Little Curses

Such As These

Hatchling

REALLY good! Very worth reading!

All the time I was reading it, Laini Taylor's name was playing somewhere in the back of my mind as being familiar somehow. When I sat down to write this blog, I realised where from: she's the author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone which people have been raving about for months AND I was given a copy of for Christmas. So now I'm even more excited to read it because I know how good an author she is! I wonder where I'll find the time to squeeze it in.

4.5 Gold Stars

Find it on Goodreads

6/40