The Books of My Year 2014 (and a few to read in 2015!)

With 2014 about to start disappearing over the horizon behind us, I thought this would be a good time for a little retrospective on the books that have stood out for me over the past year. (This is a very personal list, not intended to reflect 2014’s publications or anyone else’s viewpoint but my own.)Mistborn: The Final Empire – Brandon SandersonMy big discovery of the year has to be Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn books. I had them recommended to me, and as soon as I started reading I was gobsmacked that I had previously managed to miss such a fantastic author. This series has it all: fast-paced action, political intrigue, fully realised characters that leap off the page, a complex multi-layered plot and one of the best magic systems I have ever read. There are currently four titles in this series (in order: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, The Hero of Ages and The Alloy of Law), with a fifth expected late this year. At time of writing I am two thirds of the way through The Hero of Ages, and once I’ve finished these I’ll be delving into Sanderson’s other works as well!Cuckoo Song – Frances HardingeFrances Hardinge is one of the authors whose work has become essential reading for me. Her writing style is gorgeously rich in imagery and the fantastical elements of the worlds she builds are beautifully detailed. In contrast to most of her other books, Cuckoo Song is set mainly in 1920s England, but with added elements of folklore and dark fairy story. An outwardly respectable family come to regret their dealings with the mysterious ‘Besiders’ after their cosseted daughter goes missing and returns strangely changed from her former self. As the plot unfolds, the story is surprisingly hard-hitting where it tackles how different people deal with love and loss, but it is also written with great warmth and ultimately turns out to be a tale of redemption.Dragons at Crumbling Castle – Terry PratchettAs those who know me would be able to tell you, no book list of mine would be complete without including something by Terry Pratchett. This one is a lovely volume of short stories written for publication by the Bucks Free Press between 1965 and 1973. Although primarily aimed at children I found it a joyous romp of a book. According to the introduction, the stories have been reproduced with a minimum of editing, and as such the collection also offers a close look at Pratchett’s early writing style. Even then, his trademark satirical humour was already in place, as was his talent for capturing character types. Delightful!The Cuckoo’s Calling – Robert GalbraithI didn’t know what I was going to make of J. K. Rowling in her adult-crime-writing incarnation, but as it turned out I really enjoyed this book. The plot had more than enough twists and turns to keep me interested, but what really grabbed my attention was the flair with which the colourful cast of characters was presented and handled. The satirical streak which added much of the humour to the Harry Potter series is strongly in evidence here, though not at the expense of the more serious side of the story. The efforts of the main protagonist to piece together a new life for himself rang true and added an extra dimension to his investigative work, as did the gradual forging of a working relationship between him and his unexpected new assistant. A highly satisfying read on all levels.And now for the 2015 reads. I constantly have an extensive to-read list, but here is a selection of the books I particularly want to tackle this year.The Bone Season – Samantha ShannonAdvertised as dystopian/paranormal fantasy set in an alternative London and Oxford, a brief scan of the first chapter or so revealed a couple of elements which also seemed quite Steampunky to me. Overall it looks very promising, and if I like it as much as I hope I will – well, the sequel is coming out at the end of January!The Old Kingdom Series – Garth NixI could be pretty awkward to please when I was in my teens. I remember reading part of the first of Nix’s tales of magic and necromancy (Sabriel) and, for some reason, not really getting on with it. Last month I picked up Lirael while in the local library, read the first half dozen chapters all in one go and absolutely loved it! And then remembered that it was not the first book in the series. So, I’ll be going back and reading these from the beginning. As of 2014 there are four of them: Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen and the recently released Clariel.A Song of Ice and Fire – George R. R. MartinWhat can I say? I have heard enough from people who have read them about Martin’s fantasy-medieval saga of warring families (with dragons!) to know that I will most likely enjoy this series very much, so it’s about time I got around to reading it.The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. TolkienNo, don’t panic – Ihaveread them before! However, the launch of the final film in the Hobbit trilogy this winter has made me realise that it is past time for a re-read of these fantasy classics.I tend not to be spectacularly good at reviewing books as I finish reading them, but I will attempt to report back on at least some of these, either here or on my Goodreads profile.Happy New Year once again – and happy reading to you all!