Books of 2011

So, I didn't read as much as I had hoped this year. I'm not sure why that is, exactly, but my writing did suffer because of it, because, for me, reading=lots of writing.

The three fiction standouts from my list were NOTHING, by Janne Teller, which is a terrible and difficult and incredible book. Apparently, YA fiction in Denmark is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. Standout #2 was PLAIN KATE by Erin Bow – oh gosh, I loved this book – this is the sort of fantasy that warms my heart and makes me want to be a better writer. Standout #3 was CRACKED by K.W. Walton, which will be released on January 3 (I read an ARC) – poignant, funny, sad, bittersweet – all the things I love in good YA fiction.

And, an honourable mention: SLAMMERKIN by Emma Donoghue. I admire any writer who breaks rules and doesn't apologize for it. That is my writing motto for this year: don't apologize. (It'll be interesting to see how that pans out, being Canadian and all….)

What I am pleased about is that I read a lot more non-fiction this year. This was the year I discovered Elizabeth Lesser's BROKEN OPEN, and what a tremendous help this book has been! Every creative person (and really, that means everyone) needs tools to swim through the murk, because there will be murk, and it's murky (really, this sentence just an excuse to use the word "murk" repeatedly because murk is a fantastic word!). And, the other: THE FOREST FOR THE TREES, by Betsy Lerner, which, I think, is required reading for any writer. Like a writerly friend said, I spent a lot of time wondering how Betsy Lerner could have crawled into my brain – she KNOWS what the murk is like, and she gets it, and then, she hands out anti-murk tools. Betsy Lerner and Elizabeth Lesser, I am so grateful for your books. I hope I get to tell you so in person one day.

This year I hope to read more writing craft books (a stack of them is staring at me right now!), more riding books, and more adult literary fiction. But mainly, I'd like to make a dent in my TBR pile (which has morphed from a pile into several shelves) – the more I read, the more room I'll have for new books!

So, with that, here's the rest of the list:

NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL – Siobhan Vivian

NOTHING – Janne Teller

PLAIN KATE – Erin Bow

SLAMMERKIN – Emma Donoghue

GETTING IN TTOUCH WITH YOUR HORSE – Linda Tellington-Jones

ARMAGGEDON'S CHILDREN – Terry Brooks

THE GIVER – Lois Lowry

LANGUAGE OF EMOTIONS – Karla McLaren

HUSH HUSH – Becca Fitzpatrick

INSIDE OUT – Maria V. Snyder

INNER GOLD – Robert Johnson

EPITAPH ROAD – David Patneaude

GAME OF THRONES – George R.R. Martin

A CLASH OF KINGS – George R.R. Martin

A STORM OF SWORDS – George R.R. Martin

DIVERGENT – Veronica Roth

XVI – Julia Karr

BROKEN OPEN – Elizabeth Lesser

THE REVENANT – Sonia Gessler

A FEAST FOR CROWNS – George R.R. Martin

SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS – Browne & King

ROOM – Emma Donoghue

BEYOND THE DANCE – Chan Hon Goh

BLACKBRINGER – Laini Taylor

ROSE SEES RED – Cecil Castellucci

BLOOD RED ROAD – Moira Young

ILLYRIA – ELizabeth Hand

GRACE – Elizabeth Scott

WILD MIND – Natalie Goldberg

THE FOLKKEEPER – Franny Billingsley

TOXIC CRITICISM – Eric Maisel

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE – Laini Taylor

A DANCE WITH DRAGONS – George R.R. Martin

CRACKED – K.W. Walton

THE FIRE IN FICTION – Donald Maass

WOMEN'S COMPLETE GUIDE TO RUNNING – Jeff & Barbara Galloway

PRETTY CROOKED – Elisa Ludwig

MARIETTE IN ECSTASY – Ron Hansen

BRAVE BATTALION – Mark Zuelke

THE LOST GARDEN – Helen Humphreys

MERLIN'S HARP – Anne Eliot Crompton

THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS – N.K. Jemisin

THE RED MARKET – Scott Carney

THE REVISIONIST – Thomas Mullen

SHE-WOLVES – Helen Castor

THE FOREST FOR THE TREES – Betsy Lerner

THE BODY NEVER LIES – Alice Miller

BANEWREAKER – Jacqueline Carey

Filed under: Reading Lists, Writing Craft