I’ve been reviewing the books I read for a very long time on GoodReads, and have recently started archiving them on my own website (separate to this, at BooksOfTheMoon). While I generate my “year in books” on GR every year, I thought I’d do something a bit different and flag up the ones from last year that I enjoyed the most (yes, this is another list to make an easy blog post!). The links are to my full reviews. If any of them intrigue you, I’m sure you can find them yourself at the usual suspects (or your local bookshop, if you happen to have one).
- Exhalation, by Ted Chiang
An absolutely breathtaking collection of short stories – some of the best SF I’ve read this century! - The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, by Becky Chambers
I love all the Wayfarers books, and this is no exception. I’m sad that this is the last in the series, but it’s a beautiful way to finish it - Gunnerkrigg Court, vol 8, by Tom Siddell
This is the latest collection of my favourite webcomic which is just so good - The Murderbot Diaries, by Martha Wells
To date, this series consists of five novellas and a novel. I grumble about the commercial pricing of novellas, but this series is worth every penny, they’re such good stories - A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon)
I’m a recent convert to Ursula Vernon and her alter ego T. Kingfisher. This is a delightful story of creative uses of magic - Comet Weather, by Liz Williams
I loved just how evocative this felt. Best read in the autumn. - The All Creatures Great and Small series, by James Herriot
Not books I would have picked out for myself, but a friend bought me the boxset and it turns out I adore them (apart from when horrible things are happening to dogs)
So that’s your lot. If you’ve read any of them, do tell me what you think, either in the comments for this post; in the comments for the reviews themselves; or on Twitter.
