I realized early this year that I do not read enough female authors. Reflecting on what I’ve read over the past two years, I think I may have only read like three books written by women. How dismal.

I suspect it’s a ratio thing — a lot of books on the shelves are penned by male authors, so it’s just more likely that when I do pick something up, it’ll be something written by a man. (And I shouldn’t have to say this, but just in case, I don’t have anything against male writers.)

But that’s hardly a good enough reason, is it? (Nope, it’s not.) I do feel it is important that I make more of an effort to read female authors, just to diversify my own reading habits. I already make it a point to read non-English books (translated into English, obviously) on a regular basis, so why not also make it a point to read more works by women too?

I’m not sure what kind of point I’m trying to make. Most likely no point. This is just my par-for-the-course rambling way of saying that I’m pleased to see a lot more women make it into my list of favorite books this year.

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

Pop the champagne and pass out the noisemakers because this is the best thing I’ve read all year, hands down. It’s a difficult story, and I’m sure elements of it will drive a lot of people to hate it — you know, like the rampant physical abuse of a mute child, and how frustrating the characters can be as they get in their own way. The novel is about Kerewin, a loner who finds a mysterious mute child in her home one day and becomes enmeshed in the lives of this child and his deeply flawed stepfather. It’s refreshing to read about someone who is cynical, but not cartoonishly so, and where they aren’t set up as someone who needs to undergo a complete personality transplant to be “saved.” She’s complicated and messy, like everyone else in the book; though admittedly, that does make it weird that it wraps up in a too-neat kind of way. But it’s such a beautifully written story, and a great glimpse into the Maori language and culture. There’s even a glossary in the back of the Maori terms used, though if you’re lazy like me, you won’t bother to refer to it until after you’re done reading the book to see if your “figure it out via context clues” method worked.

Augustus by John Williams

This is very similar to I, Claudius by Robert Graves, in that both are fictionalized accounts of the lives and reigns of Roman emperors. And maybe that is a very specific genre that I enjoy because I loved this one too. If you know of any other “fictionalized accounts of the lives and reigns of Roman emperors,” please alert me immediately to its existence. The only other thing I’ve read by John Williams is Stoner (I highly recommend it) but Augustus does not at all resemble it. To give you an example, I laughed quite a few times reading this — Williams does thinly veiled contempt quite well –, whereas I laughed approximately Not At All times reading Stoner. I will say, though, that it helps to know your Roman history to really appreciate this book, otherwise it’s a little too easy to get lost in the names of people and places and events.
Continue reading

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away – wait… – Not so long ago, in this galaxy, Amy suggested that we recap our year in books, since it’s often from someone else’s list of books that we  get our reading recommendations. I had to concur with her since there are a couple of book bloggers out there who I would trust over my own instincts to read or not read a book. But before I begin my recap, I must confess that during the first half of the year, I wasn’t really tracking what I read, and because there were so many titles that passed through my hands, it wasn’t until I finally committed to GoodReads that I really had a way to track them, and then reminisce. BUT, based on what I remember, and those books that were too good to forget, here are my top 8 books of 2015 (technically 11, because really, I can’t count):

1. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

The first of a trilogy, I can’t stop pushing this book at people. Just the other day I handed a copy to a random stranger in the library who was browsing the YA section and said “READ THIS.” I’m not sure if they took the book because it looked interesting, or because of the fierce look in my eyes, but they took it, and I’m kind of jealous that I can’t reread it again for the first time. This book is a sci-fi thriller that is told through a compilation of documents such as interviews, transcripts, classified files, emails, IM conversations, maps, and more. Instead of a traditional narrative, the reader has to piece together parts of the story and fill things in, which in my opinion, makes discoveries and revelations in the book even more rewarding. This book made me tear up at least twice, gasp with abated breath, and laugh out loud MULTIPLE times and IN PUBLIC. I’m already ravenous for the next installation. The plot (in a nutshell) is about a future where there are two rivaling mega-corporations, of which one invades the planet of another, and the survivors flee invading forces aboard spaceships attempting to flee to safety, only to face an exponentially growing amount of obstacles from there.  This book pretty much has everything you could possibly want IN SPACE: action, zombies, hackers, politics, pink hair, A.I., and running for your life. If you haven’t read this yet I highly suggest you do (and don’t be fooled by the size of this tome – the book itself is about 600 pages, BUT because of its non-traditional format, it reads much quicker. I flew through this in less than 48 hours).

2. Golden Son by Pierce Brown

This book is, hands down, the most fast-paced, action-packed, I-will-not-move-from-my-spot-until-it-is-over-and-I-will-punch-anyone-who-interrupts-me book that I have ever read. EVER. And I have read many books. However, before I continue on (by which I mean rant and rave) I must disclaim that this is a sequel to Pierce Brown’s first book in the trilogy: Red Rising. If you are looking for something to read: GO ACQUIRE RED RISING AND GOLDEN SON RIGHT NOW BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY (also snag Illuminae while you’re at it). You’ll thank me, I promise.

So what is this amazing book about anyways? Well! Red Rising (and this extends to Golden Son) was originally marketed as book that was a mix of Ender’s Game, The Hunger Games, and Game of Thrones, and it does not disappoint (Dear publishing company, this type of advertising worked and I bought Red Rising because Ender and Katniss were mentioned in the same sentence on the cover – I am not ashamed. Please do this more often).

Golden Son continues where Red Rising left off about the completely engrossing story of Darrow, a young man from the lowest caste of society infiltrating the governing elite to take down the entire social system from the inside. And the stakes are high. They’re high in Red Rising, but they’re higher in Golden Son, and repercussions for mistakes in this world are unforgiving, if not fatal. That being said, if you like sci-fi, this book is for you. If you like politics, political intrigue, and murder, this book is for you. If you like Roman culture, this book is for you. If you like on the edge of you seat action, this book is for you. Basically I’m almost at the point of proclaiming that if anyone has any modicum of taste whatsoever and can read a book, this book is for them, (although because that’s very opinionated, and maybe borderline obnoxious, I will just think it and consider proclaiming it later).  However, Golden Son did win a Goodreads Choice Award for 2015, and so many readers can’t be wrong. Also, on a completely unrelated and  yet still related note, not only is Pierce Brown an incredible author, but he’s also incredibly handsome and entertaining. I suggest following him on social media. I’ve never had a crush on an author before, but I do now.

3. Qualify and Compete by Vera Nazarian

More sci-fi and space ships! Yay! These two books are probably the largest YA books I’ve ever read in my life, and while sometimes I am affected by the stigma against adults reading YA, I will admit that for about a week, these two books took over my life. At about 700 pages a piece, I read each in under three days, and that’s about all I did besides eat, sleep and go to work. Basically any few minutes of unallotted time went to finishing them. I didn’t want them to end, but at the same time, I did, so I could actually go to bed at a decent hour. The premise behind this quartet (there are two more books slated to come in February and August 2016) is that Earth is about to be destroyed by an impending meteor, and an ancient race from the city of Atlantis, a race that has since left Earth for another planet, has offered to rescue a percentage of teens and young adults to prevent humanity’s extinction. (That was a long, and probably a run on sentence- I was just so excited). Yet, in order to snag a ticket to a life on Atlantis, Earth teens have to compete for the right to be saved – think The Hunger Games but with alien hosts and technology. Our protagonist, Gwen Lark, is also determined to find a way to rescue the rest of her family and move them to Atlantis once she herself qualifies. Vera Nazarian also has some fresh ideas about a society that revolves so much around sound and song. For me that was extremely novel.

And here’s the best part:  Qualify is free on Amazon and most other reading platforms. I’m not sure how long this offer will last, but I’m grateful, because that’s what prompted me to take a chance on it.

4. A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas

If there’s something I just can’t pass up, it’s a story about fairies, and most fairy-tale re-tellings…yes, there’s a but coming… BUT I really prefer the darker faeries and fey. I think it’s mostly because, in my opinion at least, all wild things are dangerous in some sort of way. As a result, I’m fine with faeries, and even pretty and/or sexy fairies, but they need to be dangerous. Preferably something that could or would easily eat or kill me. Cute Tinkerbells are for chumps. Give me an assortment of fatal faeries – some irresistibly attractive, some stomach-turning and disgustingly monstrous, and maybe some that are something in between. Sarah J. Maas, definitely captures that in A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). In this first installment of a series, our main leading lady, Feyre, accidentally kills a faerie and has to repent by giving up her current life to live at a fey court.  While in the realm of faerie, Feyre discovers that there’s a much bigger evil looming ahead, which intends to basically devour, if not wipe out, the faerie and the human worlds as she knows them, and so the story begins. I am a fan of Sarah J. Maas in general, but I think this may be my favorite book by her, and she did an excellent job of leaving some things open in anticipation of the next book. If you like faeries and fierce female leads, you will probably love this.

5. Reboot by Amy Tintera

When I read a review about Reboot, I instantly requested it from my local library. When I had said book in hands, I think I read it in its entirety in one sitting. I love it when I enjoy a book as much as I think I’m going to. This was one of those times. Reboot is a YA book (in a series of two) about an alternate future in Texas where a virus has swept across the United States and has caused the deaths of millions and the “rebirth” of many. When someone who has been infected dies, there is a likelihood that they will revive, stronger, faster, quicker to heal, and less emotional than they were before as a human. Given a number for how many minutes they were dead, those who are dead the longest and then revive or “reboot” are the best: better, stronger, faster (cue Kanye). Adults who revive are killed because they don’t survive the transformation mentally intact, and young children and teens are conditioned and trained to be military pawns of the government.  But what happens when a high number, in this case a 178, despite all odds and lack of emotion, takes interest in the well-being of a 22, who might just die because he can’t keep up? Action! Drama! Most of which comes from this little 5’4” blonde badass. Are you sold on this? Because I was.

6. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The first thing I usually say to describe Leigh Bardugo is that she writes like Tamora Pierce but with Russian influence. I must be somewhat spot on because other people describe her that way too. This year, I saw Six of Crows EVERYWHERE. The hype was almost overwhelming. And I am happy to confirm that it is deserved hype. This book is deliciously dark, and it carries one of my favourite themes ever: stealing things. It’s about a misfit group of six characters that take on a shady assignment that will probably mean death or worse, but failure is not an option. And because I like dark things, stealing things, and anything that closely or maybe even barely resembles and ensemble from Leverage, I loved Six of Crows.

7. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Another book by Amie Kaufman! Apparently, I am buying everything that this woman is selling since I have yet to find a book by her that I don’t like. Since I live off of sci-fi, ravenously devour survival stories, and love laughing out loud, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. These Broken Stars  follows two young adults, one the daughter of the richest man in the galaxy, and the other a young war veteran, who are the only two survivors on an unknown planet when their spaceship is torn in two. Now add in some things that don’t make sense and cause you to question the sanity of the main characters, and Voila! A book that I would recommend for anyone who likes sci-fi romance.

8. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

This is another book that I have heard nothing but hype for over the last couple of years, and like Six of Crows, it deserves every positive review. Eleanor & Park is probably one of the cutest, and sweetest love stories that I have ever read. Seriously, at times I think if it was any cuter, it would have made me throw up. Probably in heart shaped puddles, because The Force is strong with Rainbow Rowell in this book. Not only is the love story incredibly (as in literally “unbelievably”) sweet, there are tons of pop culture and nerd references, particularly from the 80’s for readers to appreciate.

And that, my lovelies, would conclude my top books for 2015, or at least those that I can remember (In 2016 I’ll be better, I promise).  As far as reading goals for 2016 go, I hope I’ll try to read a few more non-fiction books – if I can. I’m ravenous for knowledge, but as it turns out my strange little heart prefers fiction and impossible things. So, with that in mind if you have any recommendations based on my top choices listed above, please share! I’m always looking for new books, despite the immense size of my TBR list.

Live Long and Prosper,

Sama

I’m pretty nosy, so I like to know what people are doing: eating, visiting, reading. The Millions has an annual feature where a bunch of smart and interesting people (many are writers themselves) talk about the best books they read over the course of the year. Thanks to some of those lists, I’ve read and enjoyed a bunch of books I would have never picked up otherwise, like a book about finance and another about the sad life of an unextraordinary man.

So, here is my own Year in Reading list for 2015, chock full of the best books I’ve had the pleasure to consume with my hands, eyeballs, and brain (since The Millions likely won’t ask a random Seattle girl for the scoop on her own reading habits):

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Ah, one of my favorite topics: old timey crime! This is a true crime novel about Dr. H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who operated in Chicago around the time of the 1893 World’s Fair. It’s super creepy and compelling in that macabre way that all murder stories are, but what I enjoyed the most is how Larson also incorporated the serial killer’s environment — the preparation for the Chicago World’s Fair — into the narrative, which is fascinating in its own right. If you want a real page-turner and to not sleep for a few nights thinking about what monsters some people can be and also to inundate your brain with many facts on what it took to build the world’s first Ferris wheel, read this. Also, I read somewhere that this is being turned into a movie starring Leo DiCaprio as Holmes. Hmmmm.

Of Orcas and Men by David Neiwert

Killer whales are amazing. When I went whale watching in Alaska as a kid, I wept with joy when a pod of them emerged alongside the boat. And despite how much we may enjoy them, we can all agree that marine mammal parks aren’t ideal for such powerful, clever, and athletic animals. This book covers orcas in the wild — specifically the J, K, and L pods that live around the Pacific Northwest. It also goes into the history of human interactions with orcas, which unfortunately includes the capture of them for parks like Sea World. It won’t hit emotionally bludgeon you the way watching Blackfish does, but it is a real eye-opener on what orcas are like outside of performing for fish and applause. Neiwert clearly cares a great deal about these animals, and he makes it clear why you should too without becoming preachy about it.

Rocket Men by Craig Nelson

Another non-fiction pick! What can I say, I like non-fiction as much as I enjoy a good yarn. This one covers the Apollo missions, which duh, are intense. We have space and science and underdogs! And finally, when it comes to the eventual launch of the International Space Station, working together! I read another book about the Apollo missions last year which glossed over all the bad things that happened during the Space Race. That’s a real pity, because the bad things are just as fascinating and essential as the good things — also, there was a heartbreaking passage in here about how JFK championed the lunar landing but was assassinated before he could see it actually happen. I may or may not have cried on the airplane as I read that bit.

The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles

Finally, a work of fiction! I only realize now after putting this list together just how much of my reading this year has been in the non-fiction realm. But this story stuck with me. It’s pretty depressing and frustrating, but don’t worry, you’re supposed to feel that way. An American couple travel through the North African desert and it seems the longer they’re out there, the more out of touch with each other and delusional they become about who they actually are and what they’re actually capable of accomplishing. Both of the lead characters are infuriating, but it’s also not very hard to see where they’re coming from as they try to “find themselves,” which is a little unsettling at times. You understand them, despite loathing them. But warning: things don’t go well for these two.

And just to make this list an even five recommendations, I’ll add in something I read prior to this year that I still find myself thinking about:

We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen

Translated from Danish, this novel looks huge, but reading it was so enjoyable that I hardly noticed the book was about 75 pounds and that my biceps had become quite mighty from holding it hour after hour. The story focuses on several sailors and their lives ashore and at sea before, during, and after war in the 1840s (around the time Denmark was founded?), and moves on from there. Jensen’s writing captures that tense and wild feeling of being completely unmoored, if you’ll pardon my very-much-intended nautical pun. It’s heartbreaking, but also optimistic in a way — and the entire narrative reads like an epic along the same lines as The Odyssey, but without the weird monsters. The ocean (and plain ol’ people), it turns out, is damn scary enough.

Now, what have you all been reading this year?