Books read in 2020
I really can't use last year's excuse of life getting in the way, but I've read surprisingly few books during this strangest of years. Possibly because my mental health's not been great for a lot of the year, and I've found it hard to concentrate. I have also been spending far more time outdoors than in a normal year - when you feel trapped at home, going out for a long walk or run seems more appealing than sitting inside reading.
I did read a ridiculous number of ridiculous graphic novels involving ridiculous franchise crossovers. Special mention for He-Man/Thundercats, which was actually really good, and Star Trek vs. Transformers, which was really, really silly.
As for actual "proper" books, this year I've read barely more than one a month. Shocking! These were:
I did read a ridiculous number of ridiculous graphic novels involving ridiculous franchise crossovers. Special mention for He-Man/Thundercats, which was actually really good, and Star Trek vs. Transformers, which was really, really silly.
As for actual "proper" books, this year I've read barely more than one a month. Shocking! These were:
- The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth (Philip Pullman) - There's some interesting stuff as Pullman continues to explore his world, but it feels slightly aimless. There's no getting away from the fact Lyra has already done by far the most significant thing she will ever do, and it's sad to see what's become of her and Pan.
- Good Omens (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman) - a re-read after seeing the TV adaptation. Still brilliant. A collaboration between two of my favourite authors that's every bit as much as the sum of its parts.
- The Testament of Loki (Joanne M. Harris) - A post-Ragnarok sequel to a retelling of the Norse legends I read last year. Loki escapes the underworld via a videogame and gets trapped in the body of a teenage girl. No, really. It kind of works though.
- Ancillary Justice/Ancillary Sword/Ancillary Mercy/Provenance (Ann Leckie) - I felt privileged to read all four books (a trilogy followed by a standalone novel) in this sci-fi saga back-to-back. Epic in scope, packed with spaceships, intrigue and conflict, while also thought-provoking and questions what it is to be human.
- The Ickabog (JK Rowling) - A fairy tale in the Grimm tradition, described by its author as "a story about truth and the abuse of power". It also has a great drinking song. And is for young children. Proof again that (when she isn't being deranged on Twitter) JKR is quite brilliant.
- The Book of Sheffield (edited by Catherine Taylor) - A collection of short stories from the Steel City. A real mixed bag. Some are instantly recognisable as the Sheffield I know, others a Sheffield I've never experienced. Some are just pretentious and weird.
- The Lego Book (Daniel Lipkowitz) - Non-fiction. Borrowed from Dan. Filled in a few gaps in my knowledge of the history of Lego, particularly during those wilderness years when I was too old to be given it and too young to be able to afford to buy my own :o)
- The October Man/False Value (Ben Aaronovitch) - A short story (set in Germany with alternative characters) and the next full instalment of the "Rivers of London" series. Still amazing. Supernatural crime fiction that's wonderfully geeky and down-to-earth at the same time.
- Idol Scribblings Volume Two (Hannah Hudson-Lee) - More gods, ancient and modern (including one suggested by me!) from the extremely talented Hannah. I'm going to plug her blog again. Here's to Volume Three!
- Serpentine (Philip Pullman) - I got more from this tiny, beautifully-illustrated short story than I did from the whole of "The Secret Commonwealth". More like this please!
- Star Wars Myths & Fables (George Mann) - What it says, a collection of legends from the Star Wars galaxy. Some are better than others. Spotting the possible links to familiar characters and places is kind of fun, as is trying to figure out how much canonical "truth" there is in each tale.