We’re almost at the end of another year, and I have to say, 2018 has been a fantastic year for genre books. there have been some cracking good follow-ups to some of last year’s best debuts, along with some seriously well written shorter works. Talking to other readers at EdgeLit and SledgeLit, and picking up on reviews online, there’s definitely a sense that genre publishing, in all respects, has gotten better, broader, and more diverse this year, and next year is looking even more so. With that in mind, I thought now would be a good time to look at the books which have stood out most for me in 2018.
Broken, Not Broken
A couple of weeks ago I was happily reporting that my mojo had returned and I was once again writing with verve and passion. And then early last week my brain assassin came back from whatever holiday she’d been on and the mojo went and hid in a corner. This of course gave the brain assassin more ammunition, which made the mojo cower away even more, and thus a vicious circle was born.
Spreading My Wings
For a while now I’ve been toying with the idea of setting up a Patreon page, and I’ve been coming up with various spurious excuses why this would be a bad idea: nobody’s interested in what I do, I’ll have trouble maintaining it, I’ve not got anything worth monetising. And earlier this week I realised all of these excuses are just that – excuses.
The Mojo Returns
Things haven’t been great for me over the last several months. Since losing my job, and indeed for a few months before that, my motivation for writing was pretty much non-existent. As a result my wordage has been well below anything even resembling a reasonable amount. To be sure, I hadn’t reached the stage of denouncing any dreams of writerly success but I was beginning to suspect that the effort far outweighed the potential. However, that was then and this is now.
Book Review: The Tower of Living and Dying
The Tower of Living and Dying by Anna Smith Spark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Following last year’s Court of Broken Knives I had high expectations for this book, and I have to say I was not disappointed. As with the first book in the series, The Tower of Living and Dying may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but if you enjoyed the first you’re going to love the second.
One Step Forward
I’ll be honest with you, I’m not doing all that well with life right now. Just over three weeks ago I lost my primary source of income, and literally on the same day suffered a fractured elbow. I’m still in the limbo of waiting to find out if I’m eligible for benefits while I try to find another job, and it’s only thanks to the kindness of close friends that I’m able to keep the lights on, metaphorically speaking.