Book highlights of 2013

2013 was the year I prioritised writing over reading, but there was no way I could cut out reading entirely! As if!

An incredible debut which caught my attention was the first of a series by young writer Samantha Shannon. The book, The Bone Season, is a clever and captivating tale about clairvoyants who have been ostracised and forced into a life of crime. It creates that world within a world that will keep the reader hooked throughout and there is also a strong female lead and the fascinating Warden who takes her on.

 

One of the most sophisticated and classy novels I had the pleasure of reading this year was Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures by Emma Straub, a story of one woman's battle with both her private and public personas, as she moves from a rural upbringing to the bright lights of Hollywood's golden era.

Though the books are not new to 2013, film adaptations released this year have sent me to some incredible novels, including the complex and fascinating study of human behaviour, World War Z by Max Brooks and the delightfully dark and romantic Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. There was also the superb memoir 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup and the delightful Austenland by Shannon Hale (which led to a rather entertaining and heated debate at the book vs film club!).

There were lots of great bookish events to enjoy this year too, including meeting the lovely Victoria Fox at the launch of her new book Wicked Ambition and the glamorous RNA winter party. The highlight, though, has to be a trip to the BBC to see Sarah Alexander record the vocals for The Wedding Knight by Sophie Kinsella as it was prepared for their Books at Beachtime series.

Of course 2013 was also the year the fantastic Kirsty Greenwood launched her book Yours Truly in paperback!

What have your book highlights been this year?

Kirsty Greenwood's 'Yours Truly' gets a gorgeous new paperback cover!

Ebook sensation, Novelicious creater, champion of women's fiction and all-round lovely lady Kirsty Greenwood has already dazzled with her debut novel, Yours Truly, which rocketed to within the top 10 ebook sales soon after its launch. Now, having signed on with Pan Macmillan, Kirsty has today revealed the new cover for the paperback edition - due out in November - and it is GORGEOUS!

Courtesy of @kirstybooks

Here's what I thought of this delightful debut!

Book Review: Yours Truly by Kirsty Greenwood

There comes a time in every reviewer's career when someone they know and love publishes a book. Do you dare read it? What if it's awful? Usually, I have no qualms giving low ratings to books when I think they're horrendous (just check out my Danielle Steel review if you don't believe me!) When it's somebody you know, though, it's harder to be mean, to be honest - that is unless the book is so brilliant all you have to do in your review is lavish it with praise! This, fortunately, is what happened when I decided to download Yours Truly by Kirsty Greenwood, the ever-fearless leader of the Novelicious team. Believe me, if I'd hated it, I would have kept shtum, not told her I downloaded it and just not done a review. Because who wants to be mean to a friend like that? So Kirsty, thank you for writing a book I can proudly share with fellow book-lovers!

Natalie Butterworth (best name ever!) is nice, a people-pleaser who avoids confrontation like the plague. She is looking forward to settling down with dream-man Olly after their impending wedding. Her mum and sister are excitedly 'helping' organise the wedding, arranging everything - even the dress. Though Natalie hates the dress, she wouldn't dream of taking the joy that comes with organising her own daughter's wedding away from her mother. After all, the wedding isn't just about her, and she doesn't want to seem ungrateful.

Natalie is horrified then when, after a night out with best friend Meg, she realises that she's been inadvertently hypnotised to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth whenever somebody asks her a question. When does she realise this? When her fiancé turns to her in bed and asks her "How was that for you?"

Natalie's adventure gets underway when she starts her search for the elusive Amazing Brian to get him to un-hypnotise her before anything can ruin the wedding (as if telling her fiancé he's bad in the sack didn't already do that!). It is an adventure that will take her to the quaint village of Little Trooley, where she meets the rather gorgeous Riley, owner of The Little Whimsey pub, and a whole host of brilliant village characters.

Yours Truly by Kirsty Greenwood is a fun, hilarious adventure that will have you laughing - rather embarrassingly - in public on numerous occasions. Natalie is a great central character and seeing her get in touch with her own hidden honesty is endearing, awkward and brilliantly funny.

5 FOBLES