Summer Reading List

It has been a long while since I wrote a blog post that wasn't for my alter-ego Teacher-Taylor. Today has put me in the mood to write again, but I'm not quite ready to start working on Part Two of my novel, so I thought a blog post might be a nice way to warm up. 

This year has been an amazing journey for me on so many levels. Spiritually questioning and exploring. Personally discovering who I am and what I want from life. I've travelled to the UK, I've changed jobs, I've tried Tinder (didn't last long). I started writing a book and I rediscovered my love for words.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think I ever really lost it. Last year was the first time I hadn't been working at Time Out Books since I started in 2007 and it was like my brain decided to go on holiday. It said "Right Taylor, you don't HAVE to read now, so maybe dial it back a bit, go easy on the books." But this year, as I started my own novel and read more about how the best thing writers can do is read, I have fallen in love again. As John Green said, so beautifully, in the Fault in Our Stars:

"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once." - John Green

I'm still not a prolific reader. Some of my friends on Goodreads have read over 100 books this year, and I'm very proudly sitting at 18 (not including re-reads). However, I find myself reading more often and more passionately than ever before. I don't know if it has something to do with learning more about the craft of writing, and so appreciating and being more critical of writers, or whether I've had the right books or something else entirely. Whatever the cause, I am happily infatuated with my ink and paper friends once more. 

So I decided to write a little something about my summer reading list! I had a box arrive today in the mail containing three of the books on my list (The Grisha Trilogy), and I thought some people might be interested to know what I plan on reading whilst I relax and get sunburnt this holiday. So in no particular order...

1. A Darker Shade of Magic

Fantasy books are my guilty-and-yet-not-so-guilty pleasure. I heard about this one through the various authors I follow on Twitter and loved the premise (and the cover let's be honest.) 

I fell in love with something other than reading this year too, I fell in love with London. So the fact that this book is set in THREE London's (multiverse much), each with their own distinct systems, is a big selling point. Very excited to see how the author weaves these overlapping cities together and how the magic works in these worlds.

2. Strange the Dreamer

Sorry team, this book doesn't actually come out until March 2017, but because I'm a very important person *cough* I have got my hands on an advanced reading copy. I like to think it's because of my close personal friendship with the author Laini Taylor (she replied to my tweets guys), but it might also have something to do with the wonderful people at Time Out Books. 

Anyway. Laini Taylor is a goddess when it comes to writing fantasy. Her Daughter of Smoke and Bone series is in my top 5 all time favourite books. Her writing is clever, witty, beautiful, haunting and thrilling. I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one. (Also, that cover right? Not that I judge books on their covers, but this one is pretty stunning).

3. The Grisha Trilogy

I read Leigh Bardugo's duology (Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom) last month and was devastated when it ended. The world she created is so rich, full and diverse and I wanted to know and experience more of it. So when I realised that her earlier trilogy was set in the same world I knew I had to have it. The idea around the Grishas' power intrigued me and I'm looking forward to having this series be focused around it. The first in the series is 'Shadow and Bone' (pictured). Again, another fantasy... guess what kind of book I'm writing. 

4. A Country Road, A Tree

I've actually JUST started reading this one. It is the second book by Jo Baker who wrote Longbourn, the story of the servants in Pride and Prejudice. I bought this one because I loved her last book and also I love books about writers. This is about Samuel Beckett and is set in the second world war. I also read Chris Cleave's Everyone Brave is Forgiven this year, which was also set during the war, and loved that. If books were boys I'd definitely have a type. 

I enjoyed her writing style so I'm looking forward to this. Another book to try in this vein is The Paris Wife which is about Ernest Hemingway, or Z about F. Scott Fitzgerald. Technically they are about the wives of the writers. 

5. Talking as Fast as I Can

If you know anything about me at all you should know that I am a Gilmore Girl. With the revival now released and watched I was almost at a loss about how I was going to recover from the hangover of once again letting go and dealing with a final episode. Then I discovered that Lauren Graham (aka Lorelai) had written a book. This was another Twitter discovery (if you gave up on Twitter five years ago I don't blame you but it's a great medium for all things bookish). Very excited to read about her life and about the ins and outs of the filming process. I'm not a big non-fiction reader but this is one I'm really looking forward to. 

So those are my top 5 for summer (technically 7 due to a trilogy), followed by a few others if I blitz through, if anyone is still reading/interested. I won't do a write up about them just attach a photo.

Have a Merry Christmas and a sun-smart summer everyone! May your skies be blue and your books be long.