The Best Books I Read in 2008

2008 was a bumper year for reading. I read so much great stuff! None of my top three could overtake each other to reach the number one slot, as I love them all equally but for entirely different reasons. Therefore, we shall proceed alphabetically by author. I won’t say too much about each title; these books speak for themselves!


Little Brother by Cory Doctorow


Exciting, inspiring, and entirely of its time. Though still highly relevant, I am glad I read this in late summer, before the economy usurped terrorism as the fear that dominates the news.


The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos


Refreshingly odd, somewhat disturbing, thought provoking (perhaps every family has some sort of curse), not too long or too short. Fabulous!


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


This book made a huge impression on me, and I wrote about it here. Such beauty!


I must also mention The Best First Draft I Read in 2008: Natalie L. Sin's NaNoWriMo novel, a horror thriller titled Bucky’s Luck. Great premise, crisp writing, sharp dialogue, gruesome murders, strong characters, humour. If only my first drafts were as good as this! :)

Happy Christmas!

Because it is Christmas (and because who doesn’t love special effects?) below is a bonus photo in which my little tree appears to be on fire. A roaring fire and a Christmas tree rolled into one!

Oh Crikey, It’s Nearly...

No sooner am I released from prison ;) than the shops start opening until midnight. Christmas is well and truly upon us, overpowering us, seizing our minds, our money and our time.


I have very mixed feelings about Christmas. I love the ideal: snow, sleigh bells, twinkling lights, crisp air, carol singers, roaring fires, games of charades, tidings of comfort and joy. But the reality (aside from my allergy to roaring fires) of the preparations slightly overwhelms the event.

By the time I've done the cards and the presents (posted and wrapped), I have to admit, I feel I’ve done Christmas. The day itself lies ahead in my mind all wrapped-up in a sense of foreboding.

Each and every year, I think about escaping. But something stops me. Perhaps I would feel I’d bottled-out. And perhaps, if I did run away, despite all my griping, I might actually find I’d missed out ... on the annual frisson of fear, panic and, okay (I’m sure it WILL be okay), fun and laughter and joy. :)


EDIT: After re-reading this post, I realised that a couple of sentences, meant in jest, didn’t quite work. I’ve now deleted the paragraph that made me sound worse than Scrooge!!!

Message in a Bottle

My two-week blog break turned into a three-week blog break, and now... that three-week blog break looks set to become a prolonged hiatus. I am so entangled in the imaginary worlds of both fashion and fiction it seems I will be imprisoned here for some time. Things could be worse. Much worse. I am not incarcerated in a cold, dark cell. My sentence is not indefinite. The guards are kind; they even allow me a little time online! Occasionally. And one day ... I’ll be free!! :)