What-ifs and imagine-isms: the building blocks of make-believe. This is the reason I love what I do—why I love writing; why I love reading. I fell in love with ancient mythologies as a young child—the voyages of Odysseus; the sword in the stone; Jormungand the Midgard Serpent—and it shaped the course of my passions for decades.
School holidays were spent watching re-runs of Hercules and Star Wars on TV, in between healthy doses of whatever-was-available weekly VHS rentals, scaling the alien fortress (cubby-house) walls with laser pistols (those connector pens made amazing pretend guns), and re-reading The Chronicles of Narnia for the thousandth time.
I “grew up” a little and discovered the wonders of the second-hand book shop. I discovered the Star Wars extended universe novels and I was set until mid-high school and the dawn of the computer game. Games such as Baldur’s Gate, Diablo, and Planescape Torment, harked back to those ancient mythologies, as well as exploring new worlds—exciting, fantastical playgrounds where anything could happen. I began reading within the fantasy genre as often as I could. I’ve explored Midkemia, Kyralia, Westeros, Cenaria, and too many others to name.
It is such a bitter-sweet moment when you finish a novel or a series—that journey is over, but what next? Which leads us to the purpose of this post. What’s next? 2019 is shaping up to be a busy year, but I wanted to expand my horizons. I wanted to explore new things—new genres, new (to me) authors.
Here’s what I will be reading (and reviewing) during 2019:
- School for Spirits by Aron Lewes
- Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
- Iron by Aiki Flinthart
- If I Wake by Nikki Moyes
- Eve of Eridu by Alanah Andrews
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
- Son of Heaven by David Wingrove
- A Wise Man’s Fears by Patrick Rothfuss
- Utopia Pending by Various Authors
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Some of these authors I have met; some I haven’t; some are dead. The below links use affiliate marketing and I will receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through them, however; this has in no way influenced my decision process on what to read (if you can call it a process).
What are you currently reading? Which of the above have you read yourself? Drop a comment below and let me know what you think.
Runic Rumblings 
Iron is a fantastic Sci-Fi book, its the best book I’ve read so far in 2019!
Earthsea is one of my all-time favourite fantasy series. It’s celebrating it 50th bithday this year so a good year to re-read!
I read Anna Karenina a year or so ago – it’s a fantastic time capsule to a Russia that was torn apart mere years after the story was written.
Coraline, Eve of Eridu and If I Wake are all excellent too!
Currently I’m reading Four Dead Queens, then hopefully the Fifth Season. And I just got the seques to Iron – Fire – which I can’t wait to read!
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Intriguing list, compellingly presented with titles both familiar & new. On it.
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