I think a list is in order today.
There are many books that I am looking forward to being published or reprinted this year:
1. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
I am a huge fan of Sarah Waters. I have read all of her work, so far, my favourite being Fingersmith, a wonderful Victorian Gothic tale that uses Wilkie Collins' The Women in White as inspiration. I am lucky enough to have have heard her speak a few times (three, I think) and have my copies of her books signed. The Little Stranger is a ghost story and I highly anticipate it to be pleasurable and chillingly satisfying. I also hope that I manage to attend a reading of this book by the author. It's due to be published in June.
2. The Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
Another installment of the Discworld is always something to look forward to! According to Wikipedia (and implied by the title), this outing of Ankh-Morpokians will feature the Unseen University wizarding (and the Orangutan LIbrarian) football team... I'm laughing already. It will be a long wait until October.
3. The Children's Book by AS Byatt
As yet I haven't read much Byatt, and what I have read (short story collection The Little Black Book of Stories) didn't wow me but I can't resist the temptation of a book about books in an imaginative setting, like Inkheart for adults. This title is expected in May.
4. Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons
Virago Press are reprinting this "sprawling, delightful, eccentric fairy tale", as Amazon describe it, with a preface by Sophie Dahl (who writes modern fairy tale like fiction of her own). I eagerly await its publication (due early April).
5. The World that Was Ours by Hilda Bernstein and Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey
Both of these (along with Noel Streatfield's Saplings, which I already own) will be published by Persephone Books as Persephone Classics next month and will be added to my collection. Although I love the dove grey Persephone covers, the Classics are also beautifully presented and are cheaper, which is important to me just now: I buy so many books that it is great to make a saving here and there!
6. Making Conversation by Christine Longford
Speaking of Persephone Books, this is one of their forthcoming Spring/Summer's titles. I know nothing of this yet except for its pretty endpaper (not a surprise) and that it will be accompanied by a new Persephone Lives series title: The Other Elizabeth Taylor, about Virago popular author Elizabeth Taylor and written by Nicola Beauman (Persephone founder) herself.
7. Shades of Grey, Jasper Fforde
A new Jasper Fforde series! woo-hoo!
According to US Amazon the premise of this series is set in a "world where social order and destiny are dictated by the colo[u]rs you see."
This is out in July and it's going to be a great summer of reading.
8. Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker
Bloomsbury are reprinting six titles this summer (July), all of them -like Persephones- forgotten classics (including Virago Modern Classic The Brontes Went to Woolworths). This title sounds like a treat and is one of Simon's at Stuck in a Book "50 titles you must read but may not have heard about".
9. The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A collection of short stories due to be published in a couple of weeks that I am really looking forward to reading. I greatly enjoyed her novels Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun.
10. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
The paperback edition of this novel is being published in April too. I have heard good things and look forward to it along with the others.
All of these books excite me, some will be pre-ordered, all will be purchased (well, if my financial situation improves), all will be read (I hope) and hopefully enjoyed and finally reviewed.
5 comments:
I've just added you to my blog list :-)
Some great titles to look forward to here - and I'm so pleased to see Miss Hargreaves among their ranks! I've also read about a third of Making Conversations now, and it's great fun.
Thanks for the reminder about the Stella Gibbons, I'm looking forward to that now too. The book I'm most excited about this year, about from Miss Hargreaves, is another Tove Jansson - The True Deceiver, out in October. The Sort Of Books imprint are always beautiful, and I'm so pleased that someone is translating Jansson's wonderful books.
Thank you for the add!
Miss Hargreaves was actually how I first came across your blog (back when I was reading and not writing) as Danielle at A Work in Progress posted a link upon receiving copy of the book from you; it was the first post I read on her blog too so it will be great to eventually read the book.
I haven't read any Tove Jansson, although I do want to read all of the Moomin books! The True Deceiver is another book added to the wishlist.
Personally I know I won't get around to reading these but on a professional basis I may consider them for my library based on your recommendation. Thanks!
Added you!
At one point, at least 4 ppl I knew, myself included, were reading THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED. The GoodReads listing was amusing.
Carsten, some of those would be great for the lbrary, especially the Waters and Adichie.
Jennifer, it was your and Lynn's recommendation that made me want to read it ... it did seem as if everyone was reading it around Christmastime.
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