Being a writer naturally means I’m a lover of books, right? Well, not necessarily as some writers strangely avoid reading the genres they write in for fear of being tainted. I find that reading books, besides the enjoyment of them, instructs and informs me to my craft. So I fall into the category of writer that reads voraciously.
The unfortunate thing about being a writer with a day job is that I try to squeeze as much writing time into my busy week, so that leaves less than the optimal hours to read all the books I would want to read if I had the leisure time. So it leaves me with having to pick and choose, which I loathe to do.
Here is a (short and not even by a long-shot, complete) list of books I’m looking forward to reading in 2011. If, by any chance, you have a suggestion of a similar book that I might enjoy, please add it to the comment section, as I’m always on the lookout for new authors to read. Some of these books are already out (or came out in 2010 and I just haven’t gotten around to reading them) and others don’t yet have a release date.
The Wise Man’s Fear (Kingkiller Chronicles Book 2) by Patrick Rothfuss
Rothfuss shows us why characters matter. Kvothe is as interesting as Lisbeth Salander from the Millennium trilogy, except in a fantasy setting.
A Dance With Dragons (A Song of Fire and Ice Book 5) by George R.R. Martin
There’s a reason why HBO picked up property to turn into a series on their network. The first show is out April 17th and who knows when the fifth book will be released. Mr. Martin is famously behind finishing the novel due to a complex series of events in the book that had him stymied for a while. I’m sure hoping he cuts the knot soon.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
I just downloaded this book on my Kindle yesterday. Now that snowpacolypse has passed us, I’m looking forward to a little free time in the evening to curl up with this novel about an artificially created human girl named Emiko that was discarded by an uncaring master.
Rule 34 by Charles Stross
Besides utilizing his title as an inside Internet joke, Stross always delivers thrilling idea-per-second prose and I enjoy having my mind blown chapter by chapter.
God’s War by Kameron Hurley
Bad-ass fem assassins, or “bel dames” are enough of a hook to get me to want to read it.
City of Ruins by Kathryn Kristine Rusch
I hadn’t read anything from Kris before downloading a quintet of novellas on my Kindle this xmas. Since then I have her high on my “must read anything this author puts out”-list. This is actually the second book of a series, so I have to read the first, but that’s a good thing.
7th Sigma by Steven Gould
I loved his short Bugs in The Arroyo posted on the Tor.com site back a few months. When I found out it was an excerpt from his upcoming novel I put it on my must-read list. A world ravaged by metal eating bugs is an interesting twist on the post-apocalyptic genre.
Well, this list by no means is complete. I’m sure I could think up another twenty novels given the time, but these would be some of my top picks. I’m interested in hearing what books you’re looking forward to.
