Okay, so this one’s a little late…

I gave up on trying to get my to-read pile smaller in 2014. Yet I did keep down the book purchasing to a minimum. As for what I read, I was doing okay until mid-year, when deadlines began to loom and I only had text-dealing brain space left for writing, and spare time was spent packing and planning house things.

I consumed:
The Blade Itself Joe Abercrombie
Cold Fire Kate Elliot
In Fabula Divinos ed. by Nicole Murphy
The Fall of Ossard Colin Taber
Shadow in the Empire of Light (ms) Jane Routley
Realmshift Alan Baxter
Cold Steel Kate Elliot
At Home Bill Bryson
The Ocean at the End of the Lane Neil Gaiman
Daughter of Smoke and Bone Laini Taylor
This is Modern Art Matthew Collings

At the same time I read 3/4 of a friend’s work in progress, which I’m currently rereading in a more polished state.

In the last few years there’s been a shift in fantasy away from the kind that I like, at least in the top sales lists. Australian authors in particular are not being re-signed by publishers now that the local imprints have been replaced by global ones and must satisfy the tastes of bigger markets – most often the US. I’m starting to worry that I should stock up on the paper versions of my favourite authors before they go out of print.

I do like reading ebooks, though. But I like to possess paper copies of my favourite books. In my perfect world I’d read the ebook and then, if I absolutely loved it, I’d order a print-on-demand small hardcover, with a slip cover of my choosing. And everyone would get paid fairly for their work, too.