Wednesday 23 December 2015

Camping Book List 2015, and happy holidays!


It’s nearly Christmas Day as I’m writing this.  And I’m not organised, except for camping – we’re leaving on our annual family camping trip on Boxing Day, which I’m excited about because it means a nice long time out, and lots of writing done on a camp chair at the cliff near our camp site when everyone else is asleep (and I am weirdly awake – old habits die hard, I guess).  I’ve printed up my manuscript, I’ve got all my little exercise books full of squiggly notes, and I’m taking a Melina Marchetta book with me, as a good luck talisman J

Lots of people put up their ‘Best of 2015’ book lists at this time.  I’ve read many many amazing books this year, but I’m not going to list them all because I don’t like to rank books (I find it really hard to do, actually) and also because my memory is so poor that I’d probably leave out all the crucial ones.  Instead, I’m going to list the books that I’m taking on holiday with me (in hard copy or e-book format), to give you an idea of the kinds of worlds I’ll be living in while I’m away.

Some of these books have been recommended, some just looked interesting, some are books I’m curious about because they correspond in some way with the book I’m currently writing.  But for whatever reason these titles grabbed me, so I’m hoping to get through them all in the next fortnight.  And here they are:

The Rest of Us Just Live Here – Patrick Ness
The Natural Way of Things – Charlotte Wood
Hope Farm – Peggy Frew
Clancy of the Undertow – Christopher Currie (lots of people reckon this is awesome)*
Gated – Amy Parker
The Murder Complex – Lindsay Cummings
Spark – Rachael Craw*
Risk – Fleur Ferris*
Pieces of Sky – Trinity Doyle*
Ghost River – Tony Birch
Lair of Dreams – Libba Bray (because I’ve been waiting for a chance to sink my teeth into this)
Nona & Me – Clare Atkins*
A Thousand Lives – Julie Scheer
Saving Francesca – Melina Marchetta (my lucky charm)*
Wolf by Wolf – Ryan Graudin (on Amie Kaufman’s strongest recommendation)
Black Spring – Alison Croggan*
The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf – Ambelin Kwaymullina*
(* #LoveOzYA for the win!)

What do you reckon?  I’ve also been promising to read Grapes of Wrath for about three years and never getting around to it, so this could be the time it happens…if I don’t get distracted by all the other shiny things.

I also wanted to let you all know that I won’t be answering emails or texts or phone calls during the holidays.  We’ll be gone for two weeks, and in that time I will be enacting radio silence (actually, it’s not like I have a non-radio-silence option: there’s no phone and internet reception where we’re going).  So if you’re trying to get in touch, please be patient, and I promise to get back to you around mid-January next year.

And on that note – happy holidays!  Whatever your religious affiliation (or not), or plans for the season (or not), I hope you have a lovely time between now and the New Year.  May all good things come your way, may you stay safe from bushfires and mozzies, may the sunburn (or cool freeze) steer clear, and may your books (and writing, if you’re that way inclined) be plentiful!  All best wishes from me and my family to you and yours, and see you in 2016 J


xxEllie

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