Mandy’s Top 5 Reads of 2012

So this year, my reading was a little more eclectic than usual. I also read a little less than usual. Maybe that’s because many of the books I read had me pondering their deeper meanings, their nuances, the actual craft of the author. Whatever it was, I still got to read some seriously awesome books. So here’s my top 5 titles, in no particular order:

1/ Red Queen by Honey Brown

Red Queen is one of those titles that’s not quite crime or thriller, not quite spec fic – it just IS. And wow, is it creepy. And beautiful. Brown’s writing has a real melody to it.

2/ Feed, Deadline and Blackout by Mira Grant

Yeah, yeah, I’m cheating here by bundling all three novels of the ‘Newsflesh’ trilogy together. But technically, they’re one story. And you should read them. Now. Before the dead begin to rise.

3/ Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan

Back when I reviewed Sea Hearts here at Burn Bright in February, I wrote that I adored it. I still do. Margo Lanagan can twist words and sentences into heart-splitting scenes that will play in your memory forever.

4/ Bluegrass Symphony by Lisa L Hannett

I dipped into a few short story collections this year, most from Australian small press.  Lisa’s collection was a real standout for me (along with Felicity Dowker’s Bread and Circuses. But it would be cheating to add that in too. Oh. Oops). Hannett is another author whose words rise and fall like music; Bluegrass Symphony is as twisted and bleak as it is beautiful.

5/ Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Linqvist

More zombies. This time, in a very serious, heartbreaking novel that explores grief and loss. With lots of gory and mucky and cool horror stuff that smells like expensive cheese.

5 Most Anticipated Reads of 2012

Okay, most of these are already out there in the wild, jumping off bookshop shelves. Actually, most are jumping off MY shelf, coz I already have them in my To Be Read pile. I’m just a little backward and haven’t got to them yet. So, here are the five books I can not wait to sink my teeth into next year:

1/ Shine Light by Marianne de Pierres.

Oh. Yeah.

Do I really need to explain? Really?

2/ Stage Fright by Marianne Delacourt

Book three in the Davitt Award Winning Tara Sharp series has been screaming ‘Pick me! Pick me!’ from my bookshelf since the first week it was released. Tara’s noisy like that. I’ll be putting her out of her misery very, very soon.

3/ Illumination by Karen Brooks

Another one from the already-purchased-not-yet-read pile. The third and final book in the Curse of the Bond Riders trilogy, I can’t wait to see what this doorstop of a book has in store for characters Tallow and Dante.

4/ Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

The thirteenth and final book in the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series is due for release in early May next year. *Sigh*. I hope Sookie finds happiness. I hope she finds love (preferably with Sam, ahem). I hope we get a satisfying ending to the series that spawned the TV show, True Blood.

5/ The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I know, I know, it’s not new. In fact, The Scorpio Races was released in 2011. But I didn’t know about it until it was recently recommended to me by uber-author, Alison Goodman (EON and EONA) And, you know, when Alison Goodman personally recommends something – you have to read it, right? I’ll let y’all know how I go.

Shine Light is coming… pt 3

The Creatures of Ixion

Shh… do you hear it, Baby Bats? Those murmurs in the shadows? The whispers of sightings in the wild? Well, allow me to confirm the rumours; it’s all true. Shine Light is suddenly emerging, more and more each day. Blogs, reviews, tweets and Facebook statuses all dedicated to the third and final instalment in the Night Creatures Trilogy. There are those who already have the answers, who know the fate of those burning bright on Ixion – and those who no longer do.

We’ve already revisited the people, the characters we’ve come to love (here and here) but what about the creatures? What about those who lurk in the shadows, what are their motives? Is there such a thing as pure evil, or is there more to it – are there personal choices and decisions at play here? How are the Ripers and the Night Creatures connected? Where are they from? What do they want? Why are the Ripers so threatening when they insist Ixion is for pleasure? And just what is the connection between the Ripers and the elders on Grave? For those who’ve read Angel Arias, a few of those questions have been answered but with that knowledge came more questions, more intrigue. So here’s a little reminder of those creatures, something to whet your appetite while we wait to be one of those who have their own copy of Shine Light to blog, review and tweet about…

Ripers

‘…pale as a dead person alive, eyes cold, hair flowing long and blacker than the night…skin tight… like a skeleton clinging to its flesh…’ The Ripers are the Guardians of Ixion, the enforcers of pleasure – but do they hide behind a more sinister plan?

And just what is it about the god-like Lenoir – the leader of the Ripers – that causes the little twists in Retra’s stomach?

Uthers

Mysterious creatures that live just beyond the corners of sight, the Uthers serve the Ripers, sparing all on Ixion from the mundane.

Night Creatures

‘Come to me,’ the Night Creatures whisper to Retra, urging her to leave the well-lit paths. ‘See you. Follow you. Want you.’

mandy

Hey there, Baby Bats! Welcome to part 2 of our countdown to the release of Shine Light, book three in the Night Creatures Trilogy. If you missed out on part 1, you can catch it over here. Here in Australia, we only have around twenty sleeps to go ’til the big day. And if you’re familiar with books one and two (Burn Bright and Angel Arias), you’ll know that’s twenty sleeps too many.

Okay, so last time, I gave you a quick little memory jog of some of your favourite characters. Here’s a handful more:

Rollo

With his freckled skin and red corkscrewing curls, Rollo is easy to find in a crowded club. Also from Grave, Retra first meets him on the transition to Ixion. But is Rollo really on the island of ever-night for pleasure, or does he have his own agenda?

Eve/Dark Eve

Runs the Cursed League with Clash. Blunt faced, tall and broad, Dark Eve wears a leather vest and pants – with silver daggers hanging from the chains around her belt. In hiding from the Ripers, she survives outside normal means.

Krista-Belle

The red-headed lover of Kero, and a friend to Retra. She just needs to learn to stay clear of the Ripers…

Kero

The leader of the White Wings, Kero owes Retra for her bravery – or stupidity. Can he help her find Joel?

Lottie

‘I burned too bright. I saw too much…’ and inadvertently she also gives Retra answers.

Charlonge

Patient and gentle with the baby bats at Vank, Charlonge sees what is outside the visible and is a keeper of secrets… including one of her own.

Ruzalia

‘Ruzalia…. Hair redder than fire and her blade as quick…’ Ruzalia and her crew of pirates kidnap from the barges heading to Ixion. Some say it’s a rescue. Others say she’s perverted and cruel and uses them as pets. Is the truth somewhere in between?

So … if you’re up to date and have read Angel Arias, you’ll have the answers to some of the questions posed above – and if you’re like me, you’ll have another fistful of questions you’re dying to know the answers to. For me, the fascination lies with Ruzalia. What’s her real story? And then there’s Dark Eve. What’s the connection between her and Ruzalia – is there more to it than we’ve been led to believe? Just how does Eve manage to exist the way she does? How do she and the others who belong in her gang – The Cursed League – survive away from the Ripers and the rules that govern Ixion? We’d love to hear your thoughts below (but remember – no spoilers please!)

Stay tuned for more info on the gangs, the places and the creatures of Ixion. In the meantime … Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.

Mandy

by Mandy Wrangles

So, you like vampires, huh? Um, I hate to break it to you, but isn’t that a little passé? I mean, with the current glut of bloodsuckers out there, aren’t we supposed to be over them and chewing at the bit for the ‘next big thing’?  Everywhere we turn in the bookshop, online, television and the movies, another vampire and his/her crew have popped up. Generally, they’re pining for the short mortal life they once had, in love with a human and fighting their natural instinct to gut and devour them. Oh, and they’re always ridiculously good looking… aren’t they?

Well, no. Sure, some of the vampires of late might fit that mould, but it’s a modern day phenomenon. The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, Vampire Academy, House of Night, Evernight and about seven thousand and twenty-nine more. Some (lots) of them are even pretty cool. But have there just been too, too many? Do you groan out loud when you see a book or movie trailer for another vampire story? Or do your fingers twitch gleeful anticipation, does your heart begin to pump that little bit faster in anticipation of release day? Do you expect your vampires to charm the pants off you before they eat?

Or, has the (ahem) well run dry? Are bloodsuckers yesterday’s news?

I don’t think so. Yes, the current trend to elevate our favourite monsters into the stratosphere of all-things-hot-and-yummy might just be running its course. But what about those vamps who are the real thing? The monsters, the demons, the really, truly bad guy vampires? They’ve been around in folklore since – well forever – in many different guises. I don’t see them going anywhere soon. We might be a little full up with being fed the same old modern day bloodsucker, especially since so many are so similar. We all love a bad guy with a heart, but I hate to be the one to break the news – vampire hearts aren’t supposed to beat. And it’s those vampires – the ones with the shrivelled up life-muscle that I believe will never really go away.

Publishers and movie makers are moving away from vampires, looking for the next big thing – angels, shape-shifters, mermaids and co. But vampires have been with us forever, they’re not going anywhere in a hurry. They’ll morph and change, fit in with whatever it is society wants or needs from them. Let’s face it; that’s how they’ve survived this long already. I think we’ll see more vamps like those in True Blood and Being Human. I’m looking forward to seeing what author Claudia Gray does with ‘Balthazar’, her spin-off to the Evernight series. The vampires in Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series also still have a way to go with their Shadow Hunter counterparts, and they’re certainly vamps who can’t always be trusted. (AND ride flying motorbikes!) Granted, most of them are hot (hey, I never said I had anything against a gorgeous vampire), but they’re more dangerous, more driven by their thirst and need to feed their murderous instincts. We’ll also see more classic vampire-types, like Lestat and his buddies from Anne Rice’s novels, Kurt Barlow from Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot and of course, The Master from Buffy and the granddaddy of them all, Dracula himself.

Vampires will make a big, bad comeback – not that they’ll ever really go away – and when they do, be careful. Keep the garlands of garlic slung around your window, the crucifix beside your bed. Because when bloodsuckers come knocking once more, they’ll be bigger, badder and thirstier than ever. And in the meantime, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying those impossibly good looking, angsty vamps. Just remember… they’re all monsters underneath.

My top 5 for this year(in no particular order.I can’t choose!)

* Eona by Alison Goodman

* Votive by Karen Brooks

* Divergent by Veronica Roth

* Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

* Angel Arias by Marianne de Pierres.

(hey, check it out. All Aussies except for Roth)

Most Anticipated for 2012 (again, no particular order):

* The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

* Blaze Dark by Marianne de Pierres

* Insurgent by Veronica Roth

* City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

* Illumination by Karen Brooks. (confirmed 2012 release date with Karen this morning)