I started writing this on the 31st, OK? Surely that counts for something (even if I didn't get around to finishing it yet!). Anyway, here is my belated goodbye to 2007's books. I haven't linked to my discussion of each one but just use the author tags on the side of my LJ if you want to see what I originally thought.

As with last year, these are fairly random categories and any book I read in 2007 is eligible regardless of publication date.

( The books )

Overall, it was a good year. I seem to have blogged less than usual about books which makes remembering them difficult. The preponderance of recently read books is what makes me worried about the validity of my awards! I might start a reading list this year as I've only read one so far.

ETA: I forgot one of the books that as I read it made me think this is one of the best books I will read all year. *facepalm* Privilege of the sword by Ellen Kushner. It was such a great combination of swashbuckling and romance!

Most belated ETA of all time: I forgot to add Geraldine McCaughrean's The white darkness even after being reminded by philia_fan. It took the Printz prize to shove me along - congrats to a fantastic book!

Tags: books, brande, dessen, fisher, green, johnson, knox, kushner, mccaughrean, perkins, smith, tan, wells

...a long overdue book post! Even if it is very short!

I read and utterly loved Ellen Kushner's Privilege of the sword when I read it a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if was because it was exactly the book I wanted at the time: a novel of manners with lots of swordfighting and romance. This book is set about 15 years* after Swordspoint but both Alec and St Vier feature in this book, in a far more satisfying manner. The more intriguing and realistic cast of characters was probably why I liked it more than Swordspoint. But what I said about the interesting setting is still the same! The main character this time, however, is 15 year old Katherine who has been summoned by her uncle to the city. The mad duke's only purpose for Katherine is to have her learn swordfighting, but over the course of the book Katherine starts to discover her own purposes for her life.

Privilege of the sword was well-paced and interesting. The melodrama was leavened by humour and more serious themes of gender and power. Moments like the teenage girls being so passionate over a novel filled with romance and drama rang true. I think this book would stand pretty well on its own without Swordspoint. Recommended to people who enjoyed books such Sherwood Smith's Crown duel or Wrede and Stevermere's Sorcery and Cecilia.

*Um, I think?

Tags: books, fantasy, kushner

Of course I took a pile of books with me to New Zealand. Here are a couple of books from the pile.
( Shrimp by Rachel Cohn )
( Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner )

Tags: books, cohn, fantasy, kushner, young adult