Nonfiction book I am loving is A Walk In The Park by Kevin Fedarko. This is "The true story of a spectacular misadventure in the Grand Canyon". Soooooo good!
Already excited for 2025 reading prompts (just finished my October 2024 prompt read). I think this is my favorite of the book tags and I cannot believe how little time is left in 2024. Yes to a DNF video, please!
I hope you love The God of the Woods, I really liked it and the timeline signposting really helped. My second favourite book of 2024 after All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker.
So funny you have two books in a row with pink drips from the top on the cover! What a coincidence. I absolutely adored God of the Woods last month, and it also broke a significant unintended drought in thrillers for me as well. Some truly fantastic women characters and exploration of gender roles on different types of women in the past there that made the book much more than I'd expected from it going in.
Ha, that is a coincidence I hadn't even spotted, must be a think. That hot pink has been everywhere this year... and looks like it is carrying on into next year.
he came in swinging early with this one you're making me panic! still highly awaiting your thoughts on Martyr! it truly is a gem in its own right. hope you finish strong with your reading goals with these last two months of 2024!
Ok, Simon, here's my blurb, from a few years ago, that I wrote for The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane. It's really hard to squeeze it down to something smaller: Cochrane creates a world filled with glorious nature, magic, enchanters, spells, beauty, roses, and fairy tales. But, lest you think this is close to paradise, darkness does dwell here: a rampaging beast, unbreakable spells, a cave dweller, hexes (where no hex should ever be) and perhaps the most terrifying of all, is the pervasive, overwhelming loneliness that touches so many characters. Weaving together themes of gender, LGBTQIA+ issues, family, environmental destruction, isolation, acceptance, home (no matter where you find it) and the exploration of how a person can change when love blooms into their life. Yes, this story is a nod to Beauty and the Beast, but it's far more than that. The wonder found here slyly creeps up on you, and settles deeply. The two main characters have been delicately folded into my heart -- never to vacate; thank you, Neil Cochrane! What an absolute joy it's been to live in this book.
Hi Simon! Great to hear your answers to the end of year tag. Made a note of the questions and played along in my reading journal as well. Looking forward to seeing where your reading prompt challenge will head in 2025. I'm currently half-way through my book for the volcano prompt: Raviver les volcans from Véronick Talbot. The cover image is pretty cool - they used the lava coming out of the volcano to create two silhouettes of a man and a woman. It's an easy read, nothing life changing, but this prompt did make me explore the library catalogue outside of what I would usually have looked at. I'm not quite sure what to suggest to make the prompts more interactive... I'm hoping the prompt remain general enough to be adapted to everyone's personal reading tastes, but otherwise, I hope your other viewers are providing other more useful suggestions!
Oooh!! I read Monstrilio for spooky season!! But I know the rules on commenting about a book you have not yet read so…. 🤐 Looking forward your reaction. 😁 See if Key Lime Sky looks interesting to you. It’s queer/ufo/shenanagin-ish.
Ha. The rules. Though even hinting that you can’t say something until I’ve read it is sort of saying something. No Halloween treats for you hahahaha 🎃 I’ll look up Key Lime Sky, thank you.
For queer horror.. “The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” by White. And in general I’d recommend Willlow Reads Books; they adore horror and know a good book when they meet it. 😏
Dusk!!! ❤ Poetic & tense and in my top books of the year. As a fellow Tasmanian, there’s an extra layer of love of Robbie’s writing for me because I know the country and places he’s describing, but he’s genuinely brilliant (& quite the larrikin). FYI it’s pronounced “are-nut” Body horror recommendation is Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
Talking of thrillers…..This time of year I love reading crime fiction from Australia. I’ve just finished Broken River by Chris Hammer I also have Ian Rankin on my TBR. I’ve read every Rebus so far. I have lots of books to finish before 2025 Martyr! The Berry Pickers Absolution Hagstone Delighted to hear there’s a new Robbie Arnott 🤩 Currently listening to Clear Playground Hagstone Wandering Stars I only have 3 nonfiction on my TBR. However, I’ve so much fiction on my backlist that I doubt I’ll get to them. Hope you like The God of the Woods as much as I did ❤
Clear and Hagstone are great. I am soooo excited for Dusk, I just checked and it doesn't seem to have a UK release date planned, uh oh. Fingers crossed that changes. Here's hoping I enjoy The God of the Woods as much as you did indeed.
Thank you for your video, Simon! I read the God of the Woods (like everyone it seems :)) in September and really liked it. It's set largely in the (late) summer but it feels very autumnal. Hope you'll enjoy it as well! I think that Books and Lala might be a goldmine for queer horror recommendations, one on my loose TBR is A Botanical Daughter
I am really looking forward to the God of the Woods, have soooooo many fab books to read once my work reading is done for the year. I love Kayla, good call.
The God of the Woods is fully and truly screaming my name, and I’m being (unusually) patient but not ignoring it, I promise. It will be read, and I can’t wait. Hope you enjoy it! Have Martyr! out from the library to be my first read in November. That could definitely be a surprise-ish book for me, even though I do think I’ll really like it but if I love it, well, I hope so! I’m also (finally) starting the Ali Smith seasonal quartet which is my answer to the question about transitioning into this time of year. I really enjoyed Girl Meets Boy and based only on that I think I’m looking at a new favourite author. We shall see 😉 - Very glad for the intriguing heads up on the prompt-plans/thoughts for next year, so I have time to hopefully come up with sth fitting for the jar 😜🤩
I enjoy reading non-fiction,& fiction in equal measures. I've just started to read 'Normal Women' (100years of making history) by Philippa Gregory. Proving to be an engaging read in the social history genre. 😊
I would love to get to an equal balance of fiction and non fiction, well maybe more a non fiction book for every three fiction books I read. That could be a goal for next year... maybe.
Queer in all the ways sppoky shenanigan book that I have read and enjoyed this year: Feast While You Can by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta; What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher; Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval and Freakslaw by Jane Kent; only queer in some of the ways but still awesome is Wormwood by Layla Martinez, trans. Annie McDermott and Sophie Hughes; Lauren Groff The Vaster Wilds. I have so many more that I still haven't read!
A horror recommendation: The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise It is a short story collection, some of which are queer. Not exactly scary but more so atmospheric. I didn't necessarily love the collection as a whole but I do typically feel that way with short story collections. Exhalation #10 and I Dress My Lover in Yellow are two that continue to stick with me.
I liked Martyr a lot! It’s not horror, exactly, but North Woods is spooky and laced with queerness. I want to read Dusk but only the puma doesn’t get gone.
Nonfiction book I am loving is A Walk In The Park by Kevin Fedarko. This is "The true story of a spectacular misadventure in the Grand Canyon". Soooooo good!
Oooh ok. Thanks for the recommendation. Though I’ve sooooo many non fiction books to get to, I’ll make a note.
Already excited for 2025 reading prompts (just finished my October 2024 prompt read). I think this is my favorite of the book tags and I cannot believe how little time is left in 2024. Yes to a DNF video, please!
I have logged your DNF video request Cindy, hahaha. Soooo little of 2024 left, yet a new year is always sooooo exciting and sooooo enticing.
I hope you love The God of the Woods, I really liked it and the timeline signposting really helped. My second favourite book of 2024 after All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker.
I keep hearing amazing things about Chris Whittaker, at some point I’ll have to give him a whirl too. Soooo many books, so little time lol.
@@SavidgeReadshis first, We begin at the end, is fantastic too. But All the colours is just wonderful. A chunkster, as you’d say
I read The God of the Woods back to back with All the Colours of the Dark this summer---I couldn't read for bit after that...total book hangover.
Have you read We Begin at the End? My favorite Chris Whitaker. The audio is spectacular
I’ve had The Lonely Hearts Hotel on my tbr for years. Thanks for the reminder. Library will have it in 2 weeks. I love the cover too 😂
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I love Heather O'Neill! So glad you do too! :)
I do. Just wish her books were easier to get a hold of her as more people need to be reading her work.
So funny you have two books in a row with pink drips from the top on the cover! What a coincidence.
I absolutely adored God of the Woods last month, and it also broke a significant unintended drought in thrillers for me as well. Some truly fantastic women characters and exploration of gender roles on different types of women in the past there that made the book much more than I'd expected from it going in.
Ha, that is a coincidence I hadn't even spotted, must be a think. That hot pink has been everywhere this year... and looks like it is carrying on into next year.
he came in swinging early with this one you're making me panic!
still highly awaiting your thoughts on Martyr! it truly is a gem in its own right.
hope you finish strong with your reading goals with these last two months of 2024!
Early? Do you think? But it’s November now Nathan. Lol. The end of 2024 is very much nigh. Hehehe.
Ok, Simon, here's my blurb, from a few years ago, that I wrote for The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane. It's really hard to squeeze it down to something smaller:
Cochrane creates a world filled with glorious nature, magic, enchanters, spells, beauty, roses, and fairy tales. But, lest you think this is close to paradise, darkness does dwell here: a rampaging beast, unbreakable spells, a cave dweller, hexes (where no hex should ever be) and perhaps the most terrifying of all, is the pervasive, overwhelming loneliness that touches so many characters.
Weaving together themes of gender, LGBTQIA+ issues, family, environmental destruction, isolation, acceptance, home (no matter where you find it) and the exploration of how a person can change when love blooms into their life.
Yes, this story is a nod to Beauty and the Beast, but it's far more than that. The wonder found here slyly creeps up on you, and settles deeply. The two main characters have been delicately folded into my heart -- never to vacate; thank you, Neil Cochrane! What an absolute joy it's been to live in this book.
Ooh this sounds intriguing, I shall look it up thank you!
Hi Simon! Great to hear your answers to the end of year tag. Made a note of the questions and played along in my reading journal as well.
Looking forward to seeing where your reading prompt challenge will head in 2025. I'm currently half-way through my book for the volcano prompt: Raviver les volcans from Véronick Talbot. The cover image is pretty cool - they used the lava coming out of the volcano to create two silhouettes of a man and a woman. It's an easy read, nothing life changing, but this prompt did make me explore the library catalogue outside of what I would usually have looked at.
I'm not quite sure what to suggest to make the prompts more interactive... I'm hoping the prompt remain general enough to be adapted to everyone's personal reading tastes, but otherwise, I hope your other viewers are providing other more useful suggestions!
So pleased you enjoyed the video and that you played along in your journal. The prompts will stay very general, possibly MORE general. Oooh.
I have Robbie Arnott's Dusk sitting in my tbr pile and I'm really excited about reading it.
Same. It’s going to be my treat once I’m finished with my work reading for the year… in about two weeks.
Oooh!! I read Monstrilio for spooky season!! But I know the rules on commenting about a book you have not yet read so…. 🤐 Looking forward your reaction. 😁 See if Key Lime Sky looks interesting to you. It’s queer/ufo/shenanagin-ish.
Ha. The rules. Though even hinting that you can’t say something until I’ve read it is sort of saying something. No Halloween treats for you hahahaha 🎃 I’ll look up Key Lime Sky, thank you.
That cover of Dusk is bloody gorgeous!
And both Martyr! and Monstrilio are pretty bonkers so I’ll be keen to hear what you think.
Dusk is a stunner isn’t it. And I know it’ll be as stunning on the inside too. I’m looking forward to Monstrillo and Martyr!
I adore Hollie Mcnish! She’s so funny but also so heartwarming at the same time.
Yes!!! She is just those things!
I DID absolutely love Slug! x
Ooh I am in for a right treat when I head to that, very excited. I am slightly OBSESSED with Lobster 🦞
For queer horror.. “The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” by White. And in general I’d recommend Willlow Reads Books; they adore horror and know a good book when they meet it. 😏
I like Willow's channel a lot. Thank you for the book recommendation too.
Dusk!!! ❤ Poetic & tense and in my top books of the year.
As a fellow Tasmanian, there’s an extra layer of love of Robbie’s writing for me because I know the country and places he’s describing, but he’s genuinely brilliant (& quite the larrikin).
FYI it’s pronounced “are-nut”
Body horror recommendation is Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
Oops. I’ve interviewed him a few times and he’s never corrected me, ooh he’s a gentleman.
He’s the kind of person that really wouldn’t mind as it’s all about the books 😊
I loved The Rain Heron, I'll keep Dusk on the radar.😊
In the interim, cannot recommend Flames enough!
Talking of thrillers…..This time of year I love reading crime fiction from Australia. I’ve just finished
Broken River by Chris Hammer
I also have Ian Rankin on my TBR. I’ve read every Rebus so far.
I have lots of books to finish before 2025
Martyr!
The Berry Pickers
Absolution
Hagstone
Delighted to hear there’s a new Robbie Arnott 🤩
Currently listening to
Clear
Playground
Hagstone
Wandering Stars
I only have 3 nonfiction on my TBR. However, I’ve so much fiction on my backlist that I doubt I’ll get to them.
Hope you like The God of the Woods as much as I did ❤
Clear and Hagstone are great. I am soooo excited for Dusk, I just checked and it doesn't seem to have a UK release date planned, uh oh. Fingers crossed that changes. Here's hoping I enjoy The God of the Woods as much as you did indeed.
great vibes ✨
I can’t believe I said vibes so many times 🫠
Martyr! Definitely in my top 5!
Oooh good to know.
Thank you for your video, Simon! I read the God of the Woods (like everyone it seems :)) in September and really liked it. It's set largely in the (late) summer but it feels very autumnal. Hope you'll enjoy it as well! I think that Books and Lala might be a goldmine for queer horror recommendations, one on my loose TBR is A Botanical Daughter
I am really looking forward to the God of the Woods, have soooooo many fab books to read once my work reading is done for the year. I love Kayla, good call.
The God of The Woods keeps calling me, think I need to be buying it. Martyr too😊
They seem just right for this time of the year... yes I am the devil on your shoulder hahaha.
@ Between you, you and your mum are costing me a fortune😂
The God of the Woods is fully and truly screaming my name, and I’m being (unusually) patient but not ignoring it, I promise. It will be read, and I can’t wait. Hope you enjoy it!
Have Martyr! out from the library to be my first read in November. That could definitely be a surprise-ish book for me, even though I do think I’ll really like it but if I love it, well, I hope so! I’m also (finally) starting the Ali Smith seasonal quartet which is my answer to the question about transitioning into this time of year. I really enjoyed Girl Meets Boy and based only on that I think I’m looking at a new favourite author. We shall see 😉
- Very glad for the intriguing heads up on the prompt-plans/thoughts for next year, so I have time to hopefully come up with sth fitting for the jar 😜🤩
I almost included Ali Smith’s Gliff in the three books I want to read before the end of the year. I’m very much looking forward to it.
I enjoy reading non-fiction,& fiction in equal measures. I've just started to read 'Normal Women' (100years of making history) by Philippa Gregory. Proving to be an engaging read in the social history genre. 😊
I would love to get to an equal balance of fiction and non fiction, well maybe more a non fiction book for every three fiction books I read. That could be a goal for next year... maybe.
Dusk was great. Different yet again to his other novels.
Really looking forward to it!
Queer in all the ways sppoky shenanigan book that I have read and enjoyed this year: Feast While You Can by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta; What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher; Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval and Freakslaw by Jane Kent; only queer in some of the ways but still awesome is Wormwood by Layla Martinez, trans. Annie McDermott and Sophie Hughes; Lauren Groff The Vaster Wilds. I have so many more that I still haven't read!
I have Paradise Rot on the shelves, I have read The Vaster Wilds. I will have to look the others up, thank you.
It’s after midnight but sleep can wait because thee Simon Savidge has dropped a new video. My bank balance does not thank you, sir.
Hahaha. Oops to the bank balance and oops to the sleep!
A horror recommendation: The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise
It is a short story collection, some of which are queer. Not exactly scary but more so atmospheric. I didn't necessarily love the collection as a whole but I do typically feel that way with short story collections. Exhalation #10 and I Dress My Lover in Yellow are two that continue to stick with me.
Ooh I’ll look it up. Thank you 👻
What is a Simon Savidge book? Obviously, it’s a stonkingly good read!😁
Well that’s true… but also what is a stonkingly good read for me now at almost 43, I’m not sure I know.
Highly recommend Andrew Joseph White for queer horror - but please check trigger warnings
I liked Martyr a lot! It’s not horror, exactly, but North Woods is spooky and laced with queerness. I want to read Dusk but only the puma doesn’t get gone.
North Woods is going to be my Patreon Book Club pick for December which I am very much looking forward to.
I’m surprised I haven’t read ‘Martyr’ yet either.
I’m sure it’ll happen at the right time for both of us!
Have you read Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor? Very creepy, very queer.
I have not, but I have it! Maybe it is just the time to bump it up the TBR!
📖 🪱 💚