2017 has been a wonderful year for books, I’ve been truly spoiled with some excellent reads and some exciting moments. I’ve had some quotes used for publicity materials and even had a quote featured in a book! I was also touched and honoured to have been mentioned in the acknowledgements at the back of a book, these things are so immensely amazing and I still get a giddy feeling when I think about them.
I’ve also been so very lucky that authors have sent me some beautiful signed copies of their books to cherish. For me, this is one of the greatest honours of being a book blogger, each signed copy takes up a special place in my heart as well as on my bookshelf (away from sticky wee fingers) and is lovingly adored. Another blogging highlight this year was my nomination in the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards, and subsequent award as a “Hidden Gem” alongside two amazing bloggers, I can’t think two better blogs to be ranked behind than Gordon at http://grabthisbook.net/ and Jo at https://mychestnutreadingtree.wordpress.com/.
This has also been a fantastic year for friendships. Through the wonderful community of bloggers I have found some exceptionally special friends who never fail to brighten my day with silly gifs, heart warming comments and giggles in abundance. They have also been an invaluable source of advice and inspiration as well as leading me to find some of the best books I’ve read this year! I shan’t name names here but those who have been supportive and brilliant know who they are and I am forever grateful for their friendship.
So, what will 2018 bring for The Quiet Knitter? Well going forward I’ve decided to shake things up a little. From now on, I would like to focus more in indie books, I’ve discovered so many wonderful books through my Friday feature Celebrating Indie Publishing and I would love to be able to continue this next year, so if you have a book coming out next year from an independent press or you’re self publishing then please get in touch! I won’t be ignoring books from other sources, I still love my mainstream fiction and will still be buying more books that I can store in my home and will still be excitedly following my favourite authors.
2018 will also see some exciting new books and reviews coming from my place on the review panel for First Monday Crime so watch this space for updates!
So….that leads me to round off 2017 by saying thank you to all who have supported The Quiet Knitter this year, thank you for sharing reviews, commenting on reviews and generally being the wee smashers that you all are! (You are all wee smashers in my eyes, even the grumpy, argumentative ones amongst you that will swear blind that you’re not….I know who you are.)
Most bloggers have been so good at listing their top books this year, highlighting which ones were their favourites and which were worthy of mention, and when I started this post I really did think that I might be able to do that, but on reflection I think it’s fair to point out here that most of the books that I’ve read this year were read because I wanted to read them, so in a way they are all brilliant….they are all worthy of accolades and love because they stood out enough for me to pick them up in the first place……you’re not buying this are you? You’re not falling for my cop out….right ok, so…..here goes I guess…some of my favourite reads from 2017 (in no particular order and in no way does this mean that I didn’t love ALL THE BOOKS):
The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie
The Walls Came Down by Ewa Dodd
Christmas in St Ives by Miranda Dickinson
The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington
The Things We Learn When We’re Dead by Charlie Laidlaw
Now We Are Dead by Stuart MacBride
The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan
Race to the Kill by Helen Cadbury
Little White Lies and Butterflies by Suzie Tullett
The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities by Paul Anthony Jones
Death of A Devil by Derek Farrell
Fir For Luck by Barbara Henderson
Mussolini’s Island by Sarah Day
Hitler’s Forgotten Children by Ingrid Von Oelhafen and Tim Tate
Treacherous Strand by Andrea Carter
The Constant Soldier by William Ryan
A Boy Made of Snow by Chloe Mayer
The Little Theatre by The Sea by Rosanna Ley
Finding Alison by Deirdre Eustace
The Beast on The Broch by John K. Fulton
Summary Justice by John Fairfax
A Dark So Deadly by Stuart MacBride
Angels in the Moonlight by Caimh McDonnell
The Restless Dead by Simon Beckett
I’m actually reading The Little Theatre By The Sea right now. So that one jumped out at me. I’m with you that the community and the friends we make is one of the best things about doing this… Oh and those signed books 😉
Thanks for all of your fabulous posts, look forward to so many more!
Wonderful post my dear friend! I am so bkessed to have you in my life and wishing you nothing but the best this year and everyone after 💗
YES YES YES YES AND YES TO EVERYTHING! Books signed by authors and sent to you are such treasures! I wish I had enough room to have a shelf just for them! Friendships, the biggest surprise for me since I started blogging. What was life before Twitter conversations and blog comments? Support from all over the world, and the best people you can find who share your passion and care about you? I’m a lucky lady to be able to call you my friend!
2018 is going to be a fabulous year on the blog, and I wish you all the best and more, darling Kate! I’m hoping my trip to the UK will lead me not too far from you!
Thank you Linda xx
Thank you! I hope you manage to find some great reads from the list 🙂
Fabulous post. Here’s to another year of wonderful books xx
What a lovely post and what a great selsection of books! I don’t know any of them! Always exciting for me 🙂
Aye wee smasher 🙂
No naming names 😂😜
Wee smashers?!😂 I want to know who the grumpy and argumentative ones are!🤔
Had to shoehorn you in there 😘
Thanks for the mention lovely!!! I was thrilled to be in that Scottish blogger sandwich!!! Xxx Happy New Year!! Xxx
Oh Eva, you truly are a delight! So wonderful to have met you this year & im every grateful that we can talk nonsense & laugh over so many things.
Here’s to lots more bookish endeavours in 2018 & hopefully your reviews don’t have me spending so much this year.
Still thinking of a new word to throw at you since you’ve mastered dreich perfectly haha
Happy New Year chum xx
I adore both you and your blog to bits. I love that you want to focus even more on Indie books and I can’t wait to add some fabulous books to my TBR because of your reviews.
I’m thrilled to bits to have “met”you this year and I look forward to so much more fun, laughter, banter and book talk in 2018. Happy New Year, my lovely chum! 😘
(Also, stupendously dreich here today 😉)
Thank you. I’ll be in touch soon.
It’s a pleasure Anne, and I would be honoured to feature your book! Please do get in touch and we can speak more 🙂 x
Thank you for all you do for readers and authors. I have a new book coming out in 2018 and would love to take you up on your offer. I’m a self publisher. Happy new year to you.
Thank you so much for your kind words, it’s always so heart warming to hear 🙂 Wishing you a very Happy New Year when it comes and here’s to more bookish delights in 2018 x
Thanks for some super blog posts this year. I don’t subscribe to many blogs but yours was one that I particularly gelled with. I agree that some indie books are absolutely superb and I’ve really enjoyed looking through self-published novels this year, and have been pleasantly surprised.
Best wishes for 2018! Happy Hogmanay!