Smugglivus 2011 Guest Blogger: Amy of Amy Reads

Welcome to Smugglivus 2011! Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2011, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2012.

Who: Amy of Amy Reads, an eclectic blogger who reads fiction and non-fiction with a love for African (especially Nigerian – check out her Nigerian Literature reviews) and GLBTQ literature.

Please give it up for Amy, everybody!

Happy Smugglivus everyone! I want to start off with a huge thank you to Ana and Thea for inviting me to participate. I have an eclectic list below (as my reading tends to be!) of some books I’m really looking forward to reading in 2012. I tend to read more backlist and classic books so it was interesting searching around to see what is coming out this year. Here are the five that excited me the most.

Intimate Wars: The Life and Times of the Woman who Brought Abortion from the Back Alley to the Board Room by Merle Hoffman

The best thing about being a Friend of Feminist Press is knowing that all of their new titles will show up on my doorstep. Their books usually deal with issues relating to women and this book is no exception. The life story of this fascinating woman is sure to be a great read.

Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliot

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to be directed to Elliot’s blog where she talks about writing and especially about writing as a black author and the difficulties and challenges that she faces. She talks a lot about diversity in young adult publishing and about diversity in Canada in general. While I’ve not read her work yet, I look forward to giving this (and her backlist) a read. This novel contains a black, math geek, bird watching main character. How fun is that?

His Strength (Men of Valor book 2) by Kiru Taye

I know, I’m as surprised or more than the next person but as part of my Nigerian reading challenge in 2011 I tried a romance novella… and loved it. Taye manages to write out a romance with drama and intrigue that works well. The series are historical fiction romance set in pre-colonial Nigeria and I’m looking forward to see what she brings in this next instalment.

Sea of Ink by Richard Weihe

I absolutely adore Peirene Press books. Each of their three titles published in a year are carefully selected and provide short and fantastic reading. They focus on short works in translation and usually have a theme. The 2012 theme is Year of the Small Epic. Their September release, Sea of Ink, sounds really different and interesting as it follows the life of a Chinese painter who lived in the 1600s, Bada Shanren. The book also includes pictures of his work.

The Unfinished Revolution: Voices from the Global Fight for Women’s Rights edited by Minky Worden

Writers from around the world contributed to this collection from Seven Stories Press on why the fight for women’s rights matters and with ideas on solutions. The global perspective will mean the book is better suited to reality and to educating us all on situations and possibilities. I am hopeful, too, that the essays will cover a variety of issues and topics.

Thanks, Amy!