Woo hoo! Another year gone! A fridge full of champagne and yummy food! Who could ask for anything more? (Well, it would be nice if we didn’t both have books due 3 Jan . . . )
I see that many in blogland (and elsewhere) are summing up their year, taking stock, making resolutions for 2006 and etc. I’ve already skited enough about my achievements this year. It’s been a bloody brilliant year personally. I just want it all to keep on keeping on.
I’m aiming to write two books (both of which I’ve already started) in 2006 and sell one (two would be nice, but I don’t want to jinx myself). I also plan to spend the majority of the year in Sydney, cause now that I’m home I just want to stay. And I really, really, really want to get tickets for the Sydney Ashes test. Ideally for every day of play. If anyone has a cunning method of getting said tickets, or is a member of the SCG—I’m am so up for offering you huge bribes! Whatever you want you got it!
Best book I read this year: Walter Mosley’s The Man in My Basement. I just made my parents read it too and they were also blown away. It’s the most powerful, moving examination of evil, of race and gender, and what it is to be human I’ve ever read. But rest assured this ain’t just philosophy and ethics; it’s a scary arse story that’s completely unputtdownable.
Books I’m most looking forward to: The Night Watch by Sarah Waters and Elizabeth Knox’s Dreamquake the sequel to Dreamhunter, and frankly it just can’t get into my hands soon enough!
Hope you lot have a fabby new year, too. And achieve everything you want to achieve. I’m going to get started on the champers now. Happy new year!
happy new year, justine! may it be even fabulouser than this one. plus champers!
Happy New Year, gorgeous! All being well, I’ll see you in March in the Big Apple. Congrats on all your amazing achievments for the year. I know they will continue to roll on in.
Happy New Year! I’m looking forward to Sarah Waters’ book too. I gave my cousin “Affinity” for Christmas this year.
“Dreamhunter” isn’t available in the US, is it?
Marrije: And to you, too! Thanks so much for all your comments, wordpress advice, and general Marrijeness!
Lauren: Back atcha. The one thing that reconciles me to being in NYC when it’s still cold is that I’ll get to see you and the lovely Mr Andrew! Congrats on your stellar year, too!
Rachel: May your 2006 be ace also!
FSG are publishing Dreamhunter in the US in February. From Elizabeth Knox’s comments here I get the feeling that the US edition is her preferred one.
Smooches and wishes for a happy New Year to youse guys!
Thanks also for the reminder about the Knox book. I went to Amazon and ordered it right away, as clunkhead me had forgotten about it entirely. It’s apparently called The Rainbow Opera here and Amazon is convinced it came out last year here (we’ll see when it shows up).
I’m pretty sure The Rainbow Opera is the Faber UK edition. The FSG US edition is called Dreamhunter. As I mentioned above, Elizabeth Knox seemed to prefer the US edition.
Happy new year to you and Chris, too!
the word is that the queensland cricket association received 70 (or was that 700?) applications for tickets to the 2006 Ashes gabba test a day after the 2005 series finished. and then in the weekend papers there was a story about english fans applying to join the waca ($200 application fee, $200 annual fee) as it would be cheaper than buying the tickets on a daily basis. this looks serious. i’m an mcc member and usually take a few friends along for the boxing day test on a walk-up basis. this year i may have to buy tickets in september.
I know. It’s going to be a nightmare getting tickets. If only we were rich and influential and had personal assistants who could get the tickets for us!