So, hey, everyone!
I’m back from my long excursion. I visited the Bedridden Desert, sailed the Seas of Terrible Pain, visited the island known as Confused Doctors (it’s in the Bermuda Triangle), and eventually now here I am on Mount Sort-of-Remission. It’s shorter than the Mount of Remission, but that was taller and I have had to deal with muscular atrophy, aka the bites of ghost lions. Ghost lions are a terrible scourge.
What am I here to do? It’s (now, but not when I wrote this) the seventh month of the year 2013! This means I must tell you my favorite things done by artists this year insofar. It’s a bit of a short list because of my wacky adventures, but it’s not meant to be the finalized list. Nope, nope. The finalized list? You send me in your votes! Tell me your favorite writers, favorite musicians, favorite artists, etc. Anything vaguely related to art will do. Up to three names per individual category (I know, I’m not following the rules, don’t judge me) and they all must have produced something this year. Though that doesn’t have to be the reason you fell in love with them, you have to have read/looked/listened to something this year by them to note them. So if you fell in love with Black Vampire by Tobias Murphy (obvious made up name is obvious) but it was published in 2012, you need to have read his Finch Kisses this year to vote in his name. Got it? Good. On July 7th, I’ll publish the results (here and on Squills). Feel free to vote here or PM me.
Now for my favorites. You can skip them, but you might miss out, just FYI.
Favorite Writer(s):
Rachel Hartman for Seraphina.
One of the best fantasy novels I have read involving dragons, right up there with The Fire Within, The Hero and the Crown, and The Painted Boy. Lovely characters and lovely world. Quite unforgettable and the first book to truly catch my attention after my travels.
Favorite Musician(s):
Frightened Rabbit for their album Pedestrian Verse. (Especially the songs Backyard Skulls; Late March, Death March; and The Oil Slick.)
The National for their album Trouble Will Find Me. (Especially the songs Demons, Don’t Swallow the Cap, Heavenfaced, Slipped, and Pink Rabbits.)
Daughter for the album If You Leave. (Especially songs Winter and Smother, though Smother was released in 2012 and doesn’t quite count.)
Favorite Artist(s):
Laura Sava (*anotherwanderer) for art like illustrations for Witch Fall, illustrations for Falwyn, and Lilith.
*Kanamm of Belgium for Apollo.
Nikki M. (=naikki) of the USA for .echoes deprive me enough.
Katarzyna Dembrowska (*Kat-D) for Sin (photograph).
~loccus of Canada for Fragments.
Cristina Otero (*Senju-HiMe) of Spain for warrior.
*TamberElla of the USA for The Toymaster.
Seth Fitts (*SethFitts) of the USA for Canine Family.
Lyly Victoria (~LylyVictoria) of Germany for explosion (photograph).
Karolina Szczesna (‘anachsunamon) of Poland for Illumination.
Brad Wilde (~bradwilde) of the USA for Fever.