I’m excited, delighted and absolutely stunned to be nominated in the 2023 British Book Awards, aka The Nibbies, for book of the year in the Discover category. When I see the company Carrie Kills A Man is in, I can only assume that somebody has made a terrible mistake. But until that’s discovered, I’m going to become even more egotistical and insufferable than I already was.

Crap jokes aside, I am incredibly grateful not just to team 404 Ink but to everybody who’s helped spread the word about my book. As I keep on saying, book people are the best people.

I’m proud to be a contributor to the anthology How Do We Talk About Knives, which I think is going to be really interesting. There’s a free launch event for it in Edinburgh on 9 March, and if you can’t make it along it’ll be online too.

Contemporary poets and writers in Scotland explore personal experiences (current or ancestral) around naming, name-choosing and name-changing – to be celebrated in a forthcoming anthology. The event features new work and readings from the anthology’s editors Rebecca Sharp, Marcas Mac an Tuairneir and Samina Chaudhry.

I read a lot of books this year. Here are some of my favourites.

Orpheus Builds A Girl, by Heather Parry

This tale of a man who believes he can cheat death is gloriously gothic, beautifully written and by the final act had me reading from behind my fingers.

I’m Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy 

This is as good as everybody says it is, and some bits had me jumping out of my seat in surprised horror. It’s a story of terrible things but it’s also very funny.

Fix The System Not The Women, by Laura Bates

Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates’ latest is another must-read, a rallying cry for reform and likely to make you very angry.

Surrender, by Bono

Like the man himself this is insightful, annoying, funny, pompous and utterly charming. I’d strongly advise the audiobook version of this one, where you can hear the laugh in his voice.

The Cruelty Is The Point, by Adam Serwer; Troll Nation, by Amanda Marcotte; American Fascism, by Brynn Tannehill

Sadly the culture wars and far-right troll politics of the US haven’t stayed within its borders, and we’re seeing very similar anti-democratic activity here.

Flip The Script by Arusa Qureshi, The End by Katie Goh and The Appendix by Liam Konemann

The main reason I wanted to be published by 404 Ink is because I love their eclecticism, and I’m very proud to be in such distinguished company. These Inklings – shorter than a book, longer than a longread – are fascinating, fun and thought-provoking.

Exit Stage Left, by Nick Duerden

A fascinating look at the lives of ex-pop and rock stars that’s much more interesting than you might expect. How do you find meaning when the most exciting thing you’ll ever do, the one thing you always dreamed of doing, is in the past?

Good Boy, by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Jenny Boylan is a hero of mine, and the author of several memoirs about her life as a trans woman. This warm, wise and often very sad book tells the tale through the dogs she’s loved and lost.

Get Rich or Lie Trying, by Symeon Brown

A genuinely disturbing insight into the reality of influencer culture, the sharks swimming in it and the people destroyed by it.

Sandy Hook, by Elizabeth Williamson

An astonishing piece of journalism about some of the most despicable people in America: not the school shooters, but the conspiracy theorists, hatemongers and grifters who swarmed around this terrible event to push their own demonic agendas.

The End of Innocence, by Simon Garfield

A clear-eyed and devastating account of the AIDS crisis in the UK. It’ll make you rage and weep.

Themes For Great Cities by Graeme Thomson and A Perfect Silence by Ben Wardle

Sublime writing about sublime music: Thomson on Simple Minds in their imperial phase and Wardle on one of my great musical heroes, the late Mark Hollis of Talk Talk.

Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan and This Is Memorial Device by David Keenan

Beautifully written and observed books that start off about music-obsessed teens and become something much greater. Memorial Device has been out for ages so I know I’m coming very late to it, but I now understand why it has such a cult following. It’s glorious and sometimes uncomfortable reading if like me you were a quite pretentious member of various unsuccessful bands.

These are just a small selection, because 2022 turned out to be a great year for books. Apologies to anybody I’ve raved about online and haven’t mentioned here.

Thanks so much to everybody who came along to my book launches this week, to the wonderful people at Argonaut Books in Edinburgh and at Category Is Books in Glasgow, and to my excellent hosts Kirstyn Smith and Louise Blain. Book people really are the best people, and I had the best time on both evenings.

I’m absolutely delighted to be doing my Glasgow book launch event in Category Is, one of my favourite places. Tickets are free but very limited so I don’t think they’ll be available for long. The event is on 8 December at 7pm and everything you need to know is at the end of this link.

Pre-orders of Carrie Kills A Man started arriving in readers’ homes this morning, and I received my author copies too. I had a bit of a moment when I opened the box and saw the pristine copies, because of course books are more than just paper and ink.   They’re magical things.

I’ve had many books published, but not a book like this. It’s a very strange feeling to publish something so personal. Good strange, but strange nevertheless.

I’m absolutely delighted to be featured on Damian Barr’s Literary Salon podcast as his book of the week, and I’m particularly pleased that Damian found lots of joy in the book.

You can listen to me reading an extract on Damian’s Soundcloud, which I’ve included below.

Carrie Kills A Man will be book of the week on Damian Barr’s Literary Salon podcast on Wednesday, and that means I also got the opportunity to recommend some books that I think are well worth your time.