Favorite Books of 2011...

It's that time of year again. A fresh start with a new year. But before I start on the great books waiting for my in 2012, I want to recap my favorites of 2011. It wasn't easy to get the list down to the proverbial 10 so I decide to go for 20 and even that wasn't easy. The books that made the list are the ones I not only enjoyed but left a lasting impression on me. Links are to my reviews.

Favorites of 2011 in No Particular Order ~

1. The Greyfriar by Susan and Clay Griffiths ~ The Griffiths are new authors who blew me away with their steampunk vampire novel. Yes, steampunk vampires.

2. You Belong to Me by Karen Rose ~ Ms. Rose is one of my favorite authors (thanks Nath!) and she can always be counted on to deliver a well written romantic suspense.

3. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater ~ Different from her Wolves trilogy but so very, very good. No matter what she writes, Stiefvater delivers strong emotions and well developed characters.

4. Snapped by Laura Griffin ~ Love, love, love this romantic suspense series from Ms. Griffin. It continues to get better with each book.

5. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa ~ Simply amazing young adult fantasy series. This installment took a different turn with the POV of the hero but it still delivered all the action, adventure and emotional punch Kagawa is becoming known for.

6. A Lot Like Love by Julie James ~ I've said before, I'm not fond of lawyer protagonists except for Ms. James' lawyers. This time, no lawyers but a hero and heroine I couldn't help but cheer on. Can't wait for About That Night!

7. Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis ~ If you know me, you know I love Jill Shalvis. Will even admit to being a fangirl. (Not something I do very often.) I read 6 books by Ms. Shalvis in 2011 with Head Over Heels my favorite.

8. Tempted by Elisabeth Naughton ~ Favorite hero and heroine in this series! A wild adventure with equally wild and emotional love scenes.

9. Heartbreak Creek by Kaki Warner ~ Mail order bride and Kaki Warner for the win! Warner worked her magic again with this new series.

10. Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews ~ This series continues to grow and get better and better. If you love UF, this is one of the best!

11. When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James ~ What a lovely, funny romance! Completely enjoyed Ms. James take on one of my favorite fairy tales.

12. Breaking Point by Pamela Clare ~ Ms. Clare is a wonder. She writes romantic suspense and historical romances with exceptional talent.

13. One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming ~ Oh, if you haven't started this series, please do! Love this small town mystery series with the very unique lead characters - Reverend Clare Fergusson and Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne.

14. Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt ~ Ms. Hoyt is one of my favorite authors for a reason - I can count on her to tell me a wonderful story.

15. Blackout by Rob Thurman ~ Hands down one of the best Urban Fantasy series. Love Cal, Niko and Rob. These guys never fail to keep me coming back for more.

16. Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman by Lorraine Heath ~ Such strong emotions in this beautifully written romance. Still can't believe how much I ended up loving the hero!

17. Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole ~ I shifted away from this series for a while. Getting back into it I discover one of my favorite heroes - Malkom Slaine!

18. Hot Zone by Catherine Mann ~ This book took me on an adventure so unexpected I couldn't help but enjoy the ride. I need to explore Ms. Mann's back list for more gems!

19. A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare ~ So happy to have finally read something from this author. And the first time was a hit! Definitely a historical romance series I would recommend.

20. Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt ~ Do pirates ever go out of style? Not if Ms. Hoyt is writing about them!

And there's the top 20 of 2011. There were plenty of other fabulous reads last year, I could easily list a top 50. Here's hoping 2012 turns out to be just as amazing!

Best of 2010 - So Far...

The reading for the first half of 2010 has been up and down. Some great reads that I know will stay with me for a long time while others will fade from my memory, if they haven't already.

I got out the spreadsheet, sorted by grade and looked over all the A grades. There were 27 A grades with only one A+. Fourteen As and twelve A-s. I decided to pick 5 8 to spotlight of the Best So Far. I picked the ones that really stood out for me and are still stuck in my head. Titles are linked to my review.

Here they are in no particular order ~


Silver Borne by Patrica Briggs

One of my top 5 favorite Urban Fantasy series. I love the world that Briggs has created. The characters are so vivid for me. The phrase "they come alive" really applies to this series.


My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

An excellent Young Adult series that continues to give the reader great character development and story lines. If you are looking for a new YA series, give this one a try.


A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

Ah, my love for Balogh's writing goes way back, twenty years or so. She delivers such beautiful characters with intriguing stories and A Matter of Class was no exception.


Shades of Dark by Linnea Sinclair

This is the second book in the Dock Five series as well as the second book about Sully and Chaz. I liked Gabriel's Ghost(book 1) a whole bunch but I liked Shades a bit more. Amazing characters, fascinating setting.


Cowgirl Up and Ride by Lorelei James

Oh, boy! So damn happy to have finally started this series. I've enjoyed all the books but this one stands out as being such a funny and emotional read. Loved AJ and Cord!


The Texan's Wager by Jodi Thomas

This was a re-read of Jodi Thomas, another author who I read years ago. She can write some wonderful westerns with unique characters that you wouldn't expect to find in a historical romance.


Roadkill by Rob Thurman

Another top 5 Urban Fantasy series. This is UF and there is a lot of action but Thurman can write relationships like nobodys business. She is truly a gifted author and you're missing out if you're not reading this series.


Darkness Calls by Marjorie M. Liu

Liu's writing is the type that pulls you into the world she's created and makes you to feel what her characters are feeling, whether you want to or not. A dark, gritty series with equal parts action and emotion. I love Maxine's boys. :)


I know I said 5 then changed it to 8 but I had to include the following 2 because they were very good and I would certainly recommend them. And that makes it a top 10 list and isn't that what people usually do? :)

I'll have the review for The Iron Daughter up next week. The review for Chimera is a buddy review with Nath that will be posted at Breezing Through. Titles are linked to the author's website.

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa ~ A+

You can tell from the grade why I included this in the list. Lets just say I had some serious love for this book. It blew me away with its intensity. Definitely one to read.




Chimera by Rob Thurman ~ A

Another brother/brother story, focused on their relationship but different enough from her Cal Leandros series to make it stand apart.








An overwhelming majority of Fantasy. I did read some good contemporaries but it looks like for now at least, my heart belongs to the Fantasy genre. Here's hoping the second half of the year brings us all some great reads!

Numbers and Favorites of 2009...

2009 marks the first year that I actually kept track of what I read. I used a simple Excel spreadsheet, keeping track of basic information. I plan to do the same thing for 2010 with maybe a few more columns of information - like date reviewed and grade. I'm still playing around with it but it's getting there.

Total books read- (includes ebooks and audio books): 156

Out of those 156 there were 5 ebooks (I think I missed a few and this is higher) and 33 audio books. Which leaves 118 print books. What surprised me are the number of audio books. I did get a new mp3 player for a birthday present last month and it is wonderful! I download the books from the library website and then upload to the mp3 player all in under 5 minutes. It's so much better than lugging the CD's around. And I can do it all from home!

My favorites of 2009:

Since I didn't review every book I read I decided to use the spreadsheet. As it turns out, I reviewed all but one on the list. I went through and selected my 10 favorite reads of the year. Why 10? I had to stop somewhere and 10 is a nice round number. Most do a top 10 list so I figured why not me? I decided not to include re-reads since many of those are keepers and would have probably taken up half the list. :)

When choosing, I picked the books that stood out and left the most vivid memories. Not all are A+ books but they all left an impact on me.

Stranger/ Megan Hart

Moon Called/Patricia Briggs

Magic Strikes/Ilona Andrews

Gabriel's Ghost/Linnea Sinclair*

Deathwish/Rob Thurman

Dream a Little Dream/Susan Elizabeth Phillips

A Reason to Live/Maureen McKade

The Hunger Games/Suzanne Collins

How I Live Now/Meg Rosoff

Joe’s Wife/Cheryl St. John

Special Mention ~ Promises in Death/J. D. Robb (audio) - this book was such an emotional read(listen) for me. It's definitely one of my favorites in the series.

*I don't know why I didn't review Gabriel's Ghost. I do remember reading it and getting sucked into the amazing world that Sinclair created. If you haven't read it, you're missing a wonderful story.

And that's it for 2009. Here's to some great reads for 2010!