I have always read a lot of fantasy, but in recent years, I’ve discovered some of the best fantasy is in the YA section. Luckily for me, the internet makes perusing the YA section less uncomfortable. I’m still not reading much epic / sword & sorcery fantasy and a lot of urban fantasy / paranormal fantasy, but that’s okay, because I like what I like, and there’s nothing wring with that.

The YA I read is almost all fantasy, but I’ve been following a lot of book blogs that recommend YA, so I’ve picked up a few non-fantasy YA books to read. We’ll see if that trend continues next year.

Unless otherwise stated, these were published in 2012.
(Click on a book title to read my full review, click on the author’s name to see more books by that author.)

Fantasy

Death’s Rival, Raven Cursed, and Have Stakes Will Travel (Jane Yellowrock) Faith Hunter

I really like Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series. Jane is a licensed vampire hunter who has managed to get hired by the vampire master of New Orleans. Jane is also a skin walker, which is something she works to keep secret from everyone, because to the best of her knowledge, there are no other skin walkers anymore.

Although Jane has some powers from being a shifter, she primarily succeeds through her wits and intimidation. She also suffers the consequences of her actions–and since she has a violent occupations, there are almost always consequences.

Have Stakes Will Travel is a collection of Jane short stories, covering her entire career. The other two are the latest Jane Yellowrock books.
 
 
Permeable Borders by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

I love Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s writing–I’ll pick up pretty much any fantasy book she’s written.

Although many of her books have romantic elements, she writes fantasy along the lines of Charles de Lint, rather than paranormal fantasies, even though her stories contain magic.

Several of these stories appeared in anthologies, and many of those I’ve read, but others–those written upon a them mostly–I had not seen before. Of course, even the stories I’d read before, I still enjoyed.
 
 
Gunmetal Magic (The World of Kate Daniels) Ilona Andrews

Although Kate and Curran make appearances here, this book is about Andrea, Kate’s partner. I’ve read several short stories featuring Andrea, so was looking forward to an entire novel about her, and I was not disappointed.

Andrea has always been a very strong female character in Kate’s world, so she was easily able to inhabit a book on her own.
 
 
Ashes of Honor (October Daye) Seanan McGuire

There are more Toby Daye books to come (I checked) but this book ends in such a good place I’d be okay if the series ended here. Not that I don’t want to read more about Toby, it’s just that many of her problems have finally been resolved and she can actually get in on with her life now.
 
 
Garrett Investigates (Abby Irene) Elizabeth Bear

This is a collection of Abby Irene short stories/novellas.

These stories have elements of fantasy and steampunk, but I think first and foremost I’d label them as alternate history, with those other elements coming secondary, because the world in which Abby Irene lives is as important to the stories as the fantasy and steampunk elements.
 
 
The Very Best of Charles de Lint (2010) Charles de Lint

I absolutely adore Charles de Lint’s stories, so despite having many of these stories already, I couldn’t resist this collection for the stories I didn’t have.

It’s a strange thing–many of his stories deal with dark and depressing elements–sexual abuse, child abuse, loss–yet his stories leave me with a sense of hope.
 
 
Hex Appeal edited by P.N. Elrod

This is an anthology of stories about magic and boinking.

Okay, not all the stories have boinking, but most of them do. Despite that, there is some wonderful world-building and there are many fantastic stories here, which gave this anthology a very good rating despite having stories I didn’t finish.
 
 
Down These Strange Streets (2011) edited by Gardner Dozois and George R. R. Martin

This was a fabulous collection–I don’t think there was a single story here I hated, and most of the stories I loved. It also introduced me to several authors I had not read or heard of, but went on to search out because I so enjoyed their tales here.

 
 

YA

The Far West (Frontier Magic) Patricia C. Wrede

This is the concluding story to her Frontier Magic series, and is marvelous. This is an alternate history where magic has shaped the founding of the US, and although there are many parallels between this world and our own history, there are also many significant differences.

Although the main character is a girl (a young woman by the time of this book) I believe that boys might enjoy it as well–especially the first book in the series.

To be honest, I enjoyed this world so much I am sad to see this series end.
 
 
Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride

This is a fun series. Sam has discovered he is a powerful necromancer, so has to learn quickly how to deal with his powers.

There is an acknowledgement of teen’s sexuality in this book, though nothing descriptive.
 
 
Dark Frost (Mythos Academy) Jennifer Estep

This is another interesting series, though a little heavier on the romance than I might prefer. Gwen goes to a school for magical heroes of a sort, but her powers aren’t the sort that are good for bashing monsters, and she wasn’t told of the existence of others until she was in high school.

This is a modern setting, and there’s acknowledgement of boinking, but no details.

I’ve been enjoying this series, though I’m not quite sure I like where it’s heading.
 
 
A Conspiracy of Kings (2010) (Thief of Eddis) Megan Whalen Turner

Yeah, this is one of the books that made me bend the rules for books published in the past several years instead of just 2012. This series is so wonderful, I want to make sure everyone knows about it.
 
 
Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron edited by Jonathan Strahan

This is a very good anthology–a great combination of authors I’m already reading, and authors that are new to me. I wish I knew more people who loved anthologies as much as I do.

My favorite comics and non-fiction books and my favorite mysteries and romance of the past year.

My favorite Fantasy and YA covers of 2012.

I’ve always loved mysteries, from Nancy Drew to Trixie Beldon to Sherlock Holmes as a kid, to Spenser, Sonchai Jitplecheep, and Inspector John Rebus as a grownup. Grandmom shared this love of mysteries, so after her death, I sort of drew back from reading as many mysteries, because it often made me sad when I’d think, “Grandmom would LOVE this!”

But, I’ve started back into reading mysteries again, and there were always a few series that I was keeping up with, regardless.

Romance is a new field for me, one I was drawn into through the amount of paranormal fantasy I was reading. I eventually decided that as long as I knew before hand I was reading a romance, it wasn’t that bad. However, most of the romances I’ve been reading are either part of a fantasy series I was already into, or much older books I’m just now discovering.

Unless otherwise stated, all books were published in 2012.

Romance

Steel’s Edge (The Edge) Ilona Andrews

This is the final book in The Edge series, so there was quite a bit to wrap up, but I think they did it admirably. Ilona Andrews has said they may write more about these characters in the future, but not as part of this series. So if you’re a completist, all four books are available now!

These books have boinking, but not a huge amount of boinking. Just so you know.
 
 
Scarlet A. C. Gaughen

This is a take on Robin Hood that I initially had a hard time getting into, but once I got to about two chapters in, I couldn’t put it down. Will Scarlet is actually a girl hiding from her past, and only three people know Scarlet is actually a girl, and none of those know her true identity.

I really enjoyed this, and was surprised not to see a sequel, because there easily could be one. Not much boinking here, though there is an open acknowledgement of sex.

My review of Scarlet.
 
 
Kilts & Kraken (Gaslight Chronicles) Cindy Spencer Pape

This series is more a bunch of serial novellas, so be aware the stories are relatively short.

There is also a LOT of boinking.

But the world building and the characters are so wonderful, I keep getting the books in this series because I enjoy them so much in spite of all the graphic sex.

There were actually two stories in this series published this year, but I didn’t find the second quite as good as this one (or the previous stories).

My review of Kilts & Kraken.

 
 

Mystery

The Custom of the Army (2012) Diana Gabaldon

I read my first Lord John story in the anthology Down these Strange Streets, and I almost immediately went looking for more stories about Lord John. The first book I found was good, but the next two I read, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade and Lord John and the Hand of Devils were excellent, and I was immediately pulled in.

The Custom of the Army is a novella featuring Lord John, a major in the British Army during the Seven Years War. The fact Lord John happens to be gay, at a time when that could lead to his hanging, makes his life even more dangerous.

The history in these stories is my second favorite thing after Lord John. She is meticulous in her research to make sure the details are historically correct. And some of those details are pretty amazing to modern eyes.

These aren’t your typical mysteries, but neither are the romances either, so I’ve mentally classified them as historical mysteries and moved on.

My review of The Custom of the Army.
 
 
Vulture Peak (Sonchai Jitpleecheep) John Burdett

I don’t remember anymore why I initially picked up Bangkok 8, but once I did, I was drawn into the story and the characters and the city and have eagerly awaited each additional book in this series.

This is NOT a series I recommended to Grandmom. Bangkok is not a place for the faint of heart or squeamish, and these books reflect that. That said, these books are also amazing, and it never fails to astound me the things that are ethical and immoral in Sonchai’s world.

My review of Vulture Peak.
 
 
Beastly Things (Commissario Guido Brunetti) Donna Leon

This is a series that Grandmom really enjoyed. Brunetti is an inspector in the Venice police, and Venice is as much a character in this series as Bangkok is in the Sonchai Jitplecheep series.

As are the meals Brunetti and his family eat. I have two Italian mystery series I am keeping up with, and in both the food is as much a part of the book as the place and the (inevitable) murder.

Although some books are better than others, all are good, and all are worth reading.

My review of Beastly Things.

My favorite romance and mystery covers of 2012.

That was initially going to be a list at some of my favorites books that were published in 2012, but I decided that wasn’t quite fair, since there are some series that I’ve just become aware of, so instead I’ve limited the list to books that were published in 2010, 2011, or 2012. Additionally, I almost never buy hardback books, so I want to include books that just came out in paperback 2012.

And also, if I hadn’t, my non-fiction selection would have been one book.

First up: Non-fiction and comics.

I don’t get through a lot of non-fiction during the year, mostly because it tends to be my bedtime reading, so I usually get about a chapter a night read before I fall asleep.

As far as comics, I don’t follow a lot of comics, and the ones I do follow I generally really really like, so you’re seeing most of what I read this year. The other series that I’d been following are either completed or have stopped publishing (boo!). The exception to this is Hellboy, which I read erratically, because there are generally two different plots: the ongoing story, and short stories from the past. As I prefer the short stories, I tend to fall behind on the Hellboy series.

Hopefully I can find some new series to keep up with in the coming year.

Non-Fiction

Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) (2012) Jenny Lawson

If you follow The Bloggess, then you know she put out a memoir this year.

And if you follow The Bloggess, you also know she is completely irreverent, frequently blasphemous, and possibly the funniest blogger around. She also suffers from medical issues, including depression and anxiety disorder, which makes her writing often even more poignant.

If you do not regularly read The Bloggess, I highly recommend her writing, assuming you are not offended by foul language, and irreverent (and perhaps blasphemous) writing.

Or taxidermy.

My review of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir).
 
 
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2011 (2011) edited by Mary Roach and Tim Folger

I like science. I like how Mary Roach writes. So when I saw she was editing an anthology of science writing, I said, “why not?”

Most of the writing is not as irreverent as what Mary Roach writes, but it is still very good, and well worth checking out if you like science writing.

My review of The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2011
 
 
Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference (2010) Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu

For someone who is mostly agnostic (or perhaps just a monotheist) I read a lot of religious writing. Partially because I’m looking for answers I know I won’t find, but also because religion is so very important to so many people in my life, I want to learn as much as I can, so at least I can grasp it intellectually, even if I feel nothing emotionally or spiritually.

Desmond Tutu is friends with the Dalai Lama, whose writing is always setting by the bed to read, (I’m currently reading The Path to Tranquility: Daily Wisdom) so after hearing an interview with him, I got this book.

It is thought-provoking, because this is a man who has seen and lived through horrors, yet he is still able to see love in good and his fellow men and women–something I find astounding.

If you’d like to have some of your faith in humanity restored, this is a good book for it.

My review of Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference.

 
 

Comics

Fairest Vol 1: Wide Awake (2012) Bill Willingham, Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning, Matthew Sturges, Shawn McManus

Fairest is a new Fables spin off. This issue was centered on Sleeping Beauty and the White Witch, although in this column, Ali Baba shared the spotlight. As much as I love Fables, I haven’t much liked any of the spin-offs, so there wasn’t a guarantee I’d like this one. I have so far.

My review of Fairest: Wide Awake
 
 
Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland (2012) Bill Willingham, Craig Hamilton, Jim Fern, Ray Snyder, Mark Farmer

Like 1001 Nights of Snowfall, this is a stand-alone story. Although there are plenty of references to events from the main story line, this might be a decent introduction if you are interested in checking out Fables.

My review of Werewolves of the Heartland.
 
 
Fables 17: Inherit the Wind (2012) Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Shawn McManus

This is the latest installment in he Fables series. After the death of Bigby’s father, it appears that one of his and Snow’s children will have to take over as the North Wind.

I do so love this series.

My review of Fables Vol 17: Inherit the Wind .

Yesterday was YA, Romance, and Mystery covers. Today is fantasy covers.

Romance gets some horrible, lurid covers, but I think fantasy in general, is worse. Especially the kinds of books I love, which have strong, independent, female lead characters.

If they aren’t in completely ridiculous outfits for what they are supposed to be doing, they’re in poses that are humanly impossible or simply in some rendition of what the artist thinks is “sexy.” Which means there are a lot of horrible—and even downright offensive—covers with female characters.

So I’m delighted when I find a series with covers that not only don’t suck, but are actually awesome.

First up is Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series: Death’s Rival, Raven Cursed, and Have Stakes Will Travel (2012)

I generally love the covers in this series, and there ended up being three different Jane Yellowrock books this year (two novels and an anthology).

First, the cover model looks like Jane (who is Native American).

Second, Jane actually looks like she could kick your ass, and (aside from the ridiculously tight pants and excess of boob) is dressed for combat.

I think my biggest complaint about the covers is that in the series is that it explicitly states (multiple times) that Jane wears her hair up in a style that cannot be grabbed when she’s fighting. So I find the depiction with long, unbound hair ridiculous, but in the grand scheme of book covers, that’s a minor quibble.

My reviews of Death’s Rival, Raven Cursed, and Have Stakes Will Travel

 
 

Doubletake (2012) Rob Thurman

This is the only series/book with a male protagonist that made the list; I can’t help myself, I just adore these covers.

I love they managed to capture the essential pissy bastard nature of Cal.

My review of Doubletake

 
 

Gunmetal Magic (2012) Ilona Andrews

As much as I love Ilona Andrews’ books, I generally tend to dislike the covers to the Kate Daniels series. Although Kate is typically competent looking, the depiction of Curran (always as a lion) just bugs me. So I was delighted by the cover of this book.

Andrea looks like she’s ready to kick your ass. The model looks pretty much like Andrea is described. And we have Atlanta burning in the background.

I also like that although part of the focus of the story was her working things out with Raphael, he doesn’t make an appearance on the cover. Which is good, because this story is about Andrea, not him.

Only quibble I have is (again), why is her hair down? How can you fight—or do much of anything—with your hair in your face?

My review of Gunmetal Magic

 
 

Ashes of Honor (2012) Seanan McGuire

Seanan McGuire has also gotten some great covers for her Toby Daye series. They’re dark (possibly a little darker than the series itself, but that’s ok) and Toby isn’t shown doing anything ridiculous, nor is she in a submissive pose.

She is portrayed here is active and independent–who knows what she’s actually doing, but she is doing it–things are NOT being done to her.

Additionally, is it strange that I love the font they use? Because I do.

My review of Ashes of Honor

 
 

Permeable Borders (2012) Nina Kiriki Hoffman

I love this cover. I love the font, I love the water, I love the sky, I love everything.

No, it doesn’t tell you anything specific about the contents, but that’s good, because this is an anthology of her writing, and the stories don’t necessarily fit any one theme, besides being fantasy. So I just love that it’s so beautiful.

My review of Permeable Borders

I complain a lot about bad book covers. Some covers are so terrible they make me glad for the advent of the eBook, so I can read whatever I want in public.

On the other hand, when book covers are good, they tend to be very good. I fully admit that I’ve been drawn to books solely by the cover art. So I want to point out some covers for books were published in 2012 that I really liked, because that seems only fair.

First up: YA, Romance, and Mystery covers. Next: Fantasy Covers

YA

Most of the YA covers weren’t bad—I can’t think of anything in particular I hated, but I thought these covers were especially good.

The Far West (2012) Patricia C. Wrede

Interestingly, the first book in the series had a very different cover from the next two. I’ve liked all the covers in this series, and I think this one does a very good job of giving you a feel for the tone of the story without giving anything away.

There are strange monsters in the background you can’t quite make out. The dress of the main character is obviously not modern, but also very sensible for what she’s doing.

The first cover in the series didn’t have a picture of main character, I presume in an attempt to appeal to male and female readers.

My review of The Far West.

 
 

Croak (2012) Gina Damico

This is first off, a spot on depiction of the main character. I love that she’s in a hoodie and isn’t made to look the slightest bit sexy. I also like how you can’t immediately tell if she is male or female, which would, again, make it possible appeal to a male or female reader.

My review of Croak

 
 

Romance

Cindy Spencer Pape‘s Moonlight & Mechanicals (2012) and Kilts & Kraken (2012)

Despite the fact these are novellas, she has gotten some really wonderful covers for this series. This is one of those cases where I picked up the book for the cover.

The books are steam punk and alternate history where magic exists, which I think the covers do a fabulous job of showing. There are ALSO kissing books, which isn’t (to me) obvious from the covers, but despite all the boinking, I’m really enjoying the series, and in fact, probably would never have read any of these books if they had the typical “romance” cover.

My reviews of Moonlight & Mechanicals and Kilts & Kraken

 
 

Mystery

When Maidens Mourn (2012) C.S. Harris

This is a well-established series that shifted quickly from mass-market paperback to hard-back for the initial release, so the odds of her getting a crappy cover were relatively low. That said, I haven’t loved all the covers in this series (I rather disliked the cover of What Remains of Heaven (http://klishis.com/reading/archives/1571) because it didn’t feel like it had much to do with the book) but for the most part she has gorgeous covers that portray the tone of the book marvelously.

These are mysteries set in Regency England, and the main character is a British noble who, after time in the Army during the Napoleonic wars, cares far less than his family likes for society and proper behavior, which is how he keeps getting embroiled in murders and their attending mysteries.

Although the covers are gorgeous, their tone also has a sense of mystery (or menace), often with people or objects coming out of the mist.

My review of When Maidens Mourn

Oddly, I read no “plain” fantasy published in 2011. I read several books that came out in paperback in 2011, but had initially been published in hardback in 2010. (I find hardback books uncomfortable to read, so with the Kindle will probably buy few–if any–hardback books again.)

Fantasy, however, is the category that has the “re-reads”, my comfort books.

RE-READS:

Ellen Kushner

Swordspoint (1987) Review

The falling snow made it hard for him to see. The fight hadn’t winded him, but he was hot and sweaty, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He ignored it, making for Riverside, where no one was likely to follow him.

He could have stayed, if he’d wanted to. The swordfight had been very impressive, and the party guests and its outcome would be talked about for weeks. But if he stayed, the swordsman knew that he would be offered wine, and rich pastry, and asked boring questions about his technique, and difficult questions about who had arranged the fight. He ran on.

Under his cloak, his shirt was spattered with blood, and the Watch would want to know what he was doing up on the Hill at this hour. It was their right to know; but his profession forbade him to answer, so he dodged around corners and caught his breath in doorways until he’d left the splendors of the Hill behind, working his way down through the city.

Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agness Nutter, Witch (1990) Review

(24) So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life…
25 And the Lord spake unto the Angel that guarded the eastern gate, saying Where is the flaming sword which was given unto thee?
26 And the Angel said, I had it here only a moment ago, I must have put it down some where, forget my own head next.
27 And the Lord did not ask him again.

Terry Pratchett

Men at Arms (1993) (Discworld) Review

…(W)hen you hit your thumb with an eight-pound hammer it’s nice to be able to blaspheme. It takes a very special and strong-minded kind of atheist to jump up and down with their hand clasped under their other armpit and shout, ‘Oh, random-fluccuations-in-the-space-time-continuum!’ or ‘Aaargh, primitive-and-outmoded-concept on a crutch!’

Sergei Lukyanenko, translated by Andrew Bromfield

Night Watch (2006) Review; Day Watch (2006) Review; Twilight Watch (2007) Review; Last Watch (2009) Review

Anton Gorodetsky is an low-level Other: a human with the ability to slip into different levels of reality and perform feats of magic. Anton is also a member of the Night Watch: a group of Light Magicians who keep an eye on the Dark others, to make sure they follow the Treaty and do not take advantage. Before he became an other he was a computer programmer, so as an other, he has done similar work, only now Gesar (his boss) has decided Anton needs to do field work, and so has sent him out to keep an eye on the Dark Others.

Each book contains three self-contained stories, all building upon what has happened previously, but complete in and of themselves.

New Reads

Charles de Lint

Muse and Reverie (2009) Review

Charles de Lint is an author I can rely on to write books that I love from page one, and his short story collections set in Newford are always my favorite reads. Although urban fantasy, his works rely upon the creatures of folklore–Coyote, Crow Girls, the narrow places that allow you to move between the worlds. He writes elegant stories of redemption and love that remind me that the fantastic may be possible and that the world of dreams is sometimes real.

Liz Williams

The Iron Khan 2010 (Detective Inspector Chen) Review

Detective Inspector Chen is a Snake Agent. A policeman in Singapore who deals with supernatural crimes. Zhu Irzh is a demon from Hell who is sent to Singapore Three to work with Chen. These book often focus on Heaven and Hell and the relationship between the two, but this is not a Western afterlife but a thoroughly Chinese one, with bureaucracy and even communication with the dead.

Once a week he took the tram out to Bharulay to see his elderly father , and they went for long, silent walks along the canal. His mother, the shrill quarrelsome Mrs Roche, had long since passed into one of the more pleasant neighborhoods of Hell, if that wasn’t a contradiction in terms. She sometimes telephoned, a tinny distant voice in her son’s ear, demanding to know why he was still unwed.

Alternate History:

Guy Gavriel Kay

Under Heaven 2010 Review

Guy Gavriel Kay spends years researching the past to help him create the worlds in which he sets his books, and is able to create marvelous and magical cities and people that never existed, yet are amazingly alive and real. I have yet to read a Guy Gavriel Kay book I didn’t love, yet Under Heaven may somehow have managed to become my favorite.

Barry Hughart

Bridge of Birds 1984 Review; The Story of the Stone 1988 Review ; Eight Skilled Gentlemen 1991 Review

(Master Li and Number Ten Ox)

Old P’i-pao-ku, “Leatherbag Bone,” was Mrs. Wu’s grandmother, and she was waiting at the confectioner’s to get hard sugar decorations of the five poisonous insects (centipede, scorpion, lizard, toad, snake) to spread over top of her wu tu po po cake, which she would purposely make as inedible as possible without being actually deadly. Every family member eats a slice on the fifth day of the fifth moon, and sickness demons stare at people capable of eating stuff like that and go elsewhere.

Elizabeth Bear

The White City 2010 (Abby Irene) Review

Vampires. North America still colonized by Britain and France and Spain in 1899. Middle aged female magicians who are also Detective Crown Inspectors. It’s steampunk and alternate history and magic all piled into a single book.

Anthologies:

Masked 2010 edited by Lou Anders Review

Superhero stories with the focus less on the daring do and more on the lives in between the heroics–or even long after the heroics have ended.

The Secret History of Fantasy 2010 edited by Peter S. Beagle Review

Maureen F. McHugh. Gregory Maguire. Patricia A. McKillip. T.C. Boyle. Steve Millhauser. Steven King. Francesca Lia Block. Jeffery Ford. Susanna Clarke. Robert Holdstock. Kij Johnson. Every story in here is good, even the ones that I didn’t like.

Young Adult:

I noticed in recent years that some of the best fantasy out there is sitting in the young adult section of the book store.

Suzanne Collins

Hunger Games 2008 (Hunger Games) Review

I’ll be surprised if anyone the slightest bit conversant with fantasy books has not already heard of and/or read this. I actually have not read the following two, simply because they are very dark and I can only take darkness (no matter the quality) in small doses.

Patricia Wrede

A Matter of Magic (2010) Review

Patricia C. Wrede is another young adult author who should really be read by anyone who loves a good fantasy story. Although A Matter of Magic starts with the trope of a young girl passing as a boy, it soon discards that to move onto the real story–instead of being the focus of the tale, it is simply an explanation of how a girl could survive on the streets as a thief and not be forced into a house of ill repute.

Megan Whalen Turner

The Thief 1996; The Queen of Attolia 2000; The King of Attolia 2006 (The Queen’s Thief) Review

Instead of Three Wishes (2006) Review

This year I discovered that Megan Whalen Turner–hiding in that young adult section–is writing some of the best fantasy around, regardless of the age for which it was written. And unlike much of the current fantasy, her books stand alone on their own merit. No cliffhangers. No plot points dragging on unresolved for years. Just good solid writing the kind of which you wish there was more of.

The Year in Reading: Fantasy
The Year in Reading: Supernatural Fantasy
The Year in Reading: Comics, Mystery, and History
The Year in Reading: Books Published in 2011

I have several authors of comics, supernatural fantasy, and mystery on pre-order, but since supernatural fantasy tends to come out first in mass market paperback rather than hardback, those are the books I read immediately upon publication. Several of these were mentioned in my discussion of my favorite books published in 2011, so I’ll only list those books here.

Blackout (Cal Leandros) Rob Thurman

One Salt Sea, Late Eclipses (October Daye) Seanan McGuire

Eye of the Tempest, Tempest’s Legacy (Jane True) Nicole Peeler

Mercy Blade (Jane Yellowrock) Faith Hunter

Magic Slays (Kate Daniels), Fate’s Edge (The Edge) Ilona Andrews

Now onto the books that were not first published in 2011.

Richard Kadrey

Kill the Dead (2010) (Sandman Slim) Review

Stark got sent to Hell by some friends, but he escaped and needs revenge. That’s the synopsis of the first book. In the second book, Stark is at loose ends, and ends up having to deal with zombies. Lots of zombies.

I hate zombies. Yet I liked the book.

If you didn’t read Sandman Slim, Stark is an American cross between Simon R. Green’s John Taylor and Mike Carey’s Felix Castor. All three are powerful magicians and right bastards, but the usually end up doing the right thing, bitching about it the whole damned way.

Lish McBride

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer (2010) Review ; Necromancer: A Novella (2011)

Sam is at loose ends. College didn’t work for him, so he’s doing the menial food service thing for awhile till he figures out what he wants to do with himself. Unfortunately, events lead to Sam discover that he is a necromancer–and a very powerful one at that, and that the current Power That Be do not want a loose necromancer in town.

Sam is very likable, his reactions to events are realistic, and his friends are awesome. The novella “Necromancer” is set in the same world, only Ash (the avatar of death) is the secondary character, and her friend Matt is the primary character, so you can read either with no knowledge of the other.

This is a young adult book, and although there is some boinking, it’s off screen.

Patricia Briggs

Silver Bourne (2010) (Mercy Thompson) Review

I love Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series. Mercy is a lone shape-shifter in a world where werewolves and vampires exist, and are all contemplating coming out of the closet. Because her mother didn’t know what to do with her, she was raised by the Marroc, the head of the American werewolf clans, so she learned to hunt and and become a predator, however, unlike the werewolves, she must rely upon cunning rather than brute strength and magical healing. Her advantage is that the process of changing is natural for her, albeit one that she cannot share with others.

Mercy is also an auto mechanic and fully capable of rescuing herself if the need arises. As the series has progressed she has gained a love interest, but the romance has not taken over the series.

Jeaniene Frost

First Drop of Crimson (2010) (Night Huntress World) Review

This book exists in the same world as the Night Huntress, and Cat and Bones make an appearance, but the main characters are Cat’s friend Denise, and Bones mate Spade.

First things first, all these books are FULL of boinking. Lots and lots of boinking. And yet, I really like this series, this world, and these characters. The female characters are strong and capable and not idiots. The world is fascinating, and I really like the way she deals with vampire abilities.

I also like how the characters deal with the romances like grown-ups. For the most part anyway. Things happen, and the deal with them and go on.

Full Moon City edited by Darrell Schweitzer & Martin H Greenberg (2010) Review

I love short stories, so of course I love anthologies. This is a collection of supernatural stories, primarily were-creatures. This collection has some stories by some of my favorite authors: Peter S. Beagle. Carrie Vaughan. Holly Black. Mike Resnick. Gregory Frost. Pretty much a full complement of great authors, and even the stories I didn’t like were good (just not to my taste). But if you’re unsure, Peter S. Beagle’s story, La Lune T’Attend is worth the price of the entire book.

Vampires: The Recent Undead edited by Paula Guran (2001) Review

• Another anthology with another complement of great authors: Holly Black. Charles de Lint. Kelly Armstrong. Tannith Lee. Emma Bull. Carrie Vaughan.

This collection is (obviously) about vampires. But each author’s take is slightly different from what the others have written or common folklore. And it is those differences can be fascinating. There are several excellent stories in this collection, and although a couple of the stories (Carrie Vaughan and Charles de Lint’s for two) are found in other collections, it’s still a very good collection.

The Year in Reading: Fantasy
The Year in Reading: Supernatural Fantasy
The Year in Reading: Comics, Mystery, and History
The Year in Reading: Books Published in 2011

I was going to make a single post about some of my favorite books I read this year, but realized I read so much I’d be better served breaking this up into multiple posts. I’m going to have one post for supernatural fantasy, one post for general fantasy, and this post is for everything else. These books are ones I rated an 8 or higher when I read/reviewed them.

Comics

Several of these I mentioned in my post on books from 2011, so I’ll just list them here.

Edie Ernst – USO Singer: Allied Spy (9 Chickweed Lane) Brooke McElowney

Fables Vol 15: Rose Red (Fables) Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Inaki Miranda, Andrew Pepoy, Dan Green

Girl Genius Vol 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse(Girl Genius) Phil & Kaja Foglio

Madame Xanadu Vol 4: Extra-Sensory(Madame Xanadu) Matt Wagner, Marley Zarcone, Laurenn McCubbin, Chrissie Zullo, Celia Calle, Marian Churchland

The Rabbi’s Cat (2005) by Joann Sfar Review

When a Rabbi’s cat eat his parrot, the cat gains the power of speech, and then goes on to question everything and everyone. This is a philosophical work, but it’s also hilarious. Take the following exchange between the cat and the Rabbi:

And then he tells me that the Greeks believed the dog to be the epitome of the philosophical animal. The dog, not the cat.

I reply that the Greeks destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and if a rabbi ends up calling on them for help, it means he’s run out of arguments.

If you find that passage at all amusing, I recommend you check out The Rabbi’s Cat. It is an absolutely wonderful book.

Collections

Folk Tales from the Russian (1903) collected by Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de Blumenthal
Review

I love folktales, but didn’t have particularly high expectations for this freebie collection for the Kindle. I was very pleasantly surprised.

In addition to the stories, there are notes on the terms, that (since this is an ebook) are accessible with a click. So I quite enjoyed learning about ‘boyars’ and ‘moujiks’.

Is this for everyone? Probably not, but if you love folktales the way I do, it’s hard to turn down a good collection that is also FREE!

Under Her Skin (2009) Ilona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Meljean Brook
Review

This is an anthology of three paranormal romance short stories about shapeshifters. Neither Ilona Andrews nor Jeaniene Frost’s stories are set in their existing world with existing characters. As I expect with the authors, the stories feature strong female characters who work to save themselves. It was only $3 for the collection; a buck a story doesn’t seem too much to support some favorite authors.

History

David McCullough

The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge (1972) Review

I tend to read non-fiction before bed, because I can’t go to sleep without reading, but fiction tends to draw me into the story too deeply. I find history work well, not because it’s boring (it isn’t) but because I generally know what’s going to happen, so it doesn’t keep me awake.

This was an absolutely fascinating book. Bridges are interesting, but I had never previously considered the engineering required to make one–especially when one is overcoming unique difficulties. But this book also talks of the social and political intrigues of the time in addition to the engineering feats, as all these things were integral to the construction of the bridge.

Plus, I learned the “the bends” was first called “Cassion disease” and discovered during bridge building. I love learning tidbits like that.

Romance

I’m relatively new to reading romance, as I’ve never been fond of kissing books. But I discovered that there are some fabulous stories out there that happen to have HEAs as part of the tale. As long as I know going in I’m going to be reading a kissing book, I discovered I’m OK with it.

Lucia St. Clair Robson

The Tokaido Road (1991) Review

I came across this book on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and loved the cover so much I decided to see if the book was something I’d like reading.

OMG yes.

Kat’s father was forced to kill himself as a result of political intrigue, so to support her mother, and to give herself time to plan her vengeance against Kira, the man who caused her father’s downfall, Kat goes to work in a pleasure house.

First and foremost, although this is a romance, Kat continually rescues herself. Secondly, the research and historical facts are amazing. I loved reading all the little details about what life was like, and the little quirks that you might not think of from a modern vantage (no shocks in palanquins).

This is a fabulous story that I highly recommend.

Sharon Shinn

Quatrain (2009) Review

Quatrain is four separate romance novellas set in four of Sharon Shinn’s fantasy worlds. If you have not read anything by Sharon Shinn before, this book would be a good introduction to her writing, and the variety of worlds and characters she creates.

Although these are romances, for me, the romance takes a back seat to the incredible world building, story telling, and characters.

Mystery

Robert Crais

The First Rule (2010) (Elvis Cole) Review

I started reading Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole mysteries last summer when I broke my ankle, and quickly read through the series. The First Rule came out this year in paperback, so I snatched it up once it was available.

Although Elvis makes an appearance, this is a Joe Pike story, which means the feel of the story is very different, since Pike is such a dark and conflicted character. Interestingly, although we learn more about Joe’s past in this story, he remains an enigma, and although he tries to do good, one never gets the feeling his a good guy.

Ian Rankin

Let it Bleed (1996) Review
Black and Blue (1997) Review
The Hanging Garden (1998) Review
The Falls (2000) Review
Resurrection Men (2002) Review
The Naming of the Dead (2006) Review

I read a lot of Ian Rankin this year.

John Rebus is a Detective Inspector in the Edinburgh police force, and although he is a very good cop, he is not necessarily a very good person. And he is really bad about getting along with his superiors and doing what is political instead of doing what is right. Also, you’d totally never want him to date one of your friends. Rebus smokes. He’s an alcoholic. He’s a lousy father. He walks a very fine line sometimes when it comes to what is legal. But he always does what he believes is right.

I have one Inspector Rebus mystery left to read, and I keep putting it off, because once I read it, the series is over. Done. No more Rebus. And I don’t WANT that. So the book sits on my shelf, waiting.

The Year in Reading: Fantasy
The Year in Reading: Supernatural Fantasy
The Year in Reading: Comics, Mystery, and History
The Year in Reading: Books Published in 2011

You may or may not be aware that I have a book blog. It’s not hidden or secret (See! Links! Over there in the sidebar!) it’s just separate from here for organization purposes. It exists primarily to help me keep track of what I’ve read and the publication order of stories.

I don’t want to recreate the material from my reading blog, but I would like do an overview of what I read, and give you a quick idea of what I think about that book or series.

This first post is a look at books published in 2011. You’ll notice that the overwhelming majority of these books are a part of a series. Luckily, almost all can be read as stand alone books and there are no cliffhangers involved.

Urban/Supernatural Fantasy Series

Rob Thurman

Blackout

(Cal Leandros) (Review: 10)

Cal is half-monster, but thanks to his brother Niko, he remains human. Although this is a supernatural fantasy series, with lots of monsters and ass-kicking, at its core it is the story of the love Cal and Niko have for each other, and the lengths to which they will go to protect one another. Only, you know, not mushy with terms like love but instead with manly ass-kickings and rude remarks and big guns.

If you have not read previous books in the series, you can readily start here, though if you do, you don’t want to miss out on the awesomeness that is the past books.

Carrie Vaughn

Kitty’s Greatest Hits (Review: 9)

Kitty’s Big Trouble (Review: 7)

Kitty is a public radio DJ and also a werewolf who was–against her will–outed to the public mid series, and following that outing, the world has been scrambling to come to terms with the existence of were-wolves and wondering what other creatures they thought were imaginary are really out there.

Kitty’s Greatest Hits collects the various Kitty short stories that were published in various anthologies. If you’d like an introduction to Kitty, I’d read the first couple stories in the series, but then go back and start at book one. Although you can read the stories independently of the series, you’ll learn of some important things without the background of how those things happened. As I love short stories, it was good to get this collection, for the stories that I missed in their original anthologies.

Kitty’s Big Trouble takes Kitty out to discover whether certain historical figures were actually werewolves (or even undead).

Seanan McGuire

One Salt Sea (Review: 9)

Late Eclipses (Review: 8)

October Daye is a changeling knight for the Faerie court who worked for years as a private investigator, however, an attack removes her from the world for thirteen years, and when she returns, her mortal life is lost to her.

Although each story are is complete within each book, each successive story builds upon the history of the previous books, so you’d probably want to start at the beginning and read forward.

Lish McBride

Necromancer: A Novella (Review: 8.5)

This has been available as a free eNovella, and I highly recommend it. It’s a story that’s tied into the book Hold Me Closer Necromancer, which was published last year, and which I really like.

Check out the novella (it’s a free Kindle book after all) and that’ll give you an idea of whether you want to read the full length book. What I particularly liked was that the novella did not require any knowledge of the other book, and in fact the main character in the novella doesn’t appear in the book.

Nicole Peeler

Eye of the Tempest (Review: 8.5)

Tempest’s Legacy (Review: 8.5)

The Jane True series is a lot of fun. It also contains a lot of boinking and talking and thinking about boiking, but I love how the main character has a sense of humor about everything and she usually feels real. Take the following passage.

…I wiped my nose on his shirt. I was snotty from crying and he was already filthy. It wasn’t ideal but he was holding me so tight I couldn’t move my arms.

“Did you just wipe your nose on me?” he asked, finally. His voice was tight with various emotions, but “oh no you didn’t” had clawed it’s way to the top of the list.

“Maybe,” I mumbled, peering up at him.

That just made me fall in love with the heroine.

This is another series where–although each book is a self-contained story arc–there is so much story and character development over the course of the series, you’ll want to start at the beginning and move your way forward.

Ilona Andrews

Fate’s Edge (The Edge) (Review: 8.5)

Magic Slays (Kate Daniels) (Review: 8)

Although both of these books are written by Ilona Andrews, they are set in two very different worlds.

The Kate Daniels story takes place in our future, where magic comes and goes in waves, and has destroyed much of the technology upon which the modern world was based. It also allowed monsters like vampires and weres to become visible and take positions of power (of some sort) in the world. These story has been running longer (five books) and is an adventure with some elements of romance.

The books in the Edge series are first and foremost romances, but the world building has not been neglected. Here, magic realms exist simultaneously with the modern world, but for the most part magical realms are unreachable to ordinary people, and those with strong magic cannot reach the ordinary realms. Those who can go back and forth tend to live on the Edge–lands between the two worlds.

The Kate Daniels books should probably be read in order, although (as is my preference) each book contains a complete story arc. But Kate’s growth through the series, and the changes in her world make starting from the beginning a good idea.

The Edge series are also self contained, and each book focuses on a different set of characters. Although characters appear in each others books, knowing the past of one character isn’t required to read another character’s story.

Faith Hunter

Mercy Blade (Jane Yellowrock) (Review: 8)

This is another post apocalyptic series, where mages and werewolves and vampires are now public figures. Jane Yellowrock hunts and destroys rogue vampires. She also has an extremely secret past that will probably get her killed if anyone finds out about it. I particularly like the physics and biology of shape shifting. Although each book is a self-contained story, this is another series where you should start at the beginning and work your way forward.

Mark del Franco

Uncertain Allies (Connor Grey) (Review: 7)

This is the fifth book in Mark del Franco’s Connor Grey series. Faerie has invaded the modern world, and druids and other fae creatures and monsters have to learn to get along with the humans who had all forgotten their existence. Connor was a powerful druid until an attack leaves him unable to use most of his powers. This series looks at how he deals with those losses, the friends he’s made in the interim, and how the world deal with the return of faerie.

Don’t start here–way to much has gone on in previous books to sum up neatly this far into the series.

Jeaniene Frost

This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress) (Review: 7)

I actually have the next book in this series sitting on a shelf waiting to be read. These books are definitely boiking books, but they’re also about a lasting love and commitment between the two characters, despite everything that befalls them. As the series progresses and the characters become an item, they actually deal with the the issues any couple in a long term relationship would have. Except, of course, usually people are trying to kill them.

Cat was born a half-vampire, and wants nothing more than to destroy the very creatures who made her what she is. Bones is a century old vampire whose job it is to remove rogue vampires who are acting in a way that may expose the existence of ghouls and vampires to the world.

As with almost all the series I read, each book is self contained, but this is another where you’ll probably want to start at the beginning and move your way forward.

Kiss Me, Kill Me: A Paranormal Anthology (Review: 6)

A $0.99 eBook. Not bad for the price, but there were some particularly bad stories in with the good.

Simon R. Green

Ghost of a Smile (Ghost Finders) (Review: 5)

I love Simon R. Green’s Nightside series, but I cannot for the life of me get into his other series (serieses?) My recommendation is to skip this series entirely, and read Nightside instead.

Steampunk

Cindy Spencer Pape

Steam & Sorcery (Review: 7)

This was a steampunk romance that wasn’t bad, but I can’t say it was one of my favorite books of the year.

Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris

Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences) (Review: 6)

Another Steampunk romance, this one is apparently the start of a series that I won’t be continuing.

Comics

Fables

Rose Red Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Inaki Miranda, Andrew Pepoy, Dan Green (Review: 8)

I have friends who don’t like or get Fables, but 15 volumes in I’m still loving the story.

If you’re not familiar with the series, I do not recommend starting here, but instead picking up 1001 Night of Snowfall, which is a stand alone book in the series.

Another option would be to pick up Peter & Max which is actually a Fables novel. Either of those should give you a good idea as to whether Fables is for you or not.

9 Chickweed Lane

Edie Ernst – USO Singer: Allied Spy Brooke McElowney (Review: 9.5)

If you read 9 Chickweed Lane, this collects the story arc in which Juliette and Edda discover that Gram (Juliette’s mother) was a USO spy during WWII. It’s also the story of how Edna met and fell in love with Juliette’s father.

You can read the story online if you want, but I highly recommend splurging for the book.

Madame Xanadu

Broken House of Cards Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder, Richard Friend, Joelle Jones (Review: 9)
Extra-Sensory Matt Wagner, Marley Zarcone, Laurenn McCubbin, Chrissie Zullo, Celia Calle, Marian Churchland (Review: 8)

I know little to nothing of the character of Madame Xanadu aside from what is contained in the volumes of her new series, but I have still very much enjoyed this series.

The first volume is pretty much a requirement, since it tells you Nimune’s past, but after that it shouldn’t matter as much if you read in order or not.

Girl Genius

Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse (Review: 8)
Agatha H and the Airship City by Phil and Kaja Foglio (Review: 7)

Phil and Kaja Foglio have spent years writing their on-line steampunk comic Girl Genius and then publishing volumes once they get enough material.

Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse is the latest volume in the graphic novel, while Agatha H and the Airship City is the first three volumes of the series as a novel.

I think I prefer the graphic novel, mostly because I am so fond of the Jagermonsters.

House of Mystery

Under New Management Matthew Sturges, Luca Rossi, Jose Marzan Jr (Review: 7)
Safe as Houses Matthew Sturges, Luca Rossi, Werther Dell Edera, Jose Marzain Jr (Review: 7)

I cannot decide how I feel about this series. I’ll most likely read the next volume, but will decide after that if I want to keep reading.

Mysteries

C.S. Harris

Where Shadows Dance (Sebastian St. Cyr) (Review: 7)

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is a somewhat dissolute young noble who returned from the Napoleonic wars far more bitter than when he left. A prickly relationship with his father and a willingness to fight duels have not helped his reputation, but he doesn’t much seem to care.

“Those rumors I mentioned?” Christopher said in an undertone as he and Sebastian moved forward. “They say the last time Talbot fought a duel, he chose twenty-five paces, then turned and fired after twelve. Killed the man. Of course, Talbot and his second swore the distance had been settled at twelve paces all along.”

“And his rival’s second?”

“Shut up about it when Talbot threatened to call him out–for naming Talbot a liar.”

Sebastian gave his friend a slow smile. “Then if Talbot should have occasion to call you out for a similar reason, I suggest you choose swords.”

Do not try to start here. Entirely too much has happened in this series. And although this book was good, it was by far the weakest entry in the series so far, whereas every previous volume has been fabulous.

The Year in Reading: Fantasy
The Year in Reading: Supernatural Fantasy
The Year in Reading: Comics, Mystery, and History
The Year in Reading: Books Published in 2011

I read 132 books in 2010, an average of 11 books per month.

Unsurprisingly, the peak was June, where I read 23 books when I was working half days after breaking my ankle.

Interestingly, I felt like I was reading less at times, primarily because for the first time in years we traveled quite a bit AND had visitors, which cut into my reading time.

But I am not complaining.

If you read my book blog, you’ll notice that towards the end of the year I got real lax on my reviews, and in many cases simply posted the book information and my rating. This was partially due to travel and partially due to laziness. At some point I could go back and add real reviews–depending upon how much free time I have. (HA!) We’ll see what happens there.

In 2010 I read a mixture of old and new books, and my big discovery was finally reading Georgette Heyer.

I had friends in high school who read bodice rippers, and for years, the bits of those books perused in boredom were what I thought the entire category of romance was. Then I stumbled upon Smart Bitches Who Read Trashy Books (for the bad covers) and slowly came to discover that maybe my notions about Romance were not completely right. And when you consider my love of historical mysteries, this really should not have come as so much of a surprise.

Mind you, I am still not a fan of boinking books, and I can’t see myself ever being interested in bodice rippers, but I discovered there was a whole spectrum of books out there that I might like, just waiting to be discovered. So although I definitely would not classify myself as a huge fan of romance yet, there are some authors I really do like.

Georgette Heyer: Fredericka, Devil’s Cub, Cotillion, Faro’s Daughter, These Old Shades, The Grand Sophy, The Masqueraders

I read some good comics this year, and some that weren’t quite as good.

Brian K. Vaughan’s Ex Machina series seems to have come to and end, and I still can’t decided how I feel about it.

The other big disappointment was Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale, written by Zack Whedon. Entirely too short for what the character deserved, and I don’t buy the explanation of the events in the episode “Safe” as explained by this back story.

There were a couple Fables additions out. Sadly (and surprisingly) I didn’t care for all of them. Volume 13: The Great Fables Crossover was a mashup between the Jack and Fables lines, and I really do not like Jack, so that made this volume disappointing. Cinderella, written by someone other than Bill Willingham, was an even greater disappointment, and I have to admit I pretty much hated it. Luckily, Volume 14, Witches, came out at the end of the year, and restored my love of the Fables storyline and characters.

I also read a good deal of Hellboy, which is always good, if odd.

There were several anthologies this year, some of which had actually been published in 2010 (as opposed to anthologies I picked up that languished upon my shelves waiting for “the right time” to be read. Of the 2010 anthologies, Running with the Pack and Dark and Stormy Knights, despite my dissatisfaction with the final story in Running with the Pack.

Some of my favorite books from this year: Roadkill in the Cal Leandros series, The Grimrose Path in the Trickster seires and Chimera, all by Rob Thurman, Thicker than Water and The Naming of the Beasts, the books that wrap up the Asmodeus story line in Mike Carey’s Felix Castor series. I also read Sandman Slim and Butcher Bird by Richard Kadrey, which I thought were fabulous.

In the mysteries line, I discovered Robert Crais‘ Elvis Cole, who is along the lines of Spenser, but quickly develops his own persona (plus, Joe Pike is most definitely NOT Hawk.)

I also got additions to Donna Leon‘s Inspector Brunetti series, Christopher Fowler‘s Bryant and May series, Dana Stabenow‘s Kate Shugak series, and Andrea Camilleri‘s Inspector Montalbano series.

Aside from the urban/supernatural sub-genre, I’ve actually read very little fantasy–just haven’t been in the mood. Plus, so many fantasy series are multi-volume tomes I am unwilling to commit to.

The big surprise at the end of 2010 was that Michael and I both received eReaders for Christmas, so it’ll be interesting to see if and how that affects my reading. Most of what I’ve downloaded so far are “classics” or books I should have read in school, but didn’t for some reason. We’ll see if I actually enjoy them.

But all in all, 2010 was a good year for reading, and there are plenty of books scheduled to come out in 2011 that I am looking forward to.

Happy Reading in 2011!

I read a lot of books this year. 147 books to be precise (unless I read another book today making it 148, but that seems unlikely).

I found several new series that I quite enjoyed:
The comic NYX, is a slightly older series that tells the story of three teens who are trying to deal with their mutant status.

Another comic I enjoyed was Madame Xanadu.

Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series was made into a comic with Mercy Thompson: Homecoming. It tells how Mercy came to the tri-city area.

Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler is a supernatural fantasy that is quite different from others out there, as the creatures are more out of folklore than horror.

I also stumbled upon Soulless by Gail Carriger, which is a Victorian fantasy with vampires and werewolves. I love Victorian settings.

Rob Thurman started a new series (at least I hope it’s a new series) with Trick of the Light. I love Trickster characters, so she was going to have to work to not make me like this book. She also had a new book in the Cal Leandros series out, Deathwish.

Faith Hunter’s Skinwalker series was a nice surprise, although I was less enamored with her Rogue Mage series.

If you have not read Sergi Lukyanenko Night Watch series, this is a good time to go back and do so, as Last Watch just came out in English.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines–a nice twist on fairy tale characters. Not quite as good as Fables, which also has a new volume out, with The Dark Ages but both are very good.

Several good anthologies came out in 2009 as well. Mean Streets was one of my favorites, with stories by Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Kat Richardson, and Thomas E. Sniegoski. With the exception of Laurell K Hamilton’s story (which I didn’t bother to read), Never After was another good anthology, with stories that are twists on the happily ever after theme. The anthology Strange Brew has stories by some of my favorite authors, including Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, and PN Elrod. One of the things I love about good anthologies is they introduce me to new authors, and this series gave me Faith Hunter and her character jane Yellowrock.

Of course I read far more books than these, and lots of books that had been published in previous years, but these are my highlights of 2009.

Check ’em out!

As of the writing of this post, I’ve read 129 books in 2008. Not my highest total, but not too bad, all things considered.

Here are some of the books I read this year that I really enjoyed. With one exception, I listed only the first book in a series, if I started and enjoyed a series this year. I have been reading a lot of supernatural fantasy, but I’ve read some other good stuff as well this year.

January:
Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
Supernatural fantasy. The latest installment in the Mercy Thompson series.

February:
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
Mystery set in Venice. The first in her Inspector Guido Brunetti series. I spent much of the year reading the rest of this series.

The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson
Supernatural mystery. The first book in the Repairman Jack series. I’ve still got a couple books left in this series, but not many.

THUD by Terry Pratchett
Fantasy. Discworld. I really don’t need to say more, do I?

March:
Tithe by Holly Black
Young adult urban fantasy.

Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman & Yoshitaka Amano
Fantasy, graphic novel. This was a reread, because sometimes you just need a Neil Gaiman fix.

White Knight by Jim Butcher
Supernatural mystery. Installment in the Harry Dresden series.

April:
Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
Supernatural fantasy. Sequel to Magic Bites.

May:
The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
Fantasy anthology. Lots of folklore too.

June:
Fables Vol 10: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham et al.
Fantasy, graphic novel. You really need to be reading this series.

July:
Runaways: Dead End Kids by Joss Whedon et al.
Young adult graphic novel. Joss Whedon takes over Brian K. Vaughan’s Runaways series and does well.

Hellboy Vol 1: Seeds of Destruction by Mike Mignola
Supernatural fantasy, graphic novel. The start of the Hellboy series.

August:
Girl Genius Vol 7: Agatha Heterodyne and the The Voice of the Castle by Phil Foglio et al.
Young adult, steampunk, graphic novel. This is another series you need to be reading.

September:
Precious Dragon by Liz Williams
Fantasy mystery. The third book in the Detective Inspector Chen series.

October:
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
Fiction.

A Fistful of Sky by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Urban fantasy. Reread. Awesome.

November:
Territory by Emma Bull
Historical fantasy. The story that leads up to the shoot-out at the OK Corral.

City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
Non-fiction. The reconstruction of La Fenice in Venice as only John Berendt could tell it.

The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
Mystery. This is the first book in the Inspector Montalbano series, but not the best; I really started to like the series around book three.

December:
Why Mermaids Sing and Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris
Historical mystery. Installments in the Sebastian St. Cyr series. I love these books.

Thirteen Orphans: Breaking the Wall by Jane Lindskold
Urban fantasy. Start of a new series.

Yes, I pretty much didn’t read for the two or so months while we were working on the house, but now that we’re finally getting settled into a routine again…

Fables: 1001 Night of Snowfall (2006) Bill Willingham

If you haven’t read Bill Willingham’s Fables series, then you have really been missing out. Fables is the story of the fairy tales who have escaped the lands of fairy tales after they were drive out by the adversary, and are now living in New York. However, anything you need to know about the Fables before reading 1001 Nights of Snowfall is explained in the one page introduction.

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Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens (2003) Jane Dunn

I read the occasional history book, to pick up on all the bits I missed in school, and a book about two queens who reigned in the 1500s seemed particularly interesting.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth & Mary was to be a serious disappointment.

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Tripping to Somewhere (2006) Kristopher Reisz

Gilly and Sam are looking to escape their lives, and opportunity knocks when one of the city’s better known street people tells them that the Witches Carnival is in town, and if they move fast they can catch it. As Gilly and Sam run after the Witches Carnival, we learn what they’re running from, as well as what they mean to each other.

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