Books of 2015: Books I Loved from 2015
Graphic Novels
Black Widow
Black Widow Vol. 1: The Finely Woven Thread (2015) Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto (9/10)
Black Widow Vol. 2: The Tightly Tangled Web (2015) Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto (8/10)
I really really liked this series. You’ll note that the final volume isn’t listed here–that’s not becuase it wasn’t good, becuase it was, but because it was very dark and left me feeling terribly depressed. It was a good ending, but it’s not anything I want to revisit ay time soon.
A-Force Presents
A-Force Presents Vol. 1 (2015) by G. Willow Wilson, Nathan Edmondson, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Jason Aaron, Phil Noto, David Lopez, Adrian Alphona, Russell Dauterman (8.5/10)
This is a fabulous introduction to several titles: Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel, Thor, She-Hulk, Black Widow… and Squirrel Girl, which was not for me.
If you want to check out several titles, this is the place to do it. And I’d like to note that aside from Squirrel Girl, I now own the first full volume of each of the above.
Rivers of London
Rivers of London: Body Work (2015) Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, Lee Sullivan, and Luis Gurrero (9/10)
Of course this was going to be on the list.
If you haven’t read the series, this might be an introduction to the series, but I’m not certain, because I can’t really separate the comic from the series. I will note that there are many things that fans of the series will love, so if you’ve read the series, I highly recommend reading the comic.
Mystery
I love mysteries, but stemming back to my discovery of Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple, I especially love historical mysteries. Of course neither was an historical when they were written, but that doesn’t really matter to me.
The Mayfair Affair (2015) Tracy Grant (8/10)
This is the latest volume in the Malcom & Suzanne Rannoch series, which I very much love. These books were not written in chronological order, so you can read them in any order. This book is at the chronological end of the series, but aside from mild spoilers for the book prior to this, it shouldn’t matter. And the spoilers are mostly that Malcolm discovers Suzanne’s past, and yet the manage to move past that betrayal. The first is given in the description of that book, and the second is understood if you’re reading a book that comes after.
Who Buries the Dead (2015) C.S. Harris (8.5/10)
This is another historical series that I adore, and have been reading since it appeared in 2005. Sebastian St. Cyr is a complex character who is very much a person of his times (which does not always happen in historicals, where chracters are basically modern people with modern thoughts and ideas transplanted into the past). And Hero, although harboring some seemingly modern sentiments, does so in a manner consistent in her time (and her wealth and privledge help that).
All that, and they’re good mysteries, to boot–I follow the author’s blog, and am amazed by the steps she takes to keep internal consistency and track of all the chracters and details.
Fantasy
Foxglove Summer (2014) Ben Aaronovitch (9/10)
Of course this was one of my favorite books. I adore this series, and Peter Grant, and all the other characters.
Half-Resurrection Blues (2015) Daniel José Older (8.5/10)
This is a new series, with a main character who was raised/saved from the dead and now lives with no memory of the past, serving the ghost council, which tries to keep the dead and supernatural in order.
And he is very snarky.
Tales from the Nightside (2015) Simon R. Green (9.5/10)
This is a collection of all the Nightside short stories, most of which I have read, none of which matter when enjoying this book. I fully admit that the Nightside is not for everyone. Some of the stories feature John Taylor, but there are stories that don’t, and those are just as good (if not better) than the John Taylor stories.
If you never read any of the Nightside books, this would be a very good introduction, since you get a feel for the stories and the characters, but each tale is a complete story that doesn’t require any knowledge of any other story. (Which does not always happen with short stories written in an existing world.)
The Dragon Conspiracy (2015) Lisa Shearin (8.5/10)
This is the second book in the SPI files, and is a lot of fun. It’s a supernatural mystery, with a character who doesn’t have amazing powers to kick the asses of all the bad guys–she has the powers she has, and does what she can with them, but when fights start, she gets out of the way. Mind you, I like heroines that kick butt, but it can get a little old, without any variety.
Audio
Foxglove Summer Audible Version (2015/2015) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Again, you knew this was going to be on here. I adore Kobna Holdbrook-Smith reading this series. I mean, seriously swoony love of this narration.
