Most of us were fairly glad to see the back of 2016. Apparently 2017 took that as some sort of challenge to continue to give us all a hard time. It is not going down as my fave year in history. I had injuries and my darling dad passed away and other life shizz went on for me and for people I love. But there was good among the bad (new kitten, I released four books, I managed to get a bit fitter and do some fun things) and, as usual, books were one of the ways I got through it all (blogging was not as there would have been a lot of cranky whining, I think but maybe 2018 will be a more blog friendly year). Goodreads informs me I read or re-read 146 books this year, so that’s about the same as last year. Possibly a few more as I may have forgotten to enter some (and don’t always put in the non fiction I read). I had good intentions of reading a lot of the unread books sitting on my kindle and while I definitely made a bit of a dent in that list, the siren song of new books by fave authors remained impossible to resist. There are worse addictions :D.
I can’t quite believe this is the twelfth year I’ve done this list but my blog insists it is! So, for the twelfth time, here are some of my favourite books this year.
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean. I blogged about this one. Old book but new to me and I think I need to re-read it soon.
Unf*ck Your Habitat by Rachel Hoffman. I like her blog and her book is good no nonsense sweary advice on getting your shizz together.
The three additions to the Penric novellas by Lois McMaster Bujold. (I think there were three new ones this year). One of my fave writers and this series is great.
Deep Work by Cal Newport. Like most people I was feeling very frazzled this year. I did a digital detox in April. I will be doing more.
The Dry by Jane Harper (and Force of Nature, her second book was just as good).
Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner. A new book from MWT after many years. There was confetti and balloons and excitement.
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley. A lovely Aussie YA about love and loss and books. Need to read more of her books.
No Limits by Ellie Marney. Another great Aussie YA romance…though this one is more a thriller. Aussie YA authors are kicking butt.
Down Among The Sticks And Bones by Seanan McGuire. The second book in her Wayward Children series. Her October Daye series continues to be a fave UF series too.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells. Gotta love a Murderbot. Looking forward to further adventures thereof.
Trust by Kylie Scott. Another great book from Kylie with a step into YA (told ya, Aussie YA kicks butt).
Spectred Isle by K.J. Charles. I liked every book I read of hers this year but this was my fave.
A Closed And Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. Her second book and different to, but just as good as, A Long Way To A Small Angry Planet (which I re-read this year).
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. Really, the whole series which I glommed after seeing it recc’d on one of the This Is A Good Book Thursday posts on Jenny Crusie’s blog (which I highly recommend if you want a nice community of folks talking about books that make them happy even if it will likely cost you money…pretty sure I discovered Murderbot there too). This series is about sarcastic time travelling historians and I hoovered it up.
Pretty Face – Lucy Parker. A great romance with a heroine trying to overcome people’s preconceptions of her.
Bountiful – Sarina Bowen. Another great author and this was my fave of her books this year.
Wilde in Love – Eloisa James. One of my go-to historical authors for fun, sexy, witty, romance.
A Duke In Shining Armor – Loretta Chase. The other of my go-to historical authors for fun, sexy, witty, romance.
Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch. I read Rivers of London ages ago but then spotted the rest of the series on my Mum’s bookshelves and promptly stole them and glommed them (well, all but the last one as I am saving it).
Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic – Another great Aussie crime series. And Fire Came Down was great too.
Wildfire by Ilona Andrews. I like everything she writes but this series went in some unexpected (and good) directions.
So there you have it. There were plenty of other great books I read this year but I try to keep this list to twenty-ish. You can find me on Goodreads if you want to see everything I read. Looking at my audiobook list, I think I mostly listened to books I’ve read before (which is my thing with audiobooks…I get too impatient with new-to-me audiobooks and often end up buying the e-book to read and then finish listening). My most listened to audiobooks this year, given I was in comfort listening mode were The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (my love for this book apparently cannot be killed by multiple multiple listenings), Gentleman Jole and The Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold, The Martian by Andy Weir and Guards Guards and Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. This year I think I probably upped my podcast listening time so that’s probably taken over some of the audiobook time. My two favorite podcasts continue to be Chat 10 Looks 3 and No Such Thing As A Fish. Honorable mentions to The Pen Addict (yes, I am a stationery geek), Ramblings, The West Wing Weekly, Conversations with Richard Fidler (whose book, Saga Land, written with Kari Gislason almost made the list), Elise Gets Crafty and Writing Excuses.
If you’d like to check out what books I picked as faves in previous years, here’s the lists:
2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006.
Hopefully you can find a new fave in there. And if you want to tell me one of your faves this year, that would be great too. Because too many books is never enough!
