Countdown to 2016 time!! Today’s “best of 2015” list belongs to MichelleS (one of our very own peanut-gallery-ers that has AWESOME book taste!!!) 😛 and from the looks of this amazing list below, she’s had a darn good reading year!
“Some of these weren’t released in 2015, obviously, but that’s when I finally got around to them. They were all amazing and I remember the details, and would reread them, which earns them 5 stars in my book.
So I notice a pattern: this was my year for great Sci-Fi / Post Apocalyptic reads? These were all recommended on your blog, Maryse, so thank you ladies for sharing your wonderful finds with me. 🙂
Well, here goes nothing….”
1.) The Last Hour of Gann – best all around ” I love it. Everything about it. Great story telling, and suspenseful.”
2.) Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass series Book 1) – best series for me “OMG, I’m in heaven. Some major catnip words for me: Fae, magic, assassin, King, Prince, and a castle made of glass??? YES!! **** rubbing hands together in glee *****”
3.) Badger <— “I loved it. It was awesome… It’s crazy good in a very C. McKenna quiet kind of way. Just like After Hours – it just sneaks up on you with the “complicatedness” told in a simple way.”
4.) Jezebel <— “I’ve been scarred. Someone check…. I am SURELY SCARRED from this mind fuc#ery!!! Lord help me. That was intense. I have no words that are adequate to describe how I feel. I absolutely did NOT see that coming. At the end there I was still plotting out all kinds of twists that took me away from THIS storyline…. but it just kept careening towards this…. this…. this…. just read it. You’ll see….”
5.) Fearless: The Complete Novel (Dartmoor Book 1) – fave MC of year “I loved it. Loved the writing style. Loved the story. The characters. The dialogue… hop on the Fearless bandwagon. Seriously. THIS is the biker book you need to be reading. No squirreling.”
6.) Kulti <— “I just spent the last 10 hours straight reading Kulti. I haven’t done that in as long as I can remember. I got literally not one thing done today. It was fantastic. Loved it. The huge soccer fangirl in me was thrilled. Every time she said “poop” or called him a bratwurst, frankfurter, pumpernickel, or sauerkraut just about peed my pants. GREAT recommendation.”
7.) Eleanor & Park – best coming of age “I love love loved Eleanor and Park. They were so REAL. …Just knowing that this book sat on my Kindle, unread for months…. ….. man, that was so good. I am giving it 4.5 stars – the ONLY thing keeping it from 5 stars is the ending. I needed just a wee bit more. Maybe an epilogue? Something. Just something!!! So sweet. So good. Just a great reading experience, you know? You guys were so right.”
8.) Kyland <— “That one is still sticking with me. That’s why I am mentioning it again. So many are with me for like a day, then forgotten. Not that one. Details are still there… Their situation is so desperate – both of them (instead of the usual rich boy, poor girl or vice-versa). I am still thinking about it.”
9.) Station Eleven: A novel <— “One of my absolute favorite books this year has been Station Eleven – and it didn’t have any romance… It’s so DIFFERENT. I remember all about that one, though. And I find myself recommending it a lot and talking about it a lot.”
10.) Radiance (Wraith Kings Book 1) – “RADIANCE!!!! One of my favorites this year!!! It was awesome. Awesome writing and an amazing story. So good. Definitely fantasy romance – and very well written. …loved that they thought the other was the hideous one! And the wedding feast (laughed out loud). True beauty and the best story. Got really emotional at the end.”
➜ And don’t forget to check our her ALL-TIME favorite books: MichelleS’s Top Favorite Books List:
MichelleS, I am your reading stalker. Except for Badger and Jezebel, which I’m too afraid to read, I’ve either read or have everything else on my tbr.
MichelleS wonderful list! You make me laugh when you love a book. 🙂
Radiance was one that I loved and read on your rec. Can not wait until its sequel.
Fabi I must be stalking you stalking MichelleS.
I am not going to touch Badger or Jezebel but have read or have all her other books on this list.
lol, new group name? The book stalkers.
A stalker’s stalker? *grins* I’ve read a lot based on your recommendation. However, the big one I have to read is Radiance. I know I’ll like it but haven’t bought it yet. Also I got Land of the Beautiful Dead on my TBR for my next paranormal fix. Proof this list is a go to.
I’ve read Badger, Kulti and Jezebel. Have E&P and Kyland on my tbr.
Great list Michelle S. The books on here that I have read I’ve loved big time….Kyland, Kulti and Badger.
Moving a couple of my tbr up the list based on these rec’s….Jezebel (bit frightened by this one), Throne of Glass and E&P.
Great list. You have convinced me to read Kyland. Was tossing up what to start next in my long TBR list and now decision made. Thanks!
Couldnt agree more about the Darmoor series. One of the best written MC stories I came across in 2015
Very similar tastes in books. I have TLotBD on my list but Gann is right there, Kulti, Jezebel, the newest Throne of Glass and Station Eleven was a fav for me last year. I love the scifi/post-apocalyptic reads because they are usually unique and keep you intrigued. I have more on my list that you will have to check out!
MichelleS, I agree and loved Kulti, Jezebel, and E&P. Almost every other book on your list I have downloaded except Radiance. Must of them are so long though that I get intimidated when I think I want to start one. That’s such a lame excuse too, because I know I’m missing out.
Are you kidding me right now, I have only read Jezebel and Badger, I feel like such a bad stalker? Well I guess this makes my TBR/book challenge for 2016 a bit easier!
Great list MichelleS, thank you! Enjoyed your post and thank you, as always Maryse!
Michelle, you keep teasing us with your list. lol I’m anxious to see it because, like MichelleS’s list, I’ll probably be adding any of yours I haven’t read yet to my tbr.
Hehe Fabi I know! But making lists is hard for me so that took some thought and I cut some that gave me anxiety 😉 I think you have read most though. I have nothing out of left field this year. With work I stayed pretty mainstream or got a lot of recs from here. I hope to explore more next year and find some lesser knowns.
Did you submit a list? It hasn’t been published yet right?
I’m going into Gann next I think. Just because I already have it downloaded and you guys keep going on about it.
At least, I think I am, if I ever get out of the fog LoA is going to leave me in.
MichelleS, I can’t believe you haven’t read this last one yet. After 4, I HAD to read 5.
BTW, I think we all cut some that give us anxiety. So many good books!!! At least, there have been since coming to Maryse’s blog.
Nope I just sent it to Maryse last night.
I guess I’m stalking the stalkers, because just about every single one of these books was recommended by someone on this blog.
I noticed that none of my book covers had any color. So weird. When I moved & all my “stuff” was packed into a moving truck, it looked just like that: neutrals. Hmmmmm… I wonder…. I like subdued colors on book covers. My challenge will be to read something with a really bright cover. Hot pink maybe?
I automatically think of the Bad Romeo cover when you say hot pink.
MichelleS, that’s funny cause I stopped to look and see what my covers look like in a group too.
Really love the Kulti, E&P, and Station Eleven covers.
Michelle Im looking forward to your list. The only way I could narrow my selection down was to try to choose the top one from each genre I enjoy. Why is list making so anxiety ridden?
Bev…like the true obsessive compulsive that I am my books are arranged by spine colour and blue and red appear to be my first choice. In the interest of balancing the colour palate of my bookcase I think there should be more pink books. 😉 Of all my 100s of books only 2 have a pink cover! A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and Time Travellers Wife, Audrey Niffenegger.
So I looked up Bad Romeo – that’s exactly what I mean!!! I need some hot pink book on my list this year!
Lisa, I love The Time Travelers Wife. And Discovery of Witches, though I still need to read the final book. So, do your books have different covers than the ones in the U.S.? I know Station Eleven did (it might of been pink, in fact, with a deer) for the UK version.
Pink lettering.
https://bookriot.com/2014/08/20/cover-face-station-eleven-emily-st-john-mandel/
I think in hard cover or pb Last Hour of G cover would embarrass me, lol.
Yes Bev we sometimes do have alternative cover art….I guess its at the discretion of the publishers. My copy of Time Traveler’s Wife is a gorgeous pink with matching pink edged pages by vintage press. Although I do have a copy with the original cover art….picnic blanket and girls mary janes.
Its something I do miss when reading from a kindle….the physical form of a book…its weight…the texture of the pages and the smell of the ink. Can’t really beat it.
MichelleS…if you need a hot pink book to read this year and are considering Bad Romeo then here’s my vote for that one! Just ask Jean…she was the most recent victim of my tummy-wrenching recommendation. 😉
Badger, Jezebel, Eleanor & Park…GAH, I loved those!!