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Happy 2017! Guess it's time for the best of 2016 book post!
So, most years, I don't pick an absolute favorite. It's usually too close to call, but this year is different. I actually have a very clear favorite. I'm not sure if it's because it's one of my more recent reads, or if it's because it will be an enduring favorite, but there it is. I have a favorite of the year. And without further ado, I give you...
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
I adored this book. Maia is one of those characters that just reached out and grabbed my heart from the very first page. I could hardly put this book down, and when I finished it, I went and sought out some fanfiction because I just wasn't ready to let the world and characters go. I read some wonderful books this year, but they all pale in comparison to this one. If you have any intention of reading it and haven't yet, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Everything else is in no particular order. These were all excellent, five star reads.
How to Suppress Women's Writing by Joanna Russ
I didn't really expect much from this. I thought it would probably be outdated and irrelevant. That's not really the case. I found myself quickly drawn in. Some of it is outdated, especially around the beginning, but still so interesting. It's horrifying to see some of the ways that women's writing has been historically suppressed. And as I got further into the book, I began to truly recognize some of the tactics. They're still out there, being used against not just women, but also writers of color. I ended up being really glad that I read this, both for the knowledge that it gave me, and for the way that it has influenced the way that I think about these issues.
The Soldier Son trilogy by Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb was one of my favorite authors of my teenage years, but I haven't read anything by her in ages. This was my first try at picking up where I left off, and it was such a wonderful surprise! I really fell in love with Nevare, the main character of this series, and I stayed in love with him throughout. I was also really intrigued by the world-building - it felt really unique from the very feudal European fantasy that is so common. A lot of people didn't like this trilogy by Hobb because of all the terrible things that happen, but I truly loved it.
The Price of Valor by Django Wexler
This is the third book in the Shadow Campaigns series, which has quickly become one of my favorite ongoing series. The characters in this series are wonderfully complex, and I love them all, but particularly Winter Ihernglass. The battle scenes are also fantastic. The politics are complicated. It's also starting to get more magical as the series goes on, which is super-exciting. I already have a copy of the fourth book, and it's very high on my to-read list indeed.
Eona: The Last Dragoneye by Alison Goodman
This is the second book in a duology. I read the first a long time ago, really liked it, and then just never read the second. I'm so glad that I finally fixed that problem. Eona was even better than the first book. It was action-packed and exciting. I loved the character development that Eona had, and there was even a love triangle that I was just as conflicted about as Eona was. It put Alison Goodman on my must-read list, and I hope to read her backlist (it's fairly short) someday soon.
The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
This is the last book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen, which is a project I started in 2015. I thought it was a fitting and fantastic ending to the series, and I'm so happy that I stuck with it and read it all, even though the prior book in the series had not been a successful venture for me. I ended up giving 5 stars to 5 out of the 10 books in the series, which I think is a pretty good record. I loved the epic scale of these books, and the sheer imagination behind them. The characters were also splendid, with so many to love. For the fan of truly epic fantasy, this is a must-read.
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
I am a huge fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, so it should come as no shock that I would list the latest Vorkosigan book as a favorite. This is a very different book than most of her others, but I loved it nonetheless. A very deep exploration of Cordelia as a character, and of loss and moving on with life as themes. Much love.
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
I still love this series, for all its faults. There's a feel of the epic to it that I adore, and the stakes are always so high that I can't help but get drawn in. I feel like Darrow learned a lot in this book, and yet still made just as many mistakes. The world-building and characters are fantastic, and this is definitely one of my favorite series I've read recently. (I really need to get to Morning Star, which I have. There's just so much to distract me!)
So, those are my favorites of the year. I didn't get to all the books I wanted to read this year by any stretch, but I think I made good progress. How about you? What books did you love this year?
So, most years, I don't pick an absolute favorite. It's usually too close to call, but this year is different. I actually have a very clear favorite. I'm not sure if it's because it's one of my more recent reads, or if it's because it will be an enduring favorite, but there it is. I have a favorite of the year. And without further ado, I give you...
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
I adored this book. Maia is one of those characters that just reached out and grabbed my heart from the very first page. I could hardly put this book down, and when I finished it, I went and sought out some fanfiction because I just wasn't ready to let the world and characters go. I read some wonderful books this year, but they all pale in comparison to this one. If you have any intention of reading it and haven't yet, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Everything else is in no particular order. These were all excellent, five star reads.
How to Suppress Women's Writing by Joanna Russ
I didn't really expect much from this. I thought it would probably be outdated and irrelevant. That's not really the case. I found myself quickly drawn in. Some of it is outdated, especially around the beginning, but still so interesting. It's horrifying to see some of the ways that women's writing has been historically suppressed. And as I got further into the book, I began to truly recognize some of the tactics. They're still out there, being used against not just women, but also writers of color. I ended up being really glad that I read this, both for the knowledge that it gave me, and for the way that it has influenced the way that I think about these issues.
The Soldier Son trilogy by Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb was one of my favorite authors of my teenage years, but I haven't read anything by her in ages. This was my first try at picking up where I left off, and it was such a wonderful surprise! I really fell in love with Nevare, the main character of this series, and I stayed in love with him throughout. I was also really intrigued by the world-building - it felt really unique from the very feudal European fantasy that is so common. A lot of people didn't like this trilogy by Hobb because of all the terrible things that happen, but I truly loved it.
The Price of Valor by Django Wexler
This is the third book in the Shadow Campaigns series, which has quickly become one of my favorite ongoing series. The characters in this series are wonderfully complex, and I love them all, but particularly Winter Ihernglass. The battle scenes are also fantastic. The politics are complicated. It's also starting to get more magical as the series goes on, which is super-exciting. I already have a copy of the fourth book, and it's very high on my to-read list indeed.
Eona: The Last Dragoneye by Alison Goodman
This is the second book in a duology. I read the first a long time ago, really liked it, and then just never read the second. I'm so glad that I finally fixed that problem. Eona was even better than the first book. It was action-packed and exciting. I loved the character development that Eona had, and there was even a love triangle that I was just as conflicted about as Eona was. It put Alison Goodman on my must-read list, and I hope to read her backlist (it's fairly short) someday soon.
The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
This is the last book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen, which is a project I started in 2015. I thought it was a fitting and fantastic ending to the series, and I'm so happy that I stuck with it and read it all, even though the prior book in the series had not been a successful venture for me. I ended up giving 5 stars to 5 out of the 10 books in the series, which I think is a pretty good record. I loved the epic scale of these books, and the sheer imagination behind them. The characters were also splendid, with so many to love. For the fan of truly epic fantasy, this is a must-read.
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
I am a huge fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, so it should come as no shock that I would list the latest Vorkosigan book as a favorite. This is a very different book than most of her others, but I loved it nonetheless. A very deep exploration of Cordelia as a character, and of loss and moving on with life as themes. Much love.
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
I still love this series, for all its faults. There's a feel of the epic to it that I adore, and the stakes are always so high that I can't help but get drawn in. I feel like Darrow learned a lot in this book, and yet still made just as many mistakes. The world-building and characters are fantastic, and this is definitely one of my favorite series I've read recently. (I really need to get to Morning Star, which I have. There's just so much to distract me!)
So, those are my favorites of the year. I didn't get to all the books I wanted to read this year by any stretch, but I think I made good progress. How about you? What books did you love this year?