58 Books for 2012 (Or, "you mean. . . he is more fun than books?")
Sheesh, who knew having a boyfriend would put such a serious dent into my reading? (Anyone with a brain, I guess...)
January
Dreaming Of You, L. Kleypas- B+ (good girl, bad guy; kind of ridiculous but sweet)
The Untamed Bride, S. Laurens- B- (Indian adventures! and it's STILL BORING)
Second Violin, J. Lawton- A- (dark moody WWII-era mystery set in the UK)
Chain Reaction, S. Elkeles- C (boring; those Fuentes boys are played out)
Darkest Mercy, M. Marr- A- (a tidy ending to Marr's faery series; maybe too tidy)
In Death compendium, J. D. Robb (Holiday, Midnight, Conspiracy, Loyalty, Witness)- B+ as always
The Perfect Mistress, B. Krahn- B
Dangerous In Diamonds, M. Hunter- A (lyrical romance writing, delving into gender inequality and power dynamics)
The River Knows, A. Quick- B- (Victorian era mystery solving with boring romance elements)
Black Silk, J. Ivory- A (a stunner of a Victorian era romance)
Legend, M. Liu- B+ (cat and mouse between teenage masterminds in dystopian future)
Sorcery & Cecilia, P. Wrede & C. Stevermer- A- (sweet epistolary novel in alternate Regency England)
February
Across The Great Barrier, P. Wrede- B (well developed alternate America, a little boring)
The Grand Tour, P. Wrede- B (sequel to Sorcery &....; a little boring)
Big Girls Don't Cry, C. Linz- C (small-town romance)
The Gunslinger, S. King- B+ (great language play, dull everything else)
March
A Lot Like Love, J. James- B+ (romance, FBI)
Maybe This Time, J. Crusie- A- (creepy ghost story, mild romance)
Scorned By The Boss, M. Child- B (funny/terrible secretary romance)
A Secret Affair, M. Balogh- B (widowed commoner-turned-duchess takes a lover... meh)
April
Grave Mercy, R. LaFevers- A+ (fantasy, ya, historical; assassin nuns, kissing)
Nothing But Trouble, R. Gibson- B (contemporary romance; washed up athlete & personal assistant)
Silver Phoenix, C. Pon- B (ya fantasy, AU China; delicious food descriptions, mixed-race love interest, repetitive plot, awkwardly creepy villain)
May
Hotshot, J. Leigh- B+ (Blaze Harlequin; sexy, romantic air force pilots)
Going For It, J. Leigh- C+ (Blaze Harlequin; virginal sex advice radio show host)
June
Shatter Me, T. Mafi- B- (ya, dystopian future, slightly repetitive/predictable)
A Lady's Lesson In Scandal, M. Duran-B (historical romance, class inequality, long-lost heir... meh)
Treachery In Death, J. D. Robb- B+ (as always!)
July
The Survivor, R. Nelson- B- (Blaze; nice girl, nice man....)
Serendipity, C. Phillips- B (small town romance; rich girl, bad boy)
N.Y. to Dallas, J. D. Robb- B+ (yikes, past coming back for Dallas!)
The City and The City, C. Mieville- A- (AU fantasy; terrific worldbuilding, weak plot development)
August
Between Shades of Gray, R. Sepetys- A- (historical ya, soviet oppression, camps)
Sweet Spot, K. Angell- B (contemporary romance, baseball, gross I am over hearing about pregnancy and wives)
We'll Always Have Summer, J. Han- B+ (ya, lyrical writing... TSTL heroine? :( )
The Difference Engine, W. Gibson- A- (steampunk, great worldbulding, frustrating plot)
The Name of The Wind, P. Rothfuss- A- (fantasy; solid worldbuilding, strong writing, the same boy hero in every fantasy bildungsroman)
Gemini, D. Dunnett- A (aaaah, I can't believe I finished this series!)
Accidental Love, G. Soto- B+ (cute ya romance among chicano students in California)
September
Breaking Night, L. Murray- A+ (holy fuck, intense memoir of growing up the child of addicts)
The Fault In Our Stars, J. Green- A+ (oh man, seriously intense ya novel about cancer and romance)
A Lady By Midnight, T. Dare- A (excellent historical romance novel; hero is terrific and realistic. SWOON)
Bitterblue, K. Cashore- A+ (ya fantasy; PTSD??? omg)
Bed of Roses, N. Roberts- B (kind of boring, and the first time I've ever felt that one of her novels was false)
What Can(t) Wait, A. Perez- B+ (ya, SOC struggling with family responsibilities and school and environment)
October
A Rogue By Any Other Name, S. MacLean- B (historical romance, sweet)
The Girl of Fire and Thorns, R. Carson- A- (ya, political, self-realizing- Spanish based??)
Straight To The Heart, S. Hunter- B (Blaze, marshals, sexy, Texas)
November
Crossed, A. Condie- B (ya, future dystopia, romance...)
December
Daughter of the Forest, J. Marillier- B+ (fantasy, fairy tale theme, TRIGGER)
In The Barrister's Chambers, T. Gabriel- C (historical romance, anachronistic, obvious mystery)
The Far West, C. Wrede- B (ya historical fantasy; still don't really care)
Sloppy Firsts, M. McCafferty- A (hysterical YA novel with heroine EXACTLY MY AGE)
Second Helpings, M. McCafferty- A (see above)
January
Dreaming Of You, L. Kleypas- B+ (good girl, bad guy; kind of ridiculous but sweet)
The Untamed Bride, S. Laurens- B- (Indian adventures! and it's STILL BORING)
Second Violin, J. Lawton- A- (dark moody WWII-era mystery set in the UK)
Chain Reaction, S. Elkeles- C (boring; those Fuentes boys are played out)
Darkest Mercy, M. Marr- A- (a tidy ending to Marr's faery series; maybe too tidy)
In Death compendium, J. D. Robb (Holiday, Midnight, Conspiracy, Loyalty, Witness)- B+ as always
The Perfect Mistress, B. Krahn- B
Dangerous In Diamonds, M. Hunter- A (lyrical romance writing, delving into gender inequality and power dynamics)
The River Knows, A. Quick- B- (Victorian era mystery solving with boring romance elements)
Black Silk, J. Ivory- A (a stunner of a Victorian era romance)
Legend, M. Liu- B+ (cat and mouse between teenage masterminds in dystopian future)
Sorcery & Cecilia, P. Wrede & C. Stevermer- A- (sweet epistolary novel in alternate Regency England)
February
Across The Great Barrier, P. Wrede- B (well developed alternate America, a little boring)
The Grand Tour, P. Wrede- B (sequel to Sorcery &....; a little boring)
Big Girls Don't Cry, C. Linz- C (small-town romance)
The Gunslinger, S. King- B+ (great language play, dull everything else)
March
A Lot Like Love, J. James- B+ (romance, FBI)
Maybe This Time, J. Crusie- A- (creepy ghost story, mild romance)
Scorned By The Boss, M. Child- B (funny/terrible secretary romance)
A Secret Affair, M. Balogh- B (widowed commoner-turned-duchess takes a lover... meh)
April
Grave Mercy, R. LaFevers- A+ (fantasy, ya, historical; assassin nuns, kissing)
Nothing But Trouble, R. Gibson- B (contemporary romance; washed up athlete & personal assistant)
Silver Phoenix, C. Pon- B (ya fantasy, AU China; delicious food descriptions, mixed-race love interest, repetitive plot, awkwardly creepy villain)
May
Hotshot, J. Leigh- B+ (Blaze Harlequin; sexy, romantic air force pilots)
Going For It, J. Leigh- C+ (Blaze Harlequin; virginal sex advice radio show host)
June
Shatter Me, T. Mafi- B- (ya, dystopian future, slightly repetitive/predictable)
A Lady's Lesson In Scandal, M. Duran-B (historical romance, class inequality, long-lost heir... meh)
Treachery In Death, J. D. Robb- B+ (as always!)
July
The Survivor, R. Nelson- B- (Blaze; nice girl, nice man....)
Serendipity, C. Phillips- B (small town romance; rich girl, bad boy)
N.Y. to Dallas, J. D. Robb- B+ (yikes, past coming back for Dallas!)
The City and The City, C. Mieville- A- (AU fantasy; terrific worldbuilding, weak plot development)
August
Between Shades of Gray, R. Sepetys- A- (historical ya, soviet oppression, camps)
Sweet Spot, K. Angell- B (contemporary romance, baseball, gross I am over hearing about pregnancy and wives)
We'll Always Have Summer, J. Han- B+ (ya, lyrical writing... TSTL heroine? :( )
The Difference Engine, W. Gibson- A- (steampunk, great worldbulding, frustrating plot)
The Name of The Wind, P. Rothfuss- A- (fantasy; solid worldbuilding, strong writing, the same boy hero in every fantasy bildungsroman)
Gemini, D. Dunnett- A (aaaah, I can't believe I finished this series!)
Accidental Love, G. Soto- B+ (cute ya romance among chicano students in California)
September
Breaking Night, L. Murray- A+ (holy fuck, intense memoir of growing up the child of addicts)
The Fault In Our Stars, J. Green- A+ (oh man, seriously intense ya novel about cancer and romance)
A Lady By Midnight, T. Dare- A (excellent historical romance novel; hero is terrific and realistic. SWOON)
Bitterblue, K. Cashore- A+ (ya fantasy; PTSD??? omg)
Bed of Roses, N. Roberts- B (kind of boring, and the first time I've ever felt that one of her novels was false)
What Can(t) Wait, A. Perez- B+ (ya, SOC struggling with family responsibilities and school and environment)
October
A Rogue By Any Other Name, S. MacLean- B (historical romance, sweet)
The Girl of Fire and Thorns, R. Carson- A- (ya, political, self-realizing- Spanish based??)
Straight To The Heart, S. Hunter- B (Blaze, marshals, sexy, Texas)
November
Crossed, A. Condie- B (ya, future dystopia, romance...)
December
Daughter of the Forest, J. Marillier- B+ (fantasy, fairy tale theme, TRIGGER)
In The Barrister's Chambers, T. Gabriel- C (historical romance, anachronistic, obvious mystery)
The Far West, C. Wrede- B (ya historical fantasy; still don't really care)
Sloppy Firsts, M. McCafferty- A (hysterical YA novel with heroine EXACTLY MY AGE)
Second Helpings, M. McCafferty- A (see above)