Cambria Dillon - YA Writer
Thursday Thirteen
I haven’t done T13 in a while. November was pretty much shot with NaNo and December isn’t much better with all the shopping and to-do’s I’m behind with.
But I thought it would be fitting to list some of my favorite books I read this year. This list isn’t necessarily from 2009 releases because I just can’t keep up with all the books that come out. (Although this year did see some excellent books hit the shelves and cyber waves.)
So in no particular order, here are my 13 Favorite Books I Read This Year:
- Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia — This YA is a beautifully written tale about a boy, a girl, a curse, and a grave. It has a gothic southern setting that’s as much a developed character as the rest of the players in the story. It’s a long book — just over 600 pages — but the pacing is well-timed and keeps you invested from start to finish.
- Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater — Another YA – love story about a girl who survived a wolf attack when she was younger finally meeting the wolf who saved her that day…who’s really a hot emo-boy. I’m not normally a werewolf fan, but the world Stiefvater created is unique, believable, and I couldn’t put this book down. It was also the first time I read a dual-narrative that really worked and had its own unique spin.
- Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter — This is a duology of two almost-complete novels by two of my favorite paranormal romance authors. If I have to be honest though, I liked Kresley’s story just a teensy weensy bit more. The main reason? Icicle scene. All I gotta say.
- Hunt Her Down by Roxanne St. Claire — An excellent, fast-paced entry in the world of the Bulletcatchers. This was the first book of St. Claire’s I read and after finishing it, I immediately read the series from the first book. She’s a master at creating tension, suspense, and likeable characters. In this installment, Dan Gallagher is one hunky hero and the shed scene is one I’ll never forget.
- Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare — This was Tessa Dare’s debut book, although she has since had two additional books come out in this series. But what a fabulous debut! I fell in love with Lucy–she was fun, real, hilarious, and how I picture I would be if I was a regency-era woman hell-bent on finding a husband.
- Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost — Cat and Bones. What’s not to love? If you haven’t tried the Night Huntress books, what are you waiting for? This is a must-read UF series that will make you wish you had yourself a naughty British vampire like Bones.
- Wake by Lisa McMann — This is a YA that had a premise I found really original. A girl experiences the dreams of those around her. She’s in high school, so I’m sure you can imagine the horrible dreams she has to endure as it seems everyone at her school manages to fall asleep for at least a few minutes. It was hard at first for me to get into this book because it started off somewhat slow. But once the pacing picked up, McMann’s unique voice really came through and I fell in love with Janie and Cable. Fade is Book 2 in this series and it’s on my list for 2010, as is Gone which comes out in March.
- Seduce the Darkness by Gena Showalter — It was hard to pick a Gena book to put on this list. I mean, she had 4 come out in 2009 alone (a YA, an Alien Huntress, a Lord of the Underworld, and another Alien Huntress book in the DKOW duology)! That woman can write like the freaking wind! But I put this one on the list from the Alien Huntress series because Devyn is just scrumptious. He’s hot, flirty, dirty and he’s not afraid to admit it. Even though he’s been a man-whore his whole adult life, I couldn’t help but fall a little in love with him after each page. Bride is one lucky gal…er, vampire.
- Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole — This is book 7 of the Immortals After Dark series and if you haven’t read it, YOU MUST. Cole’s books are steamy, but not sleazy; funny, but not cheesy; and she has one of the most unique, lively, and all-encompassing worlds in paranormal romance. There’s a reason why she’s a previous RITA winner. This book features Rydstrom, who’s a Rage Demon, and Sabine, who’s one helluva badass biotch. Sabine is an anti-heroine and I HATED her. But then I LOVED her. Then HATED. Until finally she redeemed herself to me, and to Rydstrom, and I loved her once again. A fab read!
- Soulless by Gail Carriger — This is a debut book by Carriger and my first read into Steampunk…although I guess technically, this book is more gaslight since there wasn’t a whole lot of technology in it. But Carriger created a truly unique heroine in Alexia who makes you want to hug her, slap her, be her best friend, give her a makeover, but ultimately, cheer for her. The world Carriger created is also stellar with an uncanny ability to make me wonder if this alternate paranormal community really did exist in the late 1800s. Oh, and now I’m putting parasol on my Xmas list.
- Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott — This YA book is haunting. It’s not upbeat. It’s not funny. It’s not romantic. It’s disturbing. But it’s a story that needed to be told and Scott told it beautifully. She captures the tortured voice of “Alice”, who’s entire past has been swept to the side and replaced with a shell of a girl who was abducted and then sexually and mentally abused every day since. This story made me cry and look at every guy named Ray in a bad, bad way. It will stay on my keeper shelf so I’m reminded of the thousands of girls abducted every year who have no hope of reclaiming their past so they’re not forgottten.
- Rampant by Diana Peterfreund — Killer unicorns. Kick-butt heroine with a richly-detailed legacy. Plus Peterfreund’s a beautiful writer and technician of the craft. She’s also a fellow Washington, DC writer and did you know that’s her face on her book cover? She’s drop-dead, people.
- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins — This is an absolute must-read for anyone, even if you’re not a fan of YA. I truly believe this book will be one of those rarities that our children’s children will be reading in school and dissecting. It’s one of those stories that’s dark and light at the same time and grips you from the first page. Although I hated the name of the protagonist (Katniss – I mean, really?)…like everything else in the book, it stands apart from anything else in the YA genre and other genres as well. Cathching Fire is the follow-up book in this tale and I hear it’s just as breathtaking a story as Hunger Games. It’s the first one I’m reading come January.
So there you have it. My list of my Fave Reads from the past year. What are some of your favorites? What are you looking forward to reading in 2010?