2008 was a so-so year for reading. I read 28 books (plus parts of another 5 books that I didn’t finish) — good for a usual year, bad given the fact that I had six months off and should have read much more than this. But here’s what I read, in reverse chronological order:
VISCIOUS CIRCLE – Mike Carey
THE BELL AT SEALEY HEAD – Patricia A. McKillip
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK – Neil Gaiman
THE LIVES OF THE ENGLISH RAKES – Fergus Linnane
MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME – Julia Quinn
THE MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO – Ann Radcliffe (dnf)
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW – Mike Carey
ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT – Stephen King
FORTUNE’S FOOL – Mercedes Lackey
CHALICE – Robin McKinley
NEW MOON – Stephanie Meyer
TWILIGHT – Stephanie Meyer
THE DARKEST PLEASURE – Gena Showalter
THE DARKEST KISS – Gena Showalter
THE DARKEST NIGHT – Gena Showalter
WOMEN & MONEY – Suze Orman
WHITNEY, MY LOVE – Judith McNaught
THEN WE CAME TO THE END – Joshua Farris
HOW THE SCOTS INVENTED THE MODERN WORLD – Arthur Herman (dnf)
SEX IN GEORGIAN ENGLAND – A.D. Harvey (dnf)
GEORGIANA, DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE – Amanda Foreman (dnf)
NORTHANGER ABBEY – Jane Austen
NATURAL BORN CHARMER – Susan Elizabeth Phillips
DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK – Kresley Cole
DARK NEEDS AT NIGHT’S EDGE – Kresley Cole
WICKED DEEDS ON A WINTER’S NIGHT – Kresley Cole
NO REST FOR THE WICKED – Kresley Cole
A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER – Kresley Cole
TO WED A WICKED PRINCE – Jane Feather (dnf)
THE ART OF SEDUCTION – Robert Green
THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM – Julia Quinn
LAMB – Christopher Moore
BREATHING ROOM – Susan Elizabeth Phillips
This doesn’t count the rereads that I did of several of my favorites (THE GRAND SOPHY, DEVIL’S CUB, THE MASQUERADERS, and THE UNKNOWN AJAX by Georgette Heyer, SUNSHINE, BEAUTY, THE HERO AND THE CROWN, and THE BLUE SWORD by Robin McKinley, and various others). It also doesn’t count the bits and pieces I read out of a variety of historical research books, or the travel guides that I bought, or some items that ended up languising on my TBR shelf. I bought 47 books from Amazon alone, not counting items that I picked up at Borders or used bookstores, so I did my part to help the publishing industry stay afloat.
For 2008, my favorites were:
Best romance: A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER by Kresley Cole. It was paranormal, but I thought her world-building was outstanding and she’s created enough interesting scenarios for many intertwined books. Book six comes out this week and I’ve already ordered it from Amazon.
Best research book: THE LIVES OF THE ENGLISH RAKES by Fergus Linnane. The thought of treating syphilis with mercury vapors made me a bit ill, but it provided some great background into the crazy people of aristocratic England.
Best fantasy: THE BELL AT SEALEY HEAD by Patricia McKillip. I prefer the linguistic stylings of Robin McKinley (and loved CHALICE), but THE BELL AT SEALEY HEAD had a fantastic story, a wicked sorceror, a kind princess, a shy innkeeper and his rich, bookish love interest, and all sorts of other interesting characters. Highly recommend, even if you aren’t usually into fantasy.
Best fiction: THE DEVIL YOU KNOW by Mike Carey. Actually, this may be fantasy — but it’s more of a noir detective story, it just happens to have ghosts in it.
The overall trend seemed to be that I was into paranormal-type books. Other than the research books and a couple of random contemporaries, almost everything I read had vampires, werewolves, ghosts, demons, or some mishmash of everything.
For me, I think I have trouble reading historical romances when I’m actively trying to write, which was the state I was in for much of the year. But paranormals provided me with the romantic elements I craved, while avoiding the historical elements that made reading historicals seem like work rather than pleasure.
What were your favorite books in 2008?
Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn
