So we've decided to do our top ten reads this year. Our absolute favorite books we've read.
1. Anna Campbell, Tempt the Devil
With an AC book, you know you are going to get depth, an emotionally evocative story and your heart is going to go out to the characters.
2. Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
foolish woman that I am, I started this book on a Sunday night at seven. I did not go to bed till three in the morning. This is the best damn Post Apocalyptic book I have EVER read. I'd have to say it is my favorite young adult too!
3. Christine Warren, Big Bad Wolf
Hotness Galore. It's no secret that I love shifters. And this book was sexy, emotional, and had plenty of fur and fang and alpha boy to go around that wanted more even when I made it to the end.
4. Larissa Ione, Passion Unleashed
Ah, 2009... The year I discovered Larissa Ione. (Actually it was Dec 08, hence the reason the first two books aren't listed.)LI, you've made my year for Paras. Her books have everything the romance lover, urban fantasy lover, paranormal love could want. All mashed into awesomeness.
5.Nalini Singh, Branded By Fire
Surprise, surprise... more shifters. I'm just a ho for shifters *w*
6.Jennifer Ashley, The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie
This book surprised me. I've always loved me some JA. I read her in all her identities. But there was just something about this book. I'll never forget it. I can actually recall details. And I don't know the last time I've rooted more for a hero.
7. Tessa Dare, Goddess of the Hunt
When I read TD I had the same reaction as the first time I ever picked up and Julia Quinn. It gave me a certain giddiness to discover something I just enjoyed and smiled the whole way through reading.
8. Lora Leigh, Coyote's Mate
9. Lora Leigh, Bengal's Heart
Lora Leigh is a stable I require in my diet of reading. She's my crack. I freely admit it. I love everything about her stories. From her tortured heroes and heroines to her stories that offer an equal amount of danger, adventure, kickassedness, romance. Okay, she tips the scales in hotness *g* I think her books have made my list every year.
10. Loretta Chase, Lord of Scoundrels
Yes, you read that right. Don't know what took me so damn long to read it. It's been sitting on my shelf for years. LC, you are brilliant. Have always been and will always be.
11. Toni Blake, One Reckless Summer
I have to add one more because I have two LLs. Toni Blake is the first contemporary romance author I had ever read. She's brilliant. She has real characters. Characters that aren't rich and famous. Have the best jobs ever. They are people like everyone else. And I love that.
I wish my list could be longer, but, alas, I must get ready for work.
PS. These books all have one thing in common... I stayed up all night to read them because I loved them so much. There are other books that are easier to put down. But I couldn't do it with the titles listed above.
I bought all these books with my own damn money, FTC.
Tell us your favorite reads for 2009. Us vixens are a hosting a give-away contest. There will be a randomly picked winner for each of our blogs. Winners will get to choose one of the books in the vixen's posting of favorite reads. The winners will be sent a brand new shiny book.
17 comments:
Great list, Tiff! There were so many wonderful books published this year. Narrowing it down to a Top 10 is going to be extremely difficult and, to be honest, for me, it will probably change from day to day.
Here are a few of my favs, in no particular order:
WICKED LITTLE GAME - Christine Wells
GODDESS OF THE HUNT - Tessa Dare
CAPTIVE OF SIN - Anna Campbell
LOVE WITH THE PERFECT SCOUNDREL - Sophia Nash
TEMPT ME AT TWILIGHT - Lisa Kleypas
SEA LORD - Virginia Kantra
A DUKE OF HER OWN - Eloisa James
TO BEGUILE A BEAST - Elizabeth Hoyt
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE - Kristan Higgins
NEVER LOVE A LAWMAN - Jo Goodman
ONE RECKLESS SUMMER - Toni Blake
THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS - Erica Bauermeister (womens fiction) One of the most beautifully written books I've read in years!
Hello, Ladies! My ten favs this year and in no particular order:
Captive Of Sin- Anna Campbell
The Most Wicked Of Sins- Kathryn Caskie
Dreamfever- Karen Marie Moning
Tempt Me At Twilight- Lisa Kleypas
Dark Victory- Brenda Joyce
A Duke Of Her Own- Eloisa James
A Rogue Of My Own- Johanna Lindsey
Moonlight Warrior- Janet Chapman
Dark Lover- Brenda Joyce
Frostbitten- Kelley Armstrong
-Okie B
Wow...thanks for this post. I have nothing to share, as I've been writing and wranging a toddler most of the year, but I love other people's recommendations.
Now I know what to pick up when I have time to take a breath!
Thanks!
I still haven't read Lord of Scoundrels.
But...
I have discovered Lorraine Heath this year. (I realize she's been around some time, but I'm catching up a bit.) I've really enjoyed some of the latest books in her current series.
Anything by Elizabeth Hoyt. I've been loving her for a couple years now, but I foam at the mouth for her books, and the two this year have been no different. Awesome.
A Duke of Her Own was wondeful, but I think my favorite historical this year was Lisa Kleypas' Tempt Me at Twilight. I read it in a day and I couldn't bear to put it down. It had all the best aspects of her contemporaries but in her historicals. It was wonderful. I actually went back and reread passages to see how she'd done something--like when the sister calls the heroine a rabbit and that that's okay and that a rabbit can get along with a number of predators and make good companions. I loved that! And later, Lisa uses rabbit language to describe things the heroine is doing... *LOL*
I looked at one list the other day and thought how great it was that I'd read so many. Then I see this list and I only read two of the books! I need to get on it! They all sound like great suggestions.
My absolute fave this year was A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James. Every element of that novel came together for me in the best possible way.
Great minds, Tiff! I blogged on my top ten at Just Janga today. We actually share a couple of choices. Predictably I was much longer winded in my presentation. :)
All great choices, Tiff! I think a few on your list will be making an appearance on mine. Great minds and all that. ;-) And ohhh, I love everyone else's lists---I'd forgotten some books I read and how awesome they were. It's going to be so hard to narrow this list down.
Hey, Tiff, wow, you're definitely on the Christmas card list! Thank you for including Tempt in such stellar company!
OK, here's my top ten, with provisos that I'm getting old and forgetful and I'm sure something should be there that isn't. Oh, and it's not in order! And they're not all pubbed in 2009 but I definitely READ them in 2009.
Wicked Little Game by Christine Wells
So Enchanting by Connie Brockway
Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer (I read this years and years ago and had forgotten it so I'm counting it!)
Sex Straight Up by Kathleen O'Reilly
Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress by Nicola Cornick
A Deal with the Devil by Liz Carlyle
The Sins of Lord Easterbrook by Madeline Hunter
Tempted All Night by Liz Carlyle
Top-Notch Surgeon, Pregnant Nurse by Amy Andrews
The Secret of Everything by Barbara O'Neal
Hey, PJ and Okie, thanks for mentioning Captive of Sin! I really can see I need to get reading! I haven't read a lot in either of your lists.
PJ! I love Virginia Kantra too! That trilogy was really great.
I haven't read the new Hoyt's this year or last... I've been saving them up for all four books... I'm actually about a hundred pages into the first of the four soldiers set. It's full of awesome...
Okie, the newest Chapman was great. It reminded me of her earlier books, and I'm really looking forward to more books in this series.
Heather, you have an amazing list to shop from. Come back and see what my blog mates choose for their favorite reads over the next week and a half!
Hellion,
I have a few LH's on my TBR... I haven't gotten to them yet... probably has something to do with my addiction to buying books.
Janga, I'm going to have to check that out when I get home.
Steph... EJ is made of awesomesauce! Handsdown.
Ely,
of course great minds think alike.
Anna... Ely keeps telling me about O'Reilly... I will one day pick up one.. and kick myself for not getting on the bandwagon sooner. I still haven't read that Brockway. and it's been sitting on my immediate to read stack by the bed since the day it came out... I'm bad I know...
Tiff, I think KOR would appeal to you. Give her a go if you get the chance!
I just read Eloisa James' list and she had that Christine Warren one as well. I'll have to pick it up. She also loved One Reckless Summer (as I did.)
Anna, I love Kathleen O'Reilly. And that Nicola Cornick book was fantastic. The Secret of Everything isn't released here yet but I'm waiting on pins and needles. Barbara O'Neal is awesome.
Tiff, you have such fun ahead of you with the Four Soldiers books! It's hard to pick a fave among them but it might be book 2 for me.
Tis the season for end of year lists, it looks like. I just posted this over on Just Janga.
In no particular order -
The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley
One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake
To Beguile A Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
Tempt Me At Twilight by Lisa Kleypas
This Duchess of Mine by Eloisa James
What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
The Surgeon’s Lady by Carla Kelly
and an honorable mention for At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh
We only matched on 2, Tiff. No surprise - you love those paras! I'm actually going to dip my toe into the para pool. I put Big Bad Wolf by Christine Warren on hold at my library a couple of months ago. It must be popular cause I haven't gotten it yet. Ely tempted me with an excerpt on EJ/JQ's Monday Puzzler.
Irish, great list you have there! I'm a huge para ho! LOL And Ely loves Big Bad cause of my recommendation!! ;)
Simone,I'm excited I get to read the EH back to back. I love not having to wait between books.
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