I'm sure that I've read more books in 2009 than I have in previous years. A lot of them, probably even most, were good, and a few really stood out. Here's some of my favorites.


Most Inspiring: North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley made me contemplate once again about what the word "beautiful" really means. It's a gorgeous story with great characters.

Best Writing:
I came across a bunch of quotes from Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey that I really want to remember. It's a fantastic read, and although it officially doesn't come out in paperback format until January 17, I've seen paperbacks in bookstores, and Amazon has it marked as in stock!

Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian was a lovely story. I loved the setting and the realistic way friendships were depicted.

Most Fun:
Fairies! And theatre! I loved Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev. Full of awesomeness. Perchance to Dream, the second book in the series comes out in May. Six months of more waiting? Sigh.

Most Surprising:What do I mean by surprising? I mean that I was surprised by how much I liked Going Too Farby Jennifer Echols. I think the cover threw me off at first, but once I began reading the story, I absolutely loved it. I'll definitely be looking into more books by this author.

Best Jane Austen Spin-Off:

The Family Fortune by Laurie Horowitz is a modern retelling of Persuasion. I found out about this book when I asked a blogger who pointed me to a post by another blogger. There are so many Pride and Prejudice spin-offs. I was ecstatic to see one for Persuasion and even happier that it was done really well.

Best Historical:

I love historicals. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen was very intriguing, and I kept reading to see if my suspicions were correct. Definitely got my interest within the first chapters.

Most Bizarre:

Days of Little Texas by R.A. Nelson was absolutely bizarre. The mix between religion and the supernatural was fabulous. It wasn't perfect, but it definitely left an imprint on my brain.

Most Addictive:

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent was completely enrapturing. Turned out to be a very quick read because I couldn't put it down! I had several moments when my heart literally started speeding up because I was so invested on what was going to happen to the characters. The second book in the Soul Screamers series, My Soul to Save, has just recently been released, and I have a copy on its way to me now.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick was thrilling. Patch rode the very fine line of between being a bad guy and just a regular jerk exceptionally well. Every once in a while I wanted to slap him, but he soon did something to get back on my good side. Amazing.

Most heart-breaking:
I don't remember crying during a single book I read this year, I'm not a very outwardly emotional person, but Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell had me the closest to doing so. It took me a few chapters to get into it, but I soon settled into the rhythm of the story and fell in love. The ending nearly ripped my heart out.

I'm ready for 2010 and all that it has to offer. Bring it on.

Book titles are Amazon affiliate links.

In the words of Bugs Bunny, "That's all, folks!"

Posted by Melanie at 10:03 AM    

Labels: Best of the year