Top Ten All Time Favourites (from the past 3 years)

Hosted by The Broke and Bookish

Ok, so I couldn't narrow it down to 10. Which is kind of crazy...I can't believe how many favourite books I've read in the past two years!  I didn't actually go farther than 2013, because that's the first year I kept track of what books I'd read at all.  (Well ok I slipped ina  couple I read in 2012 because I definitely remembered reading them then)   So here they are: the best of the best from the past 2 years!

The Wee Free Men (Discword) by Terry Pratchett

If you like Diana Wynne Jones and Douglas Adams, then this is definitely a series for you. Particularly the Diana Wynne Jones part of the equation - it's got all the markers for a fairy tale-style story like hers, with the same sense of humor, just a touch more of the ridiculousness you encounter with Douglas Adams.

 

Terrier (Beka Cooper) by Tamora Pierce

Considering the number of times I mention Tamora Pierce on the blog, is it any surprise I loved this?  I'd thought I'd read this book before, just not the rest of the series, but upon discovering the audiobook at the library (which is EXCELLENT by the way), it's clear I hadn't read it before. I'm STILL waiting whoever hasn't returned the now 3 weeks overdue last book in the series, but this is solidified as one of my favourite series from Tamora.

Dark Currents (Agent of Hel) - Jacqueline Carey

This is actually one of my newest reads - and it's all thanks to my secret santa! It's just so fun. Mythology, paranormal...ity?, diversity in race, body shape, AND sexuality?  I mean come on. It's basically perfect.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Honestly, I can't even really articulate what this book means to me. It basically wrecked me and had me questioning so many things I hold to be true.  The only other novel I can think of that had me spinning this way was The Amber Spyglass, and I read that for the first time over a decade ago. So needless to say, it's not a frequent occurrence. I'm not even sure I'd recommend this to most people, but I feel that the people who do connect with this book, connect with it hard.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

It's like Cirque du Soleil was captured and put into a novel. It's beautiful and dark and mysterious.  Definitely not for people who need a fast-paced plot, but for those who don't mind waiting, this book is beautiful.

 

The Forest of Hands and Teeth (#1) by Carrie Ryan

The heroine in this is fearlessly selfish, and I love that about her. It's rare to see heroines who are so uncompromising in what they want (unless they're villains).  This book can actually be read as a standalone, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the other two books in the series, I prefer pretending this is a standalone because of its ending and how perfect the book is as a single entity.

Anatomy of a Boyfriend (Anatomy) by Daria Snadowsky

This is a book I would put in the hands of every teenager. It's important, and real, and funny!  It was basically like reading a story of my 18 year-old self's experiences, and I would have felt infintessimely less awkward and mortified about everything if I'd had this book to read first.  I haven't read the sequel yet, and I'm not sure if I want to? Like the above book, I just like this book on its own so much!

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School) by Gail Carriger

Ok, do I really have to spell this out for you guys? Steampunk. Paranormal hilarity. Boarding school for assassins. Diversity. IT'S SO FUN!!

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastards) by Scott Lynch

Oh my GOD this fantasy series is SO. GOOD. SO SO SO GOOD.  I honestly don't even have a clue where it's heading. It has invented the most delicious sounding alcoholic beverage and killed like....all the characters. So you know. Booze and feels = good times!

Feed (Newsflesh) by Mira Grant

This was actually introduced to me by my first secret santa!  It was hands down my favourite discovery of last year (well, ok, it's tied with Marchetta's Luminere Chronicles).  It has also awakened the discovery that I actually LOVE zombie stories...and have decided the nightmares are worth it. (Mostly the nightmares are more like adventures anyway, so they're not too bad).  This story though...like...I can't even tell you what most impressed me because SERIOUS SPOILERS, but I super appreciated the medical background to it. Also it's pro-bloggers, and some serious government conspiracy stuff which I'm always down for in my stories haha!

Throne of Glass (#1) by Sarah J. Maas

And this was tied with Unspoken for my favourite discovery of the year before last!  So I'm assuming if you're reading this right now you are either

A. Related to me and don't read books like this

or B. A blogger, and therefore 99% of you have read this and the last 1% just haven't read it for some unfathomable reason.  So I'm not even going to explain why this series is amazing.

A Cat Called Dog by Jem Vanston

So I'm pretty certain 99% of you have never heard of this book and that's a damn shame.  This was a Netgalley find and is actually the only one that's sparked a conversation with an author for me. (I am in general very, very intimidated by them. So if any of you become authors, I'm probably going to hide in a corner and cower if you look at me.)  The humor is EXACTLY up my alley - again very dry and more than a bit ridiculous. (There's a quote in the link to my review) So basically if you like British humor you should read this.  Or if you like cats.  Or even if you don't like cats.  GO READ THIS PEOPLE I want more books from this guy! 

Ship Breaker (#1) by Paolo Bacigalupi

This is a powerful dystopia. If you want your dystopias more up the alley of The Handmaid's Tale or 1984 - so heavy on the dystopia, light on the romance, and unsettlingly close to reality...this is the dystopia for you.  It's important, and I loved the sequel even more.  (They can be read as standalone novels)

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Is there a better character than Kami? No, seriously. I want her to be a real person SO BADLY.  This series is so banter-perfect, and it packs just as much in the feels as it does with the witty lines.  (And it was tied for best discovery for the year before last. Or as I like to call it: The Year of the Sarahs)

Graceling (Graceling Realm) by Kristin Cashore

Ok, if you read fantasy novels and are sex positive, then there isn't a reason you shouldn't have read this book already.  And I've mentioned before that the sequel actually had a really positive influence in my life during a time when a lot of scary stuff was going on, so it's more than just a good read for me.

Kushiel's Dart (Phédre's Trilogy) by Jacqueline Carey

Do you like Game of Thrones? Do like sex positivity? Do like a world where women hold equal power to men?  If you do, you should definitely read this series.  It's an amazing series, and hands down in my top 10 fantasy series I've EVER read. (Considering the level of fantasy I read, that is really saying something)  I really, really wish more people had read this because I think it's important AND an awesome read.  I will also say you have to be open minded to kink - it was a bit of a shock to me when I first started reading it.  But it's done in a well researched and tasteful way - unlike some other BDSM books we may have been hearing about recently....

Finnikin of the Rock (The Lumatere Chronicles) by Melina Marchetta

Ok, technically I fell in hardcore love with this series when I read the second book, Froi of the Exiles.  But it all starts here, and just because I love Froi best doesn't mean that this book isn't totally amazing and worthy on its own.  Yet another book where all I can say really is...if you like fantasy, just read this. Trust me. I don't know a SINGLE person who didn't like it. In fact, I don't know a single person who didn't love it!