Recommendations from Carol

Lists. I love them.

My ‘Best Reads’ below are books I’ve actually read that year, not the year they are published. I’d recommend these books as shining examples of their genres or flat-out good reads.

I left out books I’ve read as part of favorite series.  Being the orderly person I am, I’ve linked to the review where I have it. I’m a person that re-reads, although admittedly I did it a lot more often before finding Goodreads.

Best reads of 2015

• Spillover by David Quammen (non-fiction)
• The Last Policeman Trilogy by Ben H. Winters (sci-fi/mystery/apocalypse) that includes The Last Policeman, Countdown City and World of Trouble (recommend reading as a group)
• City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
  
• God’s War by Kameron Hurley
• The Story of the Stone by Barry Hughart

Best FICTION Reads of 2014

It’s looking to be a better year! Why? Because I’m using my book community to pick out great reads for the right mood.

I’ve really enjoyed

• California Bones by Greg Van Eekhout (fantasy)
• Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone (fantasy)
• Annhilation by Jeff Vandermeer (science-fiction)
• The Secret Place by Tana French (mystery)
• Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews (UF)
  
• Broken Angels by Richard K. Morgan (sci-fi)
• The Glass God by Kate Griffin (UF)
• The Last Word by Lisa Lutz (mystery, humor)
• Emperor Mollusk and the Sinister Brain by A. Lee Martinez (sci-fi, humor)
• My Dog, the Paradox by Matthew Inman, The Oatmeal (graphic art/comic, humor)

 

Best FICTION Reads of 2013

• Wool by Hugh Howey (sci-fi)
• The Rook by Daniel O’Malley (UF/thriller/sci-fi)
• The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway (sci-fi)
• Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran (mystery)
• Quite possibly, Cursed, by Jeremy C. Shipp for sheer oddity and thought-provokingness. Re-read soon. (lit-fict? sci-fi?)
  
• Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China that Never Was by Barry Hughart (fantasy)
  
• Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson (UF/fantasy)
  
• Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone (fantasy)
  

Best FICTION Reads of 2012

• The Killing Moon
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone
• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
• In the Woods
• Something Wicked This Way Comes
• The Reapers are the Angels
• Doorways in the Sand
• Eight Million Ways to Die and When the Sacred Ginmill Closes (Matthew Scudder mysteries)

Best Non-Fiction Reads

• Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
• Fast Food Nation. Recommended for everyone who thinks about eating fast food.
• Crucial Conversations. If only I can remember the strategies, I’ll be so much better at those high-stakes moments.

Top Urban Fantasy

These authors’ series are on my auto-buy list (links go to the author’s book page)

• Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series  (6 books and forthcoming)
• Ben Aaronovich’s Peter Grant series (5 books and forthcoming)
• Kate Griffin’s Matthew Swift series (4 books in the original series, now in spin-off)
• Frank Tuttle’s  Markhat series (short stories and books)

Urban Fantasies that are very good (but may not appeal to everyone or have some challenges)

• Charlie Huston’s Joe Pitt series (5 books total)
• Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series (7 and forthcoming)
• Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series (6 and forthcoming)
• Mike Carey’s Felix Castor series (5 books total)

 

Best Zombie Books

• The Reapers are the Angels
• The Girl With All the Gifts
• Rot and Ruin
• World War Z
• This is Not a Test
• Zone One (with reservations–excellent writing, depressing message)