Tirzah - The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas I read this in two days. The plot keeps moving and the characters - good and bad - are real and dimensional. The romance is excellent. The suspense of the Black Tulip's safety and survival is riveting. The struggle of justice/injustice and good/evil is intense. And it is based on historical facts, which is always interesting to me and encouraged me to read more on Dutch history and its turbulent times with England and France. I recommend to history buffs and fans of Dumas' more popular works. I think nature lovers would also appreciate this as horticulture plays a large role.
Dawn - White Rose, Black Forest by Eoin Dempsey
I read mostly historical fiction and this book checks that box, however this story also reads like a thriller. It's so suspenseful right from the first page. I love the writing style and like how the book tells a story from a perspective that is often overlooked.
Amanda - The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of the Original Sin by Colette Moody
This book was just a delight. I went in not really knowing what to expect and got to experience a surprisingly joyful romp of a read. Read it for the hard-core female pirate and a fair amount of historical accuracy. Genre-wise it is really hard to define, kind of historical fiction / adventure / romance. Be advised, this book is sexually explicit and rape is regularly discussed in a frank manner by the characters.
Cary - Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin
I have always been a huge fan of Shirley Jackson’s work – her uncanny, amazing fiction, and her relatable, humorous non-fiction. Her fiction has inspired many writers who’ve come after her (Stephen King, for one), and has also been developed into several great movie & TV adaptations. Please read her if you haven’t!
Because I love this author and enjoy dabbling in writing I was very anxious to read this biography. I am happy to say that it far surpassed my expectations. Ruth Franklin takes us back to Jackson’s San Francisco childhood up through the not-so-distant time of her writing prime so that we can understand this woman as she grew up, got married and had a family -- all the while stubbornly maintaining her unique individuality. Jackson learned, over time, to be proud of the traits that made her atypical from examples set by so many women around her, but she did have her insecurities and demons, and these, too, made Jackson the truly singular author she became. You’ve only to read her infamous short story “The Lottery” to realize her gifts. Using letters, family and friend interviews, and Shirley’s own notes, Ruth Franklin finally gives us the definitive biography of one of the 20th century’s most uncanny minds. Shirley Jackson died at a relatively young age (48 years), and I for one miss all the other works she might have written had she lived longer.
Devin - Monstress (Series) by Marjorie Liu
Monstress follows Maika, a woman who is not what she appears to be, as she searches for answers about her mother and past…all while a monster inside her begins to awaken. When I first read the summary of this book online, it seemed too unbelievable to work, but I’m so glad I gave this series a chance! The story is interesting and refreshing with new takes on common tropes throughout the fantasy genre. The world building is meticulous and the story so unusual-but brilliant-that it makes for a wonderful read.
Mary - Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson
This book takes place in a bookstore (where I feel very much at home!), and has some interesting characters. The premise is that a young woman inherits a bookstore from her estranged uncle. In keeping it afloat she sets forth on a journey of self-discovery, learns about family, forgiveness and love of reading.
Jake - The Enchanter's Flame (The Ellwood Chronicles #1) by Mihele Notaro
I love urban fantasy and this definitely fits the bill although it also qualifies as a paranormal mystery. It has a very wonderful romance between two male characters which is something I really do love in my fiction books. It tells a rather exciting story about fighting evil while still having a very wonderful message about the importance of love and family. I really loved reading it as it was exactly what I had been looking for for a long time.
Katherine - Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax
I thoroughly enjoyed this sci-fi novel set in future Japan. So many things in it resonated with me, perhaps because I've wondered about some of the issues touched in this book. Although the future presented in this book is bleak at times, I did not feel overly depressed by it and was caught up in the story of Sayoko, an elderly woman about to celebrate her 100th Birthday; Angelica, Sayoko's Filipino nurse; and Hiro, Sayoko's new experimental robot companion. There is a lot going on in the book and the author jumps between characters and different times frequently, but I was never confused. Very well-written, suspenseful, and engaging!
Jason - Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames
Bloody Rose is the tale of Fable, a band of travelling mercenaries, and their infamous leader Rose. The story is told through the eyes of Tam, Fable’s new bard, as Fable travels from one gladiatorial arena to the next in pursuit of one last contract. While Bloody Rose has quite the interesting setting, it is the depth of its characters that made it my favorite book for the year. Eames makes time to explore each of his characters and their motivations, giving the slower portions of the book the characterization often sorely missed by other fantasy titles. The tagline reads, “Girls just want to have fun,” and Bloody Rose is just that: tremendously fun.
Lisa - Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser
Having grown up reading the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and watching the television series Little House on the Prairie, I loved reading this biography. It not only tells the true story of Wilder’s life but also tells of the history and many hardships of the time, such as the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, to name a couple.
Joyce - Still Life with Monkey by Katharine Web
This story of a couple whose lives are totally changed after the husband’s car accident leaves him a quadriplegic is an exploration of all in our lives that can change in an instant. It deals with questions of what is important in our lives, what we can endure and what we cannot. It was not always easy to think about these things as the characters lived them but that is one reason I chose this book.
There is also joy and laughter in the book and the story of the helper monkey is fascinating.
Kaylee - To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
There is almost nothing I enjoy more than a good fairy tale retelling, adventure, and good character development. In this retelling of "The Little Mermaid," Princess Lira becomes human not because she is in love with a prince, but as punishment by the Siren Queen for killing a human prince on a day other than her birthday. I really enjoyed getting to see the transformation from "anti-hero" to "character I enjoy" as the characters developed and I loved the fact that, while the romance was pretty easy to see coming, it wasn't rushed and the characters had time to settle into it. I read so many other good books, and good fairy tale retellings, this year, but this one was my favorite.
Sally - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My favorite book this year is, without a doubt, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. I read reviews and was expecting a bit of a downer book—a book about a lonely curmudgeon. Unlike many, I found the story of Ove to be uplifting. It is a reminder that in the bleakest of times in a life, there is always a chance for change. Ove was not expecting, nor wanting, a change. His mind was made up. However, a bit of serendipity occurs and over time Ove does change. I found the characters to be so well defined. I could picture everyone in my mind’s eye and they have stayed with me. I highly suggest this book.
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