Books that blew my mind in 2012
So what books rocked my boat in 2012? For those interested, here’s a list of my top twelve books from the previous year (in no particular order). Interestingly enough, looking back it seems like the year of the YA and UF for me. They may seem like an eclectic bunch, but all of them feature the one thing that is guaranteed to suck me in: imaginative and fully-fledged world building with interesting characters. The weirder the world, the better, in my opinion.
Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
There is nothing quite so satisfying as sitting down with one of your favourite author’s books and being able to throw yourself back into their world. Gunmetal Magic featured Andrea and Raphael, secondary characters from Andrews’s Kate Daniels series and was almost as awesome as a Kate book. The only thing it fell short on was Curran appearances, but then Raphael came this close to making me not care. Andrews is one of the few authors who can make me snort tea through my nose. I just love their humour.
Cold Days by Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher is the master. It’s like every little random plot point that ever reared its head in previous Harry Dresden books suddenly all made sense. Cold Days and its two predecessors are completely changing the path of the series, and I for one love it. If you haven’t read about Harry Dresden, and you like books that make you think, laugh, cry… etc. get thee to the start of the series.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lainey Taylor
Lainey Taylor’s prose is so luscious I could wallow in it. Reading a book by an author like this makes me wish I were half as good. In her YA world, blue-haired Karou is trying to work out who and what she is, and why mysterious beings are burning handprints into doors all around the world. Featuring forbidden love, reincarnation and an imaginative world that sucked me in, I could read this book again and again. Plus, I’m a sucker for heroes with wings.
Riveted by Meljean Brooks
Nobody does steampunk like Meljean. It’s all airships, crazy scientists, a heroine and hero who start as friends, steamy scenes, trolls, deadly plots, in-the-nick-of-time rescues and best of all it's set in Iceland, which I love reading about ever since I based a WIP there.
Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
Sometimes I’m weird. Sometimes if people rave and rave about authors I get a little gun-shy and put off buying their books for ages until I finally cave and realise this is the best thing ever and why-did-I-wait-this-long? Grimspace is one of those books. I love sci-fi romance and this sets up an interesting one between grimspace navigator Sirantha Jax (who kicks some major a**e) and Marsh, the man who rescues/kidnaps her from the psych prison she’s in.
The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow
Lilith Saintcrow’s imagination is on crack. If she were a movie director she’d be Tim Burton. With more action scenes. I’m a long-time fan, and when I found out Saintcrow was writing steampunk I was so there. Iron Wyrm is full of steampunkery goodness, sorcery, a feisty heroine with some serious issues, her sexy shield Micah (no smexy scenes but some serious sexual tension included), mentaths, dragons, saving-the-realm plots and did I mention action?
Tarnished by Karina Cooper
London is separated into two worlds; one above the filthy drift of London pollution and one below. Cherry St. Croix, Cooper’s intrepid heroine, likes to dabble in both and when a mystery appears, she’s off chasing it. Another steampunk that blew my mind, this one was so much fun. Plus there were two heroes to choose from, though only one of them interested me and I am definitely rooting for him! Though, I’m still not sure if he is hero or anti-hero.
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Another YA with lush writing, quirky characters and a cool setting. The hero’s relationship with the heroine was so playful, and he so charming, that I felt like shaking Briony and showing her what was right beneath her nose. It’s a YA that feels like its characters are actually teens, with all the playful moments. Set on the edges of a swamp full of creatures ready to drag the unwary traveller awry, it features Briony, who may or may not be a witch, secrets within secrets and her crazy-cool sister, Rose. Oh, and a stepmother. It definitely had an almost-fairytale feel to it.
Alliance Forged by Kylie Griffin
This is the second book in Griffin’s amazing fantasy romance series, and features Varian, a half-demon warrior and Kymora, a blind priestess fighting to integrate him and his people into her world. Do you know what I like so much about this series? The truly adult relationship the heroes and heroines have. There are no big misunderstandings and the main characters actually hash out their problems and work together to deal with them. I find it really refreshing, and there is so much going on in this world that I can’t wait to get back into it! Plus, the hero of the third book is one I’ve been waiting for!
Firelight by Kristen Callihan
A brooding hero in a mask, a heroine with a secret of her own and some amazing writing, Firelight’s the first Paranormal Romance on my list. Actually, the only one it seems. I loved every second of it, and my heart broke for the hero. Plus, the heroine has two sisters and whilst I’ve read the second in the series, Moonglow (I prefer Firelight by the narrowest of margins), I am dying to read Winterblaze which features the third sister, Poppy, and her husband, Winston.
The Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
This YA ticked all my boxes. Apocalyptic? Check. Paranormal elements? Check. A sexy bad-boy hero and a rich-girl thrown into a situation where all preconceptions are swept away? Check. I think I love Cole’s YA world even more than her IAD series and that is saying something.
The Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane
Kane’s another author I waffled about for nearly a year before succumbing to the first in the series. And then I had to wait over a week for the rest of the series to arrive! Agony. The heroine Chess, is a f***ed up mess, a drug addict with serious self esteem issues, who lives in an almost dystopian world where ghosts keep rising. Then there is Terrible, a gang enforcer whom the heroine first sees as an ugly brute of a man. If this sounds like a horrible scenario let me just say now that Terrible is one of the hottest heroes I’ve ever read about and he is firmly on my top five fave heroes ever list!
Honourable mention to The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
So what made 2012 memorable for you (apart from Kiss of Steel, of course (: )? Any recommendations?
