Friday, July 16, 2010

Favorites of 2010: First Half of the Year

Now that I've written reviews for all books read during the first half of 2010 it's time for the favorites list! This list is composed of all books read regardless of publication date since only 8 of the 26 books read by the end of June were published this year. I'll probably do a list of both at the end of the year since I expect that number to climb due to the number of books on the review pile for later this year that I really want to read. Plus I'm on my eleventh book published this year now.

It has been a fantastic reading year so far - much, much better than the first half of last year was. I've discovered some great new authors who dominate the top of my list.

This list does not include the two books I've read so far this month - if it did, one of them would definitely be on it. Favorites of the first half of the year are as follows:

1. The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (Review)
2. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews (Review)
3. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews (Review)
4. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (Review)
5. Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey (Review)
6. Changeless by Gail Carriger (Review)
7. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire (Review)
8. World's End by Joan D. Vinge (Review)
9. Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold (Review)
10. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs (Review)

What are your favorite books read in 2010 so far?

8 comments:

Anastasia said...

I started the year reading some of your favorite books of 2009 that I'd missed, so there aren't likely to be many revelations here. This is in order read:

1. Laini Taylor - Lips Touch: Three Times - 9/10
2. Tanith Lee - Sung in Shadow - 9/10 (this is a retelling of the Romeo & Juliet story, probably the most beautifully-written work by Lee I've read so far)
3. N.K. Jemisin - The Hundred Thousand Kingdom - 8/10
4. Tanith Lee - White As Snow - 8.5/10 (this is a take on the Persephone story)
5. L. Timmel Duchamp - Tsunami - 9.5/10 (the 3rd in the Marq'ssan cycle, I read only half of it the first time around because my hate for the antagonist-turned-protagonist was too fresh)
6. Rachel Swirsky - Eros, Philia, Agape (novelette) - 9.5/10
7. Felix Gilman - Thunderer - 8/10
8. Michael Cisco - The Tyrant - 8.5/10
9. Paul Park - A Princess of Roumania - 8.5/10 (a bit slow but dreamy prose, dull protagonist but a fantastic villainess)

Anastasia said...

To add: Rachel Swirsky's novelette is another take on the "robot falls in love" motif. It fits in neatly Tanith Lee's "Silver Metal Lover" and Maureen McHugh's "Nekropolis."

Anastasia said...

To edit (for lack of an Edit button!):

2. Elizabeth Bear - By the Mountain Bound - 10/10

edging out "Thunderer."

Kristen said...

Anastasia - Ah yes, Lips Touch, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and By the Mountain Bound are all lovely choices. I haven't read any of the others although several are ones I've been wanting to read - Thunderer, White As Snow and of course L. Timmel Duchamp's series. Sung in Shadow sounds lovely; I hadn't heard of that one, probably because it's yet another Lee book that is sadly out of print. A Princess of Roumania is a book I've added to and removed from the wish list a couple of times since I keep hearing it's good and then that it's not. Guess I'll have to add it back now.

And I still need to check out that Swirsky story!

Benjamin said...

Hey Kristen! Here's my favorites list. 2010 first then earlier books. I'd rate all 8.5 or higher, though there's no 10s on here.

Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi
Changes, Jim Butcher
Nemesis, Lindsey Davis
Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay
The Dervish House, Ian McDonald
The Folding Knife, KJ Parker

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Kop, Warren Hammond
Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
The Scar, China Mieville
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
The Cardinal’s Blades, Pierre Pevel
The Affirmation, Christopher Priest
Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

Kristen said...

Benjamin - None of my top reads were 10-rated books, either. They were all 8-9, though.

Guards! Guards! was great - it's still one of my favorite Discworld books. Lamb was pretty funny, too. I haven't read any of the others, but a lot of them are books I really want to read - Ship Breaker, Under Heaven, The Folding Knife, The Hunger Games, Perdido Street Station and The Cardinal's Blades.

orannia said...

Oh, great list! So glad to see Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs present :)

I need to read The Thief. Oh, am currently reading Silver Borne! As for my favourites...I'll have to have a think :)

Kristen said...

Orannia - How is Silver Borne so far? I keep thinking how I really need to read that one as well a few other books by authors I really like that I got earlier this year.