Everyone has already done theirs and I'm late to the party again.
Remember that record keeping resolution I made? Looks like I have to keep better records of the books I have read also. I used to write them in a journal (just little with tiny notes) but then I started blogging. Now I have to go through the old posts to find what I have read.
Not. Bright.
*audience responds in one voice* Not. A. Surprise.
*blink*
All right, no more interactive stuff!
Where was I?
Right! *mumbling, August, Sept, okay, uh-oh*
Turns out my book blog is not nearly as bookish as I thought. Humbling indeed. Makes those book resolutions look better with every minute.
Anyways, the criteria is the book has to be published in 2005 and uh, yeah, looks like that is the only rule.
I read 43 books in total for the year of which 17 were published in 2005. Not bad, not great. Then again, I tried 16 new (to me) authors this year and that is really going out on a limb. The year before I really only read auto buy authors and the odd book that had a lot of buzz. I started the year out right by not limiting myself to only books published in 2005 and read a few titles from AAR's Buried Treasure article and I was pleased to find new authors. I also looked to my TBR pile this year instead of always looking for new books. Turns out I did have a pile of keepers waiting to be found.
My, how I do go on. Before another stray thought hits, I give you my best reads of 2005.
1. Dark Lover by J. R. Ward - yep, an author that no one has heard of but I'm telling you this book is a gem! I'm stunned more people haven't heard of her and you should read this book immediately.2. Passion by Lisa Valdez - yum. I don't care that others thought of painful exams with legs up in stirrups (seriously, look into a new Dr.), I thought this was brilliant and I loved the course language. I even enjoyed the over the top feeling of the book although I was left wondering just how big of a screen the H/H were having sex behind. Turns out it is huge. Yeah, I looked it up.
3. Black Ice - Anne Stuart - *swoon*4. Undead and Unappreciated - Mary Janice Davidson - finally a book that had it all. Character depth, good sex and humour. Ding, ding, we have a winna!
5. Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase - Mmmreow. Really, there are no other words. Rupert was a dream and yes the opening was slow but once you hit Giza, it's gold! Gold, I tell you! For me this book has edged out Lord of Scoundrels as her best and I can't wait for her new one. Okay, I'm waiting, but, you know, not happy like.
6. Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann - Jules and Robin. That's it, that's all. I loved this book for the secondary characters. Not a real surprise with a Brockmann (oops, super bitch just arrived). I have it listed as an A+ so I will leave it although I am bitter about her latest book and we are on a break. She's horrified I assure you.
Now, I may have missed one or two because I am not nearly as organized as I should be and I have a horrible memory. All the same, these were the books I absolutely loved (in the case of #6, I loved it at the time). I'm not even sure I should list Hot Target because as great as Jules was in the book, Cosmo and Jane's story was just 'meh'. There, I said it.
Just for mindless fun.
The books that made me want to pry my eyeballs out of my head, place them on the desk and beat them furiously with my fists until they were a wee pile of ooze:
Carrera's Bride by Diana Palmer - holy crap. More like hellish crap but you get the point. Palmer has been a guilty pleasure for years but I hadn't bought one of her books for a while. I decided to try this one. A Palmer book without an asshole hero. Hell has frozen over. I have no notes on the book but I remember it like it was yesterday. Therapy is not working.
The Diva's Guide to Selling Your Soul by Kathleen O'Reilly - mindless crap that was made even more repugnant because I paid a trade size price.
These are the kind of books that make you rethink a willy nilly approach to book purchases.
That'll learn ya.
4 comments:
Haven't read the first 4 but I will (all but Dark Lover are in my TBR, and I'm definitely getting DL too), and I loved Mr. Impossible and Hot Target.
I have read all but one of your six and enjoyed them (especially 1, 2 & 3) (I swoon for Anne Stuart too). I have never read MJD. Somehow I missed out on this series. Would I have start at the beginning of this series or could I jump right in with #4?
I liked Breaking Point better than Hot Target but I know how the Max and Gina story was a letdown for you :) I liked it plus the Molly & Jones story was terrific.
So I glad I managed to avoid those eye-gouging books you mention! Of course I read some other real clinkers. Maybe I better make a list for my blog.
Rosario, my friend, you are in for a treat but, you know, I'm not trying to build these books up or anything. Just normal good reads ;)
Renee - a fellow Anne Stuart swooner, sweet! You would have to start MJD with her first Undead book called Undead and Unwed. These are not really romances and I'm not sure everyone appreciates her humour. It really is sort of silly, fluffy fun. I appreciated her last two because I think she has found an editor who is telling her to 'meat it up' a bit. For a while the Hero was like a shadow, a barely there type of hero. The last two books have fleshed him out. Also, these books are in first person.
In all seriousness, if you can find these books used you are far ahead of the game. I keep telling myself I will stop paying the tradesize price for these books because the page counts are at 290 if you're lucky. I love the books but would be happier if I could pay a 'fair' price for them.
Her Undead series is her only series that really works for me. Others prefer her werewolves but they can be beyond dorky.
Hmm, I'm going to see if I can post a link to a blog I did way long ago.
http://cindyl.blogspot.com/2005/08/maryjanice-davidson.html
Cindy
I still haven't gotten around to Kathleen O'Reilly one and I see she has a new one coming out this year. One day, one day...
Sucks that you paid full price for it though - I think I found it on ebay.
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