Beth has already given her list, so it’s time for me to do mine. I probably finished enough books this year to justify a Top Ten but Beth made me a graphic and I want to use it! Also, some of my favorites overlap with Beth! I feel like I don’t usually get to books when they first come out, so its been a wild and crazy year!

1. Dread Nation By Justina Ireland

I liked this book so much, I read it twice. Well, read it once and then listened to the audiobook (read by Bahni Turpin) with my Mom while we prepared for Christmas. In this alternative history, Jane McKeene, a black woman, is born two days before the dead walk at Gettysburg. I was interested in the politics presented in this book and also in the zombies. Oh, and the romance. There are some book boyfriends in this, oh my yes.

2. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

It took me forever to finish this book, I parceled it out because I didn’t want it to end. The magic in this story was so interesting, I wanted to know more about each of the different types of magic. The world Adeyemi weaves in this novel is complex and lush and I’m so looking forward to the next book.

3.When Dimple Met Rishihi by Sandhya Menon

This novel was just so sweet. I loved it so much. In it, Dimple is excited to go to a summer program that, if she wins, means she’ll get to meet her hero. She doesn’t know that her parents have agreed to let her go because they’re trying to arrange her marriage with the son of a family friend who just happens to also be in the same summer program. I loved both Dimple and Rishi. I loved Rishi’s brother. This is such a heartwarming romance.

Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish

Tiffany Haddish herself reads the audiobook of Last Black Unicorn, which is a collection of autobiographical essays. It was funny, it was heartbreaking. I loved this and now I’m obsessed with Tiffany Haddish and seeing all of her movies.

Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Ah, the vampire tale that launched the re-reading a bunch of other vampire tales for me. There was a lot to like in this book. I liked the relationships. I liked Tana’s relationship with her ex-boyfriend Aiden and her budding relationship with vampire Gabriel. I liked her relationship with her sister. I also enjoyed the vampire mythology. This is the second book on this list that I read twice this year. I really liked it.

Honorable Mentions

The Mortification of Fovea Munson by Mary Winn Heider: I loved Fovea, the talking heads, and her budding friendship with a boy at school! This was such a fun middle grade read! But, I also know the author so it feels weird putting it in the top five.

Tikka Chance on Me by Suleikha Snyder.  You shouldn’t choose a book by its cover, but as soon as I saw the cover, I knew I needed to read this. Pinky Grover moved home (and dropped out of grad school. I always have time for books about grad students) to help her parents while her Mom was sick. She’s working on her parents Indian restaurant and lusting after Trucker Carrigan, member of a local biker gang who happens to eat a lot of Indian food. This book was so cute. It was just a fun, totally hot romance. This is the first thing I’ve read by Suleikha Snyder and I already started another book by her.

2. Bellamy and the Brute by Alicia Michaels. this was only a 3 star for me, but I loved Bellamy, she is such a kickass character. She was just so hardworking and thoughtful. I wanted her to succeed. So, this wasn’t the best thing I read this year, but I am looking forward to reading more about this character and by Alicia Michaels.

3. Head on by John Scalzi: This was on impulse pick that I grabbed walking through the library’s “No Holds! No Renewals! Get it if you can!” shelves. I love the author’s twitter presence, and this is the first book of his I’ve read. The premise was engaging, the world he’s built is interesting, and based on this I so need to read more set in this world.