I had a hard time trying to determine my standards for this Best of 2008 List. I read books for so many different reasons, and my criteria for why these are the best books for me are all very different. I will only list the books with grades of A- or higher that met more than 1 criteria for being the best for me.
The honor of having been the Best of 2008 is:
1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, what an amazing journey into the life of these two young boys who grew up in a world so vastly different then I am accustomed. It was beautiful, cruel and poignant and I will forever remember Amir and Hassan the Sultan’s of Kabul.
2. Blood Noir by Laurell K Hamilton, this is a perfect blend of the old Anita Blake and the new Anita Blake as well as being my one of my all time favorite series ever written. Laurell K Hamilton has created amazing characters that have continued to grow through the course of this series and as each new book is released I find more reasons to love them. They are real and flawed and it is those flaws that makes them the core to the plot.
3. Stori Telling by Tori Spelling: this is nonfiction, and what touched me the most is that I’ve lived through a lot of the same issues that she has gone through without the privilege of the zip code. I always had a soft spot for Donna Martin, but I truly admire the woman behind her.
4. Hostage to Pleasure and Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh: I couldn’t pick just one. Nalini Singh has taught me the pleasure of watching a world grow and seeing how it can become a character and stand on it’s own. Her series is a paranormal/urban fantasy series that revolves around a society that wipes all emotion out of it’s kind because emotion causes weakness and sickness. It’s a clash between the emotionless Psy and the passionate Changelings.
5. Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell: Talk about a total table turning experience especially if you have read and loved The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. Maxwell invites you into her version of Anne’s world prior to rejoining the English Court. She takes the approach of how being raised in the French Court had molded her into the Woman who would become Queen of England. I am fascinated by Anne Boleyn, I think she was made an example of and I love all the intrigue that surrounds her life and Maxwell certainly doesn’t bore and gives a deeper insight into the why she was the way she was.
and honorable mention goes to:
The Cedar Cove Series: 44 Cranberry Point, 50 Harbor Street, 6 Rainier Drive by Debbie Macomber
What an inviting series, full of characters and stories that never grow old. This is one of the series that will be a part of my series “catch up” challenges in 2009 because I love visiting this coastal city and falling even more in love with the characters. I find it difficult to review each book in this series individually because they belong as a set.
I can’t wait to find out what adventures 2009 will bring, but my goal is to keep you posted.
