OneZenMom: Good Reads 2010

"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." ~ James Bryce

Winding up 2010 means it's time to post my annual list of books I read this year. I love that Good Reads lets me easily track what I've read and what I plan to read, as well as helping me find great new book recommendations from other readers. If you're on Good Reads, and we're not friends yet, hit me up! :)

I'm also loving PaperBackSwap.com - a site for trading books online. Several of the titles listed below came to me through PBS, as well as several new-to-us children's books. If you're a big reader, you should check it out.

Despite the fact that I've had very little time to read the last few months, I think there are 48 titles on this year's reading list. Some are new-to-me authors, but many are by some of my favorite writers. As usual, they are almost exclusively fiction - mostly scifi/fantasy and/or paranormal. If you're into that sort of thing, you'll find some great authors here to check out.

I think my favorites this year were by Ilona Andrews and Gail Carriger, with Lisa Shearin, Ann Aguirre and Diana Rowland all tied for second. ;)

And now, more for me than anyone else, here's the whole list:

Good Reads 2010

The Big Four
by Agatha Christie

On the Edge
by Ilona Andrews

Dragons Wild
by Robert Lynn Asprin

I love Robert Aspirin's Myth books as well as his Phule series.

Aspirin is right up there as one of my all-time favorite humor-sf writers (along with Douglas Adams, Spider Robinson and Harry Harrison).

This new "...

Breathless
by Dean Koontz

I am a HUGE Koontz fan, but I have to say, this was not one of my favorites. In fact, I'm pretty sure it would rank close to the bottom for me.

The weird thing is, it has all of the elements of a great Koontz story: Interesting ...

Kindred in Death
by J.D. Robb

Walking Dead
by C.E. Murphy

Kitty Raises Hell
by Carrie Vaughn

Doubleblind
by Ann Aguirre

This series just keeps getting better.

I liked the first book because the protagonist was so fresh and real, the action was exciting and well-written and the romance sub-plot had really interesting "complications". ...

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming
by Patricia Briggs

Undead and Unwelcome
by MaryJanice Davidson

The Lost
by J.D. Robb

Must Love Hellhounds
by Charlaine Harris

Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human
by Harold Bloom

Things That Make Us (Sic): The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar Takes on Madison Avenue, Hollywood, the White House, and the World
by Martha Brockenbrough

Shades of Dark
by Linnea Sinclair

Cry Wolf
by Patricia Briggs

Hope's Folly
by Linnea Sinclair

Dragons Luck
by Robert Lynn Asprin

Mark of the Demon
by Diana Rowland

Midnight's Daughter
by Karen Chance

Blood of the Demon
by Diana Rowland

Grave Secret

by Charlaine Harris

Magic Lost, Trouble Found

by Lisa Shearin

Angels' Blood

by Nalini Singh

Skinwalker

by Faith Hunter

This was an original premise and and interesting heroine that could have really benefited from some stronger editing. The early chapters were a bit bogged down with exposition and the "hints" throughout the book about the heroine'...

Silent Blade

by Ilona Andrews

Soulless

by Gail Carriger

What a FUN book! Loved it.

Regina in the Sun

by R.G. Alexander

Got this free on Amazon Kindle for my iphone, so I thought I'd check it out. It wasn't bad, but it was a little on the erotica side for my personal taste. I don't mind good sex scenes - and it had those! But I do prefer a little more story ...

Rebels and Lovers

by Linnea Sinclair

Blood Drive

by Jeanne C. Stein

Kitty's House of Horrors

by Carrie Vaughn

Death's Mistress

by Karen Chance

Divine Misdemeanors

by Laurell K. Hamilton

Armed & Magical

by Lisa Shearin

I'm loving this series. Raine Benares is such a likeable protagonist and the storytelling is brisk and fun. Can't wait for the next one!

Hell Fire

by Ann Aguirre

Aguirre has a great talent for creating "real" and interesting characters and here she's created a whole new one: Kilmer, Ga. The town itself feels like a live and menacing antagonist to the crafty and determined heroine and her m...

Silver Borne

by Patricia Briggs

Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson books are high on my list of must-read urban fantasy series. I love everything about this series: The characters, the mythos, the locations, everything. I especially love Mercy: She's believably tough, clever...

Fantasy in Death

by J.D. Robb

The Trouble with Demons

by Lisa Shearin

Bewitched & Betrayed

by Lisa Shearin

Changeless

by Gail Carriger

I loved Soulless, and this second book in the series is even better. But, oh gads, the cliffhanger at the end is killing me. And the next book doesn't come out until September?! Ack!

Demon Hunts

by C.E. Murphy

Magic Bleeds

by Ilona Andrews

I love this series. I love the writing style; I ADORE the heroine; and I love that it is one of the most original urban fantasy "worlds" I've ever read. I can't wait for more!

Undead and Unfinished

by MaryJanice Davidson

I liked this latest offering in this series, which still had a lot of the great humor that attracted me to the author in the first place. But things are definitely taking a turn for the darker in Betsy's world and I'm curious to see where w...