My 2013 favorites

Let me start off with the caveat that, in general, I’m lousy at picking a favorite thing. (Daffodils being a notable exception.) I am much better at saying when I’ve enjoyed things. This is my current list of things that have caught my eye this year:

Novelette: The absolutely delightful “Pearl Rehabilitative Colony for Ungrateful Daughters” by Henry Lien in December’s Asimov’s.

YA: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, second book in her Raven Cycle; The Woken Gods by Glenda Bond; and David Bridger’s Flight of Thieves.

SF: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie.

Anthologies: Manifesto UF, Oz Reimagined, Mad Science Café, Futuredaze, Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination (Yes, lots of choices here.)

Graphic novel series I’ve caught up on: Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi.

New graphic novel: Sandman: Overture.

Serials: Indexing by Seanan McGuire and Gooseberry Bluff Community College of Magic: The Thirteenth Rib by David J. Schwartz. There was also Scalzi’s Human Division, which I enjoyed until the ending that resolved none of the mysteries that had been raised.

Christian romance: Raspberries and Vinegar by Valerie Comer.

Christian fantasy: Greater Treasures: A DragonEye Novella by Karina Fabian.

Regency romance: Beneath the Mask by Margaret McGaffey Fisk.

I’ve read and reread a lot this year, from graphic novels to urban fantasy to middle-grade books to nonfiction. Some books I started but didn’t finish, simply because of time constraints. Some of the books I really enjoyed weren’t new this year, like The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin or most of the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews.

I could do a whole other post on books I’ve been looking forward to but haven’t managed to read yet, like Kay Kenyon’s A Thousand Perfect Things, Prince of Lies by Anne Lyle, Twinmaker by Sean Williams, and books two and three of Emma Newman’s Split Worlds.

If you’d like to see the ones I’ve recorded as finished, you can see them on Goodreads.

There are also, of course, books I’ve proofread, indexed, or copyedited this year as paying work. One there that I think you should look out for is Alex F. Fayle’s The Other Half.

What have you been reading lately that you think I should check out? Any favorites I’ve forgotten?

Today’s post was inspired by the topic “2013 favorites” — December’s topic in the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour — an ongoing tour where you, the reader, travel around the world from author’s blog to author’s blog. We have all sorts of writers at all stages in their writing career, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to check out the next posts in the series, by Sandra Barret and D. M. Bonanno.

If you want to get to know nearly twenty other writers and find out their thoughts on first stories, check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour. You can find links to all of the posts on the tour by checking out the group site. Read and enjoy!