This list isn’t a list of the top 10 books that came out in 2015, though some of these were released last year. This is a list of MY top 10 in 2015. I read 52 books this year and some were definitely better than others. Of those 52 books, these 10 are the books that stood out to me.
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I have been meaning to read this series for years and managed to pick up the first seven books in the series for super cheap. I love the storytelling here. I love the language. I love Jaime and Claire. Best book in the series, IMO.
- Prince Lestat by Anne Rice. This was my first book of the year. I started it in 2014 and finished it in 2015. Lestat is BACK and he is the same lovable bad boy pain in the ass that he always was. I was very pleased with this book as a potential end to Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. She definitely found Lestat again and being able to read this book started the year off right for me.
- Royal Regard by Mariana Gabrielle. I love a good regency romance. Generally, they have a formula that they follow and I find the formula to be a fun change of pace from what I usually read, but this crossed the gap between formulaic fun and just damned good story telling. Royal Regard has become one of my favorite regency romances. I was very impressed with the writing talent here.
- Nation by Terry Pratchett. So, I haven’t read much of Mr. Pratchett’s work outside of Discworld, which my kids grew up on. After he passed away, it seemed appropriate to branch out a bit and read something of his that was outside of that box. Nation did not disappoint me. It was everything that I love about Pratchett as a writer, and a little something more. Rest in peace, Sir Terry and know that you left a brilliant legacy behind.
- Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. Where do I start? Genderless protagonist who isn’t just genderless to tease the reader. Genderless for a purpose, for a reason. There is a reason that this book won the 2014 Hugo Awards. It was incredible. It was a serious page turner and it succeeded in keeping me on the edge of my seat, which leads me to…
- Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie. A continuation from book one. Truthfully, it was not as good as the first, but that’s relative because the first was completely stellar and I am still waiting on the edge of my seat to get to the third book in the series. It’s on my pile, I just have other books to clear first.
- The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. I have never seen a more detailed amount of world building in a single novel. The protagonist is whiney and not all that interesting at first, but he’s not the point. The world is the point and you definitely feel like you’re a part of it and you see his place in it and there’s a moment where it all gels and everything that went before suddenly makes sense. This was a beautiful book with stunning imagery. I suspect that it will go on my top ten list of best loved books of all time because while I was reading this book, I was in love with it. I could not put it down.
- Cold Days by Jim Butcher. I read both Cold Days and Skin Game this year but I have to be honest. Cold Days was a better book. It was everything I love about Harry Dresden and nothing that I don’t. The storytelling was superb and fluid and I admit that I struggled with Skin Game a bit more than I really felt that I should have. I’m very glad I decided to catch up on the series before reading Skin Game because I would have missed out on this excellent book if I hadn’t.
- Wind Rider’s Oath By David Weber. This is book three in the War God series. If you like military fantasy and stories of paladins and epic adventures, this is the series for you! David Weber is better known for his military science fiction character, Honor Harrington, which is a big favorite of mine. When I saw that he also wrote this fantasy series, I had to track it down and read all of it and I was NOT disappointed. Just excellent reading here. If you haven’t read it, give it a try!
- The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson. The first thing that struck me about this book, was its beautiful title. Anderson admits that this book was his attempt at a science fiction version of George R.R. Martin’s, A Game of Thrones. He does not disappoint and book two is already out. Anderson is more prolific than Martin, so odds are good that we’ll actually get to read a book every year or two in this series. This is the first book in a new series that links up with his Saga of the Seven Suns, but it is also a complete standalone. You don’t have to read what came before to enjoy this book and if you like science fiction at all and are prepared for an epic storytelling adventure in it, you will love this book. I wish that it had won the Hugo awards this year. It totally deserved it.