Amy's Favorite Books Read During 2015

Here are the best books I read in 2015.  (These are not all books that were released during 2015.)  I read 61 books and started another three which I decided not to finish.  I enjoy good stories that pull me in, interesting characters, action, and author creativity.  My preference is for the characters to go on some sort of adventure--either mentally or physically or both.  I like to escape the real world when I read.

This year was not a great book year for me.  I normally have more than ten 4- and 5-star books to consider in my “Best Of” list but only seven books earned 4 or 4-1/2 stars and none earned 5 stars this year.  My favorites, in order, were:

1.     I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (young adult, contemporary fiction)
2.     Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (fantasy)
3.     The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (mystery, psychological thriller)
4.     The Lunar Chronicles Series books 2 and 3 (Scarlet and Cress) by Marissa Meyer (young adult, fantasy)
5.     Love Anthony by Lisa Genova (contemporary fiction)
6.     These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman (young adult, science fiction)   


Here are some details about the books above (listed alphabetically):

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (mystery, psychological thriller) – Rachel, the girl on the train, takes the commuter train every day and tends to focus on one particular house she passes.  As the story progresses, the reader learns more about Rachel, her past, and the people she encounters on the train and in her daily routine.  Something happens and Rachel finds herself in the middle of situation in which she should not be involved.  And yet, she is undoubtedly involved.  This was a gripping psychological thriller. The way the story begins being told from the morning train commute and the evening return train commute is creative and effective. Then, the changing points of view and the different time periods serve to fill in very interesting holes. The reader is given a more complete picture piece by piece while, at the same time, made to feel uncomfortable and foggy like our Rachel. This book is full of misguided, mischievous, damaged people, reminding me a bit of the creepy folks in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. No one is genuine or well-intentioned except for one insignificant character.  The novel was crafted well. I enjoyed the way the situations became evident and the resulting mysteries and discoveries came to fruition. I could barely put it down.    

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (young adult, contemporary fiction, mystery, romance) – This is a contemporary young adult novel set in a California coastal town which centers around twin siblings Jude and Noah.  Told from both of their points of view, their personalities are unique, artsy, and unusual.  Their story is about some difficult situations that families often face.  However, their family seems to get hit with all of it in one tragic week. I loved this book! The characters were so vibrant and full of wonderful exaggerations about their feelings and views….bursting with teen drama! They were stunningly expressive, artistic, creative, and funny. In a way, Jude and Noah sometimes seemed a little too “adult” for their ages—similar to the way I feel about John Green’s teenage characters. But, I felt Jude and Noah’s personalities were more believable than the too-mature wit with which Green’s characters are infused. They were so passionate and I couldn’t help but cheer for them. I’ve also never read a novel from the point of view of a gay teenager and found it to be really interesting. It felt realistic to me.  I also loved the way the author shocked me when the story changed timeframes—it changed between Noah’s POV when the twins were aged 13-14 and Jude’s POV when they were 16. In Jude’s passages, things had usually changed so markedly and unexpectedly. I found it really compelling. The ending was very satisfying—perhaps slightly too satisfying, but I’m not one to knock a happy ending.

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova (contemporary fiction, fantasy) – I was not expecting to like this novel as much as I did which makes it all the sweeter. I read this for one of my book clubs and, although I loved the other Lisa Genova book I've read (Still Alice) as well as two other books where the protagonists were autistic (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Rosie Project), I just wasn’t excited based on the description of this novel.  This is the story of two women who both live on Nantucket—one trying to escape her recent past of losing her autistic 8-year-old son and separating from her husband, the other trying to accept life as a newly single mother of three girls after learning her husband was having an affair. Eventually, their paths cross and both of their lives are better for their connection. I found the majority of this novel extremely compelling. I was interested in the characters and their stories and hoping the roughness in their lives would smooth out. Genova is a gifted writer who pulls you in and makes you really understand the characters. She weaves a realistic tale—somehow including both humor and sadness in just the right doses--and makes you feel like you know people with similar thoughts in real life. The stories are believable and the paths seem reasonable ones for the characters to follow. What I did not fully appreciate was the “channeling”. I felt that the story could have been told in a way that still resonated with both Beth and Olivia, providing both with satisfactory endings, without the story going all “ghost-y” on us. I certainly am a fantasy lover so I’m not quite sure why I couldn’t enjoy that aspect of this novel. I think the rest of the story simply felt too real for me to be able to accept a fantasy element so late in the book. It somehow cheapened the entire novel for me. But I still enjoyed it overall—very much!

                                                               

 

The Lunar Chronicles Series books 2 and 3 (Scarlet and Cress) by Marissa Meyer (young adult, fantasy) – I find that each novel in this series is even better than the last!  The first book in this series is titled Cinder.  It is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella.  In Scarlet, new characters Scarlet  (aka Little Red Riding Hood), her grandmother, and Wolf are added to the Cinder storyline already in progress although, of course, the new characters have their pre-defined storyline too. And then we add Cress (aka Rapunzel) into the mix in the third novel.  I loved all of the storylines and the way Meyer wove them together. There was fun adventure, humor, and a little romance.   NOTE: I'm currently reading the fourth and final novel in this series, Winter, and am enjoying it too.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (fantasy) – Confession: This is the second time I’ve read this novel.  But, this time I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author himself. I loved the novel again! And I adore Neil Gaiman even more than I did before. He's a wonderful narrator and has quite a repertoire of voices and accents. The story tells of Richard Mayhew's adventures in London Below, where he unwittingly finds himself after helping a girl in need on the street. Richard is out of his element but becomes a better version of himself from his time Below. Gaiman's typical creativity is on full display and the intentional parallels to The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland are brilliant. The characters are real and believable and so very interesting. It's simply a great tale!

These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (young adult, science fiction) – Lilac and Tarver, the lone survivors of a spaceliner accident, survive on a strange planet.  Lilac is the privileged daughter of the richest man in the universe and Tarver is a young war hero.  I really enjoyed this twist on a couple of age-old storylines.  Two characters who would otherwise not have been permitted to spend time together find themselves stranded alone on an uninhabited planet.  They must work together to survive.  I felt close to the characters and found them very believable in their behaviors and feelings.  The story held my interest and left me wanting to know more.  The environments were all well-drawn and the pace was good. 

--Amy

Lynnie's Favorite Books of 2015

Goodbye 2015, hello 2016!

I enjoyed an interesting assortment of books in 2015 and I’m happy to report that I liked most of what I read (3 stars or higher on Goodreads).  I read 48 books, and only found 3 (same number as last year!) that I couldn’t bring myself to finish.  In an odd turn of events, the only book I gave 5 stars to this year was Stephen King’s The Stand- a book I’ve read so many times that I decided not to include it in this year’s favorites list as it’s been one of my favorites since I first read it in the 80s. 

Without further ado, here are the books I’ve been recommending to people this year (in no particular order):

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

I ADORED the first book in this series (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children), & I thought the second book in the series (Hollow City) was okay, but not fantastic. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this book almost as much as the first. Library of Souls brought the story of the Peculiar Children to a satisfying end or at least a place where continuing the story isn't necessary. It was great to spend some time in the Peculiar world again for a few days.

 

The Martian by Andy Weir

What an interesting adventure!  Amy wasn't a fan of the book, but I was thoroughly invested in the life & death struggles of Mark Watney after he was stranded during a mission to Mars. What a great protagonist- smart, funny, and a good attitude even in the most unimaginable situations.  If you can slog through the scientific and mathematical details, this book has a great premise and execution which will stick with you for a while afterward.  

 

 

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Frankly, I'm shocked at how much I enjoyed this book! I've made no secret of the fact that I do not enjoy historical fiction, in general, but Orphan Train held my attention from the first page to the last. I adored the two main characters and really appreciated their stories and how similar stories can play out over very different time periods. It’s a story about friendship, discovery and acceptance and I loved it.

 

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

A sequel to Garden Spells, it was so wonderful to have the opportunity to spend more time with the Waverly sisters.  I really enjoyed seeing how the family changed over the years and yet remained fundamentally the same.  The perfect book for curling up with by the fire, or on the beach.

  

 

The Calling- James Frey

The end of the world is coming and the champions of the twelve original lines of humanity on Earth must battle to find the keys which will save their line. It’s brutal, exciting, and full of non-stop action.

 

Honorable Mentions:

As You Wish by  Cary Elwes- This book made me laugh and smile the entire time I was reading it. If you’re a fan of the movie, The Princess Bride, this behind the scenes look at the film will make you love it, and its cast of characters even more. 

 

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty- Last year I had Moriarty’s Big Little Lies on my favorites list & this story is just as satisfying. As usual, Moriarty has written characters who are vivid and interesting and set them into a plot that leaves you wondering what is really going on and what. When Alice wakes up from being concussed she's lost 10 years of memory and possibly quite a bit more as she examines her current life through the eyes of someone that has never, and in her opinion would never, become the person her friends and family perceive her to be. Until her memories return she has to see her own world through the eyes of others as well as the eyes of her younger self.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner- This book was a lot of fun to read. It’s the story of Lilac & Tarver after their poorly named spaceliner Icarus crashes (well duh! Would you want to fly on anything named after a guy whose hubris made him fall out of the sky? Me neither!). They work together to survive on an uninhabited planet, solve the planet's mysteries & try to find a way to be rescued. I definitely enjoyed getting to know both characters.

The Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6) by Pittacus Lore

Amy      
Lynnie   

young adult, action/suspense, sci-fi, fantasy

The saga continues in The Fate of Ten.  The Garde have been separated into two groups--one in New York City and the other in Mexico.  The Mogadorian invasion has already reached NYC but the Garde located there try to fight them off and kill their leader, Setrakus Ra.  The Mexican group found an ancient powerful entity there.  But, trouble is coming to find them.  Interestingly, the fictional author of this book, Pittacus Lore, is finally featured as a character.

Amy's Review

This installment gave us a little forward motion and a good bit of history on Setrakus Ra. I really start running out of things to say when series go on so long. It's more of the same that I've come to expect from the Lorien Legacies series. Players moved around the globe. Good battled evil. Action and drama ensued. A few questions were answered. People died. That's it. Glad there is only one more in this series so we can wrap this up.                

Lynnie's Review

So here's the deal- the best news is that there is only one more book in this series because holy cow has this been dragged on long enough!

The good news is that The Fate of Ten continues to move the story forward, is as full of action as any of the previous books in the series, and even includes some new information, which is helpful and entertaining.

The bad news- the cliffhanger, of course, and the fact that the authors still don't mark who's narrating each chapter. Sometimes it can take a while to figure it out and it has annoyed me in every single book. I expect to be annoyed by it in the next book as well.

That said, if you've gone 6 books into the series, you'll likely continue to follow it through to its conclusion. If you've enjoyed the first 5, you'll enjoy this one as well. The characters are still solid & the action can be intense at times.

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth

Amy   

women's fiction

I won an Advanced Reader Copy of The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth. I had enjoyed her first novel (The Secrets of Midwives) so was excited to read another Hepworth novel. However, I was a little hesitant to enter the ARC contest because I was afraid that the topic, Alzheimers Disease, would be depressing. I had read another book about Alzheimers, Still Alice by Lisa Genova, several years ago. That story brought the reader through the enlightening journey of discovering the illness, dread of Alice’s imminent future, the downfall of her career, the acceptance of Alice’s new reality, and the way the family managed the situation. I learned a lot about this horrible disease (of which I previously knew almost nothing) while reading this compassionate novel. So, I was thinking that I did not need to read another book about Alzheimers. But, I wanted to give another Hepworth novel a try--especially a free ARC!

I can say it was definitely not the same story as Still Alice. Before the story begins in The Things We Keep, Anna has already accepted her undeniable future, has already said goodbye to her previous lifestyle (which was brushed over too easily, perhaps), and has been placed in an assisted-living facility. This story is more about her journey as the disease progresses and how her family and the facility employees manage her situation. It has a cast of charming characters and involves a second storyline about the newly-widowed cook at the facility, Eve, and her daughter. The storylines were told in different timeframes which was interesting and necessary in order to keep the mystery going. As with her first novel, Hepworth did a nice job of weaving the multi-generational storylines during the course of the novel. Her writing is very easy to read. It was a very touching story about love, kindness, forgiveness, and strength. I enjoyed it because I really cared about the characters. This novel has a lot of heart.

#loveneverforgets #thethingswekeep

This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance by Jonathan Evison

Lynnie 

contemporary fiction

I liked This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance more in the beginning than in the end. Poor Harriet Chance, a 78 year old widow who finds out that her husband won an Alaskan cruise prior to his death. After much hemming & hawing she decides to go on the cruise.

It was an interesting story and yet really sad and depressing. Throughout the book Jonathan Evison presents us with revelations, flash backs to various points in Harriet's life and much gnashing of teeth about the dynamics of the entire Chance family. I gather that we were supposed to watch Harriet come to peace with all that has happened, but in reality it seemed that Harriet was more resigned about her life than anything else- this is it, this is what happened, oh well it's too late now.   What a miserable journey.

Queen Song (Red Queen #0.1) by Victoria Aveyard

Amy   

Lynnie

young adult, fantasy, novella


We read and reviewed the original book in this series, Red Queen, last year and both of us really enjoyed it.  It's set in a world where society is segregated based on the color of a person's blood.  Silvers have all the power (including magical abilities) and wealth, while Reds do all the hard work and service in the society and live in poverty.

Queen Song is a novella set before the events in Red Queen and tells the story of Crown Prince Calore's mother, Coriane. 


Amy's Review

This novella is a prequel to Red Queen and tells the story of Cal's parents, Tibe and Coriane. It was a straightforward story of a dissatisfied girl who somehow attracts the prince even though she was not trying to do so. Of course, she attracts enemies too. I had forgotten so much about Red Queen already so it took me a while to figure out how these characters tied to those in Red Queen. I'm not sure this was a story that needed to be told.


Lynnie's Review
 
This was almost painful to read. As much as I loved the book Red Queen, I hated this novella, in large part because it was the one thing that Red Queen was not--boring. If it hadn't been so short I never would have finished it.

Queen Song focuses on Coriane- Cal's mother who really only serves as a plot device in Red Queen (mom has to die so evil stepmother can take over--sound familiar?). Unfortunately because Coriane is such a minor presence in Red Queen, I really didn't feel like I needed to learn about her and this novella didn't shed any light onto any of the more prominent characters in the main book.

If you're totally in love with this universe maybe you'll enjoy it. But I didn't.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Amy 

fantasy, historical fiction, romance

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a retelling of the Iliad from the viewpoint of Patroclus, a minor character in the Iliad.  It tells of his childhood, his exile, his great love, and his adult deeds including his part in the Trojan War.

I’m happy that my book club guided me to this novel. I enjoyed it! I’ve always liked Greek mythology. Patroclus made for an interesting narrator. His experiences were uniquely his and the reader gets to know him fairly well during the course of his life and travels. His relationship with Achilles was a special one, although we are never given much of an idea as to why Achilles was attracted to Patroclus. Perhaps it was simply physical. Achilles said he found Patroclus “surprising”. But that’s just about the only compliment that we are given from Achilles’ point of view. In any case, the two of them are loyal to each other, make a great team, and the inevitable ending feels sad.

The voice actor of the audiobook, Frazer Douglas, was really great. I think his narrating made me like the book even more than I might have otherwise! The tedium of the Trojan War made the book a bit slow at times, but I enjoyed the characters enough by that point that I was interested in keeping the momentum going.

Us by David Nicholls

Lynnie

contemporary fiction


I really liked David Nicholls' book One Day; it had great characters, and followed an interesting idea.  Sadly, Us had neither of those. Rather, Us has characters who are really kind of awful (with the exception of the narrator Douglas who I just felt sorry for throughout the book), being awful to one another while they embark on one last grand adventure. I thought the travel descriptions were wonderful and vivid, but in the end I hated the characters no matter where they were in Europe.

I think the way the story wove back & forth between the Petersen family's current travels and the history of Douglas & Connie was done well, but in the end I just didn't care what happened to any of them in the past, present or future.

Sky Key (Endgame #2) by James Frey

Amy     
Lynnie  

young adult, action/suspense, fantasy

Sky Key is the second novel in the Endgame series by James Frey.  These novels tell the story of a secret game for which the original human tribes (or "lines") of humanity have been preparing for thousands of years.  Each line has a Player prepared at all times in anticipation of the future game and now it has finally begun.  The current Players from each line are in a battle to win the game and save their line from the coming destruction.  The first novel, Endgame: The Calling, (see our review here) described the beginning of the game and the search for the Earth Key.  This novel details the continuing battles while the players search for the Sky Key.

Amy's Review

This book met my expectations.  I figured this continuing saga, which started in Endgame: The Calling, would involve a lot of player movement, fighting, violence, technology, trickery, and death.  In that, I was not disappointed.  James Frey is a master at creating convoluted, intertwined storylines and describing the action scenes clearly.  Unfortunately, this book grew tedious with all the jumping around from character to character and the obligatory duels and battles.  I felt like I was being turned one way to watch an investigation/battle play out and then turned another way to watch yet another investigation/battle play out, etc.  It was all interesting but it got a little exhausting, like being forced to watch TV with someone who changes channels too frequently.  However, it was still exciting enough to keep me interested and I’ll read the next one when it is released.

Again, there is a game to be played with this novel in real life and lots of clues provided at the end of every chapter.  And, again, I did not bother with this stuff.  I will say that some of the illustrations in these clues were childish-looking which corrupted the integrity of the story.  I mean, I wasn't necessarily thinking about the story as a YA novel while reading it until these illustrations popped up to remind me that this novel was geared toward the younger crowd. 

Lynnie's Review

Here's a tip- don't read this book & any book in the Lorien series (also by Frey) in close proximity to each other. I read this within weeks of reading the latest Lorien book (The Fate of Ten) & at times it felt like I was reading the same book- the two have similar pacing, similar end-of-the-world-thanks-to-aliens scenarios, & super teenagers who have to save the world... I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had left more space between reading the two books.

That said, I was happy to continue the story of Endgame. Just as vicious as the first book, the teens battle to save their family lines and no one is spared from the brutality of Endgame. Fans of action will not be disappointed as the story moves forward quickly & violently as the players try to retrieve the second piece of Endgame's puzzle, the Sky Key.

I had my favorite players as well as players that I hoped would fail at every turn. I was as happy with the outcome as I was disappointed, but I enjoyed the fact that things in this book are not always predictable or straight forward. I like a book that keeps me guessing about what will happen next.

Thankfully Sky Key doesn't suffer from what I call "middle book syndrome" (Is this a trilogy? Please don't be longer than a trilogy.) where nothing of consequence happens in the 2nd book and it feels more like a place keeper than an actual story. There's plenty going on in Sky Key so if you enjoyed Endgame: The Calling, you'll find yourself wrapped up in this book as well. I'm eager for the 3rd book and to see how it all ends.

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

Amy    

historical fiction

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum is told alternatingly from WWII Germany and 1997 Minnesota.  It is the story of Anna and her daughter Trudy--their situation during the war and their life several decades later as Trudy tries to figure out the story of her past.

I read this for book club. Thankfully, the second half was better than the first half and I ended up enjoying the story. But, I wasn’t so sure when both Anna and Trudy were so cold and unlikeable. Frankly, I always hesitate to read a book set during WWII. I just know it’s going to be depressing and I prefer to not be depressed. This met my expectations. Depressing, check. “Good” persisting despite being surrounded by “evil”, check. Survival despite near desolation, check. Troubled relationships, check. Death, check. To this one, you can add the moral of how not facing the truth of your past can prevent you from enjoying your future.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Amy 

young adult, romance

In The Sky is Everwhere, Lennie's sister recently died unexpectedly and life is suddenly very different.  After Lennie returns to school, she starts looking at the world differently and begins to figure out who she is now that she is no longer Bailey's sister.

This audiobook has a fantastic narrator. I have never before felt that a narrator completely covered the novel perfectly in an audiobook. That is, except for Neil Gaiman. But, he doesn't count because he narrates his own books so it isn't a stretch for him to interpret his characters correctly. Anyway, this was a job very well done by Julia Whelan.

As for the book, it's a well-written teenage romance full of drama. I don't typically like realistic teenage dramas because, well, I'm quite happy to be far away from teenage drama. But, I adored Jandy Nelson's other novel, I'll Give You the Sun, and I wanted to give this one a try. This one was written first and is not as amazing as I'll Give You the Sun but was still enjoyable. These characters are also quirky and creative and full of delicious exaggerations and wit. The story covers the loss of a loved one and dealing with grief very capably. I found it to be touching, fun, and extremely colorful.

I plan to read anything Jandy Nelson writes. What fun she must be!

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Amy          

Lynnie     

young adult, fantasy, sci-fi

Having enjoyed the first book in this series, Cinder, more than I did, Amy read this sequel back in May.  She finally convinced me that I should continue the series because she was enjoying it so much.  Like Cinder, which was a futuristic retelling of the Cinderella story, Scarlet is a futuristic spin on Little Red Riding Hood while continuing the story of Cinder as well.

Amy's Review

I really enjoyed this second novel in The Lunar Chronicles series. New characters (Scarlet—aka Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, and Wolf) were added to the Cinder storyline already in progress although, of course, the new characters had their pre-defined storyline too. I loved both storylines and the way Meyer wove them together. There was fun adventure, humor, and a little romance. Before I read this, I also read Meyer’s novella called The Queen’s Army which was Wolf’s back story. I was glad to have read that before starting Scarlet. As a reader, I felt closer to Wolf’s motivations than if I had not read the novella.

Again, like with Cinder, this novel leaves us in a cliffhanger. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series!


Lynnie's Review 

I read the first book in this series, Cinder, about a year and a half ago with no ambition to continue the story. While I enjoyed many aspects of the book, there were many that I found entirely predictable because after all- it's essentially the story of Cinderella. My sister convinced me that the books improve with each one so I finally decided to tackle Scarlet when it became available at the library. Amy's right, this book is better than Cinder, but still had many of the same issues that bothered me last time.

In this book we have Scarlet (now, Little Red Riding Hood) who is secretly stalked, followed and coveted by (Big Bad) Wolf. Her grandmother has gone missing so Scarlet sets out to find her grandmother and whatever secrets the woman may be hiding, with Wolf in tow.

Interwoven with Scarlet's journey is the continuation of Cinder(ella)'s tale- as she is joined by Captain Thorne (the hunter?). Cinder and Thorne are also looking for Scarlet's grandmother because really, what else are they going to do that might bring these two storylines together?

The two stories do work well together and really complement each other, making this book much more fun to read than the first. There's action, humor, and romance and even though some of the characters annoyed me endlessly (Scarlet, I'm looking at you), most of the time I was eager to find out what would happen next.

I will read the next book in the series, but once again I'm in no hurry.