Best of 2005
Jan. 11th, 2006 08:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksMy "Best of" list is limited to books that were published in 2005 and which I read in 2005. Already there is a book that I have enjoyed immensely, finishing with an A grade (Imaginary Men by Anjali Banerjee), but which cannot make the list: although it was published in 2005, I didn't read it until 2006. For the annual AAR poll, I will go back and list the "best" of a variety of subgenres, but these are the 10 books I liked best, regardless of subgenre.
Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann. The main characters, Cosmo and Jane, were likeable enough and their story ended nicely, but the real draw for this book was a secondary story line following Jules Cassidy, a recurring character. Jules is a gay FBI agent, and he's got personal and professional disasters occurring simultaneously in HT. After I finished reading the first time, I immediately re-read the Jules portions. I am one of many people who are hoping to someday see Jules as the main character, getting his own HEA.
If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend by Allison Pace. This is a chick lit novel about Jane Laine. She's a curator at an art gallery in Manhattan. She's been stuck with a traveling art showcase, babysitting an artist she doesn't really get. Very little of this book is romantic in the traditional romance novel sense, but it shows Jane gradually figuring out what she wants and how to get it, and growing to like and then love her hero.
To Die For by Linda Howard. A first person romantic suspense novel with a chick lit lite tone, my pleasure in this book was a bit of a surprise for me. I've liked very few of Howard's recent hardback releases, and she's fallen off of my autobuy list. And Blair, a mouthy ex-cheerleader, was not a character whom I would like to know personally or count among my circle of friends, but she suited the hero and the style of the book. I totally believed in her HEA with Wyatt.
Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares. This is the third Sisterhood of the Pants book, and the final it seems. The narrative follows Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bee through their summer after high school graduation, with the pants bouncing between them, bringing them good luck and confidence. Nice wrap up of the series, with a couple of surprises. I wouldn't recommend this book as a stand alone, but think the entire series is worth reading.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. I came late to the HP craze; HBP was the first HP book whose release I anticipated with relish. It lived up to my expectations, and I (like millions of children and adults around the world) am looking forward to the seventh book to see how Harry deals with You-Know-Who and the Horcruxes.
Dark Lover by J.R. Ward. This book generated a lot of buzz in the online romance community: outlandish names and spellings; subversion of hiphop and black slang to signal coolness; etc. I enjoyed the building of the vampire world and mythology, the family-like circle of the men and the premise of the series enough to overlook the flaws that seemed to bother everyone else.
Passion by Liz Valdez. Another book that generated a lot of buzz. The prose was a little purple in places, but I very much liked the flipping of the physical and emotional intimacy. Although the language and style are different, that flipping was very reminiscent of early Mary Balogh to me (The Secret Pearl, A Precious Jewel). Some of the sex scenes squicked out a lot of readers, but I thought the character development that went on with Passion and Mark outweighed any ick factor.
The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold. This is the third installment in her fantasy series set in Chalion. Although it is set in the same world, the main characters were not secondary characters from the earlier book who had been clearly crying for a story. This was quite different from The Curse of Chalion or Paladin of Souls, but quite good all the same.
Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan. This is Vaughan's debut novel, I believe. It is set in an alternate reality with medieval/historical overtones. Xylara, sister of the kind of Xy, is a healer. As part of a treaty to end a war, she is given as a slave to Keir, the Firelander Warlord. The story has some political intrigue in addition to the romance, and the world/culture building was very well done. It felt a little unfinished, until I saw that the story will be continued in Vaughn's next book, due out this spring. Very good freshman effort.
Hot Sauce by Scott Whittier and Scott Pomfret. This is one of the first gay romance novels released by Romentics. Brad is an up and coming chef in love with Troy Boston, a fashion designer and social brahmin. They've been together for two years and are working on opening a club/restaurant together, but Troy's mother thinks that Brad isn't good enough for her boy. She throws an old family friend, Aria Shakespeare, who wants Troy back in his life, into the mix by hiring him to work on publicity for the new club. To increase publicity, Troy announces lavish wedding plans. Tension, jealousy and frustration mount. Does Troy really love Brad? Or is this all for the club? And what is his history with Aria? This was the first "gay" novel I've read, and I liked it a great deal. It was hot, the heroes were likeable if a little dense in some ways, and it had a satisfying HEA.
Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann. The main characters, Cosmo and Jane, were likeable enough and their story ended nicely, but the real draw for this book was a secondary story line following Jules Cassidy, a recurring character. Jules is a gay FBI agent, and he's got personal and professional disasters occurring simultaneously in HT. After I finished reading the first time, I immediately re-read the Jules portions. I am one of many people who are hoping to someday see Jules as the main character, getting his own HEA.
If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend by Allison Pace. This is a chick lit novel about Jane Laine. She's a curator at an art gallery in Manhattan. She's been stuck with a traveling art showcase, babysitting an artist she doesn't really get. Very little of this book is romantic in the traditional romance novel sense, but it shows Jane gradually figuring out what she wants and how to get it, and growing to like and then love her hero.
To Die For by Linda Howard. A first person romantic suspense novel with a chick lit lite tone, my pleasure in this book was a bit of a surprise for me. I've liked very few of Howard's recent hardback releases, and she's fallen off of my autobuy list. And Blair, a mouthy ex-cheerleader, was not a character whom I would like to know personally or count among my circle of friends, but she suited the hero and the style of the book. I totally believed in her HEA with Wyatt.
Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares. This is the third Sisterhood of the Pants book, and the final it seems. The narrative follows Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bee through their summer after high school graduation, with the pants bouncing between them, bringing them good luck and confidence. Nice wrap up of the series, with a couple of surprises. I wouldn't recommend this book as a stand alone, but think the entire series is worth reading.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. I came late to the HP craze; HBP was the first HP book whose release I anticipated with relish. It lived up to my expectations, and I (like millions of children and adults around the world) am looking forward to the seventh book to see how Harry deals with You-Know-Who and the Horcruxes.
Dark Lover by J.R. Ward. This book generated a lot of buzz in the online romance community: outlandish names and spellings; subversion of hiphop and black slang to signal coolness; etc. I enjoyed the building of the vampire world and mythology, the family-like circle of the men and the premise of the series enough to overlook the flaws that seemed to bother everyone else.
Passion by Liz Valdez. Another book that generated a lot of buzz. The prose was a little purple in places, but I very much liked the flipping of the physical and emotional intimacy. Although the language and style are different, that flipping was very reminiscent of early Mary Balogh to me (The Secret Pearl, A Precious Jewel). Some of the sex scenes squicked out a lot of readers, but I thought the character development that went on with Passion and Mark outweighed any ick factor.
The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold. This is the third installment in her fantasy series set in Chalion. Although it is set in the same world, the main characters were not secondary characters from the earlier book who had been clearly crying for a story. This was quite different from The Curse of Chalion or Paladin of Souls, but quite good all the same.
Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan. This is Vaughan's debut novel, I believe. It is set in an alternate reality with medieval/historical overtones. Xylara, sister of the kind of Xy, is a healer. As part of a treaty to end a war, she is given as a slave to Keir, the Firelander Warlord. The story has some political intrigue in addition to the romance, and the world/culture building was very well done. It felt a little unfinished, until I saw that the story will be continued in Vaughn's next book, due out this spring. Very good freshman effort.
Hot Sauce by Scott Whittier and Scott Pomfret. This is one of the first gay romance novels released by Romentics. Brad is an up and coming chef in love with Troy Boston, a fashion designer and social brahmin. They've been together for two years and are working on opening a club/restaurant together, but Troy's mother thinks that Brad isn't good enough for her boy. She throws an old family friend, Aria Shakespeare, who wants Troy back in his life, into the mix by hiring him to work on publicity for the new club. To increase publicity, Troy announces lavish wedding plans. Tension, jealousy and frustration mount. Does Troy really love Brad? Or is this all for the club? And what is his history with Aria? This was the first "gay" novel I've read, and I liked it a great deal. It was hot, the heroes were likeable if a little dense in some ways, and it had a satisfying HEA.
