It’s that time again!! I’m getting ready to post our book-crew’s TOP 10 books for 2017 (and also getting mine ready, too). 🙂
And who better to kick us off, than our beloved MichelleS that was right there with us for most of the year, and then disappeared without a trace for the last couple of months!!!
Why? She got hooked on CNN!!!!!!! Since. August!!!
MichelleS: Unfortunately, I’ve been binge watching CNN. Ugh! It’s depressing me, which makes me not want to read. …All this hurricane talk isn’t helping. I am glued to CNN. I need to just turn the TV off, I think. Going to go pour myself a glass of wine and get back to my book.
…I have been so so so busy with life. And I haven’t hardly read a thing. I do know every single pore on Anderson Cooper’s vampire like face though, or at least I should if he had any, because I think I own stock in CNN now. Got. To. Stop. Watching. News. UGH!
I have a feeling she’s not the only one. 😉
bev: MichelleS it cracks me up that you went to CNN and I went to K dramas. I still wanted the romance and pretty. But yeah I was not able to focus on a book at all. So instead of forcing it I just stopped too.
P.S. No worries. bev is still with us, too. I love our crew!!! It’s just been a strange… year. 😉
But MichelleS has got a list for us, ’cause good or bad “news” or not, she did read. 🙂
“…Sinners of Saint series got me out of my slump. Not sure how or why. This new Lauren Gilley book is awesome too. Maybe I’m healing?”
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MichelleS: So even with my big reading slump, I managed to get together a pretty good list for 2017. It is a bit of every genre I love to read, so I didn’t veer too far off base. These are all books that I can remember the plot and details, even after many months.
Best M/M (male/male romance) – In The Absence Of Light and September (Pride and Joy Book 1). Both are older/younger, but they couldn’t be more different.
Best PNR (paranormal) – Rhapsodic (The Bargainer Book 1), Into This River I Drown, and White Wolf (Sons of Rome Book 1) (Lauren Gillley is brilliant)
Best CR (contemporary romance) – Mists of The Serengeti and An Exaltation of Larks (Venery Book 1)
Best MC (motorcycle club) – Torn (Devils Wolves Book 1) and Undeserving (Undeniable Book 5) – Sheehan is back)
Best UF (Urban Fantasy) – Silence Fallen (A Mercy Thompson Novel) (will always make this list, I think) and Beautiful Monsters series
Best Fantasy – A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses) (love this series) and Weaving Man: Book One of The Prophecy Series
These made the list because there are some amazing writers up there (Sheehan, Briggs, Klune, Ford, Gillley, Maas), and the characters are so well written and memorable. I think Fantasy is best in a series, and these all delivered for me.
What I didn’t see as a trend for me was – young adult, new adult, mystery or thriller, or any dystopian. Hmmm….. did I stick too much to my preferences? Maybe that was why the slump?
Looking forward to 2018
See you on the blog!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Reading!
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So who’s next? If you guys have one for me, email it to me, or message it to me, or even leave it in the comments and I will be turning them into official posts. Our 2017 BEST OF lists!!! 
Email me here, or leave a comment on a blog post, or message me on Facebook with your favorites list (and if you can include little tidbits of why you loved each one), that would be awesome!!
Nice list, MichelleS. I have read 1 of these…though I own a couple others.
I like how you broke it up by subgenre.
And I made a cameo. Ha.
On GR Anna was saying she is going through a slump too. And now Nay. What is up??
Sign O’ the Times, bev.
And now I miss Prince.
We’re just… readjusting. We’ll always be avid readers. We’re just enjoying different genres… mixing it up. 😉
We’ll always be here, though. Discovering new goodies.
I wish I could read Torn, but nope. 🙁 I only hear awesome things about it.
Keep recommending those fantasies though! You recommended Weaving Man and The Bargainer, both of which I adored. Silence Fallen was one of the better ones of the series. And well… Court of Wings and Ruin. *swoons*
Great list MichelleS! Mists was a favorite for me too. I recommend that book too everyone. Dyng to read Torn and Undeserving!!!
Court of Wings and Ruin…greatness! So glad you guys convinced me to read the series!
Tessa – why can’t you read Torn?
It is a Sign O’ the Times.
Plus I got addicted to Horse.
Triggers. I liked it and then it just went too far and I knew if I kept reading it, I’d have issues. *shrugs*
Oh, and the Beautiful Monsters series first book is free if anyone wants to try it. I do, and that’s how I found out. 🙂
Love your list! I’ve read a lot of them.
Have you read book 2 in the Venery series, A Charm of Finches? That book was so good. Also Suanne Lacquer just put out a novella called Tales from Cushman Row, which is about Stef and Jav from ACOF’s! Love her books!
Maryse, is there a limit to the number of favorite books? My list could get pretty loooong! LOL
No limit, Robyn. I say Top Ten ’cause it makes it easier, but you could go over that if you wanted.
Thanks Michelle. I love seeing everyone’s top picks! I’m dying to read Silence fallen but I STILL haven’t read the previous one, Night Broken (I think?) And I want to read them in order. So I’d better get onto that.
Yes, if you liked Exaltation of Larks you should def read Charm of Finches. One of my top reads of the year.
I liked White Wolf although I’d put it in the UF category rather than pnr. Or maybe just ‘paranormal’? There wasn’t that much romance :/ but it was good.
Wow great list I tot’s agree with more than few and then some I just could not get through – like White Wolf… hmmmm what’s up with that
Talking about book funkery I have 5 books on the go right now because non can keep my interest long enough to finish???
That’s why I keep going back to Method 15/33 – it was the only book I read in one sitting and didn’t need my tips and tricks to keep moving forward like switching back and forth between the audiobook and ebook.
Is it the books or me?!?
wow Maryse you are up early!!! lol
LOL!!! Yes sometimes my sleep is all wonky and last night was one of those times. I’m tired now though…
Definitely recommend September too, if you like M/M. Loved it!!
Great list Michelle! I’ve read your two CR reads.
For me, the book slump is because I’ve gotten pickier in my choices and feel some storylines are overused.
I swear I already commented on Michelle’s list…but the interwebz ate it… *blink, blink*
I read and loved both of the CR’s you did and I really enjoyed ACOWAR too. I need to read more of your favorites. *nods*
Great list, Michelle! Thank you for sharing; and thank you too, Maryse!
Mists of the Serengeti and Court of Wings and Ruin…YEAH!!! *fistbumps MichelleS*