WWMB Best of 2020

Tags

Amy June Bates, Anna Lee Huber, C.S. Harris, Christine Trent, Cindy Stark, Cynthia St. Aubin, Darynda Jones, Denali Day, Erica Ridley, Grace Draven, Jodi Taylor, Juliet Marillier, Kate Racculia, Kerrigan Byrne, Kit Rocha, Kyndra Hatch, Laurie A. Green, Maria Vale, Mary Robinette Kowal, Matthew A. Cherry, Milla Vane, Nita Round, Pauline Baird Jones, Rebecca Roanhorse, Susanna Kearsley, Tanya Anne Crosby, Tiffinie Helmer, Vashti Harrison, Vicki Stiefel, Zara Ramm

Assuming I was diligent about updates on my Goodreads account, I read (or listened to) 131 books in 2020.   I like to think that I am pretty discriminating when it comes to choosing which books to read.  That means that almost every book that I read is a winner.  That makes it very difficult to pick out the best of 2020.

However, there are several that have stood out.  These are the books that come to mind long after I have read the last word.  They elicit emotions ranging from despair to hope, evoking anger, laughter and love.  In short – they leave a mark. 

Today I am presenting my selections for the WWMB Best of 2020.  I hope you find something that appeals to you.  Most were published in 2020 and for the few that are older, I’ve noted the publishing year.  If you have a favorite you would like to share, please add it in the comments.

(Note: Click on book covers for the Amazon link.  Link to Goodreads under each title.)

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Science Fiction Romance

Catnip for SciFi Reading Librarians
Deal with the Devil (Mercenary Librarians, #1) by Kit Rocha
Goodreads

In 2020, Kit Rocha (pen name for the writing team of Donna Herren and Bree Bridges) released Deal with the Devil (Mercenary Librarian, #1) by Kit Rocha.  Mercenary librarians. How is someone like me, a librarian that loves Scifi romance, going to ignore this one?  Deal With the Devil is a non-stop action, post-apocalyptic scifi thriller. There are evil corporate overlords and supersoldier enforcers. Nina, Knox and their friends are the bright stars in the neighborhood (or wherever they venture to), helping out in their peaceful, quiet ways and also in their deadly, not-so-quiet ways. These are the honorable heroes of the futuristic Atlanta.  Previously known for paranormal tales, I am very happy Kit Rocha as entered the scifi realm.  Also, this is one of my favorite book covers of 2020.

Genre-Bending
Changed (The Made Ones Saga, #2) by Vicki Stiefel
Goodreads

Changed is a cross between Scifi and Fantasy that features transportation to a parallel world where the Earth-bound ravages of disease and age are miraculously wiped away. I have to say, I really like this idea. Of course, the miracle comes with a price.  One hopes the price will be worth it.  Bad guys with a dystopian-like control make things interesting.  Parallel worlds, flying horses, DNA manipulation, magic.  See – a little bit of everything.  Love this series!

Best SciFi Romance Collection
Pets in Space 5 by many authors
Goodreads

Pets in Space 5 – The 2020 release is the best Pets In Space collection of all.  Even though the anthology is supposed to be about pets, many of the cats, dogs and otherworldy creatures are so much more than pets. Many are sentient companions, have specific purposes and even seem to be as in charge of things as their partners. Pet lovers can relate to this.  I thought all the stories were great, but if I had to single out 1 or 3, they would be General’s Holiday by Pauline Baird Jones, Juggernaut by Laurie A. Green and Finding Mogha by Kyndra Hatch.

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Science Fiction

Best SciFi Series
Lady Astronaut by Mary Robinette Kowal
Goodreads

Book 3, The Relentless Moon, was released in 2020, but I read all three books in this series, plus a few short stories last year.  A lot of research was done to make the story of an early aggressive space program developed to save humanity seem real and vital. Told from the POV of the women destined to be the first Lady Astronauts, the story reflects attitudes toward women and minorities in the 50s. So, our heroines and their friends have a lot to overcome.  Notable among the short stories is The Lady Astronaut of Mars, (free to read on Tor.com)a novelette first published in 2012.  Read this after reading books 1 and 2.  Be prepared to shed some tears.  Nebula Award winning series.

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Intentional Time Travel

Time is Complicated
Just in Time (Out of Time, #2) by Pauline Baird Jones
Goodreads

This long-awaited sequel to Out of Time is the edge-of-your seat, messing-with-time adventure that appeals to the “Time is Complicated” crowd.

Best Spinoff from a Favorte Series
Doing Time (The Time Police, #1) by Jodi Taylor
Goodreads

Published in 2019, this first book in the Chronicles of St. Mary’s spinoff series features Matthew Farrell, the scion of a pair of awesome, yet calm-challenged parents.  Along with his two misfit friends, they form Team Weird, keeping the world safe from illegal time travel.  Shenanigans ensue!  I love the original series, and I am afraid I am going to love this one just as much!  The audiobook is superbly narrated by Zara Ramm.

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Steampunk Powered by Women
A Touch of Ice (The Towers of the Earth, #4) by Nita Round
Goodreads

If I think back to book 1 of this series, which I read as a mystery and not much more, I am amazed at how far the story has progressed. Every time I finish a book in this series, I think the story just keeps getting better.  While the overall story arc of The Towers of the Earth is intricate and fascinating, these books are ultimately about three strong women who will do anything for each other. Which is the true appeal for me.

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Paranormal Romance

We Should All Be More Wolflike
Season of the Wolf (The Legend of All Wolves, #4) by Maria Vale
Goodreads

The Legend of All Wolves is still my favorite wolf/werewolf/shifter series. From the beginning of the series, I have admired the unique take on the wolves that can wear skin. Season of the Wolf focuses on two characters. Evie, the pack Alpha, and Constantine, a shifter that got caught up the battle between the pack and the shifters.  The wolves of the Great Northern Pack have a life philosophy that includes family (pack) first, total honesty and taking care of their environment. 

 

Whiskey Drinkers
The Witches of Port Townsend by Kerrigan Byrne, Cynthia St. Aubin, Cindy Stark and Tiffinie Helmer
Goodreads

This 4-book, 4-author, 4-witch, 4-hoursmen-of-the-apocalypse series was so much fun to read.  I read all four books with a few months.  Each author wrote a section of each book, telling her witch’s story.  Long lost sisters found, the end of the world, sexy as heck heroes, and Lucifer are all thrown into the mix with familiars, zombies, religious extremists, and druids.  This series will put a spell on you – I have personal experience.  For some reason, while I was reading book 3, I found myself sipping a glass of whiskey at the end each day while I was reading the book (just like the sisters liked to do).  The 2020 versions are re-releases.

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Fantasy Romance

Characters to Fall in Love With
In the Darkest Midnight by Grace Draven
Goodreads

Grace Draven’s fantasy romance books always top my list.  This year I read Dragon Unleashed and The Ippos King.  Both were wonderful.  But the one I really loved was In the Darkest Midnight.  Published in 2018, this novella features two amazing protagonists.  The slow burn romance set in the world of the Wraith Kings is beautifully told, absolutely brimming with heart.  It joins Master of Crows and Enreat Me to become another one of my favorite Draven stories.

 

History/Myth/Imagination
Lord of Shadows by Tanya Anne Crosby
Goodreads

After having read book 1 of the series late in 2019, I was on a mission to read the entire series.  The finale, Lord of Shadows, expertly combines English history with Arthurian myth.  The author’s dose of imagination was the spice to add richness and piquancy.  Ms. Crosby also writes historical romance and contemporary suspense, but this series is my favorite by far.

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Fantasy Barbarian Romance

I don’t know if this is a genre, but there were a couple of standout fantasies that dealt with characters that live outside of typical civilizations. 

Great New Author
Hollen the Soulless (Dokiri Brides, #1) by Denali Day
Goodreads

“Dokiri Brides” is not typically a title that would stand out to me.  Judging a book by cover.  I know.  But something propelled me to try this one and I got so much more than I was expecting.  The Dokiri culture, the amazing characters and the intensive slow burn romance have made Hollen the Soulless one of my favorites of the year.  I’ve since read a prequel and 3 sequels.  Keep your eye on Denali Day.  I foresee many great stories coming from her. 

An Author by Another Name
A Heart of Blood and Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons, #1) by Milla Vane
Goodreads

Last February I predicted A Heart of Blood and Ashes would be one of my favorites of 2020.  Milla Vane is the alter-ego of Meljean Brook.  Like her Iron Seas series, this new series has a complex, yet lush story line. It has sharply defined characters – flawed primary characters that are somehow still perfect and secondary characters that add depth and perspective to the tale. And it has a world intricately built just for them. And for me, the reader. 

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Fantasy

The Author that Always Makes Me Cry
A Dance With Fate (Warrior Bards, #2) by Juliet Marillier
Goodreads

It is difficult to imagine ever reading a book by Juliet Marillier that will not end up on my favorites list.  Marillier’s stories are beautifully imagined, and full of emotion.  The characters’ journey is often heartbreaking, but always magical and hopeful. 

Most Original Fantasy Setting
Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse
Goodreads

Black Sun is a highly original story of prophecy, honor, revenge and power. Told from the viewpoint of several pivotal characters, the story weaves through a timeline, back and forth.  It is full of contradictory characters, long-reaching intrigue and fascinating mythology. The mythology surrounding an eclipse in pre-Columbian America native cultures plays heavily in the story, making this fantasy stand out from the typical Euro-based fantasies.  Black Sun will appeal to fantasy readers looking for a fresh treatment of the genre.

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Historical Mystery

Best Collaboration
The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley, Anna Lee Huber, C.S. Harris, and Christine Trent
Goodreads

This anthology follows the story of a cursed gold watch as it passes through time and people.  Each author put their own spin on the curse. Because these authors solve mysteries, rely on facts and believe that the evidence will point to a human culprit, the validity of the curse is constantly questioned. But it never really goes away. I was fascinated and entertained by all four stories.

Something Different from a Favorite Author
The Business of Blood (The Fiona Mahoney Mysteries, #1) by Kerrigan Byrne
Goodreads

Published 2019.  In The Business of Blood, Fiona is a protagonist with a dark past and a current life that keeps her alive in an era where single women are not generally taken care of. That she takes on the job of cleaning up after corpses is not the only thing that makes her life a dark journey. Her obsession with Jack the Ripper as well as other activities that could get her hanged complete the picture for Fiona’s grim life.

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Children

While I don’t have time to read all the new books that come into my library, I often take the time to read the picture books.  Sometimes I am blown away by how wonderful they are!

Anyone Can Be and Artist
When I Draw a Panda by Amy June Bates
Goodreads

What a glorious book! Somewhere between childhood and just a little bit older, most of us forget how to draw. I love how this book shows that all you need to do is put pencil (or chalk or color or…) to paper, keep going, and eventually, you get art!

 

Dad Shows His Love
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Goodreads

This utterly charming book is based on the Oscar-winning short animated film by Matthew A. Cherry. It is the story of a young black girl, her quest to make her hair look special and her daddy’s help.  Check out the video on YouTube.

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Just a Few More

Out of My Box
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia
Goodreads

Not something I would typically pick up, this book, with so many Poe references, called to me. In answering the call, I was treated to an adventure through Boston neighborhoods while surrounded by several unusual characters whose stories are both fun and heartwarming.  The very quirky story of the brainy Tuesday Mooney and her eclectic group of friends takes the reader on a hunt for treasure, adventure, self-discovery, and friendship.

This One Cracked Me Up
Kiss of a Duke (12 Dukes of Christmas, #12) by Erica Ridley
Goodreads

Published in 2018.  A lady chemist attempts to make a man fall in love with her because of the perfume she invents.  As you might imagine, the unexpected results are not at all what was intended. In the author’s notes she says:  “In case it’s not obvious, I spend a good chunk of my work day giggling at my keyboard.”

Brings Back Fond Memories
A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram, #1) by Darynda Jones
Goodreads

Readers of Ms. Jones’ Charley Davidson series will see many similarities between that series and Sunshine Vicram – in both characters and plot construction.  This new series has less woo-woo content but just as many questions to answer.  So, if you lamented the end of Charley Davidson, take heart. Sunshine Vicram is just as charming, just as funny, just as complex, just as smart, has just as much heart, and I think I might like her even more than I liked Charley.

Best Title and Timeliest Theme
St. Mary’s and the Great Toilet Roll Crisis (The Chronicles of St. Mary’s, #11.1) by Jodi Taylor
Goodreads

Free read on the authors website.  (Click on the cover.)

A Dance With Fate (Warrior Bards, #2) by Juliet Marillier

Tags

5 stars x 2, Book Review, fantasy, favorite, Ireland, Juliet Marillier, music, series

About A Dance with Fate by Juliet Marillier

The young warrior and bard Liobhan has lost her brother to the Otherworld. Even more determined to gain a place as an elite fighter, she returns to Swan Island to continue her training. But Liobhan is devastated when her comrade Dau is injured and loses his sight in their final display bout. Blamed by Dau’s family for the accident, she agrees to go to Dau’s home as a bond servant for the span of one year.

There, she soon learns that Oakhill is a place of dark secrets. The vicious Crow Folk still threaten both worlds. And Dau, battling the demon of despair, is not an easy man to help.

When Liobhan and Dau start to expose the rot at the center of Oakhill, they place themselves in deadly danger. For their enemy wields great power and will stop at nothing to get his way. It will take all the skills of a Swan Island warrior and a touch of the uncanny to give them a hope of survival. . .

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Review of A Dance with Fate

Master storyteller Juliet Marillier has once again succeeded in getting into my heart with the continuing story of Liobhan, Dau and Broc.  These characters became family for the brief time I was reading their story.  When they hurt, I hurt.  When they laughed, I smiled.  When they loved, I smiled even more!

Chapters alternate viewpoints between Liobhan, Dau, and Brocc.   Brocc has married the queen of the Otherworld and uses his warrior training and singing voice to protect the peaceful creatures from the crow people.  When he discovers a disturbing death of one of the crow people, things start to change between Brocc and his wife, Eirne.  At one point, Brocc suffers a personal loss that will surely have long lasting effects.  Not all these effects are witnessed in this book, so I am certain there will be more to come in the next book.

In the meantime, Dau and Liobhan are struggling with their new roles as invalid chieftain son and bond servant in a place where both suffer at the hands of Dau’s older brother.  There is more going on here than is obvious.  Dau and Liobhan will be in the center of the mess to come.  There will be much to learn and much to make better.  And there will be a redemption.

In The Harp of Kings, the beginnings of a romance between Liobhan and Dau hinted at more to come.  In A Dance With Fate, that ‘more to come’ means that the two come to care for each other, while realizing that the warrior’s life means they cannot be together.

A Dance With Fate is often heartbreaking.  At times I wondered if even wanted to continue because I knew it was going to get worse before it got better.  But as an experienced Juliet Marillier reader, I knew that eventually, the heartbreak would be eased and be replaced with beauty and magic, hope and happiness.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Links

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Purchase A Dance with Fate:

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WWMB Best of 2019

Tags

Jenna Glass, Jody Wallace, Julia Vee, Juliet Marillier, Ken Bebelle, Kyndra Hatch, Lindsay Buroker, Maria Vale, Maxym M. Martineau, Meg Pechenik, Monica Enderle Pierce, Vicki Stiefel, W. M. Akers

For the last 4 years, I’ve been a part of the SFR Galaxy awards. Earlier this year, to my consternation, it was announced that those awards are ended.

I can’t just let that drop. I am a book blogger. I have opinions about books. I am compelled to let those opinions out.

Even though SciFi Romance figures heavily in my reading, I feature a variety of genres here on Whiskey With My Book. Without the constraints of the Galaxy awards, I can expand my choices of outstanding fiction published in 2019.

These are the books that I found to be unique, caused book hangovers, made me excited for the next book, made me laugh or cry or even made me angry.  They all evoked a level of emotion that persisted from the time I read them in 2019 to the day I made this list in 2020.  So, lacking any other formal title and in no particular order, here are my selections for the WWMB Best of 2019 (and maybe one or two from 2018).

(Note: Click on book covers for the Amazon link.  Link to Goodreads under each title.)

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Science Fiction Romance

Learn a New Language
The Mother Element (Glass and Iron, #2) by Monica Enderle Pierce
Goodreads

This book is not available in audiobook. If it ever is, I wonder if the narrator will be human or Ohnenrai. The author has created a big chunk of an alien language which is liberally dispersed throughout the book. Language, though, is not really why this book is on my list. The Mother Element is easily my favorite SFR of 2019. I don’t pick favorites often, but this year I will make the exception. Pierce is a new-to-me author who writes a complex story with a socio-politial problem that crosses species lines. Solving the problem involves trust, hope and the ultimate sacrifice. Along with the first book, Girl Under Glass, this was such an engrossing read! I have not yet finished my official review, because of the complexity of the story, but plan to – eventually.

Escape Old Age
Altered (The Made Ones Saga, #1) by Vicki Stiefel
Goodreads

Altered is a cross between Scifi and Fantasy that features transportation to a parallel world where the Earth-bound ravages of disease and age are miraculously wiped away. I have to say, I really like this idea. Of course, the miracle comes with a price.  One hopes the price will be worth it.  Bad guys with a dystopian-like control make things interesting.  Add the Wolf Clan heir apparent, romance, a coyote/wolf, a little humor, plus a couple of sisters for future stories and you have a series to be followed.

Hard to Forget this Story
After the Fall by Kyndra Hatch
Goodreads

I first read this novella in the Pets in Space 3 anthology in 2018. The story was released as a standalone in 2019. This was a standout in the anthology and was the one that I could not get out of my mind. The author followed up with the equally good Interrupting Starlight in the Pets in Space 4 anthology. Both stories feature characters of different races, and both have a crash landing to start the adventure. Plus, animals help bring the characters together and get them through the danger. I just don’t think you can beat the scifi/romance/pets combination!

All You Need is a Box
Catalyst (Cat Ship, #1) by Jody Wallace
Goodreads

In case you were not aware, this book has a cat as a major character. And he ends up at a box factory. I suppose if cats have a heaven, there must be boxes. In Catalyst, there are humans too, along with danger and romance. I love the author’s sense of humor.

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Science Fiction

Science Fiction

Glad I Did Not See This at the Movie Theater
Cold War: Alien Storm by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle
Goodreads

I started with the prequel audiobook The Needle and then downloaded Cold War. This alien invasion series had me on the edge of my listening seat. In the theater, I would probably have closed my eyes. I’ll be frank, there is a lot of alien and human violence.  There is a war going on.  There is also a good deal of weird experimentation on humans by the aliens. But still, I am compelled to keep reading. The third book, Cold War: Alien Exile, is on my TBR list.

Washington Internship
Ascending (The Vardeshi Saga, #1) by Meg Pechenick
Goodreads

Ascending was actually released in 2018, but I read it last year. The heroine’s trip on the alien ship reminds me of my sophomore college year, when I went to Washington D.C. (From Lincoln, Nebraska.) By myself. Not knowing anyone. Everything felt alien. In Ascending, language, food, and pretty much every social custom is alien too. I felt the heroine’s isolation, loneliness and the fear of the unknown. Bright Shards, book 2, was release last August and is very high on my TBR.

Need More Time to Read
Shockwave (Star Kingdom, #1) by Lindsay Buroker
Goodreads

A heroine (Captain Bonita) well past her youth, a brainy hero (Casmir Dabrowski) and a cleaning-obsessed AI ship (Viggo). What more could I ask for in a science fiction novel? I thoroughly enjoyed Shockwave, especially the geeky hero.  But the adventure is just beginning in Shockwave.   Books 1-6 were released last year and I have only read the first one.  I need more reading time!

Tiny Mysteries
Westside by W.M. Akers
Goodreads

Gilda is the five-foot-tall, solver of tiny mysteries. “Those impossible puzzles that burrow into our brains like splinters and keep us awake at night.” This quirky heroine really caught my interest in the alternative New York setting.  Tiny mysteries quickly turn into something much bigger.  A most unusual book.

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Paranormal

Nailed the Wolf Shifter Genre
Forever Wolf (The Legend of All Wolves, #3) by Maria Vale
Goodreads

From the beginning of the series, I admired the unique take on the wolves that can wear skin. This is truly a unique world. Reading Forever Wolf, book three, put me into the head of one of the bravest wolves of the Great North Pack. This is what the author does. With the first person perspective, Ms. Vale told a story through a remarkable character that made me love the series even more.  Interested?  I highly recommend starting with book 1, The Last Wolf.

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Fantasy

The Author that Always Makes Me Cry
The Harp of Kings (Warrior Bards, #1) by Juliet Marillier
Goodreads

The fact that this author makes me cry is is good. Really! I became a fan of Ms. Marillier a couple years back and now I want to read all her new stuff. So last year, I read The Harp of Kings. Loosely tied to the Blackthorn and Grim series that I loved so much, The Harp of Kings is full of great adventures, beautiful songs sung by bards, and many heartbreaking moments. Even the happy scenes sometime bring a tear to my eye!

New Series With so Much Potential
Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer, #1) by Maxym M. Martineau
Goodreads

Great characters including a Brotherhood of Assassins, an array of unusual beasts, hopeless situations and an impossible romance made this a book to read into the wee hours of the morning.  These same aspects give the author so much potential for a few future stories.  I will be following The Beast Charmer series.

 

Brutal Cliffhanger
Women’s War by Jenna Glass
Goodreads

I really don’t like cliffhanger’s and if they are not announced (in the book blurb), I get a little pissy.  With The Women’s War, it was bad.  “Brutal” is the word that one of my review commenters used and she was spot on.  But the reason it was so brutal is that the book was so good!  I was not ready for such a hellish moment in the story to be the end of the book.  The Women’s War is one amazing story. Based on a society where women are considered second-class citizens, if they are lucky, this is the story of revolution led by two extraordinary women.  Book 2, Queen of the Unwanted, releases in May.