Year In Review - Favorites of 2017

This year I read six less books than last year, and maybe these lovelies played a part, but totally worth it!  Two grand sons joined the family this summer. Cameron joined brother Cole.  Milo joined sisters Janessa and Nora.

First Book of the year:  Last Book of the year:



Total Read: 230

Fiction - 229
Non Fiction - 1
Audio - 97
Young Adult - 10
Debut Books - 11
Men - 25
Women - 131
Repeat Authors:
James Patterson - 7
Jill Shalvis - 4
Karen White - 4
Katy Evans - 5
Lori Foster - 5
Meghan March - 4


New to Me Authors - 70
Shortest book - The Deal of A Lifetime 66 pages
Longest Book - Blood Vow by J.R. Ward 487 pages
Oldest Book - 1989 Hot Touch by Deborah Smith
Longest Audio - Mississippi Blood 28 hours
Shortest Audio - Love and Always  2.5 hours

Stand Alone Books - 86

Where I Read: 41 of 50 States, Australia, Belize,  Canada, Cuba,  England,  France,  Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Romania, Russia, Scotland,  and Sweden

Genres: 23 with the most in suspense/thriller, romance and contemporary

Here are a few of my favorites that I read/listened in 2017:


Adult Fiction



Debut Fiction


New To Me Authors



Audio Books



Narrators:
January LaVoy:



Terry Schnaulbelt:


Scott Brick:



My first book for 2018 will be The Midnight Line by Lee Child

Year End Survey

Drums of Autumn (audio)

DRUMS OF AUTUMN opens with a hanging. One of Jamie’s old companions from his days in Ardsmuir prison is being hanged for theft, and Jamie has come to lend what support he can. Suddenly the proceedings are disrupted, as another prisoner makes a break for it–and Jamie, moved by the death of his friend, impulsively helps the man, a pirate named Stephen Bonnet, to escape; a decision that will have long-reaching and unforeseen effects.

DRUMS OF AUTUMN is the fourth book in the OUTLANDER series, following VOYAGER. Here Claire and Jamie, with Jamie’s nephew Young Ian, seek to find a place for themselves in the colony of North Carolina, treading a dangerous line between Governor Tryon’s patronage and Claire’s knowledge of the brewing revolution in America, between the help of Jamie’s Aunt Jocasta, last of his MacKenzie kin (“MacKenzies are charming as larks in the field–but sly as foxes with it.”) and the unwanted obligations of her slave-run plantation. As they find mountain land and begin to build their first cabin, their newfound life is bittersweet, with the thought Brianna–the daughter Claire has left behind, the daughter Jamie will never see–always near.

Brianna is thinking of her parents, too. And she’s discovered something dangerous in the historical record; a notice of a fatal fire on Fraser’s Ridge. The time-traveler’s ultimate dilemma raises its head once again: can the past be changed? If it can…what’s the price?

Roger MacKenzie has found the same newspaper notice–and after some soul-searching, has decided not to tell Brianna about it, not wanting her to risk her life for what may be impossible. She doesn’t tell him, either–and his first inkling that she’s found that notice is a shipment of boxes from Brianna, containing her family memorabilia and a note reading, “Everybody needs a history. This is mine. Please look after it ’til I come back.”

Roger follows Brianna into the past, where she has gone on a quest to save her parents’ lives, and upon discovering that she has sailed for America, he takes ship himself…with a Captain Bonnet. (from Diana's website)

Reunited Jamie and Claire travel along with nephew Ian to North Carolina to build a home and life together. Their journey/plan does have it's ups and downs. The story also centers around Brianna and Roger in the present 1968 and again in the past 1767. Their experiences as they travel back in time are exiting, heartbreaking, and frustrating. As it did the first time, the mix up with Roger's identity made me angry. I knew it was coming and still gritted my teeth through those scenes. Loved their reconciliation.  Jamie is able to have and experience life with his child and grandchild instead of hearing about them.  I loved that the most this time around.  So much happens in this chunkster to move these character's lives forward.  Listening to the book narrated by the phenomenal Davina Porter is an experience that enhances the storytelling by leaps and bounds. Can't wait to begin The Fiery Cross. 

Devoted In Death

When Lieutenant Eve Dallas examines a body in a downtown Manhattan alleyway, the victim’s injuries are so extensive that she almost misses the clue. Carved into the skin is the shape of a heart—and initials inside reading E and D . . .

Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl, had been separated while Darryl was a guest of the state of Oklahoma, and now that his sentence has been served they don’t ever intend to part again. Ella-Loo’s got dreams. And Darryl believes there are better ways to achieve your dreams than working for them. So they hit the road, and when their car breaks down in Arkansas, they make plans to take someone else’s. Then things get messy and they wind up killing someone—an experience that stokes a fierce, wild desire in Ella-Loo. A desire for Darryl. And a desire to kill again.

As they cross state lines on their way to New York to find the life they think they deserve, they will leave a trail of evil behind them. But now they’ve landed in the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Dallas and her team at the New York Police and Security Department. And with her husband, Roarke, at her side, she has every intention of hunting them down and giving them what they truly deserve . . .

I chose this book as my first book of the New Year.  It is book 41 of a great series that still delivers a good police procedural novel, and the characters continue to grow.  What was different about this installment was that we knew the killers identity before Eve and her team.  A Detective from Arkansas was the first to see a pattern and traveled to NY to consult with Eve, despite being turned away by other law enforcement agencies. We watched as they connected cases into a serial killing and then by searching for the missing victim hunted down the killers. The killers, a couple, were a twisted contrast to Eve and Roark.  There were a couple of character quirks from Eve that had me confused and I hope they stop with this book.  The next book Brotherhood In Death releases next month!  

2015 Year In Review - Favorites

2015 got off to a rocky start with some physical issues, but spending time with this wonderful little man helped me get through them.  He is one of the best things of 2015!  I did manage to meet my reading goal, but did not come close to beating last year's stats.









I started the year with The Good Daughter by Jane Porter

Reading Stats:
Total Read: 224
  Female authors:  140
  Male authors:  29
  Repeat authors - Susan Mallery - 5
                             Lori Foster - 6
                             Grace Burrowes - 9
                             JD Robb/Nora Roberts - 5
Debut authors - 16
New to me authors - 61
Audiobooks - 38
Genres:
   Contemporary 47
   Historical - 26
   Suspense/thriller - 58
   Romance - 62
   Young Adult - 21

I chose a few favorites in the following categories:

 Adult:  Memory Man - The Bone Tree, The Nightingale, The Secret Wisdom of the Earth

 

 Young Adult: All The Rage, Belzhar, Words and Their Meanings



Audio Books/Narrators - Eight Grave After Dark (Lorelei King), The Bourbon Kings (Alexander Cendese), Breaking Creed (Graham Winton) Written In My own Heart's Blood (Davinia Porter),




 The books that really made me think - Five Days Left, The Girl on the Train



 Debut Novels:  Dollbaby, Did You Ever Have A Family, Girl Underwater



New to me authors: Laura Dave, Mary Louise Kelly, Tessa Dare



Tough Issues addressed in the books I've read: Rape, Mental Illness, Child Abuse, School Shooting, Suicide, Alcoholism

Where I've read last year: Alabama, Alaska (4), Arizona, California (19), Colorado (6), Connecticut, Florida (6), Georgia (5), Idaho (3), Illinois (2), Kentucky (3), Louisiana (3), Maryland (3), Massachusetts (3), Michigan (3), Minnesota (6), Missouri, Mississippi (2), New Hampshire (2), New Jersey (5), New Mexico, New York (27), Nevada (4), North Carolina (8), Ohio (8), Oklahoma (4), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (5), South Carolina, Tennessee (3), Texas (7), Vermont (2), Virginia (3), Washington (7), Washington, DC (5), West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, (5),  Atlanta, Boston (2), Chicago (4), Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nantucket (3), New Orleans, San Francisco, Seattle (3), Canada, Denmark, England (17), France, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Scotland (6), Istanbul, London (14), Paris

I ended the year with My Kind of Wonderful by Jill Shalvis


My year in books according to Goodreads.

We are looking forward to 2016!  Our son Caleb's daughter is due February 21st!