It’s the first Thursday of the month. You know what that means. Time to report!
What is the best book you read in January 2015 and why did you love it? It doesn’t have to be a newly published book, or even SFF. We just want to share some great reading material. Feel free to post a full review of the book here, or a link to the review on your blog, or just write a few sentences about why you thought it was awesome.
(And don’t forget that we always have plenty more reading recommendations on our Fanlit Faves page and our 5-Star SFF page. And we’ve also got a constantly updating list of new and forthcoming releases.)
As always, one commenter will choose a book from our stacks.
We’ve got a couple of giveaways still current. Find those here!
I really wanted to say Golden Son, by Pierce Brown, but The Providence of Fire (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne Book 2) by Staveley edged it out. January was a good month for books. February is not starting out great–I’ll have to go look at some oldies if I can’t find anything in the new released list.
Jesslyn – let me know if you need any suggestions. Always happy to share!
As for my favorites from January – as usual I’ve got a list of five stars instead of just one book:
Ghost Shadow by Maria Schneider, book four in this wonderful urban fantasy series with more of a focus on Lynx this time around. Witches, ghosts, demons and shapeshifters oh my.
Valor’s Choice by Tanya Huff – science fiction, small battle variety with a main who is a bit of a Mary Sue but the stories are so much fun that she’s forgiven.
Tainted Blood by M. L. Brennan – the latest in this UF vampire series takes our vegetarian vampire to new and unexpected places.
Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh by RL LaFevers – the final (I think) Theodosia book. I can’t say too many good things about this series, if you like middle grade historical fantasies with an awesome main and secondaries with great voices, definitely try this one.
I read a number of amazing books in January, several 4.5 star, but my favorite (and only 5 star review) was for The Just City by Jo Walton (linked to my review). I absolutely loved this book! A time traveling goddess piecing together what is proposed to be an ideal society. But of course, if you try to force perfection, there’s going to be some issues. It was addictive in a way I never would have expected, very hard to put down and really makes you think.
I can’t pick just one. Kristi Charish’s Owl and the Japanese Circus introduced a great new urban fantasy. Foxglove Summer continued Ben Aaronovitch’s very different Rivers of London series. Lisa Shearin’s The Dragon Conspiracy is just as entertaining as The Grendel Affair…. I’m wrong; if I had to pick just one, Grace Draven’s Radiance wins hands down. Ildiko, Brishen, and their world make for amazing reading.
My favorite book was Devon Monk’s House Immortal. I thought it had a very interesting premise and wonderful characters. I really enjoyed it.
The fifth (and for now, final) Felix Castor book – The Naming of the Beasts by Mike Carey. I think every month I’ve read one of these it has made it into my posts here. Top notch urban fantasy.
I had a few 5 star reads that I can’t pick between, they’re all good for various reasons.
City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. This totally lived up to the hype. Fantastically unique.
The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks. Not quite as good as the Blinding Knife, but he’s come along way from the Night Angel series and this has become one of the most fun series out there. I hope he sticks the landing in the final book this time.
Golden Son by Pierce Brown. Ender’s Game + Hunger’s Game and now + Game of Thrones? This series seems completely derivative and has no right to be as good as it is, but it’s relentlessly awesome.
Looking back through my Goodreads page, I see I read lots of good books in January. It was a very good month for reading. But my absolute favourite was The Boundless, by Kenneth Oppel. Just so much great adventure, and some excellent plot twists towards the end.
I also enjoyed Icefall and The Spell Robbers (Quantum League #1) both by Matthew J. Kirby. I like his books so much that I can’t wait to read more.
I also liked Foxglove Summer, and Moon Over Soho, by Ben Aaronovitch. Peter Grant is just so loveable!
And I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Clean (Mindspace Investigations #1) by Alex Hughes. I won a free copy in a giveaway, but I’d definitely pay money for other books in the series.
Gotta stop here or I’ll be listing every book I read in January … :-)
I read several good books in January but the one I enjoyed the most was Shadow Ops: Breach Zone by Myke Cole, the concluding novel in this trilogy. I read just in time to move on to his new novel set in this universe, Gemini Cell.
Melanie Goldmund, if you live in the USA, you win a book of your choice from our stacks.
Please contact me (Marion) with your choice and a US address. Happy reading!
Yay! Thank you!