2018 Book Ranking

Hello My Imaginary Friends,

This year I read 28 books, one of which was mine.

I challenged myself this year to only read books from people I’d met or interacted with. It was a great experiment, but I look forward to reading anything I feel like in 2019.

If you enjoy wish fulfillment, mystery, or urban fantasy, check out The Sign of Faust by  Éric Desmarais

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

What was your favourite book of 2018?

Éric

2017 Book Ranking

Hello My Imaginary Friends,

This year I read 31 books. One of them was mine.

If you like paranormal fantasy or medical dramas, check out Parasomnia by Eric Desmarais

5 Stars

  1. Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy, #1) By Grant, Mira
  2. Every Heart a Doorway(Wayward Children, #1) By McGuire, Seanan
  3. Daughters of Britain By Carrière, S.M.
  4. Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10) By Christie, Agatha
  5. Once Broken Faith (October Daye #10) By McGuire, Seanan
  6. Haunted Mansion By Williamson, Joshua
  7. Voltron: Legendary Defender, Volume 1 By Hedrick, Tim
  8. Redshirts By Scalzi, John
  9. The Winter Long (October Daye, #8) By McGuire, Seanan
  10. Oddly Normal, Book 3 By Frampton, Otis
  11. Fowl Language: The Struggle Is Real By Gordon, Brian
  12. Dungeonology (Ologies, #13) By Forbeck, Matt
  13. Space Mall By Shaw, Natalie

4 Stars

  1. Temporally Out of Order By Palmatier, Joshua
  2. Spider-Gwen, Vol. 0: Most Wanted? By Latour, Jason
  3. Magic for Nothing (InCryptid, #6) By McGuire, Seanan
  4. Tortall: A Spy’s Guide By Pierce, Tamora
  5. Chimes at Midnight (October Daye, #7) By McGuire, Seanan
  6. Ashes of Honor (October Daye, #6) By McGuire, Seanan
  7. A Red-Rose Chain (October Daye, #9) By McGuire, Seanan
  8. Hi Mom! Hi Dad! By

3 Stars

  1. Mik Murdoch: Crisis of Conscience By Plested, Michell
  2. The Mist By King, Stephen
  3. Delegates and Delegation(Schlock Mercenary, #15) By Tayler, Howard
  4. You Can’t Come in Here! (You’re Invited to a Creepover, #2) By Night, P.J.
  5. Silent Night (Fear Street Super Chiller, #2) By Stine, R.L.
  6. Virga: Sun of Suns By Schroeder, Karl
  7. The Librarians and the Lost Lamp (The Librarians #1) By Cox, Greg

2 Stars

  1. The Time Twister By Petaja, Emil
  2. Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1) By Cline, Ernest

 

What was your favourite book for 2017?

Éric

2016 Book Ranking

Last year I read 24 books, although one of them was my own.

If you’re in the mood for a fun YA mystery/fantasy go check it out. If you’ve already read it, leave a review or at least a star rating. Please and thank you!

A Study in Aether: A Baker City Mystery By Desmarais, Eric

5 Stars

  1. The Fearsome Foursome(Tales from the Haunted Mansion #1) By Arcane, Amicus
  2. Chaos Choreography (InCryptid #5) By McGuire, Seanan
  3. Late Eclipses (October Daye, #4) By McGuire, Seanan
  4. Oddly Normal Vol. 1 By Frampton, Otis
  5. An Artificial Night (October Daye, #3) By McGuire, Seanan

4 Stars

  1. Sky Road Walker By Carrière, S.M.
  2. Kiss and Tell (Veronica Mars, #2) By Thomas, Rob
  3. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1: Squirrel Power By North, Ryan
  4. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 2: Squirrel You Know It’s True By North, Ryan
  5. Oddly Normal, Vol. 2 By Frampton, Otis
  6. Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting By Gordon, Brian
  7. One Salt Sea (October Daye, #5) By McGuire, Seanan
  8. Dragon’s Egg By Forward, Robert L.
  9. A Local Habitation (October Daye, #2) By McGuire, Seanan
  10. The Diamond Conspiracy(Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, #4) By Ballantine, Pip

3 Stars

  1. Heroine Complex (Heroine Complex, #1) By Kuhn, Sarah
  2. The Sleeping God (Dhulyn and Parno, #1) By Malan, Violette
  3. Death by Cliché By Defendi, Bob
  4. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Prelude By Abnett, Dan
  5. Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X, #1) By Mead, Richelle
  6. The Hunter’s Moon (The Chronicles of Faerie, #1) By Melling, O.R.
  7. An Accidental Goddess By Baker, Megan Sybil
  8. The Shining Girls: A Novel By Beukes, Lauren

What was your favourite book of the year?

Éric

2015 Book Ranking

Last year I read 32 books. I try to rate and review them all on Goodreads.

I’ve read some fantastic books this year and some absolutely terrible ones.

5 Star Rating (Amazing I highly recommend)

  1. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Crushed  by Wilson, G. Willow
  2. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal  by Wilson, G. Willow
  3. Touched by an Alien (Katherine “Kitty” Katt, #1)  by Koch, Gini
  4. Pocket Apocalypse (InCryptid, #4)  by McGuire, Seanan
  5. Human by S.M. Carrière
  6. Blood Relations (Family By Choice, #1)  by Frechette, Caroline
  7. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why  by Wilson, G. Willow
  8. The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who  by Cornell, Paul
  9. Doctor Who: Agent Provocateur  by Russell, Gary
  10. Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More  by DeConnick, Kelly Sue
  11. Captain Marvel, Vol. 2: Down  by DeConnick, Kelly Sue
  12. Avengers: The Enemy Within  by DeConnick, Kelly Sue

4 Star Rating (Great. Read if you like the genre)

  1. Abracadaver (Esther Diamond, #7)  by Resnick, Laura
  2. Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)  by Erikson, Steven
  3. Rosemary and Rue (October Daye #1) by McGuire, Seanan
  4. The Hunt For Atlantis (Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase, #1)  by McDermott, Andy
  5. Tempest (Tempest, #1)  by Cross, Julie
  6. Something from the Nightside (Nightside, #1)  by Green, Simon R.
  7. Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1)  by Andrews, Ilona
  8. Neverwhere  by Gaiman, Neil
  9. Welcome to Dead House (Goosebumps, #1)  by Stine, R.L.
  10. Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, #1)  by Briggs, Patricia

3 Star Rating (Fun but not amazing)

  1. Bloodring (Rogue Mage, #1)  by Hunter, Faith
  2. Staying Dead (Retrievers, #1)  by Gilman, Laura Anne
  3. Deadly Heat (Nikki Heat, #5)  by Castle, Richard
  4. Ghost of a Chance (Ghost Finders, #1)  by Green, Simon R.
  5. The Nymphos of Rocky Flats (Felix Gomez, #1)  by Acevedo, Mario

2 Star Rating (Disappointing)

  1. Gnome Man’s Land  by Friesner, Esther M.
  2. Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales, #1)  by Black, Holly
  3. Night Child (OSI, #1)  by Battis, Jes

1 Star Rating (Terrible)

  1. A Brewing Storm (Derrick Storm, #1) by Castle, Richard
  2. Desperate Measures (Angel’s Luck #1)  by Faust, Joe Clifford

 

Do you agree or disagree with my rankings?

Éric

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire – Book Review

If you’ve been following my book reviews. You know that I have a soft spot for Urban Fantasy. I also have a soft spot for interesting female characters. Discount Armageddon delivers both and does it well.

Below is my review. For more information on how and why I review books read my posts Part 1 and Part 2.

Characters

I liked

At the center of the story is Verity Price, a tough ballroom dancer who’s been trained from birth on how to kill things and study them. Unfortunately she isn’t the most interesting character.

The supporting cast from religious mice to a shapeshifer cousin truly makes the book. There is a wide and varied group of people. I loved both the interactions and dialogue between the characters.

I didn’t like

Again, unfortunately Verity Price isn’t the most interesting of characters, falling into the girly tough girl stereotype. She loves to dance and seems to have a love hate relationship with her life. She wants to dance but also wants to follow in the family business.

To ignore her own inner struggle she tries to continuously meet the world with sex appeal and one-liners. She played dumb, when she obviously wasn’t, too many times.

For characters, I give it 3 out of 5

Writing Style

I liked

The author isn’t afraid to go on small tangents to explain the world. I really enjoyed the history and Price family life. It’s a great world with all kinds of interesting people and events.

Despite what people often think, writing first person is more difficult than third and if done wrong makes the story sound like “than guy” at a party that wants to tell you all about his d&d character or cat.

Ms. McGuire makes the story flow quickly, smoothly and keeps all the action tight.

I didn’t like

The language bugged me a little. I understand first person characters using slang and odd turns of phrase but sometimes it felt discordant. The writing had a strange juxtaposition of British and American slang.

I give it 3 out of 5.

Story

I liked

The flow of the story was wonderful. Never leaving us in the same place long enough to get bored. The story shape is extremely simple but works wonderfully. Never leaving me annoyed with what was happening.

I didn’t like

This is the first in a series and with that there are a lot of details added that don’t directly impact the story. Relatives that weren’t essential, and plot points that won’t be important until later books.

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy reading about her grandfather stuck in hell and her grandmothers quest to find him but I would have liked to learn more about the characters that were important to the story.

I give the story 4 out of 5

Fun

I liked

Despite her clichés and often bad one-liners I like Verity Price. She perfectly personifies that struggle and lost feeling that I had in my twenties.

It also has a few steamy scenes that made me blush.

I didn’t like

I often would have like more in depth descriptions or interactions. It would have slown down the story pace but it would have given the book more substance. However I realize that this is an action book and not an epic.

I give it 5 out of 5 for fun

Overall

If you like fast paced action and fun characters thrown into ridiculous situations I recommend you pick this up.

Final score is 75%