Best and Worst of 2010 - Part V

Finally the last part of our Best and Worst of 2010 feature! This was supposed to go up last Friday, but obviously, it's late. Oups ^_^; Laziness and life have impeded on the schedule. This is pretty much the story of this blog ^_^; However, what matters is that it goes up eventually, right?

This post will be covering miscellaneous categories :) Ready?


Most anticipated book of 2010

Monroe: Nalini Singh's Play of Passion ~ who doesnt love these books?

*SIDE NOTE* I also have to add Succubus Shadow's by Richelle Mead ~ We've all been at the edge of our seats waiting for this one!

Nath: Okay, this is a really tough choice for me. I mean, you know how I am right? Always running after new releases :P So every new releases from my favorite authors or series LOL. However, if I have to choose one, I'd go with A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner. King of Attolia came out in 2006, so that means it took 4 years for A Conspiracy of Kings to be released... I was very lucky not to have that long to wait, but it still felt like forever!

Ames: I'm like you Nath. I looked forward to a lot of books. But I have to say this, I was really looking forward to Lover Mine. John Matthew and Qhuinn and Blay were the only reason I kept reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood and this book was JM's and then the further development of a story for Qhuinn and Blay. And OMG did I love what went on between those two guys. Woot woot! So much so, John Matthew's story became secondary.

Monroe: OMG how could I not stick in Lover Mine??? I look forward to the newest BDB book EVERY year! ;P


Most surprising book of 2010

Monroe: Evermore by Alyson Noel ~ I looked at this book and thought it was a cheap Twilight-ish book. Little did I know was that it opened up a FULL new series that I soon became addicted to!

Nath: Well I narrowed it down to two books :) Passions of a Wicked Earl by Lorraine Heath. Her past couple of releases have been kind of a downer and so I wasn't planning to get this book. Then it started getting good reviews and I thought, "Okay, I'll give this author another try." I'm just surprised at how much I ended up loving it.

The second book is Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. Okay, so yes, Ames loved it and told me to read it... but again, surprised at how much I loved it :)

Ames: Awww, I'm glad I'm such a good book pusher. LOL

This one has to be Almost Like Being In Love. I remember when Nath told me she was reading it, I didn’t recognize the name or the author and I was like “what the heck is this girl reading?’ LOL So when I saw she liked it, I thought it sounded good. I was totally blown away! That book, I still think about it to this day. For sure one of my top favorite reads of all time.

* Honorable Mention: Touched by An Alien by Gini Koch. This book was a complete surprise – I LOVED it.

Nath: Seems like I'm not a bad book pusher either :P Sigh, do you know how much I wish Almost Like Being in Love was a 2010 read for me?!? :)


Book that met your expectations

Monroe: Succubus Shadows by Richelle Mead ~ Oh jeez I think we all got what we wanted with this one! It will be a dark dark day in my little corner of the universe when this series ends ='(

Ames: I know Monroe.  I'll miss these characters so much.

Nath: Quite a lot have met my expectations actually LOL. However, I'd go with The Search by Nora Roberts, Play of Passion by Nalini Singh, Demon Blood by Meljean Brook, Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews, The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong and A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner.

Seriously, Ms Roberts and Singh keep putting out strong and solid books. I skipped over Demon Forged, but read and loved Demon Blood without a problem. Ms Brook is definitively doing a great job and the complexity of her world... I think that after Magic Strikes, there were so much expectations for Magic Bleeds and Ms Andrews handled it very well. Ms Armstrong wraps up her first YA trilogy well and handled the romance with ease :) Finally, I was a bit disappointed by the length of A Conspiracy of Kings... but only because I wanted more! Still, it really measured up to the expectations :)

Ames: Ok, Nath, you are the winner.  LOL

Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I had high hopes for AK. And they were met. Raphael... rowr.

Monroe: I second Ames's rowr for Raphael! lol


Best new series

Monroe: Not really 2010 but to me its a new series...Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh ~ I truly enjoy these books! It seems book by book they get better and better!

Ames: The Succubi series by Jill Myles. I like this series...and in a year when I was totally burnt out on paranormals, that’s saying something.

Nath: An Elemental Assassin by Jennifer Estep
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Notorious Bachelors by Emma Wildes
London's Greatest Lovers by Lorraine Heath

Yeah, yeah. It's too hard to keep it to one ^_^;


Series that are still going strong

Monroe: Nalini Singh's Psy/Changling series... ~ I LOVE this series from when I started it till even now! HOT HOT HOT!

Nath: The Guardians by Meljean Brook
Psy-Changelings by Nalini Singh
Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Those are three series I'm always looking forward to. Cos I know the books are going to be great :)

Ames: I've fallen behind on the Psy/Changeling series. :( I'll catch up in 2011.

As for this category, this is easy. Richelle Mead’s Succubus series and Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse! Both these series had releases this year and I LOVED THEM.


Series I've given up on

Monroe: Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovitch... ~ ok I SAY this but I cant say for sure Ill stick to it...but as of now I havent caught up and Im not stressing about it!

Ames: Lora Leigh’s Elite Ops and Nauti series.

Nath: Ouch, two series by the same author ^_^;

For me, it's Immortals after Dark by Kresley Cole. I haven't stopped yet, but I'm really about to throw the towel and I still haven't read Demon from the Dark and I don't really feel like picking up the next installment either.


Best comeback/Redeeming author

Monroe: Ok not 2010 again by I must say The Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon ~ I read these books spaced out because of how big they are and by how spaced out they are released. After reading A Fiery Cross I was down and out...possibly burnt out...but really that book didn't have one main issue. It truly was a filler book in my eyes (my least fav). But picking up A Breath of Snow and Ashes was like a breath of fresh air! Woowee Im glad I pushed through the prior book!

Nath: Well, I was debating with Kay Hooper and Elizabeth Vaughan. Both authors had weak first and second books in their current trilogy, really not up to their usual standards... but, they came back and deliver with their third books :) Thus redeeming themselves in my eyes.

 

However, I think this should really go to Jennifer Crusie. She's had a few bad collaboration books and haven't written any solo book for so long... but she is definitively on the way back with Maybe This Time :)

Ames: I don’t know. I really don’t. Maybe LKH? She has Anita being a necromancer again. Although there are still some things that bug me, I believe this author is sloooowly bringing the series back to some semblance of something... rather than a jumbled mess of sex scenes.


Best new to me author

Monroe: Sylvia Day ~ Oh I loved The Stranger I Married! I shove that book down everyone's throat! HA! (thanks Ames). And how could I not mention Jill Myles...my my my I bow to that lady.

Ames: You are welcome!!  For me it was like almost every YA author I’ve read this year. Fo sho. I have to say, it’s been fun discovering Sarah Dessen. I’m glad she has such a big backlist. :)

Nath: I'm going with Molly Harper and Gini Koch. They write in genres that I'm not a big fan of, but they definitively make it work :)

However, I think the gem of 2010 for me is really Emma Wildes :) I've just found a wonderful author that writes well, but also something refreshing :)

Ames: Yes, 2010 was an excellent year for Emma Wildes but she wasn't new for me.  And really Nath, since we have evidence of what a good pusher I am, you should have listened to me in 2009 when I said An Indecent Proposition was really good.  LOL

Nath: LOL. Well it's never too late, right? I did read An Indecent Proposal in 2010! :P


Best debut novel

Monroe: Rebecca Maizel's new Vampire Queen series - Infinite Days ~ Can't wait for for Stolen Nights!

Ames: Where can one begin? Lonely Hearts Club, The Sky is Everywhere, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, Touched By An Alien. The list goes on and on...

Nath: : LOL, I second all your choices, Ames!! :) I wish though we would know for sure that Ms Morgan has something on the way for 2011.

***

Nath: And this is the end of our Best and Worst of 2010!! So what do you think? Any surprises? Anything you strongly agree or disagree with?

I feel that 2010 was a turning point year for me in my reading. Mainly because I read more outside of romance - urban fantasy and YA. It also means that there are a lot of good books out there being published :) I just hope that 2011 will be as good :)

Monroe: Overall I had an awesome 2010 reading life! ;) You'll notice Singh made it a few times on my list...it was a big year for her and I anticipate 2011 to be even bigger! Also lately big hits with me are Paranormal...specifically in the YA genre! YA books seriously rock...it's nice not to have TOO MUCH romance in a book (although at times I do miss it lol). I have to say thanks to my ladies at Breezing Through and our lovely readers that suggest so many great books to read! Yall are awesome!

Ames: Yes, we're totally awesome.  LOL  2010 was an excellent reading year for me and I think 2011 is going to be even better!  My big goal is to hit that tbr pile so you may not see too many new release reviews from me, but that's ok.  Maybe by the time I make a big dent in my tbr pile, I need a few book pushers of my own.  haha