Each year I like to reflect on my top 10 books I read. As it happens to be, I have read exactly 10 that I rated five stars. They are a mixed bag of genres and lengths, as well as a reread and a couple indie published books. Heeeere they are!
1. The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang (high fantasy)
I absolutely loved this book. I am definitely a newbie when it comes to indie books, but plan on reading more. This was the SPFBO Award winner in 2019 and I can definitely tell why. I fell in love with the characters because they felt new. How often do you get the POV of a mother who is also a badass? The pacing was fantastic and I thought the worldbuilding was one of the best I've read in quite a long time. At just over 600 pages, this earned every one. It had some of the BEST character arcs I've read all year and am really glad it's a standalone because there are not enough fantasy ones that feel as complete and well-written as this one.
This is the first in a trilogy I have yet to finish. I did also like the 2nd one a lot, but felt like this first installment was better. I think the world that Williams created is incredibly unique and vast. There was so much detailed worldbuilding that with a less talented author's writing, it would have felt clunky and overworked. It felt so unlike any other fantasy I'd read, which is something that I really love in fantasy. The characters felt so real and I loved the magic. There was an overall sense of dread that this book brought up, and I loved that it didn't feel like a traditional "hero-will-save-everything" sort of fantasy that seemed to be popular in previous years.
3. Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldtree (cozy, high fantasy)
I read this when it was technically still a self-published book but when I knew it was going to be republished by Tor. This was utterly unlike any type of high fantasy I'd read before. It was, as described, high fantasy and low stakes. I loved the atmosphere of this book and how there still seemed to be a sense of conflict while remaining light-hearted. It reminded me of a slice-of-life RPG. I am very curious as to what Baldtree will write in the future. This was the sort of book that you can curl up with a mug of tea by the fireplace and devour in one sitting. Loved every second of it!
This volume just about broke me at the end. This is my all-time favorite comic that is still ongoing and I want to immediately get my hands on the next one.
Saga is brutal and unforgiving and the creators make no apologies for it. I am loving this found-family journey. I think it brings up a lot of real-world issues that translate well to sci-fi. To me, sci-fi is about taking issues that exist and translate them to a new setting. I think the world is very unique as are many of the races that Vaughn created. It is incredibly original while feeling familiar at the same time.
This is the first of two by Ward that I read this year and the only that I really enjoyed. I thought the voice used in this book was very original and this book kept me guessing until the end. That rarely happens with in the horror genre but I really enjoyed it. I could not put this down. From start to finish this is exactly the book I needed to get me out of a mediocre book slump. From the afterword, I could tell that Ward put a lot of thought and consideration into the subject matter.
I loved the pacing and mystery of this book. Just when I thought I had it figured out the plot was flipped completely and I was even more shocked by the ending. Utter perfection and exactly what I look for in a horror book.
When I say this book is weird, I say it in the best possible meaning of the word.
Ring Shout is short and as the first book of the year that I read, it definitely left it's mark on me. I know I'll read everything that Clark publishes as I've loved both books of his I've read. He has a way with words that makes the story you read come alive on the page. I flew through this and really enjoyed the creative plot. It is unlike other horror I've read where the "bad guys" are both familiar and completely new. He did something with the characters that I'd never quite read before.
This is the only YA on my favorites list this year and one of the few I actually found myself enjoying. I'm not sure if it's because I'm in my 30s that they feel too young and recycled, but this one stood out in a good way. The romance that comes with YA didn't bug me at all surprisingly. The time travel aspect was very interesting since to actually do it, the monsters have to steal time from humans. It brings a new type of stake that I hadn't read in time travel books before. I also thought the antagonists felt like they were actually a threat. It also didn't fall trap to many YA tropes that get on my nerves and it was just what I needed at the time.
This is the 2nd year in a row that Haig has been on my favorites of the year list. I thought this book was genius. Not only were the sci-fi elements intriguing, but it was very humorous. It brought a light-heartedness to a serious topic without taking away from the plot. Instead, the humor added to it. It didn't feel too over the top which made me glad since, after reading the premise, I thought it might. I really want to read more of Haig's backlist.
9. Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente (horror novella)
This was a very quick read and a new type of horror. Rather than being outright frightening, it was very symbolic and eerie. I can see why many people did not, or will not like this novella but it definitely hit right for me. The misogyny had me reeling and I really liked that it was short, to the point, and didn't try to dance around the issues. I can't wait to read more by Valente.
I reread this in hopes of finally completing the series. I loved this book the first time through and nothing really changed with this reread. t is very hard to believe that this was Kuang's debut. I loved the darkness of this and how muddy the lines between good and bad were. I loved the school setting and how it evolved to an all-out war. It was, what I had hoped at the time, to be the start to one of my new favorite trilogies.
Then I read the 2nd book and did not like it so I won't be continuing. However, it won't take away from the fact that I loved this first book.
I read this when it was technically still a self-published book but when I knew it was going to be republished by Tor. This was utterly unlike any type of high fantasy I'd read before. It was, as described, high fantasy and low stakes. I loved the atmosphere of this book and how there still seemed to be a sense of conflict while remaining light-hearted. It reminded me of a slice-of-life RPG. I am very curious as to what Baldtree will write in the future. This was the sort of book that you can curl up with a mug of tea by the fireplace and devour in one sitting. Loved every second of it!
This was a very quick read and a new type of horror. Rather than being outright frightening, it was very symbolic and eerie. I can see why many people did not, or will not like this novella but it definitely hit right for me. The misogyny had me reeling and I really liked that it was short, to the point, and didn't try to dance around the issues. I can't wait to read more by Valente. 
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