Top Ten Tuesday – Best Books of 2015

This wasn’t easy- trying to whittle it down to just ten? I put a constraint on it; they all have to be 2015 releases, or gawd I would have been here through New Year trying to decide.

So here goes, my top ten! In no particular order… (quotes taken from my reviews of the titles, click the links to read them in full)

Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett

Haunted. Cloying. Corn.

This book stayed with me in a strange way. It has a compelling concept, and I really loved the opening. It was the overall tone and drive of this book, however, that makes me love it so much.

“This book smoulders and mystifies.”

Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

I feel like I was secretly waiting for this book to happen, and when it did, I could have cried with joy. I owe so much to the Study series, and to see it continued is an absolute dream. Yelena and Valek are on top form, and there is still such an intelligent balance between action and romance and mystery. 2015 was also the year I got to go to MIRAInk and meet the author too. Uh-may-zing.

“…coming back to these characters after so long was like returning home. It felt so good.”

Renegade by Kerry Wilkinson

Wow. This series is just wow. I went crazy for the first book… so imagine my joy when I find out I’m in the ‘praise for Reckoning’ section in this book! It’s a really great feeling. But this series dudes, just when you thought dystopian YA was falling a little by the way side, Kerry Wilkinson is like BAM have this. And it is marvellous.

“Renegade was a ripper of a read. It tore open my head and heart and jumped inside.”

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle

I actually picked this book up from the library on a whim. The cover was super cool and I loved the concept. This book is pure reading addiction- you know those books that are just so easy to fall into and so so hard to put down? Yeah, this is one of those. It’s like The Godfather/Gossip Girl mash up and I am all over it like a rash. Oh! And so chuffed to have won a signed fist chapter of book two, Inferno, at YALC back in July.

“I love [the] careful embellishment. An addictive read.”

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Breathtaking. Beautiful. Brilliant.

This book is another ‘wow’ book. It’s all in the narrative style. A lyrical, magical prose that pulled me in and refused to let me go. A slightly odd story, when you think about it, but I didn’t think about it too much, I was happily caught up in it. Sublime. I would recommend this book to ANYONE AND EVERYONE.

“This book is special. It’s the kind of story that happens into your life and changes it in some way.”

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Quirky. Creepy. Compelling.

Oh lawdy, if you’ve spotted me around the blogosphere you’ll know that every chance I get I will wang on about this book. Why? Because it’s just so darn unique and such a great read, I want more people to experience it! An absolute masterpiece… I wish I had written it! I got my book signed by the author at YALC too! Winning!

“The idea that something can evolve from an idea, to a myth, to something that literally governs your life.. it’s both fascinating and terrifying!”

Air by Lisa Glass

I am obsessed with this series, to the point that I now can’t listen to Alt-J without thinking about it in some way. Air is the second book, and it’s really interesting to see how the characters change and react in a different setting. It’s got great pace, but most importantly, great characters that I want to cling on to. And let’s face it, there’s surfing. Yes. So much yes.

“There’s this building tension within the narrative that I could feel growing inside of me too. I was a mess of nerves and emotions…Glass got me good.”

Sunkissed by Jenny McLachlan

Wanderlust. Romance. Wit.

For me, this was filling the ‘fluff’ hole (huh, that ain’t a great choice of words..) that keeps opening up ever since I finished Stephanie Perkins’ Anna series. Every so often I have to go in search of something light and yummy like whipped cream. This book did all that and more. I was surprised how deeply invested I was with the characters and the story. Beautiful setting, wonderful characters development and interactions.

“It’s damn good storytelling. The narrative moves through phases of soft and serious so effortlessly and I often found myself sighing wistfully at some of the lines.”

Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

Disturbing. Dark. Addictive.

The little book is a powerhouse. It’s creepy and chilling, and so compelling. I was entranced by it, totally. some of the scenes are so dark and quite daring and I LOVED that. It was the perfect read for the Halloween season, but I’m into this kind of thing so I would have loved it any time of the year.

“There are some scenes within these pages, however, that I would call ‘haunting’ and they’re going to stick with me for a long time.”

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

This book. You guys, this book. It’s just… amazing. I have not felt so strongly about a series in a very long time, but the Red Rising books are something special. The attention to detail, the deeply complex characters and plot, the way everything just clicks together all of a sudden and I’m left mouth open, catching flies. It’s a stunning piece of writing. And this second book has such a WHOPPER of an ending. Floored me.

“[Darrow’s] journey through this book is painful. It has moments of beauty and moments of horror. The decisions he has to make, the weight of a nation on his shoulders, his heart on his sleeve (while trying hard to keep it hidden) and all the while trying to reconcile his Gold and Red self.”

What was your TOP book of 2015? Did any of these make it onto your lists? Let me know! And link me to your TTT!

(as usual, TTT is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish)