Best of '07

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Which books were the best of the year? If you want to be a bit broader and tackle the best books you read this year, rather than were released this year, be my guest. Or, like, my guest at Tal's place. Or...something. I didn't read all that many new releases, so this should be shortish (which is irritating; I'm trying to distract myself from finals, dammit).

Richard K Morgan - Thirteen/Black Man (US and Rest of World titles, respectively): almost guaranteed to annoy Red Staters (the term 'Jesusland' gets thrown around a lot). Politics aside, this is Morgan's strongest work to date--and that's saying a lot. Sex, violence, race, genetics, social commentary...what's not to like?

China Mieville - Un Lun Dun: Best young adult fantasy of the year? Almost certainly. Mieville's penchant for throwing out more weird stuff in one book than most fantasy authors come up with in a whole series is still here, and still quite amusing. Took about 70 pages to hook me, but once it did, I was in love. There are ninjas who are also garbage bins. They're called binjas. One of the protagonists acquires a pet milk carton. She names it Curdle. One of the most threatening critters is called a Black Window and is actually rather creepy. If any of that makes you smile, go read this (paperback should be out in January). If you haven't tried Mieville, you really ought to (FWIW, my reaction when my friends tried to convince me to read this was, 'that sounds stupid'. I was wrong).

Oh, yes, and he upends a few genre conventions.

Steven Erikson - Midnight Tides: At this point I'm a raging Erikson fanboy. I quite liked it.

Scott Lynch - Red Seas Under Red Skies: If you liked Lies, you'll like this. Would be better than Lies were it not for a cowardly ending. Still, it's a hell of a lot of fun.

Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel's Justice: Kushiel is still going strong. A worthy series, though most emphatically not for everyone; flowery language and sexuality abound.

Stuff that I enjoyed but wouldn't really make a 'best' list:

Elizabeth Bear - Undertow: Would have liked it more were it not for the alien PoV segments. Blood and Iron was significantly better.

Carrie Vaughn - Kitty Takes a Holiday: If you like Dresden, (early) Anita Blake, Kim Harrison, or the Garret Files, you'll probably enjoy this series. Certainly a cut above the typical 'urban fantasy'.

Patricia Briggs - Blood Bound: Ditto

 

Oh god. My best books for this year? Out of the 30+ new ones I've read? Thats a tough one.

Must love dragons: Stephanie Rowe
Storm of the Dead-The Lady Penitent BK2: Lisa Smedman
Kitty takes a Holiday: Carrie Vaughn
Changeling: Yasmine Galeorn
Maximum Ride-Saveing the world and other extream sports: James Patterson

And last but not least...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- J. K. Rowling (did I really need to put her name down )

Bearing in mind this is not everything I thought was great this year. There is a LOT more

 

The only book I read that came out this year was The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert. It was OK.

 

Charles Stross, Halting State.
Warren Ellis, Crooked Little Vein.
Kushiel, check.
P.C. Hodgell, To Ride a Rathorn actually is of last year's crop, but as it may be a decade between books I gladly give her a pick of this year.

Excellent books, all of them.

 

Agreed! I really liked that one as well. But I was disappointed by The Bonehunters. Other books I read this year that were really good, but not necessarily released this year:

Bernard Cornwell - The last Kingdom, A Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, The Archer's Tale, Vagabond and Heretic. All these books are excellent.

Stacy Schiff - A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France and the Birth of America. Ben Franklin was a genius (but we all know that).

Al Gore - The Assualt on Reason. More an assualt on the media "villians." And not that they don't have it coming.

Disappointments:

Robin Hobb - Forest Mage

Tad Williams - Shadowplay

Steven Erickson - The Bonehunters

 

My son is absolutely devouring this series. He got the third book for Hanukkah and he just can't put it down.

 

Bonehunter - Steven Erikson
Forest Mage - Robin Hobb - I just picked this one up the day before yesterday and I must say that It completely ruined what I had planned on doing. Cancelled plans to go out with some friends because I couldn't put the damned thing down.