In honor of the first calendar year of doing my blog, I decided to do an end-of-the-year wrap-up post. While I will likely be posting a couple more reviews, if I finish any more books, this an overview of my top ten books of the year, along with some other information about personal goals I had for myself this year.
The top ten was based on a few basic parameters. I started with five star books, but I did not limit myself to these, especially when considering series which were solidly consistent. My main criteria is that it needs to have been memorable in a major positive way, and not have just been a book where I could find little to complain about, which is often the case when I give 5-star ratings.
- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (Multicultural Contemporary): Almost definitely my top book this year, this book was pretty much revolutionary for me. As someone who was diagnosed as neurodivergent and has difficulty socializing with others, I loved reading a book about a heroine who had similar struggles, and written by an author on the autism spectrum as well. While sex-heavy as a topic, if not in terms of the content, I love how the relationship between Stella and Michael is not just physical, and demonstrates how deeply they care for each other.
- The Southwark Saga by Jessica Cale (Historical — Restoration): One of two series on this list. I had never read a historical romance set in the Restoration era before, and now I definitely want to read more. I love the dark, gritty nature of the world, and how the series focuses on commoners rather than the aristocracy. And the characters are all so relatable. From the intelligent and brave Nick Virtue to the bawdy and fiery Meg Henshawe, there ultimately wasn’t a dislikable character among the lot. And the story was rife with conspiracy and murder, which kept me on my toes the entire time.
- Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins(Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit): Yet another life-changing book, I loved this take on the issue of body positivity, highlighting the toxic voices women have in their heads concerning their appearance. While it is important not to glorify unhealthy habits and to recognize enablers, it is also important to promote self-love…at every size.
- Forbidden Hearts series by Alisha Rai (Multicultural Contemporary Romance): The second series I have on my list, and a completely unexpected one. I did not know what to expect going into the first book, Hate to Want You, and I was blown away, even though I’m usually not a huge fan of super-steamy books. The way the love stories of all three books managed to negotiate the sexual tension and their deeper emotional feelings was wonderful, along with the way each book built on the previous one in terms of development of the relationships between this colorful cast of characters and the dysfunctional relationships between them.
- If Ever I Should Love You by Cathy Maxwell (Historical Romance — Regency): While it isn’t hard to find a books with characters with issues, this is one that highlights an issue that not only remains relevant in many people’s lives today, but is done in such a beautiful way in context with the time period. It adds a new spin to an old trope, with new obstacles facing the couple who must learn to trust one another, despite her past scars and the fact she remains closed off from him.
- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (YA Contemporary Thriller): As divisive as this book and its Netflix adaptation may be, this book is well written, and the best part is in the ambiguity of Hannah’s storytelling. While it is natural to want to sympathize with her, given the fact that she committed suicide, in many ways, she is unreliable narrator and flawed protagonist, as we see through the interaction Clay has with the tapes. While many of the offenses committed against her are undeniably bad things, like the “Hot or Not” list or her sexual assault, there are certain actions that work to diminish her credibility, like the fact that Clay is included for no reason other than plot convenience, so we would have a narrator who didn’t hurt Hannah engaging with the tapes, and the fact that she records her conversation with the guidance counselor, and, after not engaging with him properly about her issues, casting blame in his direction as a the final reason for her suicide. While there are undeniably better books out there that depict a much less complicated view of the suicidal individual, I love the thriller-esque vibe to this, where I felt almost no one was truly trustworthy.
- The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman (YA Contemporary Romance): I love love stories that also tackle tough real-world issues unflinchingly. I love how the story charts Elise’s growth of understanding and love for Mati and his culture, in spite of the obstacles put in her way by her family. The combination of prose from Elise’s perspective and verse from Mati’s, is also incredibly beautiful.
- Rise of the Empress duology by Julie C. Dao (YA Multicultural Fantasy): Fairytale retellings have been done to death, but Julie C. Dao provides a unique take with this duology, going into the origins of the Evil Queen in the first book and following it up with a high-action “Snow White” retelling in the second, and developing the rich East Asian inspired world of Feng Lu. Xifeng is a character that you can simultaneously root for and be horrified by, and Jade is a heroine who is very much her match.
- Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (YA LBTQ Romance/Coming of Age): I haven’t read much m/m, but this is probably hands-down one of the most beautiful stories within that subgenre. While religious objections are often a hurdle for LGBTQ characters, as they often can be in real life, this take was different in its focus specifically on the Mormon faith. While religion can often be seen solely as an opposition to the happiness of LGBTQ individuals, I love that Sebastian is devoted to his faith even as he’s discovering these taboo feelings, and that is a hurdle for him to negotiate throughout the story. It provides a poignant contrast to Tanner, whose family openly embraces his bisexuality. Rather than falling into the trap of promoting stereotypes, this story shows a wealth of compassion both for LGBTQ people and Mormons, showing a great deal of empathy on the authors’ part.
- Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen (YA Fairy Tale Retelling/Fantasy): I very much enjoyed this fresh take on the “Beauty and the Beast” story, and how it highlights the stark contrast between Prince and Beast in poignant detail. While the the way Jean-Loup’s character was handled in relation to his actions may be seen as a dismissal of sexual assault for some, I felt this book was an acknowledgment of the fact that, in many people’s eyes, the Beast was much more worthy of love and did not have to change physically to become a handsome prince for his Beauty, or in this case, his Lucie, because his true love loves him for his good heart.
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I had three major goals this year. The one I’ve talked about the most with other readers is my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal. The “final” goal was set to 305, although it was reset at various times throughout the year, as I came close to meeting previous goals. But I have discussed my other two reading goals a lot less: read less books about dukes, and read more books by AOC/#ownvoices.
Of course, when making these goals, I did not have a specific number in mind; I just wanted to diversify my reading tastes. As for the former, I didn’t read a single book with a duke hero in January, which became complicated when the publishers for some reason did not want to advertise the hero’s title in the blurb. Over the course of the year, I would also try to limit the number of books about dukes I read. Ultimately, I read a total of seventeen duke books this year, 5.5% of my total books read. I ended up reading forty-six books by AOC/#ownvoices, making up around 15% of books read. By comparison, last year, I read around thirty-four of 206 (16.5%) books about dukes, and eight books by AOC/#ownvoices (around 3.8%).
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With those stats in mind, I don’t really have a specific reading goal in mind, as I expect it to change again, especially as I’m going through life changes, having graduated from grad school and am in the process of looking for a job. But whatever that goal ends up being, I would like to continue to read more AOC/#ownvoices, and aim for a larger percentage overall, to be determined once I have a more finite reading goal in mind.
Courtney Reads Romance 