Top Five Reads of 2009

I was going to do a top ten of my favorite books for this year, but I felt like I wanted to just do a top five, and focus more on the books that I absolutely loved.  Honorable mentions for my favorite books of the year are:

The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Wake by Lisa McMann
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck (not reviewed on this blog)
Hammered by Elizabeth Bear (not reviewed on this blog)

And now for my top five:


#5

I'm really glad I read this one.  It matched up well with my political views, which was kind of a bonus, but besides that it was fast-paced and kept me turning pages.  There were some parts, pages here and there, where the author got a bit too technical and needed to shut up and get back to the story, but I was willing to forgive that because the rest of the book was so excellent.

My review






#4

Brandon Sanderson is excellent at world building.  His characterization is pretty darn good, too.  He is fast becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors.  Actually, one of my favorite authors in general.  I loved Warbreaker for it's complexity, although I wish the ending hadn't have felt quite so rushed.
My review







#3

This was a surprise for me, I think.  I received a review copy of this one, as well as for the second book.  And I really loved this one.  As I said in my review, the editing could have been tighter, but the writing itself was excellent.  The world was interesting and original, and I really cared about the characters.
My review




 #2

I think I enjoyed Catching Fire even better than The Hunger Games.  From what I've read, it's the opposite for most people, but there was something in Catching Fire that connected more with me.  These are great books, and I would highly recommend them, no matter what you usually read.
My review






 #1

This one is a little different for me, because I'm a really big fantasy lover, and those are usually my favorite books, as you can see from the other books in my top ten.  There is just something about this series by Sandra Byrd that I adore.  I love the characters, the setting, the story.  It's just a wonderful series, and I love all three, but I've put the last book in the series here since it was published in 2009.                    My review