The Fiendishly Bookish Top Eleven of 2011

No. #1 Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Yes finally! I'm 42 books deep into this new year and I've finally found one book to make it onto my Top Eleven of 2011. 

Kevin Hearne's Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles) wowed my socks off. It's chock full of witticisms and a snarky (but sexy) Druid that fans will immediately adore and smirk over.

No. #2 The Abandoned by Amanda Stevens

This fantastic novel wove a spell of intrigue and sensual danger that I could not shake off days later. Stevens is a master at suspense, meticulous in detail, and an expert in literary creepiness. The Abandoned is an excellent ghost story with a very strong romantic suspense theme woven throughout.

I highly recommend her series.

No. #3 The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

If you are hankering for a Jules Verne worthy YA Victorian adventure chock full of espionage, gadgetry, superpowers and a gang of intriguing and endlessly hip characters, then The Girl in the Steel Corset is for you. This debut YA steampunk series is awesome, and jaw-droppingly good. It was simply unputdownable and again…another Harlequin offering (proving they have mad skillz when it comes to acquiring what their readers are clamoring for).

Cross has also infused her steampunk theme with strong romantic elements, about an unusual girl caught between two very different guys…a team of talented crime fighters and a nefarious villain with a plan to upset the crown…I LOVED The Girl in the Steel Corset. It is one of the strongest YA offerings this year so far.

The Fiendishly Bookish Top Ten of 2010

So what does it mean to be on the Fiendishly Bookish Top Ten?

 Just a good book? Nah. No way. There are plenty of fab books out there.

It means some enterprising author used their noodle-thought outside the box and came up with something entirely new. It could be a twist of old, or an exceptional character unlike any other, a unique setting or plot. Something so fervently touching that it leaves vapor trails in your memory long after the last page was flipped.

Or they have singularly elevated their genre in some way, run away from the pack and flew on their own. Raising the bar for good.

It’s all about breaking the mold.