Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Killed It (And Me) In 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

10 days to Christmas! 2 weeks to 2016! Where has the time gone?!? Looking back, I read SO many incredible books this year. I didn't get to all the books I wanted to read (Queen of Shadows and Six of Crows for starters... although I blame my reluctance and general slowpoke-ness on The Hype™), but I did manage a good amount of new releases, a handful of debuts, and plenty of backlist titles. (Urgh, does anyone else hate the word "backlist" as much as I do?) Out of all the books I read, these are the ones that stood out the most.

Best Fantasy: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

This book destroyed my life. I know people have mixed feelings about the middle child of a series, but Siege and Storm was everything I think the second book in a trilogy should be. Here's why I loved it...

Best Science Fiction: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I should have a label just for my Illuminae posts. Here's my fake review of Illuminae. Here's my Illuminae playlist. Here are some pictures I took of the interior. Here's my recap of the book panel and signing with Amie and Jay.

Best Historical Fiction: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

If Hitler and Nazi Germany hadn't lost the war... I said it once, and I will say it again: HOLY SCHEISSE! Powerful writing, fascinating characters, and an unimaginable story imagined. Get ready for your mind to be blown. AND the second and final book comes out in 2016 – in March, I think!

Best Contemporary: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

I read this book way back in June and I still find myself thinking back on those little moments between Mac and Sydney. The Kwackers, the pizza deliveries to the middle school gym, the first time Mac laid eyes on Sydney... Here's thirteen other reasons why Saint Anything is my favorite contemporary from this year.

Best Literary Fiction: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

A+ for diversity, representation, and complex family dynamics. This is actually Celeste Ng's debut novel and it is beautiful. Read more of my thoughts on Everything I Never Told you here.

Best Debut: This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

Ha. Ha. Ha. This debut from Estelle Laure killed me. I'M DEAD. I can't even talk about it. Just read my sort-of-review and you'll understand why.

Best New Adult: Ricochet by Krista and Becca Ritchie

I like to consider 2015 my breakthrough year in terms of NA reads. Krista and Becca Ritchie's Addicted series is one that has really stuck with me (for good and bad reasons, which I talk about in this post). I'm slowly making my way through the rest of the books, but I loved this companion novel they published from Lily's POV. It made me cry in a public space. It also made me realize that I love Lily Calloway like she's my own child.

I WOULD GO TO WAR FOR LILY CALLOWAY JS

— TIFFANY (@codenametiffany) November 5, 2015

Best Standalone: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Oh, look! Another book that I loved. LOVED. Looooooved. The story is a delight – so magical, such an escape – and the relationships! The slow burn! Excuse me as I internally combust from all the feelings! Siiiigh. If you missed it, here's my complete review of Uprooted.

Best Novella: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

This was such a treat to read. In fact, I would like to read it again, but I'm scared of the feels. Here's my review (with Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight spoilers!).

Best Series: The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

I feel like I talk about the Grisha Trilogy/Leigh Bardugo/Nikolai Lantsov ALL. THE DAMN. TIME. Did I reeeeally read Shadow and Bone for the first time just SIX months ago? Leigh has become one of my all-time favorite authors, and my goal is to get progressively cooler and less awkward every time we meet.

Storytime! I always forget (or erase from my memory) the little fact that I didn't love Shadow and Bone. Fortunately, there was one little moment, one line, that really struck a chord. The problem with wanting is that it makes us weak.

THANK THE LITERARY GODS FOR THAT LINE because it pulled me through the Shadow and Bone and compelled me to check out Siege and Storm (and that book was the ultimate gamechanger for me – I wrote a mini-review of it here and shook in withdrawal for DAYS), followed by Ruin and Rising (which I loved so much that I wrote about it twice: non-spoilery version here and uncontrollable, spoilery outbursts & general flailing here).

Oh, and I put together a playlist for the series here, too. It's pretty dang good if I do say so myself.

Best Female Protagonist: The Wrath and The Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

If you haven't read this book already, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR. Here. You need this list of 7 things I loved about The Wrath and The Dawn. And then you need to get yourself a copy of this book. And then we can rejoice over the amazing, sassy female protagonist that is Shahrzad. We will bond over her expensive jewelry! We will laugh about tiny cucumbers! It will be a grand time!

Best Male Protagonist: The Queen of Attolia by Meghan Whalen Turner

Yes. Eugenides from The Queen's Thief series. Not Nikolai Lantsov, the love of my life from the Grisha trilogy. It's Gen. Gen! I'm surprising even myself with this choice.

I mean, did I highly dislike The Thief? Yes. I really hated it SO much. And while I did not love The Queen of Attolia either, there were little bits of dialogue that made me think, "Hmmmm. There is something here."

So I haven't totally, completely written off this series. Plus, Gen just gives me distant Froi* vibes and let me tell you, FROI VIBES ARE NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

*Froi from Melina Marchetta's Lumatere Chronicles (speaking of which, I've just realized I DON'T HAVE A MELINA MARCHETTA TAG ON MY BLOG. WHAT IN THE WHAT!!!).

Best Friendship (TIE): A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith / Uprooted by Naomi Novik

I have SO MANY FEELS about Annabeth and Steven's friendship in Hilary T. Smith's A Sense of the Infinite. (Also, come to think of it, Annabeth and Ava are amazing too?!??) Friendships that last through the thick and the thin (snotty tears withstanding!) are A+ in my book. Read more about my thoughts on A Sense of the Infinite here!

And for a best friend-ship that most of you are probably already familiar with, given the rave reviews this book has received all year... Agnieszka and Kasia from Naomi Novik's Uprooted. Hooooly crap, you guys. Their friendship is powerful and magical and just #FRIENDSHIPGOALS. Here's my review on Uprooted. I go on and on about their friendship and I call it a force to behold. Because it is. BEHOLD.

So, that's my list for this year! I can't wait for 2016 – so many exciting books coming out (Truthwitch! Strange the Dreamer from Laini Taylor!), and so many great books still to read.

Have you read any of the books on my list? Do you agree/disagree? What other books would you recommend for each of these categories? I especially need more dashing male protagonists in my life!

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Ten Books I Read In 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

You guys, I'm going to cry! There are at least 5 books I still need to review because I've been putting it off for so long! I have so many feelings about all of them but am sadly lacking in the mental capacity and endurance it will require to write about them. I'm pretty long-winded in case you haven't noticed... In the meantime, let's just keep things moving right along with this week's Top Ten Tuesday, which, incidentally, I've also been seriously slacking on. (I can't help it! Work has been busy and it's holiday season and, and, and...)

This week we are talking about TOP TEN BOOKS IN 2014. This year I read so many great books – in fact, I read more books this year than I have in the past (the first Goodreads challenge I've successfully completed, woo hoo!). But there are a select few that really rise to the top for me. So in some rough semblance of order...

10. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. The writing is so effortless and beautiful, the story sticks with you, and the places and details are just mesmerizing. This is the book that inspired me to make a trip all the way up to the Cloisters. It makes me want to explore every little crevice, every corner, every alleyway of New York City.

9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor. (By the way, I'm counting series as one book. Because it's my blog and I can do whatever I want. I'm also just now realizing that I don't have posts about a lot of the books in my top ten list this week because I didn't start this blog until halfway through the year. Womp.) I still think about some of the passages in this book because they are so dreamy and magical. Also, I need this shirt.

8. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I finally got around to reading this a few weeks ago! Even though it is purely fiction, it is so painstakingly researched that everything that happened felt entirely plausible. One of the most intense books I've ever read in my entire life – by the time you reach the end, the only words you will be able to say are "MIND BLOWN." I'm going to hold this book up as the highest standard one could reach for a historical fiction novel.

7. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. This is a series that has really grown on me as it progressed. The more I discover about Celaena Sardothien, the more I like her and – surprisingly – relate to her. I'm excited for Book 4 to come out next year.

6. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I hate/love this book. It is the worst/best book. It will make you want to love someone/be alone forever. The ending makes me die/gives me life.

5. Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill. This book captured everything I love and fear about, well, love. It made me cry for days. For me, Dept. of Speculation was one of those books that echoed my deepest beliefs but also taught me new things about myself, which is partly why I think it was one of my favorites from 2014. I waxed poetic about it in my review, so read that if it strikes your interest.

4. Lumatere Chronicles series by Melina Marchetta, goddess of everything. I thought I loved Evanjalin, but then I discovered Froi and Quintana and my life was never the same after that. Melina Marchetta is one of those authors with a crazy talent for taking imperfect, flawed people and striking a match to them (err... you know what I mean, right?) and bringing them to life. This series is one of my favorites in particular because the setting is so grandiose and the events that occur are so trying that all the characters' personalities and character are really magnified.

3. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. I read a bunch of Sarah Dessen novels earlier this year, when I was stuck on the idea of love, and this is the one that really punched me in the gut. Remy Starr is my favorite Sarah Dessen narrator. She and I look at the world, at relationships, at people in eerily similar ways. It's enlightening to experience her shift in perspective.

2. Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith. (When is this lady's next book coming out??) Love, love, love this book. I love Skunk. I love Kiri. I love the way they interact. Wild Awake explores mental health, not as something debilitating, but just as a daily part of life – this is something I relate to and strongly respond to. Like many of the other books in this list, I'm sure I've mentioned and/or talked about this one in previous Top Ten Tuesday posts...

1. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. Of course. Could my absolute favorite book of 2014 have been anything BUT this one? Taylor Markham is one of the best narrators I've read this year – she has a complicated history that has left her a little bit vulnerable, a little bit angry, a little bit cynical – but still she finds beauty and wonder in the past, in the people around her... I have a lot of feelings about this book. Honestly, it was probably the first book I had actually purchased in years – I loved it so much that I needed a physical copy for my personal collection. Je ne regrette rien!