I’m a few days late with this post as I’ve been in bed with the flu. I’m feeling a bit better today so thought it was time I got it published.

I read 106 books last year and enjoyed most of them. Below are my favorites:

Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan. I recommend this as an audio book; it is a romance between two audio book narrators, written by an audio book narrator (Julia Whelan). Clever writing, fun and funny.

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. This is the first book in the Invisible Library fantasy series. It’s non-stop action, with humor, clever writing, great world-building, and a bit of romance. The protagonist is a librarian (read: superhero) who must steal rare books from certain worlds to keep the universe in balance. There are dragons and fae and a whole lot of danger, excitement, and fun.

Eroshenko by Lucy May Lennox. Vasili Eroshenko (a real person) was born in 1890 and went blind as a child but led a fascinating life. This book centers on his time in Japan. Read my full review for the Historical Novels Society here.

Toto by A.J. Hackwith. This is the true story of what happened in Oz, as told by Toto, who has a lot of ideas and turns out to be a bit subversive. I’m a big fan of anything having to do with the world of Oz, and I enjoyed this unusual take on the series.

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Powerful, thought-provoking story-telling that is fictional but true nonetheless. These short stories center on a group of young men during and after and before their time as American soldiers in Vietnam.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. A vastly different re-telling of the Rumpelstiltskin story. Told via three strong women living in a fictional medieval country (a bit like Poland). Incredible world-building, fast-paced excitement, some romance. Solid fantasy writing.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. The Princess Bride, but if Buttercup refused to believe that Westley had been killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts and went to rescue him. Tress is a wonderful heroine and the world-building is outstanding.

Seabird by Michelle Kadarusman. This is my only middle-grade novel on this list; its intended audience is ages 8-13 but I recommend it to anyone. Kartini, a 12-year-old of a noble family in Java in the 1800s struggles to gain agency over her life. You can read my full review at the Historical Novels Society page.

You are Here by David Nicholls. Two people meet walking a trail in Northern England, going from coast to coast. It’s nice to see romances with older people (late 30s, early 40s). This isn’t a purely “romance” novel but light and humorous and makes you want to walk across England.

What the Tide Leaves Behind by Malcolm MacDonald Woods. I was lucky to do a book swap with this author at a local book event. Ireland is both the setting and a major character in this novel about a young man trying to find who he is and where he belongs. A dog is involved. Phenomenal writing and story. If you only read one book on this list, buy this one. It’s an indie-published book and is so very good.

Slow Horses by Mick Heron. The streaming series is good but as predicted the book is better. I’ve got the next book in the series on hold. An extremely funny, well-crafted, MI-5 crime novel series. If you didn’t know about it, you do now.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. During the pandemic, a woman is telling her adult daughters, who have had to come home, about her short-lived relationship with a movie star before he became famous. It’s slow-paced but in a calm, easy way. Patchett has top writing chops.

Well, I hope I’ve given you some book ideas for the new year. Writing this post has worn poor-sick-me out, so I might take a nap. Toodle-loo.