2013 Favorite Reads!

My favorites list always get to be challenging posts because there are definite books or audiobooks that MUST be on the list and then there are some that are very good and I'd like to be on the list, only I need to stick to my cut-off point, so I go back and forth about which is actually the best to appear on the list...and so many things can factor into that final choice. If I read it longer ago, do I remember exactly how it made me feel when I finished? Or am I remembering that better for the more recent books? And as I was mentioning with a friend last week, what I read before that book could impact my reaction to it as well. So, the point of my babbling here is just that this is always a challenge for me. I've read many many good books this year, and I'm so thankful for all of them.

But when I put myself to the task, here are my favorite 10 of 2013 (the titles link to my reviews if you want to see what I had to say when I reviewed them):

EVIL IN ALL ITS DISGUISES (Hilary Davidson) -  Davidson has a keen talent for atmosphere. Between the exotic locales of her settings and the eerie, suspense of the plots, readers are enveloped by the story. Evil in All Its Disguises is Davidson's third entry in her Lily Moore series and her strongest to date. She simply continues to exceed expectations in every aspect of the crime novel and the experience of reading her is unforgettable. Forge, March 2013

SPIRIT OF STEAMBOAT (Craig Johnson) - The novella that started out as a short story is a heartwarming holiday tale featuring one of my absolute favorite residents of Absaroka County, Lucian Connolly. Spirit of Steamboat is all of Johnson's great writing qualities packed into a pint-size book: humor, suspense, sense of time and place, amazing characters speaking sharp dialogue, and a sense of connection. Reading Spirit of Steamboat you feel as though these people are your friends,  your neighbors, your family, so you can't help but relate and identify with them. This is a gem to add to the fabulous Walt Longmire canon. Viking, October 2013

SUSPECT (Robert Crais) - I've long held that L.A. Requiem is my favorite Crais book. But this year, Suspect usurped it. LAR is still my favorite Elvis/Joe book, but Suspect is evidence that Crais strives to be a better writer with every book. His portrayal of both man and dog suffering PTSD is intimate and stunning. The relationship he creates between man and dog is beautifully heart-wrenching. This is simply an incredible book.  Putnam, January 2013

IF YOU WERE HERE (Alafair Burke) - I mentioned last week that I thought the cover for this book was the best of all Burke's covers to date. I also think this is her best BOOK to date.  She's stretching her writing chops and it's paying off in spades. The complexity of her plot and the richness of her characters made this a fast-paced, exciting read.  Harper, June 2013

THE TILTED WORLD (Tom Franklin & Beth Ann Fennelly) - Lyrically beautiful and frightful at the same time. Franklin and Fennelly show no obvious signs of two different writers contributing to this incredible story. The dialogue, characters, atmosphere, tone, it's all pitch perfect. To read The Titled World and not get lost in the story is unthinkable to me. It also brings to light a period we've all but forgotten as well as a segment of the population we never remembered to begin with. William Morrow, October 2013

THE BROKEN PLACES (Ace Atkins) - With each new installment to this series, I love it more and more. Atkins' integration of the storm infused the story with energy and suspense. His depiction of the Southern small town brings out all the splendor of setting and people--both good and bad, but never over-simplified. Quinn's haunted soul is much more than the loner trope of crime novels. He's a dynamic character with layers that Atkins is carefully pealing away with each novel. And the supporting cast of the series is just as distinct and authentic. Putnam, May 2013

TELL NO LIES (Gregg Hurwitz) - I mentioned yesterday that with the discovery of new authors each year, it becomes harder and harder to keep up with them all. Gregg Hurwitz is one I never miss because each book is amazing and each one seems to top the one before it. TELL NO LIES took Hurwitz to new levels of great. His pacing, plot twists, relationships, ethical scenarios and social issues are stronger than ever. Delving into the psychological in this novel, Hurwitz created a one-sitting read. St. Martin's Press, August 2013

THE AMERICAN WAY OF POVERTY (Sasha Abramsky) - O.k. this one isn't crime fiction, but it is one of my favorite reads this year. We all have preconceived notions about poverty and U.S. programs for the poor. Many are faulty notions at best. The American Way of Poverty illuminates the reality through statistics, anecdotes and policy definitions. So many of the ailments of our country are all tied in together: education, health care, poverty, crime...The reality is disheartening but the potential for changes is inspiring. And since education is the first step to change, this book is a definite must-read for any and all Americans. It's motivating and empowering. Challenge yourselves! Nation Books, September 2013

BEAUTIFULLY UNIQUE SPARKLEPONIES (Chris Kluwe) - The other non-crime novel on my list. This book is smart, funny, inspiring and genuine. Kluwe's overall message through the collection of essays, letters, blog posts, etc., is empathy...the Golden Rule. I don't think there's enough emphasis on that mindset these days. It's all "me, me, me." Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies can be blunt and direct, but Kluwe's passion is never questionable. It's refreshing to see a young man in his position in society take an articulate stand in this way. I simply can't stop recommending this one to people. Little, Brown and Co., June 2013

BRILLIANCE (Marcus Sakey) - Can I just do the "OMG, this book is wonderful!" line? It truly is. This was the book that ruined the books I read after it. Nothing could compare. Brilliance is a mix of literary, sci-fiction, crime. The whole concept of the book is fascinating, but in Sakey's able hands, it became extraordinary. I can absolutely see this being The Brave New World of our generation. Ringing in at 500 pages, I couldn't believe how fast the end came...too fast. If you've yet to read this book, GET. IT. NOW. Thomas & Mercer, July 2013

And that my friends is my round-up of my favorite reads of 2013. Now how about you? What made your lists this year? What are the books you've most recommended to others? And what are you most looking forward to in 2014? For me, I'm looking forward to sharing great books with you another year. To, hopefully, trying some new things on the blog and discovering more new authors and celebrating a love of reading and books. Thanks for being along for the ride this year.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

Kicking off the year-end favorites

It's that time of year when I reflect back on the books I've read and put together lists of my favorites. I'll start with a little recap of my reading stats for you. I'm hoping to fit another one or two books in before we ring out the year next week, but they will be 2014 publications, so I feel ready to run down my favorites at this point.

So at this point I've read 98 books. A smaller percentage of that number were audiobooks this year: only 30. The 98 books were written by 92 different authors, and 65 of those authors were new to me this year.  I read 21 debut novels (3 debuted earlier than 2013).

I wish I could double those numbers, but alas, I simply don't read that fast. And while I wish I could read more of the books that come out, I don't ever want reading to turn into a chore for me. I read at a pace that allows me to absorb and enjoy my books. I'm happy with that.

Now onto our first look at favorites - favorite book covers.

I've discovered that I'm not a fan of commercial book covers. In other words, I don't like what sells. I prefer covers that elicit something from me. I love covers that have strong meaning and connect well with the books they are wrapped around. So, you may find my choices a little odd...that's just me, a little odd! And just a little side note, these are only covers from those books I read this year. I know there are fabulous covers out there I haven't seen or picked up yet as well...

If You Were Here - Alafair Burke

I love all of Alafair Burke's books, but this is by far my favorite of her covers. I'm often drawn to colors that are not black, white or red because those are so dominant in the crime fiction genre. But this cover's simplicity conveys a lot of meaning connected to the book. This is definitely a gold star book cover.

The Broken Places - Ace Atkins

While the use of the car mirror isn't a new one, I find the use in this cover especially strong given the role of the storm in the book. There's a great deal of atmosphere created in this cover without bogging it down with a lot of insignificant and busy detail.

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

I'm finishing up the 26-disc audio of this one right now. Again, I like the simple design. I like the sense of depth--inviting you to look inside, the appearance of texture and the font--among my all-time favorite fonts. There's an overall aura of something hidden and mysterious behind the paper. This cover does a lot with little.

Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies - Chris Kluwe

Maybe it's because I see so many dark and melancholy covers in the crime fiction genre, but I just can't help smiling when I see this cover. It has such a sense of whimsey to it. The contrast between the big male football star and the carousel horse is striking. This is a beautifully unique book and I think the artists came up with a beautifully unique cover.

Brilliance - Marcus Sakey

As with Alafair Burke's work, I thoroughly enjoy all of Marcus Sakey's work. And likewise, I feel the cover for Brilliance is his best cover yet. The depth perception, the use of light and shadows, it's all such a strong image. I love the way they've positioned the title and Marcus' name. Had they moved the blurb to the back cover or made it A LOT less prominent I'd say this cover is perfect.

Today's post will be a twofer: two favorites lists for the price of one (since they are both short). My next list is my five favorite first lines from 2013. First lines from any book I read this year, whether published in 2013 or earlier were considered for this list. I think these mostly speak for themselves, so here you go:


From Dead Harvest (Chris F. Holm): "Light spilled through the window of the pub as I watched them, casting patches of yellow across the darkened street but conveying no warmth."

From Gun Machine (Warren Ellis): "On playing back the 911 recording, it'd seem that Mrs. Stegman was more concerned that the man outside her apartment door was naked than that he had a big shotgun."

From A Quiet Vendetta (R.J. Ellory): "Through mean streets, through smoky alleyways where the pungent smell of raw liquor hangs like the ghost of some long-gone summer; on past these battered frontages where plaster chips and twists of dirty paint in Mardi Gras colors lean out like broken teeth and fall leaves; passing the dregs of humanity who gather here and there amongst brown-papered bottles and steel-drum fires, serving to tap the vein of meager human prosperity where it spills, through good humor or diesel wine, onto the sidewalks of this district... Chalmette, here within the boundaries of New Orleans."

From The Titled World (Tom Franklin & Beth Ann Fennelly): "Dixie Clay was squelching through the mud along the creek's swollen banks, shooing mosquitoes with her hat, when she saw a baby coffin bobbing against a sycamore snag."

From Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies (Chris Kluwe): "I've decided to call my own mind." (Note: since this is a series of essays and articles, this is only the first line to the first essay. Virtually every first line for each entry in the book is worthy of appearing on this list.)

There you have it! My five favorite covers and my five favorite first lines from books I read this year. How about you? What were standouts for you in these categories?

The Tilted World - Tom Franklin & Beth Ann Fennelly

First line: "Dixie Clay was squelching through the mud along the creek's swollen banks, shooing mosquitoes with her hat, when she saw a baby coffin bobbing against a sycamore snag."

The cover copy of my ARC reads, "This is the story of a bootlegger and a federal agent—natural enemies who fall in love." I think that's the best summation of a book I've read on a book jacket in a very long time.

Dixie Clay never set out to be a bootlegger. She thought she was marrying a fur trader, a kind and upstanding man. Jesse had other ideas. Dixie Clay didn't see the signs at first and before her baby died, she didn't care to see them. But once Jake left her, she had nothing. So she started manning the still and making the best moonshine around. That is until Ham and Ingersoll rode into town to secretly investigate the disappearance of two federal revenuers.

Ham and Ingersoll had encountered a robbery turned blood bath on their way to Hobnob Landing; the only survivor of the incident a newborn. So Ingersoll bundled up the infant to find it a home.  The home turned out to be Dixie Clay's, but Ingersoll had no idea she was the wife of the man Ham had started investigating.

In the midst of all this chaos, add punishing rains that were flooding the Mississippi River and pushing the levees to their brink. The Tilted World is an incredibly complex novel of the rural South in 1927.

As I learned in Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, Tom Franklin is a master of atmosphere. The Tilted World only reinforces that knowledge. The sights and sounds of southern United States during Prohibition come alive; readers can almost feel the pervading damp and taste the moonshine. While the laid-back mentality of the region comes through, so does the intensity of anxiety people were experiencing with the levees threatening to burst at any point.

The plot is a melting pot of crime, mystery, romance, adventure and history, written with poetic beauty and impact:

"The gun was like his guitar: a thing that had power because of the hole in the middle. Maybe like Ingersoll, too, for that matter."

And what strengthens the plot even further is the cast of the story. Readers can't help but care what happens to them, whether for the good or bad. Each character is so exquisitely flushed out that strong emotion is unavoidable.

For several days The Tilted World carried me away to a different time and place. It enveloped me in a period forgotten in our history books and a fictional story so authentic I felt a part of it. The Tilted World is without a doubt one of the best books I've read in 2013.

The Tilted World is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0062069184) from William Morrow and as a Harper Audio unabridged audiobook (ISBN: 978-0062190628), narrated by Brian D'Arcy James. If you didn't have a chance to see it on Friday, do check out Tom's Five on Friday.

Five on Friday - Tom Franklin

Happy Friday friends! I hope you had a great week. This week I got to see my other great love--Harry Connick, Jr.--in concert, so the rest of the week is pretty moot, I'm just elated from that!

But I'm also really excited about our Five on Friday guest today because I really love his work and this is the first time he's joined us here on the blog. But before we get to that, a few things from the week.

First the books were announced for the 2014 World Book Night. You can see their selections here. I have to say I like this batch better than the books selected for 2013. You can also now apply to be a giver for 2014. Applications will be accepted until January 5th.

A few things in the big and small screen world connected to crime fiction. A new Philip Marlowe series? How about a return to Cabot Cove? And on the Jo Nesbø front.  

Also, Jenn over at Jenn's Bookshelves has been featuring horror/thriller/mystery books all month for Halloween. If you haven't stopped by to check out her fun, be sure to do so!

Contests to check out this week:

There's still time to get in on the October Reads Bundle Sweepstakes at Criminal Element. They also have a chance for you to win Age of Blood.

Friday Reads has Chelsea Cain's new book Let Me Go.

And don't forget to stop over to Lesa's blog and see what goodies she has in store for her contest this week.

O.k. that's it for my yapping. Let me move on to Tom Franklin! In 2011 I listened to the audiobook of Tom's Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter and it was on my list of favorite audios for that year. So I was thrilled beyond words when I heard about the new book he had coming out this year (earlier this month).  I'll have more soon about The Tilted World that he co-wrote with his wife Beth Ann Fennelly, but suffice it to say, I'll be recommending it to many, many people. Tom Franklin has such an amazing gift with creating rich atmospheric novels. So if you haven't read him, I highly encourage you to do so.

And if my encouragement isn't enough, maybe reading his Five on Friday will goose you a little more. Plus we get a little extra from Tom. He answered five but left off the bucket list question at first. So a bonus! Ladies and gents, Tom Franklin!

A place I’ve never visited but would like to is Australia. Since seeing Crocodile Dundee I've had a romance with Down Under. Maybe I'd run into Tim Winston over (I mean under) there.

If I could sit next to anyone (not related to me) on a cross-country flight, it would be Stephen King because I LOVE his books and have 1000s of questions. He'd probably hate it though.

The best car I ever owned was a 75 MG Midget. My dad, a mechanic, had one for a while and I got to drive it for a few months. It had a leaky master cylinder and dripped brake fluid on my hushpuppies and ruined them.

Happiness is being warm.

My favorite vegetable is the durable potato. I love mashed potatoes more than being warm.

Bucket list in no particular order:

• Have dinner with Stephen The King
• Go to Australia
• Find a copy of Avengers no. 1 (1963 series) that I can afford.
• See (even a bad) movie made from one of my novels or stories
• Go to Wimbledon

And for the record, I love Tom even more now. Happiness IS being warm, especially now that the temps are turning on me. PLUS, mashed potatoes? Yay! I might like being warm more than the potatoes, but I still love mashed potatoes. I hope Tom is able to knock some of those bucket list items off soon.

And I hope YOU have a great weekend. Be sure to find some time for a good book or two because reading every day is important! Happy reading, friends!

Audiobook Thursday - CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER

First line: "The Rutherford girl had been missing for eight days when Larry Ott returned home and found a monster waiting in his house."

Larry Ott has learned to get through life one day at a time. He's been ostracized by the people of his rural Mississippi town ever since Cindy Walker went missing after their "date" back in high school. People don't talk to Larry, they don't patronize his service station and they certainly don't associate with him. However, when another young girl goes missing, the local law enforcement is more than happy to start looking right at Larry as the prime suspect.

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is a book that hits me in one of the softest places in my heart: people's callous mistreatment of each other. Franklin handles the theme with kid gloves, making it all the more effective. Larry is a young man who has wanted nothing more from life than a friend, and this desire opens him up to the selfishness of others.

The crimes in this novel, the two missing girls, play a secondary role in the plot. Instead Franklin focuses on the interrelationships of the characters and how their environment influences those relationships. The richness of the characters, the dialogue, the setting development all contribute to the intensity of emotion Franklin is able to elicit from the reader.

Franklin's use of language is exquisite. The tone of the novel mimics the loneliness of Larry and the internal struggles of Silas, the town constable who is carrying around heavy secrets. Every so often, Franklin sneaks in some situational humor to contrast the "old boys" off-color and tasteless jokes.

Through these beautiful characters, Franklin reminds us of the ugliness humans can inflict on one another. CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is a highly emotional, eloquent study of the human spirit and one we can all stand to read regularly. Franklin is a true master and CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER should be considered required reading.

Kevin Kenerly narrated this audiobook from Blackstone Audio. I would imagine that authors like Tom Franklin are hard to do justice, but I believe Kenerly did a fine job. He brought out the tone of both the rural southern community and the lonely, aching outsider. Kenerly also did a commendable job with the various dialects and genders. He maintained a leisurely pace befitting Southern Mississippi while emphasizing elements of intense emotion or fear. The production of this audiobook pays a fine tribute to the beautiful story being read.

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is available in print from William Morrow (ISBN: 978-0-060-59466-4) and on audio from Blackstone Audio (ISBN: 978-1-4417-6344-0)