As with previous years I’ve been through my list of books for the year and tried to narrow my favourites down to a top ten, I was leaving this until the last possible moment but I realise that I’m not going to squeen any last minute books into my queue at this stage.  I must say that I’ve had an amazing year of reading and I can’t deny this was a difficult list to draw up and I have no doubt I’ve missed a number of books off here that I would also like to shout out about – but, there comes a point where you have to draw the line. Also, for info, these may not all be 2019 releases.

Here are my ten favourite reads of the year:

1. The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky
2. Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence
3. A Time of Blood by John Gwynne
4. A Boy and His dog at the End of the World by CA Fletcher
5. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
6. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
7. The Bone Ships by RJ Barker
8. The Black Hawks by David Wragg
9. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow
10. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

And, because it was so difficult to choose only 10 I have a few other categories which means I can choose a few more books that I want to highlight (because I like to cheat):

Great beginning to series:

1. (The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
2. The Ruin of Kings (A Chorus of Dragons #1) by Jenn Lyons
3. Westside by WM Akers
4. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (not entirely sure there will be more but I’m hopeful)

Great conclusion to series:

1. The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
2. House of Sacrifice by Anna Smith Spark
3. The King of Assassins by RJ Barker – review to follow

Fantastic Urban Fantasy

1. The Brotherhood of the Wheel by RS Belcher
2. Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse
3. Strange Practice by Vivien Shaw
4. Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw
5. Grave Importance by Vivian Shaw
6. The Hanged Man by KD Edwards

Great Sci Fi/futuristic

1. One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence
2. Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young
3. Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence
4. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
5. Ration by Cody T Luff
6. Dispel Illusion by Mark Lawrence
7. Lore of Prometheus by Graham Austin King

Great Gothic or dark reads

1. Little Darlings by Melanie Golding
2. The Corset by Laura Purcell
3. The Truants by Kate Weinberg
4. Mistletoe by Alison Littlewood

Great Magical Realism

1. The World that we Knew by Alice Hoffman
2. Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein
3. The Strawberry Thief (Chocolat #4) by Joanne Harris

Great Standalone:

1. Never Die by Rob J Hayes
2. Deeplight by Frances Hardinge – review to follow

In total I have read 109 books this year.  I have reviewed 103 with six outstanding reviews to follow in the New Year.  Eight of my books have been audio. My reading focuses mainly on fantasy but there is also a light sprinkling of murder mystery, historic and horror books.  My complete list of reading is below with links to reviews.

1. The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
2. Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
3. The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky
4. The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
5. The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell
6. Murder Theory by Andrew Mayne
7. Out of Nowhere by Patrick LeClerc
8. Fog Season by Patrice Sarath
9. The Ruin of Kings (A Chorus of Dragons #1) by Jenn Lyons
10. Thornbound (The Harwood Spellbook #2) by Stephanie Burgis
11. The Taking of Annie Thorne C. J. Tudor
12. White Stag by Kara Barbieri
13. Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter
14. The Anointed by Keith Ward (one of the SPFBO finalists)
15. Bound by Mark Lawrence
16. Symphony of the Wind by Steven McKinnon
17. The True Queen by Zen Cho
18. The Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty
19. Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik
20. The Strawberry Thief (Chocolat #4) by Joanne Harris
21. The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
22. The Dollmaker by Nina Allan
23. Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence
24. Aching God (Iconoclasts #1) by Mike Shel
25. The Raven’s Tale by Cat Winters
26. Sowing (The Purification Era #1) by Angie Grigaliunas
27. The Binding by Bridget Collins
28. A Time of Blood by John Gwynne
29. One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence
30. The Brotherhood of the Wheel by RS Belcher
31. Emily Eternal by M G Wheaton
32. A Boy and His dog at the End of the World by CA Fletcher
33. Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse
34. Little Darlings by Melanie Golding
35. Ruthless Magic  by Megan Crewe
36. Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young
37. The Gods of Men by Barbara Kloss
38. The Furies by Katie Lowe
39. Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen
40. Westside by WM Akers
41. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
42. King of the Road by RS Belcher
43. The Poison Song by Jen Williams
44. We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson
45. Orconomics by J Zachary Pike
46. Council by Snorri Kristjansson
47. Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
48. The Red Stained Wings by Elizabeth Bear
49. Queenslayer by Sebastien DeCastell
50. Priest of Lies by Peter McLean
51. The Fall by Tracy Townsend
52. Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence
53. Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs
54. The Corset by Laura Purcell
55. The Whisper Man by Alex North
56. Nocturna by Maya Motayne

57. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

58. Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
59. The Toll by Cherie Priest
60. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
61. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Storm
62. Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham
63. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
64. Shadows of the Short Days by Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson
65. Cry Havoc by Mike Morris
66. The Undoing of Arlo Knott by Heather Child
67. Lord of Secrets by Breanna Teintze
68. The Truants by Kate Weinberg
69. Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs
70. Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan
71. House of Sacrifice by Anna Smith Spark
72. Missing Person by Sarah Lotz
73. The Witch Who Courted Death by Marie Lewis
74. Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron
75. Brightfall by Jamie Lee Moyer
76. Healer’s Ruin by Chris O’Mara
77. Lore of Prometheus by Graham Austin King
78. Strange Practice by Vivien Shaw
79. For Emily by Katharine Slee
80. The Resurrectionist of Caligo by Wendy Trimboli and Alicia Zaloga
81. A Shadow on the Lens by Sam Hurcom
82. Ration by Cody T Luff
83. Bone China by Laura Purcell
84. The World that we Knew by Alice Hoffman
85. Violetby Scott Thomas
86. The Bone Ships by RJ Barker
87. The Black Hawks by David Wragg
88. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow
89. The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh
90. Mistletoe by Alison Littlewood
91. Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw
92. From the Shadows of the Owl Queen’s Court by Benedict Patrick
93. Grave Importance by Vivian Shaw
94. Ivory Applesby Lisa Goldstein
95. The Absinthe Earl by Sharon Lynn Fisher
96. Songs From the Deepby Kelly Powell
97. Dark Pattern by Andrew Mayne
98. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
99. Never Dieby Rob J Hayes
100. The Blade Within by Jackson Lear
101. Vortex Visionsby Elise Kova
102. River of Thieves by Clayton Snyder
103. Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of the Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin
104. The Hanged Man by KD Edwards
105. Dispel Illusion by Mark Lawrence
106. The Land You Never Leave by Angus Watson
107. Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
108. The King of Assassins by RJ Barker
109. Where Gods Fear to Go by Angus Watson