It's that time of year again when all the Best Of lists start showing up. So I figured I'd stick with my annual tradition and select my top reads of 2015. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that the books were published in 2015, just that I read them this year. And my criteria for picking my favorites is very simple. I keep track of everything I read on Goodreads. This year, I've read 60 books. (Here's the full reading list.)
So I scanned through my list and chose the ones that I can still remember the characters and plot. There are lots of books I enjoyed this year, but they kind of passed from my mind after I was done reading them. Wait, what was that one about again? My memory isn't the best, lol. So the ones that stick with me stand out from the pack. Now, sometimes something stands out for bad reasons, so I weeded those out, lol. What was left was the list of top contenders that I had to narrow down and pick my faves from. So these are books I enjoyed, that stuck with me, and that I was compelled to tell other people about.
Here's my 2015 list in no particular order. Click on the covers if you want to see the Amazon page for the book. I've also linked to my reviews if I reviewed the book on the blog.
LGBT Fiction:
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg (my review) - This one is the lone YA pick of the year. For some reason, I didn't read a lot of YA this year. But this was a great one.
Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson (my review) - I love a road trip book and friends-to-lovers storyline, so I was all over this one. This is New Adult.
Erotic Romance:
Hmm, there may be a theme here. I seem to be drawn to erotic romance that has a darker edge/premise to them. Two of these have dark heroes/anti-heroes (One Cut Deeper and Love the Way You Lie.) And two have outside the box kinks to explore (cuckholding in Crosstown Crush and force fantasy in Asking For It.) All four are fantastic.
Asking For It by Lilah Pace (my review)
One Cut Deeper by Joely Sue Burkhart (my review)
Crosstown Crush by Cara McKenna (my review)
Love the Way You Lie by Skye Warren (my review)
Horror (sort of):
Non-Fiction:
Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD by Susan C. Pinsky (my review) - I'm not ADHD but boy did these tips resonate with me. I think anyone who is a visual learner could benefit from this book. It's changed a lot of how I organize myself and my household.
Thug Kitchen - I have a cookbook addiction and this is my favorite one I bought this year. Great recipes and just hilarious to read. If you're offended by cursing, skip this one. They don't hold anything bet. But that's the beauty of it. :) Plus, the recipes are delicious and healthy!
What was your favorite read or reads of 2015? I'd love to hear!
Disclaimer: I have not been asked by the authors or publishers to feature these books. All books were purchased with my own money. Some of these authors write for the same publisher I do (Berkley/Penguin), but that had no bearing on my selections. Amazon links are affiliate links.