Happy New Year!! I thought I would start off 2017 by celebrating the best of the books I read last year. Rather than do my usual Top 10 list, I thought I’d try something new this year and list my favorites in various categories, with links to (and quotes from) my reviews.
BEST HISTORICAL FICTION (WWII)
A Moment Forever by Cat Gardiner
A Moment Forever is not a book you merely read; Gardiner ensures you actually live the story — from the overindulgence of Long Island’s Gold Coast to the wartime excitement in the Big Apple, from the airfields and USO dances and the fashions of the ’40s to the solemnity of Paris 50 years after the roundup of its Jewish residents for deportation. There are so many layers to this story, and I never wanted it to end.
BEST HISTORICAL FICTION (OTHER ERA)
Lost Among the Living by Simone St. James
Simone St. James is a new-to-me writer, and as soon as I finished Lost Among the Living I determined that I must read her previous novels, which all seem to be equally suspenseful. I loved her writing here, particularly the passages that describe the intensity of Jo and Alex’s relationship, which enable readers to feel Jo’s grief and the frustration inherent in not knowing Alex’s fate. I also liked that while there was romance and passion, Lost Among the Living is at its core a ghost story, but it’s so much more than that. St. James shows the impact of the war on the returning soldiers and the women whose men never came home, as well as the blurring of the boundaries between social classes and how greed and selfishness can tear families apart.
BEST AUSTEN VARIATION (REGENCY)
Mr. Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter by Joana Starnes
Mr. Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter is a beautifully written novel, with just the right amount of angst to move me to the brink of tears without making me put the book down in despair. Starnes has a knack for putting Elizabeth and Darcy in impossible situations, delving deep into their souls, and keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they wonder how a happily ever after will be achieved. I loved the pacing of the novel, and Starnes does a wonderful job evolving their relationship through many ups and downs as they navigate the challenges posed by their families and themselves.
BEST AUSTEN VARIATION (MODERN)
Without a Conscience by Cat Gardiner
Like Denial of Conscience, Without a Conscience is sexy (definitely for mature audiences only) and exciting from the very first page. Gardiner is a fantastic storyteller who weaves clever plots and navigates Darcy and Liz through the twists and turns while further evolving their relationship. In the midst of the danger and excitement, Gardiner provides plenty of humor, and the obvious rivalry between Liz and Caroline had me laughing out loud several times. The novel is perfectly paced, and there’s just something about Gardiner’s writing style that has me hanging on every word.
BEST AUSTEN VARIATION (SECONDARY CHARACTERS)
The Trouble to Check Her by Maria Grace
The Trouble to Check Her exemplifies why Grace is one of my favorite authors of Austen-inspired fiction. Her attention to detail in terms of character development and the history of the era is fantastic, and I hope there is another book in the series (mainly because I want to find out what happened to Jane Bingley after her falling out with Elizabeth Darcy).
BEST AUSTEN VARIATION (OTHER)
The Elizabeth Papers by Jenetta James
I enjoyed reading both Elizabeth’s diary and about the rocky start to Charlie and Evie’s relationship and their determination to find Elizabeth’s papers. I especially loved how James showed that even Austen’s beloved couple likely didn’t have a perfect marriage, and by telling that story from the point of view of Elizabeth, readers are able to see her insecurities and her frustration while having little clue what Darcy is thinking or feeling, which creates just the right amount of tension. I also loved getting a glimpse of the Darcys and their family years into their marriage, so they are no longer bright-eyed newlyweds but older and wiser and settled into their life together. Charlie and Evie’s story was exciting and even had some similarities to Darcy and Elizabeth’s, and Charlie’s client, Cressida Carter, is very Caroline Bingley-esque. The dual narratives were seamlessly connected, and the shifts between the two were timed perfectly to ensure readers can’t put the book down.
MOST UNIQUE AUSTEN VARIATION
The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Beau North and Brooke West
The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy is unique and exciting. It made me laugh, and it left me in tears, so much so that my husband kept asking if I was okay and I worried I would short out my Kindle! It’s been a while since I’ve been so emotionally affected by a Pride and Prejudice variation. It’s absolutely one of the best books I’ve read this year, possibly one of my all-time favorites, and definitely one I won’t forget!
BEST HOLIDAY NOVEL
Lucky 13 by Cat Gardiner
Oh, how I loved this novel! Gardiner is a master at bringing Jane Austen’s characters into the present day and turning up the heat (and the laughs). From their heated arguments to their heated encounters at the jaw-dropping calendar audition and the chest-oiling photo shoot, I couldn’t get enough of this Lizzy and Darcy. The secondary characters are equally entertaining, from Jane, the supermodel with a secret, to Caroline, the matchmaking poochie mama, and especially Charlotte (aka “Punky) and Darcy’s cousin, Rick (aka “Preppy”), who are the most obnoxious of the numerous matchmakers.
BEST POETRY COLLECTION
The Jane and Bertha in Me by Rita Maria Martinez
Martinez’s poems are full of vivid imagery (“The Bertha in me sleeps until three in the afternoon and sits on the back porch with a cup of Earl Grey that quells the desire to chop up her crotchety landlord,” from “The Jane and Bertha in Me”), sensual (“Charlotte’s manuscript sepulchered like an incorruptible saint, splayed on its back like a woman whose architecture I want to touch,” from “At the British Library”), insightful (“Pain caused by first love never truly subsides,” from “Jane’s Denial”), and even humorous (“She’ll be sorry for canoodling with the missionary, thinks Rochester, who’s exceeded his cursing quota and looks like Wolverine,” from “Jane Eyre: Classic Cover Girl”). Martinez even writes about Brontë herself, from her different personas to the migraines she suffered through in order to create her “pristine prose” (from “The Literature of Prescription”).
BEST SHORT STORY/COLLECTION
“Tea Time” by Tiffani Burnett-Velez
I finished reading “Tea Time” in less than half an hour, and I was satisfied with the abrupt ending even though I wasn’t ready for the story to be over. The final few lines pack a punch and made it a story I won’t soon forget. I can’t wait to read more from Burnett-Velez.
FAVORITE COVER
Undercover by Cat Gardiner
Gardiner is a fantastic storyteller who had me hooked from the very first page. The use of slang from the era, her vivid descriptions, the steamy scenes, and the murder mystery are handled so perfectly that I could picture the entire book in my head, as though I were actually watching a black-and-white hard-boiled crime drama on the screen. She moved Austen’s characters into 1952 New York City in a way that felt true to them. I loved that she gave Darcy a painful back story and that Elizabeth and Jane weren’t the best of friends. Gardiner’s portrayal of Georgiana as a modern and independent though innocent and sheltered young woman is handled beautifully, as is Lydia’s downfall at the hands of Slick Wick.
****
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Some of the more memorable 5-star books from 2016 (click the covers to read my reviews)
What were your favorite books of 2016? I’d love to know!
I love that so many of your favorites are Austen variations! :–)
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Well I read so many this year! 😉 I always try to vary my reading but I just couldn’t help myself. Too many great releases.
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Fun to get snoopy and see what made your best of list. Yep, many of those were my favorite reads of the year, too. Cat’s WWII book was my favorite historical this last year and I hope to re-read it this year just because I loved it so much.
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I’d definitely re-read it, too! Glad to see we enjoyed a lot of the same books.
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I share many of your favorites but one that is at the top of my list is Brenda Webb’s “Darcy and Elizabeth – A Promise Kept.” Not to mention she just came out with “Passages – A Pemberley Tale” right at the end of December. So many great books out there to choose from. Jen Red
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Ooh, I’ll have to look for those. Thanks for the recommendations! I have a Kindle card from Christmas that’s burning a hole in my pocket. 😉
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I LOVE Brenda Webb’s books – they are all five stars with me. I have Passages on my kindle to read.
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What a great list Anna. I too love Cat’s books. I haven’t read A Moment Forever yet but only because it doesn’t have Darcy and Elizabeth in it. I will definitely read it this year. But her Iceman and Caveman books are fabulous as is Undercover. My favourite books which I think are all from 2016 are Undercover, Without a Conscience, Mr. Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter and The Rainbow Promise. Also among my favourites are The Many Faces of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Particular Intentions and A Remedy Against Sin. I read so many great books in 2016 (although some published earlier.) I also have to re read books I particular enjoy. I look forward to a number of new books for 2017.
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Thanks for the recommendations! I have some of those on my Kindle already, waiting patiently to be read.
There are a lot of parallels between P&P and A Moment Forever, so don’t wait too long to read it! 😉
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What a lovely selection of books !
Have read quite a lot of them but one that I’m very much looking forward to is Cat Gardiner’s ‘A Moment Forever’.
Have heard great things about it!
Thanks for sharing.
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I hope you love it as much as I did!
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Wow, that’s a great list. I hope to get to Starnes’ book early this year. You and I have the same thoughts on Grace’s novel…what happened between Jane and Lizzy! Undercover does have a fantastic cover, and I have to read Lucky 13…
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Yes, you definitely need to read Lucky 13!!
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What a fantastic list of recommendations! Thank you for all the great reviews! #ILoveBestOfListSeason I really do. Congrats to all the authors.
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My pleasure! I love reading all the lists, too, though it does lead me to overloading my Kindle. 😉
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All of Cat Gardiner’s, Joana Starnes’, Caitlin’s, Jenetta’s books are 5 stars reviews for me. Both in the Darcy’s Hope series are there also even if the second one was released January 1st. And I love Undeceived and Letter from Ramsgate (both 5 stars)
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I’m on the tour for the new Darcy’s Hope book, and I can’t wait. Glad to hear you loved it!
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Thanks for the mention among such great books, Sheila. You’re a tough reviewer so it means a great deal to me to have your support. I have many of the same faves as you.
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Amongst your favourites, Anna, are some of mine too. The seven I’ve read are all wonderful and the seven JAFF I haven’t read are all on a TBR list the size of a small moon!
Some of my other favourites, published in 2016, are:
The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen
Jane Austen Lives Again
Darcy vs. Bennet
A Little Whimsical in His Civilities
Family Portraits
Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon
Other favourites, read in 2016 but published earlier, are:
Emma and Elizabeth
Haunting Mr. Darcy
Villa Fortuna
The Last Waltz
The Darcy Brothers
Bluebells in the Mourning
These are all JAFF, if you hadn’t already noticed!
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Thanks so much for all the recommendations! I have most of those waiting to be read, and now I’m really excited about them.
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I enjoyed your post and list, Anna. You have me quite interested in the work of Cat Gardiner. I’m really looking forward to reading Mr. Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter before too long. Happy reading!
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Thanks, Suko! I hope you enjoy Joana’s book as much as I did. Happy reading!
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*faints dead away* followed by *tears of joy* I’m truly blown away, Anna! Thank you so much for the honor in listing my books beside such exceptional authors/novels! I’m thrilled you love my writing and that my work gave you such pleasure. Congratulations to all the authors and a special congrats to Stephanie Baumgartner for Love Song. Her WWII was a favorite of mine this year, too. Wishing you and your family a blessed New Year, Anna! Here’s to 2017!!
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Happy New Year, Cat! You’re so very welcome, and I can’t wait to read more of your work in the future.
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Okay, that does it! Now I HAVE to read a Cat Gardiner book after you posted several of her books as your top favorites.:-)
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Yay! I hope you love them as much as I did!
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Lovely list, Anna! I am so glad you enjoyed so many of these stories this year. We are so fortunate that so many JAFF authors are so talented!
I hope 2017 brings you many great reads too!
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Yes, and we are so lucky that they continue to publish and continue to imagine new ways to tell our favorite stories! Happy New Year, Claudine!
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Congrats, everyone! What a great collection, Anna. You had a very good 2016!
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Thanks, Nicole!
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Anna – thank you so much for your mention of Undeceived 🙂 Congratulations to all the other authors on your list as well. Have a wonderful new year full of reading fun!
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You’re very welcome! Happy New Year!
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Thank you and Happy New Year to you too Anna 🙂
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Happy New Year!
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Thanks for the mention, Anna. There are literally dozens of great books that deserve to be in everyone’s top ten this year, and I don’t envy reviewers for having to decide. You made some great choices, and I hope to read those that I haven’t yet. Congratulations to those who had that little “je ne sais quoi” that made them worth the #1 list, and to every author who released a novel this year–it’s hard work, and done as a labour of love!
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Well said, Suzan! It definitely was a hard decision, as I read so many great books last year. Happy New Year!
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Great selections! I have read some and others are on my TBR or wishlist! My tops are:
The Coming of Age of Elizabeth Bennet
Mr. Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter
The Elizabeth Papers
A Remedy Against Sin
A Change of Legacies
Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon
Darcy’s Deliverance
The Trouble to Check Her
Unwilling
Of Fortune’s Reversal (novella)
Yes, Mr. Darcy (novella)
Courtship & Marriage (non-fiction)
As Death draws Near #5 (Victorian murder/mystery Anna Lee Huber)
A Pressing Engagement (novella Victorian murder/mystery Anna Lee Huber)
It was sooo hard choosing!
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Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll check out the ones I don’t already have. Several of these are on my TBR.
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I’ve got to get to work – I haven’t read any of those!
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Happy Reading!
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Great best of list 🙂
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Thanks! 🙂
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Happy New Year, Anna! I like your format for your favorite reads. Simone St. James is one of those writers I’ve been meaning to discover. Maybe this year! Hope you find lots of great reads this year!
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Thanks, Iliana! I definitely want to read more St. James, hopefully this year.
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I really need to read Cat Gardiner. And I’ll come back to your list when I’m in the mood for Jane Austen variations.
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Definitely read A Moment Forever if you’re in the mood for a WWII romance. It was fantastic!!
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Get out the tissues!
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Definitely!
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Huge thanks for the wonderful words about my books, Anna!! I’m over the moon that Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter was among your 2016 favourites and Miss Darcy’s Companion was honourably mentioned 🙂 You’re so kind! I’m so happy you liked them! Have a wonderful New Year and all the best!
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You’re very welcome! They definitely deserved a spot on my lists! Happy New Year!
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