4th quarter book list (and top 5 of 2015)

Well, I wrote an entire blog post here and then safari crashed and lost everything. So if this sounds clipped and abrupt, it's because I didn't feel like rewriting the post that I lost. (Sorry)

At the beginning of the year, I set a goal for myself to read 100 books. That didn't quite happen, and I knew it wouldn't by the time fall arrived. So I reset my goal to 75 books, and I ended up at 80. I'm really happy with my reading year. I read a lot of really wonderful books. I read a few disappointing ones, and there were a couple of real stinkers in there, but overall, it was a very good reading year.

I'm still not certain what my goal will be in 2016, though I doubt it will be quite as ambitious. I'm really focused on finishing After Ever and finding an agent this year.

What follows are my favorite books of this last quarter, a list of all the books read in October, November, and December, and a special bonus list of my top five favorite books of 2015.

And away we go!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2015 and I waited not-so-very-patiently for it all year.

Six of Crows is a heist story - pitched as Ocean's Eleven meets Game of Thrones. Instead of eleven con men, we have a coed group of six. (Hence the title). Each bringing a particular set of skills and emotional baggage along for the ride. A motley crew peopled with anti-heroes, dubious backgrounds, and warring morals and values. But a more interesting set of characters you'll never meet.

We're thrown into the action and we "meet" the characters along the way, with revealing flashbacks piecing together bits of the puzzle here and there. Those discoveries are priceless, deepening each character as they go along.

This new series takes place in Ravka, the same realm as Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy, which I read at the start of 2015 and absolutely loved. All of the characters are new and none of the characters from the original trilogy are featured except in passing conversation every once in a while. I absolutely loved this book, even more than the original trilogy, I'm surprised to say. And now I have to wait not-so-very-patiently for the sequel in 2016.

Quiet:The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

I could talk about this book for hours. But instead of listening to me obsess, I'll just to let you listen to Susan Cain herself. This is her fascinating TedTalk appearance and what made me pick up her book.

On Writing by Stephen King

Best book I've ever read on the craft of writing. Part memoir, part instruction manual. I loved that King included examples from his own work. If you are someone who wants to study or better understand the craft of writing, the is one of the best books out there on the subject.

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

The Napoleonic Wars. . .with Dragons. It had me at hello, and the writing is superb. My second Naomi Novik book this year and I am quickly becoming a huge fan.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

This book is about an alien invasion. I've never been a huge fan of any books about aliens, but I wanted to give The 5th Wave a try. This was my last book of the year and because of that, I can say that I ended the year with a bang. I found this one ever so difficult to put down and I was glad I was reading over a holiday weekend because I would have been mighty tired at work otherwise. This is a book that kept me up at night.