My Favorite Series in 2011

When I was preparing yesterday's post I realized that I would have to create this post otherwise one series would have dominated my Top Reads in 2011 so I'm highlighting that series here today.

This year I read Tangled Threads (review) and Spider's Revenge and am currently reading an ARC of By a Thread. Spider's Bite (review), Web of Lies (review) and Venom were all read in 2010.

I'm telling you guys this series is AWESOME!! If you love urban fantasy these books are for you. I fell in love with Estep's Big Time series which are hokey romance books about superheros but this series is way different. It's really dak and sometimes gory but it's suprisingly well done. Our heroine, Gin Blanco, is a retired assassin but that doesn't mean she doesn't kill anymore. You have to trust me on this one and READ THIS SERIES!! I cannot get enough and promise that if you love urban fantasy you will too.

Here are all the series books I read this year in no particular order.

·        Stone Barrington by Stuart Woods

o   #21 Son of Stone

·        Glory St. Claire by Gerry Bartlett

o   #6 Real Vampires Have More to Love

·        Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

o   #6 Mini Shopaholic

·        Tracers by Laura Griffin

o   #5 Snapped

·        The Bride Series by Catherine Coulter

o   #11 Prince of Ravenscar

·        The Rasner Effect by Mark Rosendorf

o   #3 Rasner's Revenge

·        Myron Bolitar by Harlan Coben

o   #10 Live Wire

·        Mickey Bolitar by Harlan Coben

o   #1 Shelter

·        In Death by J.D. Robb

o   #33 Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

o   #42 Chaos in Death

·        Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

o   #2 Dragonfly in Amber

o   #3 Voyager

o   #4 Drums of Autumn

o   #5 The Fiery Cross

o   #6 An Echo in the Bone

o   #7 A Breath of Snow and Ashes

·        Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich

o   #16 Sizzling Sixteen

o   #17 Smokin' Seventeen

·        Undead by MaryJanice Davidson

o   #10 Undead and Undermined

·        The Mermaid by MaryJanice Davidson

o   #3 Fish Out of Water

·        The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

o   #4 Extras

·        Dirty Business by Rosemary Harris

o   #1 Pushing Up Daisies

·        Candy Shop Mysteries by Sammi Carter

o   #5 Sucker Punch

·        Southern Witch by Kimberly Frost

o   #3 Halfway Hexed

·        Bigtime by Jennifer Estep

o   #3 Jinx

o   A Karma Girl Christmas (short story)

·        Mythos Academy by Jennifer Estep

o   #1 Touch of Frost

o   Halloween Frost (short story)

·        Cotton Malone by Steve Berry

o   #6 The Emperor's Tomb

·        Pine Cove by Christopher Moore

o   #3 The Stupidest Angel

·        Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton

o   #22 V Is For Vengeance

·       Fever by Karen Marie Moning

o   #5 Shadow Fever

·        Ghost Hunter by Victoria Laurie

o   #3 Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun

o   #4 Ghouls Gone Wild

·        Izzy Spellman Mysteries by Lisa Lutz

o   #1 The Spellman Files

My Favorite Series in 2011

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2011/12/my-favorite-series-in-2011.html

My Top Six Reads of 2011

Recently a few friends have asked me to recommend a good book or what my favorite book was this year so I thought I would share my Top Six reads of 2011. Have you read any of these? Have I enticed you to pick one up?

6. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Why I Loved It: Even though this series is 22 books in this story is fresh and exciting. I'm sticking with this series to the end! 


5. The Madonnas of Echo Park: A Novel by Brando Skyhorse

Why I Loved It: I grew up in Los Angeles and The Madonnas brought back memories of my old friends and parts of town that I haven't thought of in years.

4. Soul Trapper by F. J. Lennon

Why I Loved It: Soul Trapper was a refreshing, new (to me) take on the Urban Fantasy genre and the hero wasn't Mr. Perfect. His flaws made him real and I loved that.


3. One Second After by William R. Forstchen

Why I Loved It: This could totally happen! It was eerie how easy we could be incapacitated by something so simple.  

2. Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz + David Hayward

Why I Loved It: OMG! This book was seriously laugh-out-loud funny. The interaction between Lisa and David is almost funnier than the story itself. Definitely a must read.

1. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey

Why I loved it: I DEVOURED The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes in less than 24 hours!! It grabbed me from page one and I just could not put it down. Awesome suspense thriller.

My Top Six Reads of 2011

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2011/12/my-top-six-reads-of-2011.html

Review: Racing the Devil by Jaden Terrell

When private investigator Jared McKean wakes up from a one-night stand he's got one more problem than he went to bed with. Besides having a best friend with AIDS, being fired from the Nashville PD Homicide department and still being in love with his ex-wife he's now being framed for murder. Once he makes bail he has to track down the real murderer while the body count keeps rising and deal with his own family drama.

Racing the Devil is book one in the new Jared McKean series and it's a fairly good series start. The characters are real and I was pulled in from the opening scene. I was fully engaged in the story and loved the ending but some of the story line was a little bit forced as if Terrell meant to go in a different direction and changed his mind but not the details. Overall I recommend this one for anyone who loves a good suspense thriller and look forward to book two which will be out August 2012.

Review: Racing the Devil by Jaden Terrell

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2011/12/review-racing-devil-by-jaden-terrell.html

Book Release: Creative Spirit by Scott Nicholson

"Scott Nicholson is a writer who always surprises and always entertains."- Jonathan Maberry, Dust & Decay

CREATIVE SPIRIT
A paranormal thriller by Scott Nicholson

After parapsychologist Anna Galloway is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she has a recurring dream in which she sees her own ghost at Korban Manor. She’s compelled to visit the historic estate to face her destiny and the fate of her soul.

Sculptor Mason Jackson has come to the manor to make a final, all-or-nothing attempt at success before giving up his dreams. When he becomes obsessed with carving Ephram Korban's form out of wood, he is swept into a destructive frenzy that even Anna can’t pull him from.

The manor itself has secrets, with fires that blaze constantly in the hearths, portraits of Korban in every room, and deceptive mirrors on the walls. With an October blue moon looming, both the living and the dead learn the true power of their dreams.

View or sample Creative Spirit at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kobo, Smashwords, BN.com, or Goodreads. Look for Liquid Fear and Chronic Fear from Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer imprint.

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CREATIVE SPIRIT is Scott Nicholson’s revised edition of the 2004 U.S. paperback THE MANOR. Scott is Kindle bestselling author of 12 novels, including THE RED CHURCH, DISINTEGRATION, LIQUID FEAR, and SPEED DATING WITH THE DEAD. Connect with Scott on Facebook, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Twitter, blogspot, website or Amazon page



Book Release: Creative Spirit by Scott Nicholson

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2011/12/book-release-creative-spirit-by-scott.html

Review: Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben

When a medical researcher unexpectedly commits suicide his partner, Dr. Riker, shares his suspicion that it was actually a murder with his close friend, journalist Sara Lowell. What comes to light is that Dr. Riker’s clinic has found a cure for AIDS and now someone is also murdering the cured patients one by one. Scariest of all is that Sara’s husband, NBA star Michael Silverman has just been diagnosed as HIV positive and has been admitted to Dr. Riker’s clinic. Will the murder be caught before it’s too late for them all?

Harlan Coben is one of my all-time favorite authors. I’ve read every single book in his Myron Bolitar series and I thought I had read all of his stand alones but Miracle Cure was actually his second novel published in 1990 and reissued this year.

It goes to show how much an author grows in writing over the years because Miracle Cure isn’t up to par with most of Coben’s current books. There are glimpses of his genius in the bread crumbs he leaves throughout the book, the number of characters and the twitsted ending but overall it’s just not one of his best books. I recommend this one as a library read if you love Harlan Coben or suspense thrillers.

Review: Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2011/10/review-miracle-cure-by-harlan-coben.html

Review: Snapped by Laura Griffin

Hoping to earn a promotion from receptionist to a PR rep with the private crime lab Delphi Center, Sophie Barrett heads to the local college campus to register for a couple of classes. But once there she steps right into the middle of a madman's rampage. Pinned down by the sniper for what seems like hours Sophie watches a pregnant woman die right in front of her and she is wrecked with survivor's guilt.

Enter homicide detective Jonah Macon. Already attracted to Sophie from an earlier encounter the last thing he needs right now is to get involved with one of the witnesses to the horrible crime. But as the investigation continues it quickly becomes apparent the sniper didn't just randomly start shooting students. He had a clear target and Sophie may hold the key to figuring it all out. Can Jonah keep Sophie alive while they follow the leads to the real bad guy?

Laura Griffin sure knows how to weave a perfect romantic suspense. You have a great suspense story with lots of mystery and you have a hot and steamy romance all which is just the thing to keep the pages quickly turning.

Years ago I devoured any romantic suspense book I could get my hands on but over the last few years I've almost stopped reading the genre completely. The stories became too predictable and you always knew there would be a happily ever after. But Laura's books are different. Sure the guy always gets the girl in the end but the story lines are always strong enough with incredibly real characters and filled with enough intrigue to keep her romantic suspense books on my must read list. Snapped is Book 5 in the Tracer series but it definitely stands alone.

Review: Snapped by Laura Griffin

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2011/09/review-snapped-by-laura-griffin.html

Books I've Read in 2011

Even though life is really hectic now adays and I'm not blogging much I'm still going to try to keep my books read in 2011 list current. Here's what I've read so far:


Jan

1. Soul Trapper by F.J. Lennon
2. The Dallas Women's Guide to Gold-Digging with Pride by J.C. Conklin
3. Sucker Punch by Sammi Carter
4. Halfway Hexed by Kimberly Frost

Feb

5. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
6. Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep

Mar

7. Rasner's Revenge by Mark Rosendorf
8. The Madonnas of Echo Park: A Novel by Brando Skyhorse
9. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella (audio)
10. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz (re-read on audio)
11. Journal of a UFO Investigator by David Halperin

Apr

12. Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz + David Hayward
13. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey
14. Shadow Fever by Karen Marie Moning

May

15. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
16. One Second After by William R. Forstchen
17. Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin
18. Jinx by Jennifer Estep
19. Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun by Victoria Laurie

Jun

20. Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb
21. Live Wire by Harlan Coben
22. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
23. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
24. 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
25. Extras by Scott Westerfeld
26. The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry

Jul

27. Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris
28. The Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa
29. Making Waves by Tawna Fenske
30. Shelter by Harlan Coben
31. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Aug

32. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
33. Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
34. Fish Out of Water by MaryJanice Davidson
35. The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman
36. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Sep

37. Undead and Undermined by MaryJanice Davidson
38. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
39. Snapped by Laura Griffin
40. Prince of Ravenscar by Catherine Coulter

Oct

41. Ghouls Gone Wild by Victoria Laurie
42. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
43. Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben
44. Son of Stone by Stuart Woods
45. Real Vampires Have More to Love by Gerry Bartlett
46. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
47. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
48. Spider's Revenge by Jeniffer Estep

Nov

49. Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
50. A Karma Girl Christmas by Jennifer Estep
51. Just One Of The Guys by Kristan Higgins
52. A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
53. Halloween Frost by Jennifer Estep in the Entangled Anthology
54. V Is For Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Dec

54. The Stupidest Angel By Christopher Moore
55. Chaos in Death by J.D. Robb in The Unquiet Anthology
56. Zero Day by David Baldacci
57. An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
58. Racing The Devil by Jaden Terrell

Previous Reads:
2010
2009
2008

Books I've Read in 2011

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2011/01/books-ive-read-in-2011.html