My favorite books of 2012 (so far)

Last December, I shared my favorite books of 2011. Since I love sharing great reads with other people, here are my favorite books of 2012 so far. (Note that these are books I've read in 2012--that doesn't mean they're all new books, only that I've just now discovered them.) 

Fake Kate, David Wailing - I LOVED this book. It was amazing from the very start, and the author has true talent. The story sucks you in and doesn't let go (I was late to an appointment because I just couldn't put it down). I laughed many times while reading because the descriptions and characterizations were so utterly on the mark. Wailing is especially good at writing female characters; I never felt any false notes in how he portrayed the main character, Belinda. 

Fake Kate is loaded with twists and turns, so many that I was surprised over and over while reading--just when I thought I knew where the story was going, bang--nope, we're headed somewhere else. Somewhere even better! I also loved Wailing's Bang: Memoirs of a Relationship Assassin.


Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte, Diane Kelly - I don't normally read humorous suspense stories, but I thought I should branch out and try something new. I'm so glad I did. This book made me laugh out loud several times (no easy feat) and chuckle many more. It's a good thing I wasn't reading it in public or people would have thought I was a lunatic. 

Deadly Addiction, Kristine Cayne - I loved Kristine Cayne's first book, Deadly Obsession, but this one is even better. She's managed to blend a great suspense story full of twists and turns with a very hot romance. I highly recommend it, especially if you love romantic suspense. (Full disclosure: Kristine is my critique partner, but I'm certainly not the only one who thinks she's awesome--RT Book Reviews gave her first book, Deadly Obsession, 4 1/2 stars, Top Pick! status.) 

Lover Reborn, J.R. Ward - The latest in Ward's "Black Dagger Brotherhood" series. If you've never heard of it, all you need to know is it's about bad-ass, kick-ass vampires, and if you love paranormal romance, you need to read these books NOW! This is now my third favorite BDB book (#1 being Z's book and #2 being Hollywood's). I had no idea how J.R. Ward was ever going to make things good for Tohr again, but she did. Lover Reborn is a realistic portrayal of grief and rebuilding that made me cry several times. The subplots blended in seamlessly and kept the book moving. One of the best books in the series. I can't wait for the next!

Juliet, Anne Fortier - A beautiful retelling of "Romeo and Juliet" as well as an examination of the real-life events in medieval Siena, Italy, that inspired Shakespeare's play. The author alternates the story between modern-day Siena and the story of Julie Jacobs and her relationship with Alessandro Santini, and the medieval story of Giulietta Tolomei and Romeo Marescotti, who were victims of the feud between the Tolomei and Salimbeni families--a rivalry that echoes into the present day. Both storylines are fascinating and rife with secrets, passion, and betrayals. 

The Italian setting (both modern day and medieval) is rendered with exquisite detail and left me longing to explore Siena someday. If you love Italy and love great love stories, pick this one up!


The Good Daughter, Diana Layne - An exciting Mafia story (any guesses why I was drawn to it? ;) ), with a little romance woven in. Diana Layne has a gift for dialogue and drawing characters with a few words; I could picture her characters quite clearly and "hear" them perfectly. She also writes vivid, punchy, action scenes. The story has a number twists and turns, along with surprises, both good and bad. I very much liked the characters of Nia, Sandro, and Angelo (one of the mobsters). Their parts of the story were very absorbing, and Nia and Sandro's love story was touching. Again, I'm not the only who thinks this book is great: RT Book Reviews gave this one 4 1/2 stars, Top Pick! status. The Good Daughter is a prequel to Layne's "Vista Security" series, and I've already bought book 1, Trust No One, which I expect to be as good as this one. 

Breaking Point, Pamela Clare - This is the first Pamela Clare book I've read, but it certainly won't be the last. Very exciting romantic suspense about an undercover U.S. Marshal and a journalist who are kidnapped by drug dealers in Mexico. Gritty, twisty, and steamy--you won't be able to put it down. (Note this is not the first book in the "I-Team" series, but they appear to only loosely linked; I'm planning to start book 1 soon.)

Blindsighted, Karin Slaughter - Karin Slaughter gives Thomas Harris a run for his money. While her villain in this book isn't as charismatic, the crimes are inventive and gruesome, and they'll stick with you a long time. I really liked the main characters, Sara, Jeffrey, and Lena. All of them were well-drawn and you come to care about them even when they do things that are less than likable. Slaughter's writing is a cut above most of what I've found in other serial killer books. 

A word of caution: This book isn't for the faint of heart. It is very gritty, and Slaughter doesn't spare you the details. 


A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness - Exciting start to the series, and a great take on witch, vampire, and demon lore. I wish there'd been a bit more about the demons (or daemons, as they're called), but perhaps that will come in later books. Book 2 in the series comes out next week, and I'll be lining up for my copy.

Ready Player One, Ernest Cline - I enjoyed this one quite a bit; I'm sure it'll make a good movie. I even got choked up during one part, and I could hardly tear myself away from the book once it got going. (There's a little slowness in the first quarter while Cline is setting everything up, but it's worth your while to get oriented before the story takes off.) Your enjoyment of the book is probably proportional to how much you remember the 80's and whether you played a lot of arcade games back then. If you're a child of that era like me, you'll find yourself smiling a lot.


If you want to see more of my recommendations, feel free to friend me on Goodreads. 


And now it's your turn: What books have you enjoyed most this year?