Not all of these were published in 2008, they are just the best reads (for me) of 2008.  This year, most of those on the list were new authors.  I’m still reading the tried and true, but not every book in every series is a standout.

Without further rambling, here are the best reads of 2008:

Science Fiction

One Jump Ahead – Mark Van Name A great little read–space opera mystery meets tough guy.  This story includes a space ship with AI and a lot of personality.  The characterization is particularly strong–not only for the two main characters, but side characters as well.

The Automatic Detective – A. Lee Martinez Just a wild, wacky tale of a futuristic robot with a heart–a hard-boiled detective on a mission, only he has the power to destroy more than mend. A funny mystery that uses sci/fi as a setting.

Fantasy

New Tricks – John Levitt (his Dog Days, first in the series, quals for the top reads of 2007!) This was my favorite read of the year. A jazz player with a knack for improv–both magically and musically. This series is made quite special by Mason’s sidekick and trusty partner, a dog name Lou.  He’s no ordinary dog though.  Be prepared for tricks and twists!

Glass Houses – Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampire Series–YA) A good read–emotional teenage angst with vampires and other worries thrown in.  The progtag is a young teenager quite out of her element. I think what I liked best was that while there were vampires and other paranormal elements, the protag is dealing mostly with normal insecurities, trying to fit in and worried about doing well in school.  Some of the early college scenes sure brought back memories–and not necessarily good ones!

Magic Bites – Illona Andrews – An enjoyable urban fantasy with some very interesting characters–not just your standard werewolf here!  Definitely one of the better urban fantasy series out there.

Jim Hines – Goblin War — Jig the Goblin is still an underdog, but he’s learning a few new tricks to survive.  He’s going to need every one of them because he has to go…earthside in this adventure.  Goblin War is the third and last book in the trilogy–and a very satisfying ending it was.   I truly appreciate series that end with a reasonable number of books.   I’m not much of a series reader to begin with, so it’s really great to come across a “complete” series that starts and ends so well.


I almost forgot to list ShadowMagic by John Lenahan. This book is probably only out in the UK, but most books can be bought via Bookdepository. ShadowMagic is a fast YA read with good characterization, great action scenes and my favorite element–humor! From the back of the book:

Conor thought he was an average 21st century teenager. OK, so his father only had one hand and was a bit on the eccentric side but, other than that, life was fairly normal. Until, that is, two Celtic warriors on horseback and wearing full armour appear at his front door and try to kill him.

Mystery

Cozy:

Late addition! Dead Woman’s Shoes by Kaye C. Hill. This wonderful cozy/mystery has a lot of suspense and great characters including Kinky the chihuahua, a missing cat, a vet, a policeman, an entire drama club, and of course, an amateur sleuth, Lexy, who must sort it all out even though she is on the run herself! There are twists and turns, capers–many threads woven into a completely captivating tale.

The State of the Onion – Julie Hyzy. I enjoyed this “chef at the White House” story. It was a nice, breezy read with some unusual, very light history thrown in (such as the fact that the tableware is changed out for each president).

Short Story

This year the pick was very, very easy:

Todd McAlty’s The Soldiers of Serenity in BlackGate, Issue 12.  As I said in my review on my website at the time:  The Soldiers of Serenity by McAulty read like a novel. In so many short stories, the payoff is quick, sometimes dirty. Just as you “get” the characters, the story is over. Not So Here. McAulty took his time. He introduced characters. He ran down corridors. He twisted a bit…he teased. It’s all ordinary, right? But you knew every character held a key, every detail mattered. I kept wanting to check to see how much story was left because I just KNEW the pay-off was a few pages away! I couldn’t read fast enough! WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, DAMMIT?????

Two late entries that deserve honorable mention:

Dead Men Don’t Cry by Nancy Fulda (I read via www.anthologybuilder.com)
and
A Buffalito of Mars by Lawrence M. Schoen (Also via www.anthologybuilder.com)

Fantasy

John Levitt – Dog Days; Urban fantasy/mystery. Mason, the hero, has a dog as a familiar and this caper is just a lot of fun!  The second one is even better than the first–I loved them both!  VERY Highly recommended.

Ilona Andrews – Magic Bites, Magic Burns and Magic Strikes–the Kate Daniels series is just a fabulous ride. I highly recommend all three. These will be on the top of my favorite list for a long time and I’m looking forward to seeing what Andrews publishes next!

Jim C. Hines Goblin Quest series A Goblin that doesn’t want to go on a quest, the true underdog that just might have a bit of hero in him. Very suitable for YA also.

Lisa Shearin Magic Lost, Trouble Found This is her debut novel.

Katherine Kurtz

Elizabeth H. Boyer

Mercedes Lackey – Diana Tregarde series–Urban Fantasy before anyone called it that–female investigator with paranormal elements; just an excellent series.

Ellen Guon – Fabulous urban elves series

Patricia Briggs (especially When Demons Walk, and Steal the Dragon)

Holly Lisle – just about every kind of fantasy from romantic to adventure to touches of urban fantasy.

Charlaine Harris (mysteries too!– Her Lilly Bard books are probably her most exceptional work.) The early books in the Sookie Stackhouse (vampire, urban fantasy type are very good.)

Laura Underwood – The Hounds of Ardagh

Stephen R. Donaldson (The Wounded Land, Lord Foul’s Bane, White Gold Wielder)
J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings; The Hobbit)

Science Fiction

For a long time I didn’t even include this catagory because I don’t read a lot of science fiction. Mostly I don’t like the intricate details, the overly analytical suppositions about other life forms and just the too-obvious “what ifs.” I have finally found an author or two who write wonderful characters and tell wonderful stories.

Mark Van Name – One Jump Ahead – A great sci/fi with a talking space ship with strong character development. Mark’s blog is often an interesting read.

John Scalzi – Old Man’s War –A very good space story. There are, of course, discussions of jumping through space, but it is, after all, science fiction.

A. Lee Martinez – The Automatic Detective It’s pulp-fiction. It’s hard core, tough detective. But he’s a robot. In a futuristic, strangely morphed earth. Fantastic!

Mystery

Funny
Janet Evonavich– Hysterically funny (One for the Money is the first in the series)
J.A. Konrath– Humor; police procedural (with the exception of “Rusty Nail” which was too…well, it had too many torture scenes for me.) He also, at last check, had a couple of e-books on his site–for FREE! I read “The List” and it was dynamite!

Police Procedural
Carol O’Connell — New York police procedural. Main character was a street orphan and there’s some fascinating pieces of her past that get explored in a number of the novels. Most excellent! Her stand alone, Judas Child, is a MUST READ.   (Mallory’s Oracle is the first in her more hard boiled series.)

Linda Fairstein — New York prosecutor police procedural

Kay Mitchell — UK setting; police procedural; great characterization

Detective/Sleuth

Elisabeth Cosin –Zen and the City of Angels –What a writer! I loved this book.  I think she only wrote two books, but they are both very good and worth getting your hands on.

Jan Burke– I like that her character solves mysteries–along the thriller line–no cozies here! and does so without constantly re-introducing conflict between the main character and her husband. In the books I’ve read the characters seem to have a realistic flow to their relationship without forced conflict.

Kaye C. Hill – Dead Woman’s Shoes. Just a lot of fun and an excellent read.  It’s got everything–a chihuahua, a woman on the run who must solve a crime to make enough money to eat, a cat, a vet, criminals everywhere…

Anne George – Murder on a Girls’ Night Out is the first in the series about two sisters–in their sixties! The family fun in these books is what makes the story. You can see yourself, your relatives–the characters reach out and draw you in.

Evelyn Coleman– Jouralistic sleuth, but no amateur stuff; thriller; suspense

Off the Beaten Path
Virginia Lanier — Bloodhound tracking; Excellent, better than 10 stars!  (Death in Bloodhound Red is the first in the series.)
Elizabeth Cosin– I loved, loved, loved this character.
Elizabeth Peters — Egyptian historical setting and other works, all excellent. I LOVE the contemporary setting, Vicky Bliss mysteries. She also writes darker, noir suspense as Barbara Michaels.  (Vicky Bliss first in the series is Borrower of the Night.)

Historical Mysteries
Elizabeth Peters — Egyptian historical setting and other works, all excellent. I LOVE her Vicky Bliss series and she’ll finally finish this series in August 2008. I know it will be worth the long wait! Well worth getting the early books and reading through.

Indian and Gypsy Lore
Sandra West Prowell– Montana setting; light Indian lore; Absolutely superb stories.

Kirk Mitchell– Excellent American Indian lore without being overdone or stuck on a reservation/reservation concepts. Both a male and female protagonist that play important parts and through the series develop individually and as partners.

Meredith Blevins– amateur sleuth; touches of gypsy lore.

Romance

I don’t read a lot of romance, so I’m sure there are a lot more good authors out there.

Hollly Lisle– Midnight Rain -excellent romantic suspense with a paranormal element. She avoids the tendency to have characters with long misunderstandings. Focuses more on the plot of solving whatever mystery/paranormal element exists.

J.D. Robb — futuristic romantic mysteries

Amanda Quick (aka Jane Ann Krentz) –I haven’t read Quick/Krentz in years, so the recommendation actually applies to her early works.

Tough Guy Authors

Steve Hamilton
Richard Crais especially The Watchman–a Joe Pike Novel and Two-Minute Rule.

Frederick Forsyth

Young Adult

Yes, I still read young adult, and not just Harry Potter! Everything listed, while YA, is very adult-readable. I left out wonderful JF (things like Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon, etc) and YA that I read when I was younger–things like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis) and countless others simply because I don’t know if I would enjoy them as an adult. I truly enjoyed them when I was younger and wouldn’t hesistate to recommend them, it’s just a different list!

Fantasy
Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires – Glass Houses (A total page-turner–spooky!)
Lion Boy: Zizou Corder
Andre Norton’s Witch World Series
Vivian Vande Velde -fantasy–I do not read her horror stuff. Or anyone else’s, at least not on purpose.
Megan Whalen Turner (“The Thief” is a little slow first half, but it’s well worth reading!)

Sci/Fi

Scott Westerfeld – Uglies is the first of a series–make sure you have at least the first two because Uglies ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and you’ll be mad if you can’t get started on the next adventure Right Away.

Favorite Books on CD

Who’s Your Caddy?: Rick Reilly (Grover Gardner narrator). Warning: Some adult content.
Put a Lid on It: Donald Westlake (William Dufris–excellent narrator.)
Christopher Graybill is another excellent narrator–I’d try an audio book just based on this narrator’s talent with voice and pacing. He did a great job with Two-Minute Rule by Robert Crais.

Non-Fiction

Kirsch’s Guide to the Book Contract by Jonathan Kirsch. This should be required reading for any author. Even if you have an agent, this book will really help you understand how contracts work, how much you can expect to be paid and how “rights” work. A must read.

Chocolate A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light: Mort Rosenblum
The Man Who Listens to Horses: Monty Roberts
Adventure Capitalist: Jim Rogers

Note: See the BMB website for more recommended reading of non-fiction investment books.

Albert Einstein: Arthur Beckhard
All Creatures Great and Small: James Herriot
Easy Money: Donald Goddard

Cookbooks

Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate: Alice Medrich, Deborah Jones (Photographer)
Ciao Y’All by Damian Mandola and Johnny Carrabba
Traveling Jamaica with Knife, Fork and Spoon by Robb Walsh and Jay McCarthy

Put a Lid on It: Donald Westlake (William Dufris–excellent narrator.)

Christopher Graybill is another excellent narrator–I’d try an audio book just based on this narrator’s talent with voice and pacing. He did a great job with Two-Minute Rule by Robert Crais.

Who’s Your Caddy?: Rick Reilly (Grover Gardner narrator). Warning: Some adult content.

Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate: Alice Medrich, Deborah Jones (Photographer)

Ciao Y’All by Damian Mandola and Johnny Carrabba

Traveling Jamaica with Knife, Fork and Spoon by Robb Walsh and Jay McCarthy

John Levitt - Dog Days; Urbran fantasy/mystery. Mason, the hero, has a dog as a familiar and this caper is just a lot of fun! The follow-up, New Tricks, is awesome!

Ilona Andrews – Magic Bites, Magic Burns and Magic Strikes–the Kate Daniels series is just a fabulous ride. I highly recommend all three. These will be on the top of my favorite list for a long time and I’m looking forward to seeing what Andrews publishes next!

Lisa Shearin Magic Lost, Trouble Found This is her debut novel. (This is the only book by this author I’ve read.)

Mercedes Lackey – Diana Tregarde series–Urban Fantasy before anyone called it that–female investigator with paranormal elements; just an excellent series. I enjoy many of Merecedes Lackey’s other works.

Ellen Guon – Fabulous urban elves series

Patricia Briggs (especially When Demons Walk and Steal the Dragon) I read a lot of this author.

Katherine Kurtz

Elizabeth H. Boyer

Holly Lisle – just about every kind of fantasy from romantic to adventure to touches of urban fantasy.

Charlaine Harris (mysteries too!– Her Lilly Bard books are probably her most exceptional work.) The early books in the Sookie Stackhouse (vampire, urban fantasy type) are very good.

Laura Underwood – The Hounds of Ardagh

Jim C. Hines Goblin Quest series A Goblin that doesn’t want to go on a quest, the true underdog that just might have a bit of hero in him. Very suitable for YA also.

Stephen R. Donaldson (The Wounded Land, Lord Foul’s Bane, White Gold Wielder)
J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings; The Hobbit)

Funny
Janet Evonavich– Hysterically funny
J.A. Konrath– Humor; Free e-book on his site! I read “The List” and it was very good.

Kaye C. Hill – Dead Woman’s Shoes; there’s  chihuahua, a cat, a vet, a mad ex-husband…a great romp!

Police Procedural
Carol O’Connell — New York police procedural. Main character was a street orphan and there’s some fascinating pieces of her past that get explored in a number of the novels. Most excellent! Her stand alone, Judas Child, is a MUST READ.

Linda Fairstein — New York prosecutor police procedural

Kay Mitchell — UK setting; police procedural; great characterization

Detective/Sleuth

Elisabeth Cosin –Zen and the City of Angels –What a writer! I loved this book. I think she only wrote two books, but they are both very good and worth getting your hands on.

Jan Burke– I like that her character solves mysteries–along the thriller line–no cozies here! and does so without constantly re-introducing conflict between the main character and her husband. In the books I’ve read the characters seem to have a realistic flow to their relationship without forced conflict.

Kaye C. Hill — Dead Woman’s Shoes. A fun, excellent read! It’s got a chihuahua, a vet, a woman on the run…! It’s a great cozy mystery.

Anne George – “Murder on a Girls’ Night Out” is the first in the series about two sisters–in their sixties! The family fun in these books is what makes the story. You can see yourself, your relatives–the characters reach out and draw you in. Great cozy reading.

Evelyn Coleman– Jouralistic sleuth, but no amateur stuff; thriller; suspense

Off the Beaten Path
Virginia Lanier — Bloodhound tracking; Excellent, better than 10 stars! (Death in Bloodhound Red is the first in the series)

Elizabeth Peters — Egyptian historical setting and other works, all excellent. I LOVE the contemporary setting, Vicky Bliss mysteries. She also writes darker, noir suspense as Barbara Michaels.  (Borrower in the Night is the first Vicky Bliss)

Historical Mysteries
Elizabeth Peters — Egyptian historical setting and other works, all excellent. I LOVE her Vicky Bliss series and she’ll finally finish this series in August 2008. I know it will be worth the long wait! Well worth getting the early books and reading through.

Indian and Gypsy Lore
Sandra West Prowell– Montana setting; light Indian lore; Absolutely superb stories.

Kirk Mitchell– Excellent American Indian lore without being overdone or stuck on a reservation/reservation concepts. Both a male and female protagonist that play important parts and through the series develop individually and as partners.

Kirsch’s Guide to the Book Contract by Jonathan Kirsch. This should be required reading for any author. Even if you have an agent, this book will really help you understand how contracts work, how much you can expect to be paid and how “rights” work. A must read.

Chocolate A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light: Mort Rosenblum

The Man Who Listens to Horses: Monty Roberts

Adventure Capitalist: Jim Rogers

Note: See the BMB website for more recommended reading of non-fiction investment books.

Albert Einstein: Arthur Beckhard

All Creatures Great and Small: James Herriot

Easy Money: Donald Goddard

The Medieval Spains: Bernard F. Reilly This is a dry, dry, dry book, but I still recommend it because it covers so much cultural, geographical and historical aspects of Spain. There may be others that are more exciting, but this book gives a great overview of the religious interactions and the various wars in Spanish history.

I don’t read a lot of romance, so I’m sure there are a lot more good authors out there.

Hollly Lisle– Midnight Rain -excellent romantic suspense with a paranormal element. She avoids the tendency to have characters with long misunderstandings. Focuses more on the plot of solving whatever mystery/paranormal element exists.

J.D. Robb — futuristic romantic mysteries

Amanda Quick (aka Jane Ann Krentz) –I haven’t read Quick/Krentz in years, so the recommendation actually applies to her early works.

For a long time I didn’t even have this catagory because I don’t read a lot of science fiction. Mostly I don’t like the intricate details, the overly analytical suppositions about other life forms and just the too-obvious “what ifs.” I have finally found an author or two who write wonderful characters and tell wonderful stories.

Mark Van Name – One Jump Ahead – A great sci/fi with a talking space ship with strong character development. Mark’s blog is often an interesting read.

John Scalzi – Old Man’s War –A very good space story. There are, of course, discussions of jumping through space, but it is, after all, science fiction.

A. Lee Martinez – The Automatic Detective It’s pulp-fiction. It’s hard core, tough detective. But he’s a robot. In a futuristic, strangely morphed earth. Fantastic!

Steve Hamilton

Richard Crais especially The Watchman–a Joe Pike Novel and Two-Minute Rule.

Frederick Forsyth

Mark Van Name (he write’s sci/fi and is on my list over there also. His characters fit in this category as well.)

Yes, I still read young adult, and not just Harry Potter! Everything listed, while YA, is very adult-readable. I left out wonderful JF (things like Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon, etc) and YA that I read when I was younger–things like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis) and countless others simply because I don’t know if I would enjoy them as an adult. I truly enjoyed them when I was younger and wouldn’t hesistate to recommend them, it’s just a different list!

Fantasy

Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires Series- Glass Houses is book one (A total page-turner–spooky!)

Lion Boy: Zizou Corder

Andre Norton’s Witch World Series

Vivian Vande Velde -fantasy–I do not read her horror stuff. Or anyone else’s, at least not on purpose.

Megan Whalen Turner (”The Thief” is a little slow first half, but it’s well worth reading!)

Sci/Fi

Scott Westerfeld – Uglies is the first of a series–make sure you have at least the first two because Uglies ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and you’ll be mad if you can’t get started on the next adventure Right Away.