My Favorite Five Books of 2013: A Guest Post from Bea at Bea's Book Nook

Bea's is one of my oldest blogger friends and a very versatile and charming blogger who share my love for cats and urban fantasy. You can find her on her blog, Twitter or Goodreads.

Hello! I’m happy to help out Kara while she’s away on vacation, sunning, relaxing and reading. I’m working two jobs and she’s off playing all day and night. No, I’m not jealous. HAH! Yeah, I am but we all need a break and I know Kara deserves it. So, while the cat’s away, let’s play! :D

When we were discussing topics, Kara suggested talking about my favorite books so far this year. I immediately thought of some books and said “Yep, I can do that.” So although the year is barely 5 months old as I write this, here are my favorite books so far this year.




First would have to be Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs, the newest Mercy Thompson book. I love urban fantasy, I love Patty’s writing, I love that series, and this book was like visiting with old friends. It had pretty much every major character in the series though a few were only present off-page via phone or message. The book was a near-perfect blend of action, mystery, conspiracies, the other, love, hate, romance and forgiveness with a sprinkle of humor. I like Mercy’s humor and I like that in many ways she feels like someone I would know in my daily life. She’s a strong, normal woman who happens to change into a coyote and hangs out with werewolves.





Next is a book I read shortly before writing this called The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan. I spent most of a weekend reading it, taking breaks only to feed myself and the animals, sleep, and do a couple loads of laundry. I was utterly engrossed and had a hard time putting it down. I’d look at the clock and see that an hour or two had passed then go right back to reading. It’s set both in the present day and in the sixteenth century and it truly is an epic story while also managing to be intimate and personal. Hmm, now that I think about it, like Frost Burned, this book addresses love and hate, and persecution for being different (most of the story is set during the Inquisition).

Next up is another urban fantasy, Dark Whispers by Krista D. Ball. It started out with a mix of humor and angst and moved quickly into angst, family problems, and a whole lotta action. Krista doesn’t worry about conventions or tropes but writes what she needs to and worries about genre later. So while it’s urban fantasy, it’s a bit different: Rachel is not all-powerful; we have ghosts instead of fae, angels, demons or vampires; it’s as much about Rachel’s relationships with her friends, family and neighbors as it is about non-human beings; it’s set in a small coastal town in Canada, which provides a tremendous amount of flavor and atmosphere; and Krista’s humor appeals to me, being both quirky and dry. Her take on paranormal romances had me rolling on the floor.

The last two are contemporary romances written by Ruthie Knox and they are the first two books in her Camelot series. How to Misbehave is the first one and it blew me away with how good it was. It was my first time reading Ruthie and I was kicking myself for not having picked up her earlier books. It was nearly perfect; Knox stitches it all seamlessly into a story of love, romance, hope, loss, forgiveness and change. It was sweet hot and sexy.

The next book in the series, Along Came Trouble had a different tone and feel to it but was just as good. One of its strength’s was characterization; Ruthie made every one different, real, and just like your next door neighbor or the aunt who annoys you at every family gathering. Like How to Misbehave it had humor and like The Sisterhood it kept me engrossed and up late reading.

All of these had humor in them but weren’t primarily humorous; had a love story of one type or another; had strong characterizations, and had a story line that kept me engrossed and lost in the world the author created. Forgiveness is another recurring theme in them. I hadn’t realized the similarities in the books until I wrote this post so I just learned something about myself and the books I enjoy.

Have you read any of these? What did you think? What have been your favorite books so far this year, and why?

Thanks Kara for letting me play in your sandbox. I hope you’re having a wonderful vacation!