Great Fiction of 2007 - part one of two
Dec. 31st, 2007 10:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snugglekittyThis was a good year for books. I read 216 books as of 1st to Die books this year, and 20 of them were five-star - almost ten percent! For those who aren't familiar with my rating series, four stars means "I would read this book over and over," and five stars means that the book changed my life or its genre in some way. Also, "of 2007" means that I read it in 2007 - it may not have been published then.
In front of the cut is a list of the books with links to my full-length reviews, written shortly after I read them. Behind the cut you will find an annotated list with shorter descriptions of each book. You'll also find some 'read-alikes' to try if you've already read the book and the list of four-and-a-half star books. (The read-alikes aren't in the long reviews, since I've only just come up with them.)
Five-Star Fiction of 2007
Blood Song: A Wordless Ballad by Erik Drooker
Soon I Will Be Invincible: A Novel by Austin Grossman
Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Strangers in Paradise: I Dream of You by Terry Moore
Buffy Season Eight by Joss Whedon et al
Parrotfish by Ellen Whittlinger
Five-star Fiction
Blood Song: A Wordless Ballad by Erik Drooker Another amazing graphic novel, this one with no words at all. Beautiful and haunting. If you liked it, you might enjoy Drooker's similar work Flood.
Soon I Will Be Invincible: A Novel by Austin Grossman If you thought that nothing new can come out of the caped avenger genre, this book will prove you wrong. If you love comic books or have ever loved them, then read it. Karma Girl is another offering in this vein.
Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks This book is an entirely new take on good and evil, from the perspective of children. Finally, you get the chance you've always wanted - to fit in with others like you. You're being told you can do and have whatever you want, but you're starting to have suspicions about the motives of the adults who are telling you that. What do you do next? If you like this, you should also try reading The Mysterious Benedict Society.
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt This has the feeling of an Eastern European fairy tale to me. It's a beautiful book, and would be a wonderful gift to give an older child who has lost someone that they care about. If you want another fantasy set in Eastern Europe, try Orson Scott Card's Enchantment or Briar Rose by Jane Yolen. A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engel is another excellent fictional treatment of death written for older children or young adults.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay A mystery featuring a serial killer as the protagonist. ...oh, you want more than that? It's an amazing book and will make you think differently about the dark side that everyone has. It is the source of a new and popular TV series as well. If you like this, you might also enjoy Hit Man by Lawrence Block.
Un Lun Dun by China Mieville I have shied away from Mieville in the past because folks have suggested to me that I would find his work too disturbing. Then he came out with a children's book, so I thought it would be the perfect thing to try. I really liked this book. It is remiscient of Gaiman's Neverwhere, but extremely original and definitely meant for children. It's also full of charming puns. If you liked this book, try reading something by Diana Wynne Jones, such as Homeward Bounders.
Strangers in Paradise: I Dream of You by Terry Moore Apparently, this series is a series that a lot of people (mostly women, I think) who don't normally like graphic novels like. I like it a lot, but I do like graphic novels. If you liked it too, you might also want to try the Hopeless Savages series.
Buffy Season Eight by Joss Whedon et al Graphic novels that pick up where the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer left off. They're amazingly good. If you like them, you might also want to investigate the graphic novel Serenity: Those Left Behind.
Parrotfish by Ellen Whittlinger This YA book is a fictional account of the coming-out process of a transgendered teen. It's unique, funny, and moving. I can hardly say enough good things about it. If you like it, you may also enjoy the Weetzie Bat books.
Four and a Half Star Fiction:
When the King Comes Home by Caroline Stevermer
Silverglass by JF Rivkin
The Pinhoe Egg by Diana Wynne Jones
Hellflower by Rosemary Edghill writing as Eluki Bes Shahar
Wow, you read all that? Way to go! If you like my recommendations, you could show your appreciation with a comment, by making a recommendation of your own, or by buying a book at a locally owned bookstore. :)
ETA: Click here for my best books of 2006.
In front of the cut is a list of the books with links to my full-length reviews, written shortly after I read them. Behind the cut you will find an annotated list with shorter descriptions of each book. You'll also find some 'read-alikes' to try if you've already read the book and the list of four-and-a-half star books. (The read-alikes aren't in the long reviews, since I've only just come up with them.)
Five-Star Fiction of 2007
Blood Song: A Wordless Ballad by Erik Drooker
Soon I Will Be Invincible: A Novel by Austin Grossman
Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Strangers in Paradise: I Dream of You by Terry Moore
Buffy Season Eight by Joss Whedon et al
Parrotfish by Ellen Whittlinger
Five-star Fiction
Blood Song: A Wordless Ballad by Erik Drooker Another amazing graphic novel, this one with no words at all. Beautiful and haunting. If you liked it, you might enjoy Drooker's similar work Flood.
Soon I Will Be Invincible: A Novel by Austin Grossman If you thought that nothing new can come out of the caped avenger genre, this book will prove you wrong. If you love comic books or have ever loved them, then read it. Karma Girl is another offering in this vein.
Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks This book is an entirely new take on good and evil, from the perspective of children. Finally, you get the chance you've always wanted - to fit in with others like you. You're being told you can do and have whatever you want, but you're starting to have suspicions about the motives of the adults who are telling you that. What do you do next? If you like this, you should also try reading The Mysterious Benedict Society.
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt This has the feeling of an Eastern European fairy tale to me. It's a beautiful book, and would be a wonderful gift to give an older child who has lost someone that they care about. If you want another fantasy set in Eastern Europe, try Orson Scott Card's Enchantment or Briar Rose by Jane Yolen. A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engel is another excellent fictional treatment of death written for older children or young adults.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay A mystery featuring a serial killer as the protagonist. ...oh, you want more than that? It's an amazing book and will make you think differently about the dark side that everyone has. It is the source of a new and popular TV series as well. If you like this, you might also enjoy Hit Man by Lawrence Block.
Un Lun Dun by China Mieville I have shied away from Mieville in the past because folks have suggested to me that I would find his work too disturbing. Then he came out with a children's book, so I thought it would be the perfect thing to try. I really liked this book. It is remiscient of Gaiman's Neverwhere, but extremely original and definitely meant for children. It's also full of charming puns. If you liked this book, try reading something by Diana Wynne Jones, such as Homeward Bounders.
Strangers in Paradise: I Dream of You by Terry Moore Apparently, this series is a series that a lot of people (mostly women, I think) who don't normally like graphic novels like. I like it a lot, but I do like graphic novels. If you liked it too, you might also want to try the Hopeless Savages series.
Buffy Season Eight by Joss Whedon et al Graphic novels that pick up where the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer left off. They're amazingly good. If you like them, you might also want to investigate the graphic novel Serenity: Those Left Behind.
Parrotfish by Ellen Whittlinger This YA book is a fictional account of the coming-out process of a transgendered teen. It's unique, funny, and moving. I can hardly say enough good things about it. If you like it, you may also enjoy the Weetzie Bat books.
Four and a Half Star Fiction:
When the King Comes Home by Caroline Stevermer
Silverglass by JF Rivkin
The Pinhoe Egg by Diana Wynne Jones
Hellflower by Rosemary Edghill writing as Eluki Bes Shahar
Wow, you read all that? Way to go! If you like my recommendations, you could show your appreciation with a comment, by making a recommendation of your own, or by buying a book at a locally owned bookstore. :)
ETA: Click here for my best books of 2006.