Happy New Year!
I managed to make my 100 books read in a year goal and for a total look at my reading, here is my GoodReads Year in Review
I think I'm going to have to retire the old format of my book awards and go with a slimmed down version, energy, where has it gone?! I was just going to do a Top Ten list but, because I'm me, I have to still include my favorite quotes and scenes from the year.
As always, my Favorites nominees and winner can be published from any year and be from any genre, fiction or non.
*Clicking on the book cover takes you to my review or GRs page if I didn't write one.
Favorite Quote
A Tropical Rebel Get the Duke by Adriana Herrera
This was a woman of means, and yet in her letter to the clinic she’d indicated her inability to pay for her visit because she could not spend any money that could not be explained to her husband.
One of my favorite historical romance series of the last few years. I loved the acknowledging of we've fought these battles before and we've found ways to win vibes underlining messaging.
A Place No Flowers Grow by Cheryl Cantafio
she was defenseless in her love for him
he made hand puppets in the shadows
she made him feel weak in every limb
we could make lovely little weirdos
A book in verse told in pantoum and quintain poem format, I loved the haunting journey this took me on. A Gothic tale about humans relationship with nature, this was different in all the good ways.
The Hidden Moon by Jeannie Lin
“I never thought you could possibly be mine, Wei-wei,” he said, his voice heavy. “I just wanted to ask.”
Screaming, crying, throwing up. The yearning in this! Look, I'm going to attempt to be normal about this book but just know that I could have 100 quotes here from this. I buddy read this, so my spiraling is already laid out if you want to see it all, link in review.
The Rake by Mary Jo Putney
"If her husband had assaulted another woman as he did her, he could have been convicted and jailed. But since she was his wife, beating her was perfectly legal, unless he actually murdered her. There was no possibility of divorce. Violence isn't enough to free a wife of her husband."
It's almost like no fault divorce is a pretty important thing. Anyway, if you ever question why, seemingly, innocuous books are on book banning lists, well, just know thought provoking mutiny has been in the pages forever and why they're always a target.
The Keeper of Lost Art by Laura Morelli
“That's the power of art,” the maestra adds. “It can tell a story. An official story. But each one of you might also see your own story in it. At a minimum, you might find hope, even when there is darkness.”
Never let them take your voice full of anger or joy from you.
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
She was the one, after all, who had graduated second in her class, right behind him, after tanking her math final because she knew how much it meant to him to be valedictorian.
This story was gut-wrenching with it's quiet desperation from the FMC. It had all the unseen ways domestic abuse can be perpetuated and all the ways we can whittle ourselves away.
Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale
"Princess." His voice had a plea in it. "Do you understand? I don't know why the world is like this; I don't know why we go out to fight something that's wrong—something so much bigger than we are, something that ought to be fought—and end up creating a thousand little horrors to stop a huge one. Slavery's wrong. Tyranny's wrong. You weren't stupid or naive or trivial to believe that. You're right. Maybe your revolution was right. You just…didn't understand how real it would be."
This was a romance genre story cover to really delve into Vietnam PTSD and oof, there were some lines and moments that will hit you hard.
A Flower Traveled in my Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland
“It was an honor to scream when everybody else held silence,”
Reading this book this year, well, it hit Hard.
August Lane by Regina Black
"It’d be easier for him to love me if I loved myself.”
The absolute heart punch of this line. If I had done favorite secondary characters this year, Mavis would have been a strong contender and if we don't get her book, I'll mourn for the rest of my days.
The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten, translated by Allison McCullough
After Marta, he still flicked off the lamp on the nightstand and said: Goodnight, sweetheart, sleep well. After Marta, he whispered the words from his side of the bed, but from the other there was no longer any reply.
Yeah, I sobbed my way through this book. This is another one I could have listed 100 quotes for.
Winner:
Let's make some noise.
2024 Winner
Favorite Scene
A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon
“Do you want me to put my hat back on?”
He was joking, but she didn’t care. “Yes.”
He chuckled a bit, then grabbed his cowboy hat off the hook near his bedroom door. He slipped it on his head, then climbed in the bed.
Listen, it's not all doom and gloom over here. No one should live that way. If you've been a frequent reader of these awards, you'll remember my affinity for the cowboy aesthetic. Well, this scene was aesthetic-ing me to a big ol' smile.
The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin
A simple message, one without words that held all the promise in the world. It had been folded into the shape of a butterfly
Liar's Dice is a prequel for The Hidden Moon, showing the meeting of the couple, and this scene happens at the end. The context is Gao knows Wei-wei's favorite tale is the Butterfly Lovers and he's sending her a message that he hasn't forgotten about her. Just, yeah, have Hidden Moon right next to your hand when you finish Liar's Dice because You Are Going to Want It Immediately to continue their story.
Prophecy by M.L. Fergus
Neither of them said anything until he walked up to the edge of the pool, dropped his pack, unbuckled his sword and began unbuttoning his shirt.
"How's the water?" he asked.
The FMC has (tried) to slip away from traveling with the MMC, he's been searching for her all day, getting covered in mud and dealing with her collection of animals that barely tolerate him, when he finally finds her relaxing and floating in a lake. The delicious tension! I am feral for scenes like this, lol.
The Hidden Moon by Jeannie Lin
“Do you think I’m spoiled?” she asked all the sudden.
“Yes,” he answered without pause. He glanced at her, smirking. Gao’s look entirely changed when he smiled.
She managed a smile back, her heartbeat skipping.
There were so many scenes I could have given a shout-out to in this but I loved this for it's gentle teasing and those first sweet breathless moments of falling in love. It also touches on that special person seeing you for you and loving you anyway.
The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon
“No one tried to rescue us. We want better for other women.” Celia reached out and took Gram's hand. “Even women we don't know.”
Just know, I would go to war for Celia and Gram. I felt myself tearing up when Celia and Mags finally explained what they had endured in life and why that lead to the choices and actions it did. The tone in this was mostly goofy light, because the FMC is offbeat personality but there were definitely underlining deeper (domestic violence) that will hit you hard.
Pommeroy by Cate Charleston
He was aware of Lily’s skirts brushing the shoe on his outstretched leg as she passed in front of him, and of an odd tightening of his throat and chest.
Would I recommend this book? No. WALLS OF TEXT alert. But, I'm a sucker for little moments hitting them hard like this, the man was lost after a brush of skirt on his shoe! I had to put this on here.
Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jacki Lau
You changed me, but you don’t remember.
I can't divulge much about the scene I'm shouting out here because it's at the very end and spoils something I don't want spoiled. But just know! I got watery eyes after the emotions behind something were revealed and you probably will too :)
Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne
Instead, a solitary silver spoon stood against the wallpaper in the center of the mantel, propped against a scratched pewter watch case.
For a book that started with oozing pustules and vomit, this sure put me through the emotional wringer. The scene where the MMC gets baffled frustrated with the FMC HUGE nightgown as they're trying to have their first sex scene that leads into the FMC explaining why her name is Low Down and the MMC crying for her on the inside. Laughing, tearing up has never been so accurate.
August Lane by Regina Black
“What do you think I regret, Luke?”
He’d turned it over in his mind so many times, rewound every choice that led to this: lost moments, misspoken words, every chance he had to love her the way she deserved, but saved himself instead. He gathered it all in his mind, held it there, and said, “You never should have met me.”
She smiled the worst smile he’d ever seen. Like a gaping wound. “You’re wrong. I never should have lost you.”
Luke was too stunned to respond. She used his paralysis as an opportunity to gather her things. There was so much to say. But none of it mattered. “You didn’t” was all he could manage as she slipped out the door.
Me screeching, SPEAK UP, LUKE! Gah, this scene, hurt, pain, and just that right little amount of added hope to pull me into reading about them.
The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten, translated by Allison McCullough
A cigarette in her hand, and strangely enough it was the cigarette that had shaken Nils the most – not the smoking itself, but that she was sitting there on the edge of the bed with a cigarette, when she usually never smoked. It was as if there were another Marta, one he had no knowledge of, one to whom he had no access. Who was his wife? And who was his best friend?
Oh man this scene! It's hard to explain but Nils seeing that cigarette in his wife Marta's hand when he's never known her to smoke, well, for people in long-term relationships, it strikes at a particular fear, can you ever truly know someone? Add in the best-friend angle and OOF.
Honorable Mention
Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann Krentz
The wild scene in the house where they find the message that their Ghost ancestors left. Honestly, what was going on there??? We're all descended from cats??? Furries??? Wild, just wild. But memorable!
Winner:
For the gentle, light-hearted teasing and butterflies in the stomach at the beginning developments of love (and numerous other scenes I didn't mention).
2024 Winner
Favorite Reads of 2025
Although I've only read one of the books you mention, I really enjoy reading the quotes, many of which express so much in such a short space. I did read
ReplyDeleteTime Loops & Meet Cutes by Jacki Lau and YES!!!! That scene. So good. I do have SIlver and Blood up next on my TBR, so I'm excited to see it made your list. Happy New Year!