Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion
Monthly "Reads"
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Top Reads Lists for 2012
date
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Top 10 MT:DeMille, The Panther
Butcher, Cold Days
Connelly, The Black Box
"Parker", Fool Me Twice
Tracey, Off The Grid
Burke, Creole Belle
Hamilton, Die a Stranger
Box, Force of Nature
Crais, Taken
Hart, Down River
Top 5 SeriesConnelly: Bosch
Crais: Pike and Cole
Tracey: Monkeewrench
Burke: Robecheaux
Hamilton: McKnight
Top 5 authors:Butcher
Connelly
Crais
Lehane
Connolly (John)
Top 5 other Genre (only 3 were worthy)Lehane, Live by Night
King, 11/22/63
Barry, Lunatics
Pigs.WEB Griffin, who has handed writing off to his son
Cussler, who has handed writing off to his son
Scottoline, who has ceased to make sense
I'll hold on Preston/Child, since they still have opportunity to pull out of it.
I'll hold on Evanovitch, because although tired, the books do still have some entertainment value.
I'll give honorable mention to Patterson, since one cannot tell how he is doing, since he does not seem to write the books that bear his name.
top 10:1.broken harbor -tana french
2.force of nature- cj box
3. defending jacob- william landay
4. taken- robert crais
5. crimnal- karin slaughter
6. killing floor - lee child
7. 11/22/63- stephen king
8. black box- michael connelly
9. off the grid- pj tracy
10. mad river by john sandford.
top NON-m/t books:1. light between oceans- ml stedman
2. underside of joy- sere prince halverson
3. the lost wife- alyson richman
4. gold- chris cleve
5. the shoemaker's wife- adrianna trigiani-
6. roses- leila meacham
7. finding casey - joann mapson
8. live by night -dennis lehane
NTM Series and author:Dean Koontz and the Odd Thomas series.
Top M/T booksGideon's Corpse by Preston & Child
Silence by Thomas Perry
L.A. Outlaws by T. Jefferson Parker
Hell is Empty, a Walt Longmire mystery by Craig Johnson
Blood is the Sky by Steve Hamilton
Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
The Face by Dean Koontz
The Black Box by Michael Connelly
Top Books any genreA Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah
Fiend, the shocking true Story of America's youngest serial killer by Harold Schechter
Life on the Mississippi by Twain
Twinkie, deconstructed by Steve Ettlinger
Alcatraz Prison by Marily Tower Oliver
Tainted Breeze, the great hanging at Gainesville, Tx by Richard B. McCaslin
My lucky life in and out of show business by Dick Van Dyke
Death of a dissident, the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko & the reutrn of the KGB by Alex Goldfarb with Marina Litvinenko
Novels & Fantasy
Hanta Yo, An American Saga by Ruth Beebe Hill (a BFB)
Caribbean by James A. Michener (another BFB)
The Wind through the keyhold by Stephen King
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
I read 50 books this year, non were audio books.
Top M/TsLone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
Winter's Bane by Daniel Woodrell
The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Rees
The Fourth Assassin by Matt Rees
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
Strangers by Mary Anna Evans
Top M/T Authors
Matt Rees
Jacqueline Winspear
Craig Johnson
Top Fiction in Any Genre
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer (YA)
Lucy by Laurence Gonzales (science fiction)
The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (fantasy)
The Rock Child by Win Blevins (historical fiction)
The Embers of Heaven by Alma Alexander (alternate historical fantasy)
New To Me Series
Omar Yussef by Matt Rees
new to me series:ellie hatcher by alafair burke
my favorite series haven't changed-
elvis and joe
myron and win
lydia and bill
claire and russ
will trent/sara linton
the retired angie and patrick
bosch
Top MT Books (1-10)Fallen and Criminal by Slaughter
Killer Swell, Wicked Break and Liquid Smoke by Shelby
Chosen Prey, Mortal Prey by Sandford
One Was A Soldier and I Shall Not Want by Spencer-Fleming
Delusion in Death by Robb
Top Authors (1-5)
Spencer-Fleming
Robb
Shelby
Slaughter
Winslow
Top Books (1-5) any genre
Criminal by Slaughter
Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin
Liquid Smoke by Jeff Shelby
Witness by Nora Roberts
50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James
Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan
Calico Joe by John Grishom
Top Series (1-5)
Russ & Claire
Eve and Roarke
Will and Sara Linton
Noah Braddock
Bottom of the Barrel Books (up to 5)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Top New-to-Me Series
Andy Carpenter
Noah Braddock
Russ and Claire
V.I Warsawski
Odd Thomas
Top New-to-Me Author
Jeff Shelby
Top M/TStart Shooting, Charlie Newton
Mission Flats, Wm Landay
Savages, Don Winslow
The Night Strangers, Chris Bohjalian
Killer Swell, Jeff Shelby
Strike Dog, Joseph Heywood
The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted, Andrew Kaufman
The Drop, Michael Connelly
Dead Heat, James Hall
Stolen Prey, John Sandford
Top Authors
Michael Connelly
Wm Landay
Don Winslow
John Sandford
Top Books any Genre
The Hunger Games Trilogy
Winter of the World
Life on the Mississippi
Huckelbury Finn
Top Series
Noah Bradock
Harry Bosch
Elvis and Joe
Key Weird
Bottom Reads
Assume Nothing, Gar Haywood
Dark Magic, James Swain
Gone, RWW
NTM Series
Noah Bradock
Key Weird
Al Roker Chef series
NTM Author
Wm Lanlay
Chris Bohjalian
Andrew Kaufman
Robert Tacoma
Top M/TVigilante - Stephan Cannell
Taken - Robert Crais
Die A Stranger - Steve Hamilton
Off The Grid - P J Tracy
A Wanted Man - Lee Child
Mad River - John Sandford
Cold Days - Jim Butcher
The Black Box - Michael Connelly
Top AuthorsJohn Sandford
Michael Connelly
Jim Butcher
Lee Child
Robert Crais
Top non M/T booksThe Wolf Gift - Ann Rice
11/22/1963 - Stephen King
All three Fifty Shades books - E L James
A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness
Shadow of Night - Deborah Harkness
Top SeriesBosch
Reacher
Virgil Flowers
Harry Dresdan
Elvis and Joe
NTM Series and AuthorArtemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Not GoodBeauty - Laurell K Hamilton
Dare Me - Megan Abbott
Top M/T BooksThe Dead Yard - Adrian McKinty (audio read by Gerard Doyle)
The Defection of A.J. Lewinter - Robert Littell (audio read by Scott Brick)
Defending Jacob - William Landay
The Tears of Autumn - Charles McCarry (audio read by Stefan Rudnicki
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn (audio read by Kirby Heyborne & Julia Whelan)
The Winter of Frankie Machine - Don Winslow (audio read by Dennis Boutsikaris)
Red, White, and Blood - Christopher Farnsworth (audio read by Bronson Pinchot)
And When She Was Good - Laura Lippman
Purgatory Chasm - Steve Ulfelder
The Serialist - David Gordon
Top Non M/T Books
The Lions of al-Rassan - Guy Gavriel Kay
Throne of the Crescent Moon - Saladin Ahmed
Purge - Sofi Oksanen
Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy - L. A. Meyer (audio ready by Katherine Kellgren)
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline (audio read by Wil Wheaton)
Bottom
Free Agent - Jeremy Duns (audio read by Gerard Doyle)
Top M/T BooksBREAKDOWN - Sara Paretsky
TAKEN - Robert Crais
STAY AT HOME DEAD - Jeffrey Allen (Jeff Shelby)
A FITTING END - Melissa Bourbon
DIE A STRANGER - Steve Hamilton
THE SKELETON BOX - Bryan Gruley
LEADER OF THE PACK - David Rosenfelt
POPPED OFF - Jeffrey Allen (Jeff Shelby)
WHAT IT WAS - George Pelecanos
OUT OF TIME - Jeff Shelby
TOP AUTHORS
George Pelecanos
Jeff Shelby
Robert Crais
Steve Hamilton
Heather Webber/Blake
TOP BOOKS ANY GENRE
11/22/63 - Stephen King (the only book I rated 10!)
PANDEMONIUM - Lauren Oliver
EVERNEATH - Brodi Ashton
BLACK DAWN - Rachel Caine
ANGELFALL - Susan Ee
EASY - Tammara Webber
PIGS!
ANGEL BABY - Kris Williams
DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE - Laini Taylor
SOULLESS - Gail Carriger
SENTENCED TO DEATH - Lorna Barrett
ARTICLE 5 - Kristen Simmons
TOP NEW TO ME SERIES
Chicagoland Vampires
Stay At Home Dad mysteries
Wishcraft mysteries
Angelfall
TOP NEW TO ME AUTHORS
Chloe Neill
Susan Ee
Tammara Webber
TOP M/T BOOKS:Taken by Robert Crais
Criminal by Karin Slaughter
Mad River by Sandford
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
Winter and Night by SJ Rozan
Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay
The Black Box by Connelly
Leader of the Pack by Rosenfelt
The Sixth Man by Baldacci
TOP AUTHORS:
Louise Penny
Karin Slaughter
Robert Crais
John Sandford
Michael Connelly
TOP NON M/T BOOKS:
11/22/63 by Stephen King
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
TOP SERIES:
Bill and Lydia
Andy Carpenter
Sara Linton/Will Trent
Elvis and Pike
Virgil Flowers
BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:
Love in a Nutshell by Evanovich
Wicked Business by Evanovich
Top ten MT Books 2012Criminal - Slaughter, Karin
The Drop - Connelly, Michael
Die a Stranger - Hamilton, Steve
The Silent Girl - Gerritsen, Tess
Taken - Crais, Robert
Restless in the Grave - Stabenow, Dana
The Chalk Girl - O'Connell, Carol
Gone Girl - Flynn, Gillian
Defending Jacob - Landay, William
1222 - Holt, Anne
Top Five any genre
The Handmaid's Tale - Atwood, Margaret
Some Kind of Fairy Tale - Graham, Joyce
Winter's Bone - Woodrell, Daniel
The Wind Through the Keyhole - King, Stephen
The Dog Stars - Heller, Peter
Top Authors (partly based on quantity)
Adler-Olsen, Jussi
Butcher, Jim
Child, Lee
Slaughter, Karin
Stabenow, Dana
Top Series (read during the year)
Kate Shugak
Harry Dresden
Harry Hole
Alex McKnight
Maisie Dobbs
Bottom of the barrel:
- Gone by Randy Wayne White (new Hannah Smith series, it should stop with one book; his Night Vision made my top list last year so a big disappointment)
- Dare Me by Megan Abbott - This one could go either way, I actually ranked it pretty high just after reading it, but later ... the end result when I think of this one is more phew than wow.
- Catherine the Great Audio by Robert K Massie (monotone audio reader; I couldn't force myself to listen )
TOP M/TThe Last Word by Ellery Adams
Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen
Gem of a Ghost by Sue Ann Jaffarian
Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch by Nancy Atherton
All Sales Fatal by Laura DiSilverio
Stay at Home Dead by Jeffrey Allen
It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake
A Witch Before Dying by Heather Blake
Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay
Book, Line & Sinker by Jenn McKinlay
TOP AUTHORS
Robert Crais
Tess Gerritsen
Heather Blake
Jenn McKinlay
Ellery Adams
TOP SERIES
Elvis & Pike
Rizzoli & Isles
Wishcraft mysteries
Library Lover's mysteries
Books by the Bay mysteries
BOTTOM
A Killer Read by Erika Chase
The Flaming Luau of Death by Jerrilyn Farmer
Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke
Murder Unleashed by Lee Charles Kelley
Death of a Kitchen Diva by Lee Hollis
Good job, peeps! I'll keep this open until Jan. 17 (Thursday), so anyone who still wants to weigh in and hasn't, get crackin'!
I started tallying, then realized I'd better log my own in first:Top 10 Mystery/Thrillers: I had 16 5/5s and it was really hard to pare down, so I just took a couple away from the series. But really, if you're looking at any of the series, just start at the beginning and go.
Bury Your Dead. Louise Penny
The Drop. Michael Connelly
Believing the Lie. Elizabeth George
The Keeper of Lost Causes
The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins
The Risk of Darkness. Susan Hill Read by Steven Pacey.
Now May You Weep. Deborah Crombie. Narrated by Michael Deehy
Pardonable Lies. Jacqueline Winspear. Narrated by Orlagh Cassidy.
The Shadows in the Street. Susan Hill.
Mad River. John Sandford.
Top 5 series (also hard to narrow these down, so stuck to this year. sorry Elvis, Joe, Lucas, Reacher, Bill&Lydia, Clare&Russ, etc.)
Virgil Flowers, Sandford
Three Pines, Louise Penny
DI Simon Serallier, Susan Hill
Thomas Lynley, Elizabeth George
Duncan Kincaid/Gemma Jones, Deborah Crombie
Top 5 authors (again, this year)
Crombie
Sandford
Mosley
Penny
Connelly, Michael
Top 5 other
Younger Next Year for Women. Chris Crowley. Narrated by Chris Crowley.
Yes, Chef. Marcus Samuelson Narrated by the author.
In the Garden of the Beasts. Erik Larson. Narrated by Stephen Hoye
The Warmth of Other Suns. Isabel Wilkerson. Narrated by Robin Miles.
Live by Night. Dennis Lehane.
No Bottom of the Barrels for me, I stick to the favorite authors plus the occasional recommendation from here, which of course are always top notch!
Top New to Me Series/Authors
Jussi Adler-Olsen
Don Winslow
Charles Dodd
Caroline Graham
good lists Carol!! We eagerly await your tabulations! I have seen a few patterns in the data, and am quite curious about the results.
It was hard to pare down the lists. I have vowed to use more 8.25 9.5 8.75 type rankings to help next year. Even so, the way we feel at the beginning of the year is hard to remember at the end. I just have to look at every book and decide on the spot if it is top list worthy.. ;)
C'mon, Queenie. We're waiting (im)patiently.
Carol: Hope all is well and you are having fun compiling the lists of top books! If there is anything we can do to help, just shout...
sorry gang, life is intervening! soon...
Top MT Books (1-10)
Top Authors (1-5)
Top Books (1-5) any genre
Top Series (1-5)
Bottom of the Barrel Books (up to 5)
Top New-to-Me Series
Top New-to-Me Author