2014 YEAR-END REVIEW: Ilhem
FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR:
“The Charioteer” by Mary Renault
4.5 & 5 STAR BOOKS OF 2014:
Overhyped book of the year
(What’s all the fuss about?):
No hype on my shelves, this year.
Underhyped book of the year
(Why haven’t more people read this?):
“Fadeout” by Joseph Hansen. Seriously, why have I waited so long and what are you waiting for?
Best surprise of the year
(didn’t know what to expect or the story caught you off guard or anything that just…surprised you…):
Auto-buy authors
(I’d buy anything these authors write, without a doubt):
None
My reading experience in 2014:
I’ve read a lot less m/m romance books. I’ve been a glutton for approximately 2 years, and I am now feeling a bit overstuffed. I remember wishing last year that diversity would prime over quantity because I found and still find that if the flow of new releases is a treat for new readers, the lack of diversity is quite jading for not-so-new ones. So, I’ve read less m/m books, less new releases, explored backlists, and the m/m genre still gave me some of my favorite stories of the year.
Man, I got to get on that Fadeout train. Great write-up!
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Hop in ASAP, we’re having a great time there!
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Me too! Adding it now…
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Yay! You’ll see, it’s amazingly insightful.
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I was happy seeing an A.M. Riley book there!! I agree with you that sometimes reading the older books gave better experience. Where the authors not in a hurry to release as fast to keep readers aware of their names. Good books sometimes need time to make it better.
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I love her so!
Yes, more time to mature a story would be great sometimes.
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Fadeout was great. I plan to read more Joseph Hansen in 2015.
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I’m so glad that you loved it! Hansen is definitely on my 2015 list too.
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I’m interested to hear where your exploration of LGBTQ stories beyond the m/m genre will take you, Ilhem! Please don’t hesitate to share any gems you might discover with us.:)
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I’ll share the love.:)
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Charioteer was indeed a memorable book for me too….even though it didn’t rank high on my shelves, I’m glad I tackled it. And I tend to recommend it often. It’s like some fine dining…it’s an acquired taste story! :)
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Hey comrade! I had a great time reading it with you.:)
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