So far, 2015 has been an excellent reading year.  Sure, I've endured some stinkers, but I've enjoyed some great books as well.  Of the 72 (soon to be 73) books I've read this year, I can honestly say I liked the majority of them.  That's not true every year.  Since the Top Ten Tuesday question du jour is about our favorites of the year, I thought this would be a good time to highlight some of them.

My hands-down favorite part of Top Ten Tuesday is getting suggestions from the lists of other book bloggers.  So, join in, will you?  It's super easy.  All you have to do is head on over to The Broke and the Bookish, read the participation instructions and follow them.  Voilà, you're part of the cool crowd!  Simple.

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2015:


1.  The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion—I loved this book about a man with autism/Asperger's who's out to find the perfect wife ... and ends up with the most unsuitable woman in Australia.  It's hilarious.  Literally had me laughing out loud.  In public!


2.  At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen—This novel about a spoiled socialite who follows her thrill-seeking husband and his equally adventurous BFF to Scotland during WWII to look for the Loch Ness monster is a nuanced, atmospheric novel of surprising depth.  Although it's a sad story in many ways, it's a joy to watch how the heroine transforms from the beginning of the novel to the end.


3.  The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths—Kay, a blogger I've followed for a long time, always recommends great new mystery series that I've never encountered before.  So far, I've really liked this series about a quirky British archaeologist who gets pulled in to help the local Detective Chief Inspector solve cases.  I've read the first three installments, but The Crossing Places (which comes first) is still my favorite.


4.  The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz—Screwball comedies aren't usually my thing, but I happen to adore this series.  It concerns a family of private eyes who refuse to trust anyone ... especially each other.  I've had fun reading the first two books, which are equally zany and laugh out loud funny.


5.  What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty—It's no secret that I love this Australian author.  I've read about half of her novels and enjoyed them all.  This one is about a 39-year-old mother who, because of a head injury, wakes up thinking it's 10 years earlier than it really is.  As she becomes reacquainted with her real life, she's astounded to realize how much has changed with her family, her friends, and her marriage.  It's a compelling story that's both funny and poignant.


6.  Pines by Blake Crouch—This series (which is now a miniseries on Fox) concerns a Secret Service agent who comes to a small Idaho town in search of two missing agents.  Not surprisingly, things are not at all that they appear to be in quaint, picturesque Wayward Pines.  From the first page of Pines, I was totally sucked into this story.  I ended up downing the whole trilogy almost in one setting.  It's quick, edge-of-your-seat reading that will keep you guessing.


7.  Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs—Again, it's no surprise that the newest Tempe Brennan mystery is on this list.  I've loved the smart, dedicated forensic anthropologist ever since she was introduced in Deja Dead (1997).  Since the last book had a bit of a cliffhanger ending, I was especially excited to see what happened in Speaking in Bones.  Tempe works with a crackpot amateur detective to find a missing girl while also dealing with her very complicated personal life (re: Andrew Ryan).


8.  A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord—Lord writes heart-felt books about kids dealing with real-life problems.  Her newest concerns a lonely girl in Maine who unintentionally befriends a Hispanic migrant worker.  As their friendship grows, they face surprising (or not so much?) opposition from the small community where they live.  It's a thought-provoking story that reinforces the importance of tolerance and accepting people for who they are, not where they come from or how they look.


9.  Death Coming Up the Hill by Chris Crowe—This book-in-verse about an Arizona teenager's reactions to the Vietnam War is both inventive and moving.  It's a fast read, but a profound one.


10.  A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller—I don't do a lot of browsing at the library these days, but as I was looking for a book by another "K" author, I came across Keller's series about a West Virginian lawyer who returns to the town of her birth in an effort to make a difference in impoverished, violence-riddled Raythune County.  While the books (I've read the first two so far) are exciting mystery/thrillers, they also provide an intimate, unflinching examination of Appalachia and her people.

There you go.  Have you read any of these?  What did you think?  Which titles are on your list?  If you leave me a link to your TTT, I'll be sure and visit.

Happy reading!

So, I wasn't planning to participate in Top Ten Tuesday this week because I already posted a review today, plus this week's TTT topic is, well, tough.  Some of the topics inspire dozens of answers to pop into my head, others just ... don't.  Still, I didn't want to miss out on the fun, so I just twisted the prompt to suit my needs a little better.  If you want to liven up your Tuesday a little, click on over to The Broke and the Bookish to get the skinny on how to participate.  It's easy!  It's fun!  It will give you clear skin and firm thighs!  Well, maybe not that last bit ...

Anyway, this week's topic is: Top Ten Characters You'd Like to Check In With.  Since I could only think of ones I figured would be on everyone's lists (Scout Finch, Scarlett O'Hara, etc.), I decided to focus my list on characters whom I can check in with, but whom I've been neglecting of late.


1.  "Bloody" Jacky Faber (Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer)—You've heard me rave on and on about how much I love Jacky.  She's a fantastic, larger-than-life heroine who makes me laugh.  As much as I adore her, though, I've only read half of the books in the series.  I need to pick up My Bonny Light Horseman soon and see what crazy adventure Jacky's on this time!


2.  Amelia Peabody (Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters)—Amelia Peabody is more understated than Jacky Faber, but she's also a heroine who has great adventures.  Her shocking actions/demeanor make me laugh.  I haven't read a Peabody mystery in some time and might have to re-start the series so I can remember who's who and what's what.  Or, I might just start where I left off (Book 5?  Book 6?).


3.  Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan)—Percy Jackson is one of my kids' favorite heroes.  I enjoyed The Lightning Thief, but never moved on with the series.  I think I need to drop back in and see what the young demi-god is up to these days.


4.  Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis)—I loved The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I read it in elementary school.  Why I never read the rest of the series, I really don't know.  I've regretted it ever since and should really finish it up.  I have at least two sets of the books on my shelf, so I have no excuses ...  




5.  Mel, Jack, Preacher & Co. (Virgin River series by Robyn Carr); Hank Cooper & Co. (Thunder Point series by Robyn Carr)—I love Carr's romance novels with their small-town settings and big-hearted people.  I've read over half of the former series, but only the first of the latter.  I've got some catching up to do, for sure!


6.  Hannah Swensen (Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke)—Yes, I realize these are the silliest murder mysteries in the history of murder mysteries.  I blame my friend Tara for turning me on to them.  She's right, though, they're useful when you want to read a light, easy mystery that won't turn your stomach or tax your brain.  Also, there are the recipes.  So, yeah, I definitely need to pop back into this series to see what's going down with the cookie baker turned amateur sleuth.


7.  Cammie Morgan & Co. (Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter)—I love this outlandish, warm-hearted series.  It's just fun.  The girls always have something crazy going on, so visiting them is a guaranteed good time.  I need to start Number Three, Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover, soon.


8.  Don Tillman & Rosie Jarman (Rosie series by Graeme Simsion)—The Rosie Project made me laugh out loud (many times) and root for this unlikely pair.  I'm curious to see what happens to them next.  Good thing I'm already on the library's waiting list for The Rosie Effect.


9.  Odd Thomas (Odd series by Dean Koontz)—Although I was not happy with the ending of Odd Thomas, the first installment in this popular series, I enjoyed the book.  Considering what happened to poor Odd in the first novel, I definitely need to check in with him and see if he's okay.


10.  Ruth Galloway (Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths)—Okay, so I just barely left this English archaeologist, but I'm ready for another visit to the salt marshes she loves so much.  Especially since the first novel ends not in a cliffhanger, but in an intriguing twist.  I definitely want to see where it leads!

So, there you have it.  I'm obviously horrendous at completing series.  The worst thing is, I feel like I've left all these characters hanging, like they've just been suspended in time until I open their books and release them.  When will I stop neglecting these poor story people?  Hopefully soon.  Which fictional characters have you been ignoring?  Which are you still wondering about?  Who would you like to catch up with?  I'd love to see your TTT list.

Happy reading!

*All book images from Barnes & Noble