Favorite Books of 2009

Defining the best books of 2009 is a bit of misnomer. No one can read all the genre novels and only a few people read more than 100 or so books which would give at least a decently informed opinion. For every book I did read (40) there were 2 additional 2009 books that I still want to get to. The best I can do is review the books I read in 2009 and decide which ones I like best. There is no objective method behind my madness, purely my own opinions.  I also limited the selection to only books that were published in 2009. I read some older books as well but no one needs me to tell them that Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a good book. (It is a good book if you haven't read it).

Anyway, without further nonsense, here is the list you came to see.

Favorite Reads of the Year:

1. The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi – The world and characters in this book are so realistic and human that I can’t say enough good things about them. I don’t get a vote for Hugo/Nebula but this novel deserves at least one of them. Bacigalupi will be a force in science fiction circles for years to come. (Full Review)




2. The Devil's Alphabet - Daryl Gregory – Strong characters that spoke to me (twenty something angst!) in a setting that was as bizarre as it was imaginative. Daryl Gregory integrates these fantastic elements into his fiction so well that you take them for granted behind the characters in the forefront. Gregory’s work balances the line between Science Fiction and Fantasy so he might fall through the cracks but his work is absolutely fantastic. (Full Review)




3. Moxyland – Lauren Beukes - Maybe I’m a sucker for the combination of strong characters, plausible futures, and culture but I loved Moxyland’s bleak outlook where corporations control things without being impossibly evil. Lauren Beukes’s 2nd novel, Zoo City, is on my anticipated titles of 2010 list. (Full Review)





4. Best Served Cold – Joe Abercrombie - Gritty, blood soaked and fun. Abercrombie’s First Law World is one I’ve fallen in love with and can’t wait to return to. If you like Fantasy and haven’t read Abercrombie, you are really missing out on something. I devoured all 4 of Abercrombie’s books this year at a 100 page a day pace and they just get better and better. (Full Review)




5. The City & The City - China Mieville – This book didn’t have the deepest characters but the dual city of Ul Qoma and Beszel had my mind reeling and my mouth talking. Absolutely unreal world building. (Full Review)

So thats my top 5 fiction books that I read in 2009. I know I should have put them in reverse order for suspense but I don't feel like changing it now. Now's the part where you tell me how wrong I was and provide your perfect list.

Onward to 2010!