Top books for 2008... there's a few of them on my list

.... I should have known that I wouldn't have just 10 or even 25 top reads for 2008 ~ so far I'm up to 31 and the year's not over yet!  And these are the books that I rated at 5 and 5+ stars ; I'm not even going to list the 4.5 star books... I'd be here way too long. 

Of these 31 books, I rated eight of them 5+ or even 5++ stars.... these are books that I'd be keeping even if I didn't tend to collect them.  They're the stories that have made an extremely lasting and enduring impression on me.  Books that I ached to finish, but was loathe to put down once I'd come to the end.  Books that took me through so many emotions and left me feeling on top of the world.  Books that I would,and will, recommend to anyone.  So, my 5+ / 5++ star reads for 2008 are:

1. Maria V. Snyder ~ Poison Study
2. Maria V. Snyder ~ Magic Study
3. Maria V. Snyder ~ Fire Study
4. J.R. Ward ~ Lover Enshrined
5. Georgia Bockoven ~ If I'd Never Known Your Love
6. Nalini Singh ~ Mine to Possess
7. Anthology ~ More Than Words
   *Susan Wiggs ~ Homecoming Season
   *Sharon Sala ~ The Yellow Ribbon
   *Emilie Richards ~ Hanging by a Thread
8. Tere Michaels ~ Faith and Fidelity (ebook)

     The titles bolded and underlined are Harlequin titles, those just bolded are other. 

  *   Maria Snyder's Study series was amazing ~ Tammys said that I'd like them... and she was right!
  *   For me J.R. Ward is a given... I've loved everything that she's written. 
  *   Georgia Bockoven's story was one that I looked and looked... and looked for.  And when
                  I finally found it I was completely blown away.
  *   I love Nalini Singh's PSY/Changeling series ~ and it just keeps getting better and better.
  *   Tere Michaels' story was a major surprise; I was sure that I was going to like it when I read the
        blurb about it, but oh boy!...  This was her first story and the depth of character and situations 
        was completely amazing and totally outstanding.

The other, regular, 5 star stories are more varied, but nonetheless wonderfully crafted stories that get right to the heart of the characters which in turn gets right to the reader on many different levels. I've listed all my top reads here and by month in which they were read. There were only two months where I didn't come across a 5 star read... not bad, eh?

JANUARY
Diane Pershing ~ One Tough Avenger

FEBRUARY
Janice Kay Johnson ~ With Child

MARCH
Jeri Smith-Ready ~ Eyes of Crow
Maria V. Snyder ~ Poison Study
Maria V. Snyder ~ Magic Study
Maria V. Snyder ~ Fire Study

APRIL
Jeri Smith-Ready ~ Voice of Crow

JUNE
J.R. Ward ~ Lover Enshrined
Georgia Bockoven ~ If I’d Never Known Your Love
Kelley Armstrong ~ Broken
Anthology ~ Temperature’s Rising  
        * Amanda Young ~ Taboo Desires
        * K.A. Mitchell ~ Custom Ride
        * Ally Blue ~ Catching a Buzz  (4.5 stars)
        * Jude Buchanan ~ Nut Cream

JULY
Nalini Singh ~ Mine to Possess

SEPTEMBER
Sarah McCarty ~ Sam’s Creed
Stella Cameron ~ The Message
Janice Kay Johnson ~ Missing Molly
Anthology ~ The Gift of Christmas 
       * Jan Freed ~ Stuck With Each Other
       * Janice Kay Johnson ~ Undercover Santa
       * Margot Early ~ Epiphany
Christine Rimmer ~ Having Tanner Bravo’s Baby

OCTOBER
Pamela Palmer ~ Dark Deceiver
J.R. Ward ~ BDB Compendium
Loreth Anne White ~ Manhunter
Lee Child ~ Nothing to Lose
Judith Arnold ~ The Marriage Bed
Anthology ~ More Than Words
       * Susan Wiggs ~ Homecoming Season
       * Sharon Sala ~ The Yellow Ribbon
       * Emilie Richards ~ Hanging by a Thread
Lora Leigh ~ Mercury’s War
Tere Michaels ~ Faith and Fidelity (ebook)
Julie Anne Long ~ Like No Other Lover

NOVEMBER
Josh Lanyon ~ Death of a Pirate King (ebook)
Patricia Briggs ~ Cry Wolf

DECEMBER
Angela Knight ~ Warrior
Kelley Armstrong ~ The Summoning
Fay Robinson ~ Coming Home to You

Okay, and now for my favourite part:  Stats!   

• eighteen of 5 star reads are harlequin imprints; this translates to 58% of my
  top-rated books for 2008 being harlequin / silhoutte
• of the, to date, 373 books read 8% ended with a minimum rating of 5 stars
• eight of the 22 authors on this list are new-to-me, which works out to 36%
• five authors wrote more than one book on my list:  23%
• of the three anthologies on the list, all the stories of two rated 5 stars each; the other, three of the four stories were 5 stars... but the other was 4.5 stars so I included it on the list anyway.  And I've got to say, it's not often when an anthology will rate 5 stars... usually it's one or two stories that I really like; guess that says something too... just not sure what.  LOL
• 14 of the titles were paranormal / fantasy; that's 45%
• three were male-on-male; almost 10%
• two were historicals; 6%
• twelve were contemporaries:  almost 39%
• only one book had no romance in any way, shape or form ~ 3%.  Guess you can tell that I do love my romances, eh? 
• Of course not all of 30 others are categorized as romances either.  I think it works out to only 17 that are "romances", which is almost 55%

Enough statistics?  Probably... I can't think of any other right now anyway.  So you're all safe for now... but just you wait!..... < EG > 

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  Anyway, I'm feeling much better today ~ yesterday I had to go to the dentist and get my first-ever cavity filled... gotta say I'm going to be doing everything that I can to make sure that that was the first and LAST such visit!  49½... not too bad for a first cavity, eh?  Guess I can no longer be all smug about it either.  Ah well... life happens! 

     Have a great day everyone.  I'm going to be out and about looking for odds and ends to finish up my shopping.  I'm done getting the presents, just need to get the finishing touches y'know.  And I'm also done (most) of my Christmas cards.   

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"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading,
or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” ~ Confucius

~ Books, gotta love 'em