It’s that time of year again people. The time where we, the voracious and obsessive readers of LGBTQ romance, look back and reflect on what an amazing year of books it’s been. If you’re anything like us then you’re already compiling your 2020 “To Read” list, but first, let’s share some of our favourite books from the year just gone.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting our top reads of the year. Please feel free to tell us your own favourites, or simply comment on our choices.
JAY
I haven’t had as much chance to read this year (don’t we all say that?) so I’m going to have a pretty limited list that will likely miss some great books that are still on my tbr list.
Heartsong (Green Creek #3) by TJ Klune
Klune had a very good year with three great books – this one, Why We Fight (At First Sight #4), and How to Be a Movie Star (How to Be #2). I chose this one because the writing is mature and sings with word play. The writing style is unique to the book in conveying the sense of confusion and discovery. Next year is going to be a banner year for Klune as his next books go more mainstream as they are being published with a major publishing house.
Paint it Black (Beneath the Stain #2) by Amy Lane
Lane also had a banner year with several great books including the fifth book in her Fish Out Of Water series, but my heart belongs to Outbreak Monkey, the band in the Beneath the Stain series. The first book is amazing and gut wrenching. As the queen of angst, Lane does not disappoint as she continues on with their stories in this book.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
While maybe not the best book this year, I wanted to include it for another reason – visibility. This book is helping to put MM romance in the mainstream and more people are beginning to realize the great stories we already know. There’s some lag in the middle, but it’s an interesting story in its reimagining of current history.
The Hitman’s Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love by Alice Winters
Winters has been around for some time but this book culminates in her good humor, character development, and storytelling. The book series is putting her on the map and helping more people realize that she is a great humorist. Not all people will get her humor but she has enough variety in her other books that one is bound to find something that will be enjoyable.
The Mage on the Hill (The Web of Arcana #1) by Angel Martinez
Martinez hones her world building skills in this great new series. She was an unknown author to me, but I’m glad to have the honor of reviewing this book. What could have been contrived and along the lines of a few tropes, Martinez elevates the story with interesting characters and twists to the story. A mix of fantasy, alternate universe, and a good old fashioned road trip adventure make this an enjoyable read.
Honorable mention goes out to great authors like Kim Fielding, Lane Hayes, Rhys Ford, and Charlie Cochet who continue to put out good books that I didn’t get a chance to read all of them but are always quality writing.
