According to my Goodreads account, I read 97 books in 2012. Even though I am a bit behind the eight-ball, I have selected my favorite genre books of 2012 for your viewing pleasure. I read too many books to pick just one favorite; picking a top genre book is tough enough! Here are my choices.
Best Non-fiction: For 2012, my favorite non-fiction, non-history book would have to be Susan Cain’s Quiet for its relatability for me personally and timeliness.
Best History book (had to make a separate section since most of the non-fiction I read is history): This was a hard call for me, but I’m going to go with Dolin’s When America First Met China for its thoroughness and timeliness.
Best General Fiction: Marcus Zusak’s I Am The Messenger takes this award! I loved the story-line and narrator.
Best Sci-fi/Fantasy: Again, this one was another tough call because much of what I read is in this genre. However, I’m going to go with Jim Hines’ awesome book-magic story, Libriomancer and Erin Morgenstern’s beautiful and compelling novel, The Night Circus. Jo Walton’s Among Others is also up there, due to its great narrator and thoughtful magic system.
Best Young Adult: This year’s winner, hands down, is Elizabeth Wein’s WWII novel Code Name Verity.
Best Graphic Novel: Wandering Son by Shimura Takako takes this award with its beautiful art and thoughtful depiction of LGBT issues.
Best Historical Fiction: Although Code Name Verity also fits the bill for this award, I also am going to say Michael Cox’s The Meaning of Night.
And there you have it! If you haven’t read any of these, I recommend them highly! I am looking forward to what 2013 brings.
