Top Ten Paranormal Releases of 2008 [ Edited ]

[paulgoatallen]

It's getting to be that time of the year again... looking back at the year 2008 and deciding which books were your favorite reads. This has been, in many ways, a historic year for Paranormal Fantasy. Stephenie Meyer's final installment in her Twilight saga broke all kinds of sales records, Charlaine Harris struck gold when HBO made her Sookie Stackhouse novels into a cable series, and veteran genre authors – like Kat Richardson, for example – went from publishing paperbacks to the major leagues with hardcover releases like Underground.

It's been a great year for paranormal fantasy, I don't think anyone can argue that point: and we've had a simply incredible year here in the Paranormal forum with visits from literally dozens of bestselling authors – Jeanne Stein, Richelle Mead, Mark Henry, Caitlin Kittredge, Mario Acevedo, Marjorie Liu, Stacia Kane, Kat Richardson, Justine Musk, the incomparable Jackie Kessler, Jocelyn Drake... Wow. It's been a great year. And I want to make sure that I thank each and every one of you for making this such a marvelous place to come and visit and discuss books. Without you, none of this would be possible...

So, enough of this love-fest – let's stir up some controversy! Every year, book reviewers, editors and newspaper publishers around the world run their "Top Ten" lists for releases in every category under the sun – and every year, there are tons of people who say, What?!?" So let's talk about our favorite book of 2008. To get things started, here's my own list – feel free to disagree! (That's half the fun!)  

Paul

TOP 13 PARANORMAL FANTASY RELEASES OF 2008
1. The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison (9780060788704, $24.95)
2. The Iron Hunt by Marjorie Liu (0441016065, $7.99)
3. Legacy by Jeanne Stein (9780441016266, $7.99)
4. The Touch of Twilight by Vicki Pettersson (9780060898939, $6.99)
5. Personal Demons by Stacia Kane (9780809572557, $6.99)
6. Storm Born by Richelle Mead (9781420100969, $6.99)
7. Underground by Kat Richardson (9780451462121, $21.95)
8. Hotter Than Hell by Jackie Kessler (9780821781043, $15.00)
9. Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs (9780441015665, $7.99)
10. One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (9780061245091, $6.99)
11. Lord of Bones by Justine Musk (97800451462206, $6.99)
12. Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk (9780451462404, $6.99)
13. Ghost Radio by Leopoldo Gout (9780061242687, $25.95)

Message Edited by paulgoatallen on 11-14-2008 11:31 PM

[Nelsmom]

Okay Paul,  Here is my list so far for this year.  A couple of yours I will agree with the placement

!.   Outlaw Demon Wails       Kim Harrison

2.   The Iron Hunt                   Marjorie L. Lui

3.   Hotter Than Hell              Jackie Kessler

4.   Breaking Dawn               Chris Marie Green

5.   One Foot In The Grave   Jeanne Frost

6.   Legacy                            Jeanine C. Stein

7.   Cry Wolf                          Patricia Briggs

8.   Staked                             JF Lewis

9.   Personal Demon             Stacia Kane

10. Magic To The Bone         Devon Monk

11.  Any Given Doomsday    Lori Handeland

12.  Night Shift                       Lilith Saintcrow

13.  Hunter's Prayer              Lilith Saintcrow

14.   Destiny Kills                  Keri Arthur

Toni

[Chomp]

Well, Paul, I think I will need the last six weeks or so left in the year (gasp) to come up with my "best of" list.  

I know that mine will have some of the same as yours, but I will also include Lilith Saintcrow's Night Shift.

Carol

[JCStein]

Wow-- I am SO honored to have been included on these lists. Thank you. I appreciate it more than you know.

Jeanne 

[JackieKessler]

Wow -- thank you so much! I'm honored and thrilled to be on the list. (Lists!) Hey, look -- I made a list! Hee!

I'd have to add Jim Butcher's SMALL FAVOR to the list. Absolutely loved that book.

[JackieKessler]

My goodness, Paul. You're giving me quite the ego...

 

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paulgoatallen wrote:
...the incomparable Jackie Kessler...

[Chomp]

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JackieKessler wrote:

My goodness, Paul. You're giving me quite the ego...

 

---

paulgoatallen wrote:
...the incomparable Jackie Kessler...

---

Ah, the moniker is well-deserved, Jackie.

Carol

[Chomp]

---

JCStein wrote:

Wow-- I am SO honored to have been included on these lists. Thank you. I appreciate it more than you know.

Jeanne 

---

Legacy will definitely be on my list, as well, but I still maintain that I am going to wait until the year is almost officially over before I put an actual list together. I have some reading to catch up on...

Carol

[JackieKessler]

LOL -- thanks, Carol!

Jackie "Big Ego" Kessler

[Chomp]

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JackieKessler wrote:

LOL -- thanks, Carol!

Jackie "Big Ego" Kessler

---

No, no -- Incomparable Jackie Kessler.

Carol

[paulgoatallen]

---

JCStein wrote:

Wow-- I am SO honored to have been included on these lists. Thank you. I appreciate it more than you know.

Jeanne 

---

Jeanne:

When I originally started compiling the list, I had Legacy as #1 but after I had all the titles together, I decided to put the Harrison ahead of all of them because, well, that's the BIG series right now (and I love Rachel Morgan), and also Marjorie's The Iron Hunt because that was the first book in a saga that I think will kick major butt before it's done. But, yeah, I was absolutely blown away by your series and I'm so glad I was pushed to read it (thanks Carol or Toni, I forgot which one of you poked me until I read Jeanne!) 

Paul 

[Chomp]

But, yeah, I was absolutely blown away by your series and I'm so glad I was pushed to read it (thanks Carol or Toni, I forgot which one of you poked me until I read Jeanne!) 

Paul

______________________________________________________________________________________-

I think it was both of us, and Derek, too. 

Good grief -- I do not think I will be able to rank my faves in any order. Too hard, too hard...

Carol

[Nelsmom]

If I could have done it I think that I would have put them all in first place.  Thanks Paul for all you do.  It was really hard to keep from listing all the great books that we have read this year.  Glad you liked Jeannie's Anna Strong books.

Toni

[LordRuthven]

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Chomp wrote:

No, no -- Incomparable Jackie Kessler.

Carol

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Actually, I am fairly sure he meant "the insufferable Jackie Kessler."

[JFLewis]

Wow, Toni!  I made it into your top ten.  I'm honored! 

[JCStein]

---

Jeanne:

When I originally started compiling the list, I had Legacy as #1 but after I had all the titles together, I decided to put the Harrison ahead of all of them because, well, that's the BIG series right now (and I love Rachel Morgan), and also Marjorie's The Iron Hunt because that was the first book in a saga that I think will kick major butt before it's done. But, yeah, I was absolutely blown away by your series and I'm so glad I was pushed to read it (thanks Carol or Toni, I forgot which one of you poked me until I read Jeanne!) 

Paul 

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You are making me blush.  I would have been content to be #13!!! It also gives me something to strive for--making each book better and stronger to live up to the expectations of all the wonderful people on this list. I don't want to let any of you down.

Jeanne 

[Stacia_Kane]

Wow! Thank you so much Paul and Nelsmom! *blush* What an amazing honor.

[paulgoatallen]

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Stacia_Kane wrote:
Wow! Thank you so much Paul and Nelsmom! *blush* What an amazing honor.

---

Stacia:

In all the time I've been moderating this forum, I don't think we've ever had a debut that was so universally... beloved. Months after you were here, we still had people talking about Personal Demons. It really had a long "shelf-life" here, which is saying something considering how many books people talk about here. 

You rock.

Paul 

[MarjorieLiu]

Oh, wow.  Thank you so much, Paul, for the incredible honor of including me on your list.  I appreciate that tremendously.

Marjorie 

[foureyed]

No Jim Butcher? Blasphemy! Burn him at the steak....err, stake!