Best Books of 2015

Best Books of 2015

Since the new year approaches, I thought it might be fun to tell you about the best books of 2015 – at least that I’ve read. They are in no particular order, and they are just my opinion, but I hope you give a few a try.

I’d love to know what your top books for the past year have been as well!


Okay, so its Rick Riordan and we all know I love him. But this was really cool. Norse mythology is interesting, and he does a great job of adapting it for his book. If you haven’t read it yet – do it!

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard – Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . . 


I have to say, this was such a great, cute read, and a graphic novel to boot. I loved this book. It was so well done, and after having met Cece Bell at an author event in Richmond, I can say she is one of the nicest, coolest people ever. On that alone I’d recommend reading her books, but this one is a definite must read!

El Deafo – Cece Bell

Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends. 

Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school–in the hallway…in the teacher’s lounge…in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different… and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?

This funny perceptive graphic novel memoir about growing up hearing impaired is also an unforgettable book about growing up, and all the super and super embarrassing moments along the way. 


This was just a fun read, with a little creep (when you find out what the one thing is…. woah.), a little mystery, and a lot of emotion. Definitely check it out!

The Night Gardener – Jonathan Auxier

This much-anticipated follow-up to Jonathan Auxier’s exceptional debut, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, is a Victorian ghost story with shades of Washington Irving and Henry James. More than just a spooky tale, it’s also a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling.

The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious spectre and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. With Auxier’s exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.


This one is the only one on the list that isn’t an MG or YA book – but I really enjoyed it, all the same. It is set in an unusual time period – those years between WWI and WWII in England, and it is very atmospheric and creepy and keeps you interested until the end. It has a paranormal element, but that isn’t the main focus of the novel, and I liked that. 

Silence for the Dead – Simone St. James

In 1919, Kitty Weekes, pretty, resourceful, and on the run, falsifies her background to obtain a nursing position at Portis House, a remote hospital for soldiers left shell-shocked by the horrors of the Great War. Hiding the shame of their mental instability in what was once a magnificent private estate, the patients suffer from nervous attacks and tormenting dreams. But something more is going on at Portis House—its plaster is crumbling, its plumbing makes eerie noises, and strange breaths of cold waft through the empty rooms. It’s known that the former occupants left abruptly, but where did they go? And why do the patients all seem to share the same nightmare, one so horrific that they dare not speak of it?

Kitty finds a dangerous ally in Jack Yates, an inmate who may be a war hero, a madman… or maybe both. But even as Kitty and Jack create a secret, intimate alliance to uncover the truth, disturbing revelations suggest the presence of powerful spectral forces. And when a medical catastrophe leaves them even more isolated, they must battle the menace on their own, caught in the heart of a mystery that could destroy them both.


I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, but I liked what I read. I enjoyed the way the author brought the reader into the cult’s world and showed the reasons why the main character would think the way she did – and all the reasons why she would change her mind. I really interesting, good read.

Down from the Mountain – Elizabeth Fixmer

Eva just wants to be a good disciple of Righteous Path. She grew up knowing that she’s among the chosen few to be saved from Armageddon. Lately, though, being saved feels awfully treacherous. Ever since they moved to the compound in Colorado, their food supplies have dwindled even while their leader, Ezekiel, has stockpiled weapons. The only money comes from the jewelry Eva makes and sells down in Boulder–a purpose she’ll serve until she becomes one of Ezekiel’s wives. But a college student named Trevor and the other “heathens” she meets on her trips beyond the compound are far different from what she’s been led to believe. Now Eva doesn’t know which is more dangerous–the outside world, or Brother Ezekiel’s plans…

There’s this other book I love that came out this year too. About a girl who’s parents are trees, and who has no magic in a world where everyone else does….. 😉

​What books did you love this year? Did you read any of mine? What did you think?

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