Today is the first of the Joyfully Jay Best of 2012 posts.  Over the next two weeks, each of our reviewers will be sharing their favorites books from this year.  Enjoy!

What a spectacular year for great books in every genre from historical to fantasy! I have read so many great books and series this year that it is hard to even begin to narrow down the list, although I have tried. What makes a book great for me? So many things, that it needs its own list.

The books I listed here are ones that moved me to tears and made me laugh out loud. They took me to places I have never been to see sights fantastic, miraculous, and awe inspiring. I have watched dragons soar and seen twin suns set over alien worlds. Through these wonderful authors I have met people who continue to stay with me through the power of their stories and the connectedness that I feel with each of the characters I have read about. Sometimes the books have taught me something about myself and how I looked at others or just gave me a deeper appreciation for my fellow beings.

I have grieved with men who have lost their soul mates, been with them as they worked through the trauma and loss, and celebrated as they moved forward with their lives. I watched men fall in love, whether it be with shifters, wizards, or just a man they met on the side of the road. Love lost, love found, or lovers rediscovering the best about each other…that seems to know no boundaries as far as who you are and what world you inhabit. It doesn’t even matter whether the story is set in the past or goes far into the future. The authors and books listed here are ones that I cherish and return to often to visit with them once more. If you haven’t already read them, I hope you will add them to your list of must reads, as they are surely mine.

Oh, and by the way, this list is not complete. There are some wonderful books still to be released in the last two weeks of December, and there are some that I just missed from my own reviews.  Really there is something for everyone here. Happy reading!

Favorite Historical

Favorite Short Story

Favorite Contemporary

Favorite First Novels

Favorite Paranormal

 Favorite Science Fiction

Favorite Fantasy Books/Fantasy Series

Favorite Series (with new books this year)

Favorite Anthologies

FILED UNDER: Annual Favorites, Melanie's Reviews
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