I read 167 books in 2008. That’s amazing to me, but I’m not complaining.

Many of these come with concise comments – hopefully they are helpful, both to you and to me.

I’ve separated fiction and non-fiction here, so the numbers are in order of what I finished. If a number is skipped, check the other list to find it. Here we go:

Fiction

1. Sassinak – Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon (Science Fiction): Felt unfinished; clearly the beginning of a trilogy or other series.

2. Dear Cuipd – Julie Ortolon (Contemporary Romance): Cute, quick read.

3. Head Over Heels – Susan Andersen (Contemporary Romance): Great hero, lots of laughs.

4. Breath and Bone – Carol Berg (Epic Fantasy): Another stunning story from Carol.

5. Fancy Pants – Susan Elizabeth Phillips/SEP (Contemporary Romance): Too much time spent on back story for my taste. I was impatient with much of the rest because of the uncommonly slow start.

6. Coming Undone – Susan Andersen (Contemporary Romance)

7. Kiss An Angel – SEP (Contemporary Romance): Maybe one of my favorites from SEP.

8. Lola Carlyle Reveals All – Rachel Gibson (Contemporary Romance): Guilty pleasure; the premise is rather far-out, but the characters made me willing to stretch my suspenders of disbelief.

9. Heaven, Texas – SEP (Contemporary Romance): Maybe my favorite ending of any SEP.

10. Rhapsody – Elizabeth Haydon (Epic Fantasy): Mind-bending, excellent, worth finding the next volume.

11. This Heart of Mine – SEP (Contemporary Romance): Already a favorite.

12. It Had To Be You – SEP (Contemporary Romance)

13. Double Trouble – Claire Cross (Contemporary Romance)

14. Match Me If You Can – SEP (Contemporary Romance): It’s SEP! What can I say? Love it.

15. Natural Born Charmer – SEP (Contemporary Romance)

16. Carolina Isle – Jude Deveraux (Contemporary Romance): Disappointing.

17. Breathing Room – SEP (Contemporary Romance): Surprisingly good.

18. Ain’t She Sweet – SEP (Contemporary Romance): Not my favorite.

19. Lady Be Good – SEP (Contemporary Romance): Great, surprised me by being better than I expected.

20. Hot Shot – SEP (Contemporary Romance): Again, a bit too slow for me overall; probably my least favorite SEP.

21. The Man Who Loved Jane Austen – Sally Smith O’Rourke (Paranormal Romance): Very sweet.

22. Prophecy – Elizabeth Haydon (Epic Fantasy): Fabulous second book, must get my hands on the third.

23. Nobody’s Baby But Mine – Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Romance): Refresher before reading…

24. Dream A Little Dream – SEP (Romance): Maybe my favorite SEP book thus far, actually.

25. First Lady – SEP (Romance): Surprisingly good.

26. This Can’t Be Love – Kasey Michaels (Romance): Quick, cute, but not groundbreaking.

27. Someone To Love – Kasey Michaels (Historical Romance): Contemporary feel; worked well.

28. My Lady Valiant – Valerie King (Historical Romance): Fun, but not worth rereading.

29. Garden of Dreams – Valerie King (Historical Romance): Again, fun, but with several gaps.

30. The Kissing Game – Kasey Michaels (Historical Romance): Not as good as Someone To Love

31. Love to Love you Baby – Kasey Michaels (Romance): Great premise, very funny.

32. Hometown Girl – Mary Jane Meier (Romance): Decent, but not terribly memorable.

33. Be My Baby Tonight – Kasey Michaels (Romance): More serious than LtLYB, still quite good.

34. Getting Lucky – Susan Andersen (Romance): I can’t help it; I love her heroes.

35. Family Man – Jayne Ann Krentz (Romance): Good, but not terribly memorable.

36. This Must Be Love – Kasey Michaels (Romance): Simultaneous timeline to This Can’t Be Love; I’m getting tired of ‘author who hides their profession’ characters.

37. By The Sword – Mercedes Lackey (Fantasy): It’s been a long time since I read this; disappointing in some regards, but a solid story.

38. Fire Study – Maria V. Snyder (Fantasy): Quick and enjoyable; Synder has officially joined the ranks of authors I’ll read almost any time.

39. Chasing Stanley – Deirdre Martin (Romance): I can’t resist a book with a dog in it; really nicely done.

40. You Only Love Twice – Lori Wilde (Romance): Mmm conspiracy theories and hunky military heroes…

41. Dream On – Beverly Brandt (Romance): Highly enjoyable.

42. See Jane Score – Rachel Gibson (Romance): Well done. Luc’s hard to resist, eh? ;)

43. Body Check – Deirdre Martin (Romance): I liked Chasing Stanley better, but maybe that’s because of the dog….

44. And Then Came You: Sam’s Story – Maureen Child (Romance): Excellent – I’ll be looking for more of Child’s books.

45. A Crazy Kind of Love: Mike’s Story – Maureen Child (Romance): Excellent again. I like the Marconi sisters.

46. The Trouble with Valentine’s Day – Rachel Gibson (Romance): Lots of fun, as usual.

47. The Princess – Jude Devereaux (Romance): Well done, great dichotomy between characters.

48. It Happened One Autumn – Lisa Kleypas (Historical Romance): Fabulous.

49. Devil in Winter – Lisa Kleypas (Historical Romance): Great, again – love the villain turned into a genuine hero.

50. Scandal in Spring – Lisa Kleypas (Historical Romance): Excellent again.

51. The Heiress – Jude Devereaux (Historical Romance): Solid story and characters, including a stellar supporting cast.

52. Secrets of a Summer Night – Lisa Kleypas (Historical Romance): Just as nice as her others.

53. The Duchess – Jude Deveraux (Historical Romance): Cute, well done.

54. Mine Till Midnight – Lisa Kleypas (Historical Romance): Cam is one of my favorite of her heroes.

55. A Knight in Shining Armor – Jude Deveraux (Romance): Time-travel romance; very well-done, great ending.

56. Ace of Hearts – Barbara Metzger (Historical Romance): Quick, cute, but not groundbreaking.

58. Improper English – Katie MacAlister (Romance): Fun, but I liked Hard Day’s Knight better.

59. Daisy’s Back in Town – Rachel Gibson (Romance): Nice, solid story – I liked it.

60. Fair Play – Deirdre Martin (Romance): Good and fun.

61. Archangel – Sharon Shinn (Fantasy): Highly enjoyable, engaging, and intriguing.

62. Jack of Clubs – Barbara Metzger (Historical Romance): Very cute; well done.

63. One Foot in the Grave – Jeaniene Frost (Paranormal Romance): FANTASTIC.

64. I’m in No Mood for Love – Rachel Gibson (Romance): I liked it, will probably read it again.

65. Pawn of Prophecy – David Eddings (Fantasy): A decent read, especially for lovers of classic epic fantasy.

67. Once Upon a Blind Date – Wendy Markham (Comtemporary Romance: Present tense threw me off a bit, but a cute story.

68. Making Over Mr. Right – Judi McCoy (Paranormal Romance): Cute premise, great hero, very enjoyable.

69. Code Name: Baby – Christina Skye (Romantic Suspense): Average.

70. The Penalty Box – Deirdre Martin (Romance): One of Martin’s more enjoyable titles. I’ll keep it on my re-read shelf.

71. Bride Needs Groom – Wendy Markham (Romance): I liked Dom enough to read his story, but I doubt I’ll read more – the present tense action is distracting to me.

72. My Spy – Christina Skye (Romantic Suspense): Better than Code Name: Baby.

73. Ink Exchange – Melissa Marr (YA Fantasy): Still fascinating, but not as self-contained as Wicked Lovely.

74. The Princess Diaries – Meg Cabot (Young Adult): Very cute.

75. Ysabel – Guy Gavriel Kay (Fantasy): Thought-provoking, beautifully written.

76. Not Another Bad Date – Rachel Gibson (Romance): Great, as I expect from Rachel Gibson.

77. Fortune’s Fool – Mercedes Lackey (Fantasy): Not impressive enough to keep, sadly enough.

78. Urban Shaman – C.E. Murphy (Urban Fatnasy): Fast read, great urban fantasy.

79. The Lies of Locke Lamora – Scott Lynch (Epic Fantasy): Monumental work, really clever – I laughed out loud more often through this than any other epic fantasy I can remember.

80. Hot Stuff – Carly Phillips (Romance): Cute, but I already forget who it was about. I do remember the mild head-hopping.

81. Hot Number – Carly Phillips (Romance): Quick, cute, but not groundbreaking.

82. Squeeze Play – Kate Angell (Romance): Found a great new author to read.

83. Sizzling – Susan Mallery (Romance): Average, though the scene where the hero runs away from the twins who show up in his bed is pretty darn funny.

84. Hot Item – Carly Phillips (Romance): Worth it to read about the third sister.

85. Strike Zone – Kate Angell (Romance): Short, easy, enjoyable read.

86. Magic or Madness – Justine Larbalestier (YA Fantasy): Mildly disappointing, despite its fantastic premise.

87. An Unexpected Pleasure – Candace Camp (Historical Romance): An enjoyable surprise.

88. The Mating Game – Melanie George (Romance): Great, fast read, charming.

89. Tangled Up In You – Rachel Gibson (Romance): Great, as usual.

90. A Dangerous Man – Candace Camp (Regency Romance)

91. Getting Rid of Bradley – Jennifer Crusie (Romance/Mystery): Better than I expected, well worth reading again.

92. My Sweet Folly – Laura Kinsale (Historical Romance): Nothing could have lived up to the promise of this fantastic prologue, but it didn’t fall too far short.

93. Suddenly Sexy – Linda Francis Lee (Romance): Fast, fun.

94. Hummingbird – LaVyrle Spencer (Western Romance): Absolutely excellent.

95. Sinfully Sexy – Linda Francis Lee (Romance)

96. Simply Sexy – Linda Francis Lee (Romance)

97. She Woke Up Married – Suzanne MacPherson (Romance)

98. The Ways of Grace – Linda Francis Lee (Romance)

99. Talk Nerdy To Me – Vicki Lewis Thompson (Romance): Really great job here.

100. Hysterical Blondeness – Suzanne MacPherson (Romance)

101. The Taming of Lord Astor – Molly Madigan (Historical Romance)

102. Gone With the Nerd – Vicki Lewis Thompson (Romance): Not my favorite of the Nerd books.

103. Hot Property – Carly Phillips (Romance): A guilty pleasure – I find that though I’m sometimes annoyed by the writing, the characters are so strong that I keep coming back to see what happens to everyone.

104. The Mediterranean Caper – Clive Cussler (Action/Suspense): Listened on tape; does every noun need two modifiers?

105. Nerds Like It Hot – Vicki Lewis Thompson (Romance)

106. Nerd in Shining Armor – Vicki Lewis Thompson (Romance)

107. I’d Tell You I Love You But Them I’d Have To Kill You – Ally Carter (YA Mystery): Fun, clever, very well-done.

108. Sundays at Tiffany’s – James Patterson (Romance): Lovely.

109. Fancy Pants – Cathy Marie Hake (Historical Romance): Lots of fun here.

110. Ready for Love – Debbie Macomber (Romance): A great intro to Macomber’s writing.

111. Letter Perfect – Cathy Marie Hake (Historical Romance)

112. It Had To Be You – Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Romance): SEP’s almost always worth re-reading.

113. Then Comes Marriage – Kasey Michaels (Historical Romance)

114. The Manning Brides – Debbie Macomber (Romance)

115. The Perfect Match – Kimberly Cates (Romance): I was really impressed; great hero.

116. His Wicked Kiss – Gaelen Foley (Historical Romance): Yep, this one hooked me – had to read the rest.

117. Country Brides – Debbie Macomber (Romance): Good, light, fun reading.

118. The Devil Who Tamed Her – Johanna Lindsey (Historical Romance)

119. All I Need Is You – Johanna Lindsey (Historical Romance)

120. The Rogue – Celeste Bradley (Historical Romance)

121. Stealing the Bride – Elizabeth Bradley (Historical Romance)

122. Cutting Loose – Susan Andersen (Romance)

123. The Duke – Gaelen Foley (Historical Romance)

124. A Gentle Feuding – Johanna Lindsey (Historical Romance)

125. The Kept Woman – Susan Donovan (Romance)

126. The Raider – Jude Deveraux (Historical Romance)

127. Dakota Home – Debbie Macomber (Romance): Not my favorite of hers.

128. Take a Chance On Me – Susan Donovan (Romance): I can’t think of anything funnier than a disco-dancing Chinese Crested dog. Well worth it for that alone.

129. Lawman – Diana Palmer (Romance): Decent, but I don’t feel compelled to read more of her stuff.

130. Her Only Desire – Gaelen Foley (Historical Romance): These are really addicting.

131. Body Heat – Carly Phillips (Romance): Not as good as I wanted.

134. Lord of Fire – Gaelen Foley (Historical Romance): See? All in a row, I just flew through them.

136. Lord of Ice – Gaelen Foley (Historical Romance)

137. Devil Takes a Bride – Gaelen Foley (Historical Romance): I think Strathmore might be my favorite of these heroes, but I wouldn’t swear by it.

138. One Night of Sin – Gaelen Foley (Historical Romance)

139. The Bride Bargain – Kelly Eileen Hake (Historical Romance): Nicely done, very enjoyable.

140. Her Secret Fantasy – Gaelen Foley (Historical Romance)

141. Victory of Eagles – Naomi Novik (Historical Fantasy): I love Temeraire.

142. The Serpent Prince – Elizabeth Hoyt (Historical Romance)

143. Her Every Pleasure – Gaelen Foley (Historical Romance)

144. Blue-Eyed Devil – Lisa Kleypas (Romance): Better than I expected.

145. Sexiest Man Alive – Diana Holquist (Romance): Great. Funny.

146. In the Groove – Pamela Britton (Romance): Mmmm NASCAR romance.

147. To The Limit – Pamela Britton (Romance): No really, they’re great.

148. Be My Valentine – Debbie Macomber (Romance): Fun, quick, good.

149. A Well-Favored Gentleman – Christina Dodd (Paranormal/Historical Romance): Surprisingly good.

150. A Soft Place to Fall – Barbara Bretton (Romance): Great to spend time on the Maine coast.

151. Total Control – Pamela Britton (Romance)

152. Must Love Mistletoe – Christie Ridgway (Romance): Excellent use of flashbacks and memories.

153. The Manning Sisters – Debbie Macomber (Romance): Maybe one of my favorite Macomber duos.

154. Navy Husband – Debbie Macomber (Romance)

155. Causing Havoc – Lori Foster (Romance): Really good – I’ll be reading more from her.

156. This Perfect Kiss – Christie Ridgway (Romance): Excellent.

157. How to Knit a Wild Bikini – Christie Ridgway (Romance): Good again – I’ll be finding more Ridgway.
158. There’s Something About Christmas – Debbie Macomber (Romance): Quite enjoyable.
159. The Dream Hunter – Laura Kinsale (Historical Romance): Very good; worth reading again.
160. Simon Says – Lori Foster (Romance): The sequel to Causing Havoc; excellent as well. I’ll keep reading.
161. The Manning Grooms – Debbie Macomber (Romance): Two nice stories to round out all the siblings’ romances. Well done.
162. PS, I Love You – Cecelia Ahern (Romance? Women’s Lit?): Wow. I was crying 25 pages in. Excellent story, well-handled, well worth the time. Have a box of tissues ready. :)
163. The Corset Diaries – Katie MacAlister (Romance): Just as funny and sweet as the others I’ve read from her–great premise, well done.
164. Power Play – Deirdre Martin (Romance): Mmm hockey hero. Well-done, enjoyable read.
165. Not Another New Year’s – Christie Ridgway: Great, as usual. I really like Tanner.
166. Do Not Disturb – Christie Ridgway: Excellent, as I’ve come to expect from Ridgway.
167. Men in Kilts – Katie MacAlister: Very nice, but I do think it would have been nice if I got the hero’s POV in this one. I want to know what’s going on in there, more than usual.

Non-Fiction

57. Gobi: Tracking the Desert – John Man (Non-fiction): Not at all what I expected. . . .

66. “A Better Country”: The Worlds of Religious Fantasy and Science Fiction – Martha Sammons (Non-fiction): Not what I expected, but not without worth.

132. Other Worlds: The Fantasy Genre – John H. Timmerman (Non-fiction): Great foundation of thought about the genre.

133. Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories – C. S. Lewis (Non-fiction): Lewis always has interesting ideas, whether or not I agree with all of them.

135. The Literature of Hope in the Middle Ages and Today: Connections in Medieval Romance, Modern Fantasy, and Science Fiction – Flo Keyes (Non-fiction): Excellent. I might need to buy a copy.