What were your favorite reads of the first half of 2012?

[Stephan]

The topic title says it all! July 1st marked the halfway point of the year. That means it’s time to look at some of our favorite reads of the first six months of 2012!

What were your favorite reads?

[Rebecca]

So far this year, I've read a number of books I enjoyed! My favorite speculative reads of this year so far are:
Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Greatshadow by James Maxey

And my speculative rereads:
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
The Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn

I admit, I haven't read all that much speculative fiction yet this year!

[merssong]

I finally got around to the first two Hunger Games titles, still waiting on Mockingjay, sadly. Greatshadow was excellent as well.

[myyrdneopia]

BLACKOUT by Mira Grant, FATED by Benedict Jacka, DISCOUNT ARMAGEDDON by Seanan McGuire, THE DESERT SPEAR by Peat Brett, and THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON by Saladin Ahmed.

[fallensaver]

Dresden Files 1-4, Magician: Master(Raymond Feist), The Blade Itself, Heroes(Abercrombie), Furies of Calderon(Jim Butcher), and The Gunslinger(King).

[Stephan]

Hmm... let's see. Definitely Control Point by Myke Cole and The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin. Does King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence count? It's not out yet, but I did read it in the first half, and it was the best read of the year so far. Also Sharps by K.J. Parker.

Worst read? That's a tie between Greatshadow and Blue Remembered Earth, I think. Which says something about the quality of what I read, because neither book was less than average.

[Mark Lawrence]

I've not read a great number of books this year & I lose track of whether I read them in 2011 or 2012, but I'd say Control Point by Myke Cole was the most fun - some wobbles on the MC's motivation but high energy imaginative and very readable.

The Whitefire Crossing would be a close second. Apocalypse Cow pretty funny. Half-Sick of Shadows brilliant prose, story falls apart toward the end, well worth a look for lovers of literary fiction.

At the moment I'm reading The Sultan's Wife (historical fiction) which is very good indeed so far.

[myyrdneopia]

One more I forgot: DINOCALYPSE NOW by Chuck Wendig.

[MsFehrwight]

Ugh, I haven't read any really new books... Favourite of the first half of the year must have been Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Nothing has really clicked the way I have been expecting to.

The worst? Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. One good idea, and it is totally devoured by the awfulness of everything else.

[ocd_faerie]

Little bit late to this one, maybe, but my favourite books of the year so far include CONTROL POINT by Myke Cole, DISCOUNT ARMAGEDDON by Seanan McGuire, BLACKOUT by Mira Grant and THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON by Saladin Ahmed (this one got better on a reread .. ).