2015 book awards: best debuts

2015 saw some truly wonderful debuts from authors that will remain firmly on my radar in the coming years. What's interesting is when I was compiling this list, I realised that all three of my top choices were from the same publisher, UK Carina! They are a fab publisher with some fantastic authors, including these three who joined the Carina party in 2015. 

Return to Bluebell Hill by Rebecca Pugh

Rebecca was one of the first bloggers I spoke to when I started Little Northern Soul and I class her as one of my good blogging friends. When I found out she was releasing her first novel in early 2015 I was so excited for her and couldn't wait to read it. Return to Bluebell Hill is a brilliant story - her writing is magical, she has such a great way of describing locations and characters that really brings them to life. Rebecca's second novel is out early this year and I can't wait - I just know I'm going to love it. Read my full review here

Just The Way You Are by Lynsey James 

I really enjoyed the format of this story, I thought the plot was original and entertaining. It follows Ava, an unlucky-in-love office worker who suspects the reason she's never had a successful relationship is because she's actually in love with someone she's never met. Her secret admirer (aka Mr Writer) used to write her letters and she realised she'd actually fallen for him. I loved watching the mystery unfold and was dying to know who Mr Writer was. A great story and a cracking debut. Read my full review here

The Lost Child by Ann Troup 

The Lost Child is a gripping, intriguing novel that I absolutely raced through when I got my hands on it. It is so well written it's hard to believe this was Ann Troup's debut and I'm eagerly awaiting her second novel, which will be released soon. The Lost Child is a fast-paced mystery novel packed with suspense and twists and turns. Read my Q&A with Ann Troup here 

2015 book awards: favourite fictional characters

A good book is often most memorable if it has stand-out characters that you remember for a long time after finishing the book. For me, this was one of the simplest book awards to decide, as these three characters mean a lot to me. I enjoyed reading their stories, fell for them as soon as I started reading the books they were in and still think about them now - some time after finishing the books. Also, they're all strong, female leads - girl power! 

Jessica Beam 

The Vintage Guide to Love and Romance by Kirsty Greenwood 

This book is AMAZING. A-bloody-MAZING. One of the funniest and most special books of 2015- this story is absolutely brilliant. Kirsty Greenwood is an utter genius at bringing the characters of her stories to life. Jessica Beam isn't your typical female lead. She's feisty, unmotivated, clumsy and, at times, a little grose. Still, she's brilliant - funny, caring and just a little lost. I loved her from the offset and loved following her on her journey - I was rooting for things to work out for her. She is one of the funniest main characters in a long time (if not ever?!) and I still think about how brilliant she was now, nearly a year after reading. I can't wait for her next adventure. Read my full review here

Anna Browne

A Parcel for Anna Browne by Miranda Dickinson 

A Parcel For Anna Browne is a magical story, one of my firm favourites by Miranda Dickinson. The story follows Anna, who leads a happy, yet unadventurous life. One day, she starts receiving parcels from a mystery sender. The parcels contain the most beautiful gifts which help Anna find out more about herself and grow in confidence. This is a wonderful story, but for me it was made by how lovely and sweet Anna is. She's the kind of person you can imagine easily being friends with and I really, really enjoyed watching her grow and develop throughout the book. Read my full review here 

Maddie

Always the Bridesmaid by Lindsey Kelk

Lindsey Kelk's writing is always absorbing and witty, and Always The Bridesmaid is no exception. This book had me laughing out loud and was a perfect, relaxing easy-read. I loved Maddie, there was just something about her that struck me. She seemed so real and relatable, the situations she found herself in and the way she reacted was so true to life that I felt like I knew her. Lindsey Kelk always writes characters that jump off a page and make you feel like you know them, and Maddie is certainly one of them. Read my full review here

2015 book awards: best series or serial

I love a great series... there's something comforting about returning back to a favourite set of characters and locations. It feels familiar and homely, especially when the book is based around characters you've really warmed to. A recent trend is 'serialising' stories, which is where one book is split into parts and released as numerous short stories, before being collated into one full story. You can see from my favourites that I'm a big fan of this idea, especially as it has produced some absolutely brilliant stories, but I will admit that I usually wait until the full novel is released as I struggle to wait so long between each novella! So, here you have my top 3 series of 2015... 

Ivy Lane by Cathy Bramley 

I firmly believe Cathy Bramley is the queen of serials - her Ivy Lane, Appleby Farm and Wickham Hall novellas have been hugely popular and as soon as you start reading you can see why. She has a fantastic way of drawing you into a story - you really warm to the characters, root for them to succeed and become absorbed in what's happening to them. I haven't read Wickham Hall yet (I'm waiting until the full novel is out in January) but I LOVED Ivy Lane and Appleby Farm. I've chosen Ivy Lane to go in this shortlist as it was the first story I'd read by Cathy Bramley and is the one that propelled her onto my list of favourite authors. The story is beautifully written, set on an allotment which is an usual and brilliant location and is just a genuinely lovely, heart-warming read. Read my full review here 

DCI Kim Stone Series - Angela Marsons

If you read my crime book award, you'll see I put Silent Scream as one of my favourite crime stories of the year. However, Angela Marsons is making a reappearence in this shortlist, as the books she's released this year are SO hard to pick between. Silent Scream, Evil Games and Lost Girls have all been released in 2015 and follow DCI Kim Stone as she solves various crimes or murders. All of the stories have been gripping, fast-paced and brilliantly written, which is why it is one of my favourite series of the year. I can't wait for more! Read my full reviews of Silent Scream, Evil Games and Lost Girls 

The Primrose Terrace series (full book: A Christmas Tail) by Cressida McLaughlin 

A christmas Tail was originally released as a 4-part E-book series, but I read the story as a whole over Christmas and I completely adored it. Despite it being focussed around dogs (and I'm not really a dog person - sorry!) it wasn't too much... the dogs provided some hilarious situations and also showed off the passions of the main character (ironically named Cat). The setting of a quiet residential street, Primrose Place, was cosy and wonderful and the story is filled with great characters. I really, really enjoyed this series (although I read it as the full novel - A Christmas Tail) and I am already excited for Cressida's next release. 

2015 book awards: the most shocking twists

There have been a few books I've read this year that have completely taken me by surprise by a shocking twist - whether at the end or part-way through a story. For me, a twist that shocks you and has you telling anyone and everyone you know about it (or, if you don't want to spoil the actual twist, just constantly talking about how twisty and shocking the book was!) is a sign of a great story. These three books below are ones that had me gasping in surprise and I still think about now as they were so good.

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

This is an absolutely sensational debut from Clare Mackintosh and has done so, so well. It's thoroughly deserved - this is a fast-paced, well written story that had me completely hooked. I still remember reading the end of the story and not quite believing it - I had to re-read it a few times to fully absorb what had just happened. Then, I bored my partner to death by talking to him over and over again by how shocking and unexpected the twist was (I think he was interested the first time, maybe not so much by the 55457th time!) If you haven't read this yet, then what are you waiting for?! Read my full review here 

The Day We Disappeared by Lucy Robinson

Lucy Robinson is a master of emotion, writing stories that will have you holding back tears and laughing out loud all in one go. The Day We Disappeared is no exception and I was absorbed by the great plot and wonderful characters. The biggest thing about this is the amazing twist that I really didn't see coming at all. I was so shocked and surprised (in a good way) and the twist took this from being a great book to a truly excellent, tell-everyone-you-know-and-have-ever-met book. Read my full review here 

Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell 

I love Jill Mansell. She is one of my favourite authors and whatever she writes, I'll buy as I just KNOW I'll love it. I read Three Amazing Things About You this year and was completely blown away by it. It has the usual charm, intriguing characters and lovely locations that you come to expect from a Jill Mansell novel, but with another, more serious layer. One of the main characters in the story is Hallie, a girl waiting for a transplant. The story starts with her receiving a call to say she can have a transplant, so as a reader you realise that someone must have died to enable her to receive the set of lungs she so desperately needs. The rest of the story builds up to that moment and, I don't want to say anymore in case of spoiling it, but I was really shocked with how the story turned out. It was a clever conclusion which quickly propelled this into being one of my favourite-ever stories by Jill. Read my full review here

2015 book awards: best romance

I love a good romance storyline - whether it be centred around an already happy couple, or a long build-up into a budding romance. Either way, I enjoy stories that feature great couples and sweet, romantic storylines. The selection below have just that! 

Conditional Love by Cathy Bramley 

Cathy is brilliant at creating fantastic characters and even more fantastic couples. In Conditional Love, Sophie meets Nick when she asks him to do some architecture work on the house she has inherited. He's not your typical hunky male lead, but she likes his quirkiness (as did I!). As the story develops, so too does their relationship and there are many hints towards romance for the two of them. I was eager for them to get on with it and get together as they'd make a great couple - I loved watching their stories unfold separately and together. Read my full review here

The Love Shack by Jane Costello 

I absolutely loved this story, it had me smiling from ear to ear. Dan and Gemma are already a great, solid couple when we meet them and, as readers, we follow them as they start the process of trying to buy their first house together. As a couple they are brilliant, they play to each others strengths and I thought they were really cute. Their relationship is so realistic and true to life it made the story shine and I enjoyed seeing them go through the usual trials and tribulations of love, while supporting each other. (P.S. I really developed a soft spot for Dan - he was an absolutely wonderful main character.) Read my full review here 

Dear Darling by Ellen Faith 

I loved Dear Darling, the format of it being written as a diary was a unique twist that pulled me in. At the start of the story Sophie ends her relationship with her current idiot boyfriend, deciding to move onto better things. Cue us meeting Adam - sexy, caring and all-round drool-worthy, Adam is also Sophie's boss, so a crush is highly inappropriate but she just can't help it... and who could blame her, really?! I loved seeing them get to know each other and their relationship unfold. They are both great characters who you really root for. Read my full review here