Familiar Diversions

[Warning: all the links in this post, except the images, lead to reviews on my Blogger blog rather than my reviews on Booklikes. I was too lazy to re-do all the links.]

I normally try to post these lists within in the first month of the new year, but this time around life got in the way and I was too stressed out over my cat's health to put the lists together in a timely manner. Better late than never, right?

Here's how this is going to work: I'm starting off with a "Best of 2017" post, followed by a "Worst of 2017" post. There is no minimum number of titles I plan to list - it's quite possible for there to be no "best" or "worst" titles in a particular category in a particular year. For my "best" lists, I generally include things that I've given 4 stars or higher, although it's possible that I might list something with a lower star rating if my feelings about it have improved since I read/watched it. Titles are listed in no particular order, and my "best" lists will probably be shorter than my "worst" because I'm stingier with the higher star ratings than I am with the lower. I'm opting to list rereads/rewatches separately from new-to-me things, where possible.

Best Books (E-books, Paper):

• The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada (mystery)
• Daughter of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones (f/f historical fantasy)
• The Course of Honour by Avoliot (m/m sci-fi romance)
• Redshirts by John Scalzi (science fiction)
• City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault (fantasy)

Rereads I'd Recommend:

• Sea of Wind by Fuyumi Ono (fantasy)
• Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts (contemporary m/f romance with fantasy elements)

Best Audiobooks:

• Redshirts by John Scalzi, narrated by Wil Wheaton (science fiction) - I read this for the first time and listened to it for the first time in the same year, so it makes both lists. However, I did not review the audiobook.
• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, narrated by Abigail Revasch and Tara Sands (Middle Grade superhero book, humor)
• Invader by C.J. Cherryh, narrated by Daniel Thomas May (science fiction) - This was my first time listening to the audiobook, although I'd read the book before.

Relistens I'd Recommend:

• The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, narrated by Kyle McCarley (fantasy)

Best Shorter Works (Novellas and Short Stories):

• "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (psychological horror)

Best Graphic Novels (Manga, etc.):

I'm aware that I'm being lazy here - instead of listing and linking to the particular volumes that got the series put on the list, I'm listing the series as a whole if I considered any of the series' volumes to be particularly good. [I put a bit more work into this Booklikes post, including an image for a good volume from each series.]

• Black Butler (manga, historical-ish fantasy/mystery)
• Orange (manga, drama with slight sci-fi elements)
• The Drops of God (manga, food & drink)
• Natsume's Book of Friends (manga, slice-of-life supernatural)
• Skip Beat! (manga, comedy and romance)
• Locke & Key (graphic novel, horror)
• Servant x Service (manga, comedy) [I'm pretty sure that I reviewed this on Booklikes, but all presence of this book on my shelves is gone. Yeah, this is why I don't rely on Booklikes to keep track of my reviews and reading. I'm not going to bother to add my review to Booklikes again.]
• Cells at Work (manga, comedic edutainment)

Rereads I'd Recommend:

• Azumanga Daioh (manga, comedy) [Another book and review that appears to be mysteriously missing from my shelves.]

Best Movies:

Sorry, I was terrible about reviewing movies in 2017, especially if I saw them at the movie theater.

• Hidden Figures (live action biographical drama)
• Wonder Woman (live action superhero)

Best TV Series:

• Big Windup! Season 2 (anime sports)
• Black Butler: Book of Circus (anime historical-ish fantasy/mystery)
• Stranger (live action mystery/political thriller)
• Cardcaptor Sakura, Vol. 1 (anime fantasy)

Rewatches I'd Recommend:

• Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 1 (anime romance) - At the very least I'd recommend watching the first couple boxed sets.
• Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 2 (anime romance)
• Big Windup! Season 1 (anime sports)