Favorite Books {2014}

I did a whole lot of reading in 2014. I challenged myself to read 50 books this year, but I have read 75! Now I have to come up with a goal for 2015.....

Writing this list of my favorites is so tough. I second guess myself and wonder if I should exclude one and include another, but I tried to go with my gut instinct. Skip ahead if you just want the list and read on if you want to know HOW I read this much while having two small kids, a part time job, and a generally busy life.

Here's how I fit reading into the madness of life:

• Audiobooks, Kindle, and the library - At any given moment, I have a book going on audio through Overdrive from my local library, and a book on my Kindle (usually checked out via Overdrive or purchased from a Kindle Daily Deal) or a hardcover or paperback book from the library. This way, I can listen to books while cleaning up the house or driving, then read another one when it's convenient (usually at night when the kids are in bed or lying next to me in my own bed!).

• I make it a priority - After reading The Happiness Project, I realized that books make me happy and help me to feel that I've accomplished something, while TV makes me feel zoned out and sorta lazy. These feelings are certainly not universal, and I know that, but this is what works for me.

• I keep track of what I am reading, have read, and want to read - Yeah for Goodreads! Having a system to track all this has really helped me to stay organized and to pick a great "next" book from my "to read" list. This way, the momentum never slows down (except when I get behind on magazines and my husband starts nagging me about the pile of them).

So here are my favorites in no particular order! These are not necessarily books published in 2014, it just happens that I read them in 2014:

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Series, Kathryn Lasky

This was an unexpected find. Had I not been trying out audio books on the amazing Overdrive app, I never would have found it!

Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks

A friend loaned this to me and I read it in two days (which is a feat when you have two small children!).

Wildwood Chronicles, Colin Meloy

This series only gets better with each book. I was sad to see it end.

The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt

This Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner is one of those book that I didn't totally love while reading, but it stuck with me for weeks and really got me thinking. In fact, I STILL sometimes think about it!

Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman

I haven't read much by Neil Gaiman, but this book inspired me to read more by him. It was just enchanting.

Signature of all Things, Elizabeth Gilbert

Holy cow, what an epic this was! It surprised me in so many ways and I am glad to see it has so many good reviews on Amazon. Gilbert is better known for her bestseller Eat, Pray, Love, which I have never read.

The Chaperone, Laura Moriarty

I thought this was written by the same Moriarty that wrote The Husband's Secret, Big Little Lies, and The Last Anniversary, but she is her sister! If you've read any of my monthly book posts, you know that I prefer this Moriarty over that one.

Quiet, Susan Cain

This book completely changed how I parent my introvert. It gave me a new understanding of how she views the world (and how differently that is from the way I view it as an extrovert). I seriously bugged everyone I know for months after reading this book, sharing some of the amazing insights I gleaned from it. The Kindle version is only $2.99 right now!

The Cuckoo's Calling, Robert Galbraith (but really J.K. Rowling)

A whodunnit is completely outside of my usual genre of books, but I loved it and can't wait to read the next one in the Cormoran Strike series, The Silkworm.

The Farseer Series, Robin Hobb

I stumbled across this one on Overdrive, too, but got completely sucked in. I plan on reading other books by Hobb (someday). They are all less than $6 each for the Kindle version today (for some reason, Amazon doesn't sell the paperback or hardcover versions?).

Honorable Mention

Honorable mention to and just missing the list are The Giver by Lois Lowry and the Thomas Cromwell Series, by Hilary Mantel. The Giver was just enthralling! What a well written and interesting book.  The only reason it didn't make the favorites list is completely related to me and not to the book - I feel like I have read a whole bunch of books like this lately.

As for the Thomas Cromwell series, Historical Fiction is a new genre for me, but one my Mom really loved, so it has sentimental value. This series about Thomas Cromwell has been outstanding. So well written and fascinating, even though you know what the ending will be!

Least Favorites

The only problem with reading books outside of my regular genre (years have passed where I only read Fantasy, Sci Fi, and Chick Lit) is that I ended up reading a few books that were not a good fit. Here are my least favorite books read this year, although I am glad I gave them a try:

Wild, Cheryl Strayed
I could not get past my annoyance with her terrible decision making skills.

The Astronaut Wives Club, Lily Koppel
Had so much potential, but read like a primer.

The Husband's Secret and What Alice Forgot, Liane Moriarty
I put them both together because I disliked them for the same reason - I can't stand when one of the characters is left in the dark about some very important thing when the other characters could so easily fix the problem.

The Vacationers, Emma Straub
Such a waste of great potential for a book.

The One & Only, Emily Giffin
Terrible plot. Just terrible.

Go read more lists of favorite books this year over at Modern Mrs. Darcy!

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