Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

It's that time of year folks!

Here is the thread to post about your favorite reads and the ones you detested in 2014.

The book does not have to be published in 2014, only read by you in 2014.

If you could provide a link and a few words on each book that would be great.

My Best reads of 2014 were fiction. That is odd for me.


1- Where'd You Go, Bernadette byMaria Semple
I really loved this book !

2- I found a new favorite author.
One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

My Least Favorite was a sequel
Exodus by Deborah Feldman

I also was very disappointed in
1776 byDavid McCullough
I know many loved it but I found it to be dry.

Funny, "Alias Reader", I have "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" on my "To Buy" List and I also read "Me Before You" and loved it. "One Plus One" is my next read too. :)

My three favorites for this year are - the only ones I rated 5/5 stars:
Slaughterhouse-Five
Of Mice and Men
The Master and Margarita

The first is an author I really enjoy (Kurt Vonnegut), but I had never read this book, even though it's his most famous.

The second was a re-read for me by one of my favorite authors (John Steinbeck) - loved it as a teenager; love it as an adult.

The third was a new author for me (Mikhail Bulgakov) - it's a very different book and is a bit "out there" so might not appeal to everyone, but I found it fun and sobering at the same time.


My two least favorite were rated 3/5 stars, so they weren't bad by any means - just OK reads for me:
Pride and Prejudice
The Alchemist

Both books are loved my many people, who I'm sure would be appalled to see them on a least favorite list! Both were entertaining and told interesting stories; both authors (Jane Austen and Paul Coelho) are very good writers. A 3/5 rating for me means that they were "average" reads that met but didn't exceed expectations; it is very unlikely that I will ever re-read these books, but I'm glad I read them this year.


It was a good year for me - in addition to the above, I had 11 books rated 4.5/5, 14 books rated 4/5, and 8 books rated 3.5/5 stars. No books were below 3/5, so I didn't really dislike anything I read this year.

I have comments on all my reads in my Determination List and/or in the "what I read this month" threads, so did not want to repeat them here.

My favorites for 2014:
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
Americanah
The Good Earth
Crossing to Safety
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Station Eleven
An Untamed State
A Suitable Boy

Worst reads:
The Woods
The Keep
One Last Dance
Don't Go
Sophie's Choice


In 2014, I read 117 books:
1 was rated 5 stars
32 were rated 4 stars
55 were rated 3 stars
24 were rated 2 stars
2 were rated 1 star
3 were not rated

As you can tell, I'm tough with my ratings!

Deb wrote: "Funny, "Alias Reader", I have "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" on my "To Buy" List and I also read "Me Before You" and loved it. "One Plus One" is my next read too. :)"

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did ! I look forward to reading your reviews.

Susan from MD wrote: "My three favorites for this year are - the only ones I rated 5/5 stars:
Slaughterhouse-Five
Of Mice and Men
The Master and Margarita

The first is an author I ..."
---------

I just was going through the box of books my sister is giving to the used book store and saw Of Mice and Men and took it out to read it in 2015. :)

117 books! I feel like such a slacker with my 38.15 ;)

I read some chunksters this year, though, so that should count for something. My version of War and Peace comes as three volumes, for example - I'm about 15% finished.

I bought The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics - it was a Kindle daily deal.

Congrats on an excellent year Amy and Alias - I have enjoyed reading your comments throughout the year. Hopefully, next year will be as good or better.

Amy wrote: In 2014, I read 117 books: .."
----

Congratulations on an excellent reading year, Amy ! I don't have my reading journal with me, but I think the best year I had was a few books shy of 100. This year I totally fell off and only had 40. When I am home and have my journal I will be able to give my totals and how many fiction/nonfiction I've read.

An Untamed State sounds interesting. I have to check it out further on Amazon. Thanks !

This was an unusual year for me--I don't usually break 100 books in a year. But I was out on medical leave for 6 weeks after surgery and had lots of time to read. I don't think I will approach this total again, especially as I recently started a new job that is much more demanding than my previous one.

Susan, I give you a ton of credit for tackling the books that you did! I didn't come anywhere close to the hefty tomes you got through, but I did read a few this year that would qualify as chunksters: A Suitable Boy, Great Expectations and "Sophie's Choice." I just went back and added "A Suitable Boy" to my list because I forgot to include it under my favorite reads --I really enjoyed it.

Alias, I went back and totaled my stats for you: I read 31 nonfiction and 86 fiction. And 19 books were e-books and the rest were paper. (I always like to keep track of how often I actually pick up the e-reader, to see if it's worth my time to keep it. ;)

I hear you about the job, Amy. I started a new job in January of this year and it made it hard to find time to read. I read more books last year than I did this year.

Sophie's Choice is on my list for 2015, so we'll see how that goes! A Suitable Boy is on my list for sometime in the future, but not sure when I'll get to it. I really enjoyed reading your comments about that book - long books are an investment of time and energy, so it's great to hear what people like/dislike before jumping into them.

Susan from MD wrote: "I hear you about the job, Amy. I started a new job in January of this year and it made it hard to find time to read. I read more books last year than I did this year.

Sophie's Choice is on my list for 2015, so we'll see how that goes!..."

One good thing about the new job is that I am now commuting on the train. An hour each way. So that's built-in time to read. I'm just usually too tired to read any more when I get home, though. I used to read for a while before bed -- now I'm falling asleep the minute my head hits the pillow!

You will probably like "Sophie's Choice." I'm not sure exactly what my problem was with it -- I spent my time alternating between appreciating the brilliance of it and wanting to pitch it out the window of a moving vehicle. By the end, however, I was of the opinion that the book was too long and drawn-out and wordy and pretentious and by the time I found out what Sophie's choice was I almost didn't even care anymore. But it could have just been my mood at the time. Don't mind my curmudgeonly ways. ;)

Also, I am keeping a close eye on your progress through "War and Peace" as I contemplate tackling that one myself in 2015. Keep us updated as to how you are liking it!

Amy wrote: "You will probably like "Sophie's Choice"..."
I read it years ago and found it very moving. I'm at a different place now, and I wasn't willing to invest the emotional capital in "A Constellation ...". I'm wondering now if I should try again, perhaps on audio at the gym instead of bedtime reading. Part of the problem with armchair reading my way around the world with native authors is the number of war stories can be oppressive.

Amy wrote: Alias, I went back and totaled my stats for you: I read 31 nonfiction and 86 fiction. And 19 books were e-books and the rest were paper. (I always like to keep track of how often I actually pick up the e-reader, to see if it's worth my time to keep it. ;) "

-----------

Thanks, Amy ! At the end of the year I look over my Books Read Journal and get my totals for the year. I find it fun and informative.

I never thought to keep track of ebooks/audiobooks/paperbooks. I will do so from now on. Thanks for the idea !

It's a pleasure reading everyone's best & worst lists. This will be my final post for awhile, as we are "hitting the road" tomorrow morning. Gotta pack up this machine by noon today. Not last minute at all, is it?

BEST:
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. I heard about this book on this board, as two members discussed it. Glad i did, as i found it a wonder. It helped that Libyrinths read it not long after i did, so we could discuss it. The discussion enhanced my appreciation. A teenager in Japan wrote a diary & a woman in Canada (ostensibly the author, Ruth), found it in the water not far from her home. Covered are physics, spirituality and much inbetween.

Last Winter We Parted by Fuminori Nakamura. I read this in December. It is a mystery, of sorts, set in Japan. Thought provoking story about betrayal, murder and revenge. It threw me for a loop.

Passing by Nella Larsen. This novel from the 1920s is about two marriages of African American women, one who married within her race, the other who basically married a racist. Well written.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce was a sweet novel set in contemporary UK. I like walking books & Harold embarked without a plan. Love that, too, which leads to my NF list.

NONFICTION:
Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery. At age 67 Emma Gatewood became the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Remarkably human woman, taking an extraordinary walk. Rather well presented, not at all too dramatic, even though this story could have been told that way. It wouldn't fit Emma that way, though.

Jefferson Davis, American by William J. Cooper Jr.. Well written unfolding of the life of the President of the Confederacy. I came to better understand the man, which is saying something, as i was deriding him for his tombstone as i began reading the book. :-)

The Book Of Nothing by John D. Barrow. This short book begins with the concept of zero, leads us through that history right on into the physics of nothing, including vacuums and black holes. It's another i read with Libyrinths, thank goodness. She kept me reading when i was a bit lost. I learned So Much from his book. Well written & illustrated.

John Tyler: The Accidental President by Edward P. Crapol. Given that i liked him so much in the beginning of this book and mostly liked what i learned, i ended up less enchanted with him by the end. It certainly helps one see how the issue of slavery perverted human beings.

Finally, a fun book, inspired by our visit to the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque. Petroglyphs: Ancient Language, Sacred Art written & illustrated by Sabra Moore. She researched the petroglyphs she found across the US, drawing the images she discussed. It helped me see them in context and as art, rather than strictly history. Good book.

2014 wasn't a great reading year for me, as far as numbers go. However, the YA i read was varied and good. As noted elsewhere, i fell in love with YA novels from early in the 20th century, if not the late 19th. The Automobile Girls series, The Automobile Girls at Newport, as an example, by Laura Dent Crane captured my imagination as we traveled on the highways of the US. They also illustrated traits to be admired at the time, which is one fun part of YAs.

For contemporary books, i read a series by Susan Beth Pfeffer, known as the "Last Survivors" series. It follows several teenagers in a world where the moon has shifted. I felt they offered neat ways to witness events, as well as how character can be made or broken.

Finally, a novelization of a real life. Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz tells the story of Yanek Gruener, a Polish Jew who turned 13 not long after the Germans invaded Poland. He survived 10 concentration camps & several Death Marches. Inspiring. It's the story i wish i could have given my children when they read about the Holocaust in middle school.

deb

My favorite of 2014 was by far was The Humans by Matt Haig. Least favorite was Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned", which I didn't even finish.

Not a bad year considering (cross country move, a couple "chunksters", etc) 29 books, not counting kids books. 7 nonfiction, 22 fiction.

Amy - 117 is an incredible number! The only way I could even dream of approaching it would be to count my toddler's books. :)

Emma, the fact that you get any reading in at all with a toddler is a feat to trumpet! My kids are away at college now, so I have a lot more free time these days. :)

madrano wrote: "It's a pleasure reading everyone's best & worst lists. This will be my final post for awhile, as we are "hitting the road" tomorrow morning. Gotta pack up this machine by noon today. Not last minut..."

Thanks for sharing, deb ! Happy travels. We will miss you.

Emma wrote: "Not a bad year considering (cross country move, a couple "chunksters", etc) 29 books, not counting kids books. 7 nonfiction, 22 fiction.
..."

I think you had a terrific year !

Alias Reader wrote: "I think you had a terrific year !"

Thanks Alias! :)

Amy wrote: "Emma, the fact that you get any reading in at all with a toddler is a feat to trumpet! My kids are away at college now, so I have a lot more free time these days. :)"

Our best move was removing the TV from the bedroom so there's lots of time after the little one goes down. Of course this means less TV, but I don't actually miss it so far. :)

madrano wrote: "It's a pleasure reading everyone's best & worst lists. This will be my final post for awhile, as we are "hitting the road" tomorrow morning. Gotta pack up this machine by noon today. Not last minut..."

You always have such an interesting assortment of books. Happy travels!

Alias Reader wrote: "Emma wrote: "Not a bad year considering (cross country move, a couple "chunksters", etc) 29 books, not counting kids books. 7 nonfiction, 22 fiction.
..."

I think you had a terrific year !"

I agree!

I try not to pay too much attention to numbers, since books vary so much in length, difficulty, etc. In the past few years, my lists just identify books of interest. I only track numbers to see how long it will take to get through my TBR pile - I think I'll have to live to be about 120 at this point.

I had a pretty good year - four of my reads were rated Five Stars (not including re-reads which I already knew were brilliant!). Interestingly, three out of the four were non-fiction and the other a graphic novel, which goes to show my DL aim to read more broadly was a good idea.

So here they are, my Best and Worst of the Year 2014:

Best Book of the Year Award - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.
This completely blew me away. It was chilling, gut-wrenching, dark, expertly written, psychologically fascinating, compulsive reading and as excellent a story as any novel I've ever read. I knew all along it was supposed to be a classic but books like this is the reason the phrase 'modern classic' exists.

The Most Pleasant Surprise Award (or The Book that Somehow Made Me Want to Join a Sports Team Award)
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach - I fell in love with this book and I didn't want to leave when I finished it. Like most things and the characters, it wasn't perfect, but I laughed, cried and felt like their troubles and successes were my own. I am British and know nothing about baseball but the description of the games and the cold and the 'waiting for something to happen' made me very fond of the sport and the team therein. This book made me realise I love sports books, and the characters were so wonderful I still kinda miss them now.

The 'I May Never Get Over Finishing This Book' Award
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore - This graphic novel grabbed me by the scruff and did not let go. I adored the mysterious V and was riveted by V's fight against the totalitarian establishment. The backstory was brilliant, as was the way everything fitted into itself and the art was dark and enchanting. Despite the horror, injustice and violence there was something beautiful about V's world and existence and I could have stayed watching him fight that fight forever. It was perfect.

Now for the BAD!

Disappointment of the Year (Unfinished)
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart - I was so looking forward to reading this Arthurian Trilogy based on the life of Merlin because I adore Arthuriana and it is hailed as a classic. However hard I tried I could not get past the dry, dull, boring nature of this book. It was neither magical or realistically interesting and Merlin was a solid gold bore with zero spark. Such a shame.

Disappointment of the Year (Finished). We have a TIE between:
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
and
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
I love both of these authors and they both failed me this year. I never imagined Doctor Sleep would even come close my all time favourite The Shining, but I was surprised how cliched and not-at-all-scary it was. I thought the villains were stupid and never at any time felt there was any danger or stakes.
The Sedaris was particularly annoying as I read Me Talk Pretty.. earlier in the year and gave it five stars. LEDWO was grumpy and bad natured in parts and most unforgivably, not funny. I didn't laugh once.

The BORING Award - both short story collections I read:
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury and Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver -
Rockets rockets rockets some more rockets, oh look MORE ROCKETS, I need one more story, HOW ABOUT one about ROCKETS - Ennui, bored housewives, middle class problems, 1960s sex lives of boring people, oh my gosh what are my neighbours up to, oh I'm so bored and my life's not that hard let's go spy on my neighbours and write a boring short story about it THE END. So boring!

Soph wrote:which goes to show my DL aim to read more broadly was a good idea..."
--------------
I, too, try to expand my reading horizons. I used to read only legal thrillers.

I am thrilled that one of our Group Reads was on you best list. :)

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach - I know people raved over this book. I love sports, too. But for some reason I think I wouldn't enjoy this read. Clearly I need to rethink this and at least give it a try. Thanks for the push.

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris- I couldn't agree more. I was so disappointed in this book. Not funny and it even made me uncomfortable in parts. It was not like his other books at all.

Great year end review post, Soph !

Great reviews, Soph! Loved your categories. I'm with you on "The Art of Fielding"--read it in 2013 and it was one of my favorites. In fact, I gave it to my father for Christmas this year. (Alias---it's only tangentially about sports. You might like it.)

Also--bravo to all for expanding your reading horizons. 2014 was about doing that for me as well--mostly because I participated in a "reading Bingo challenge" which included a whole lot of genres I wouldn't normally read. I can't say I enjoyed them all, but I'm very glad that I experienced them. And I found some gems that I had never read before (like "The Good Earth" --I loved that book). That's what reading is all about--the journey it takes us on and what we learn from it along the way!

Here's to 2015 and new journeys for all of us! :)

Well put, Amy !

My best 2014 reads . . .

Forever-Pete Hamill - novel based on immigrants in America over three centuries; it's a mix of historical fiction, urban fantasy, dystopia, thriller and romance. Couldn't put it down. I read through the night.

The Invisible Woman-Claire Tomalin -- The sad decline of Dickens (loved by most) yet abandoned his wife; and forced his daughters to abandon their mother and to take his side if they wanted him to support them. Dickens, 45, met Nelly, 18, in the theater. Dickens was able to successfully hide his sexual affair from the public. After his death, she lived on his income.

The Firebird-Susanna Kearsley -- Nicola, who works in the art world, and meets a woman (in need of money) to pawn a firebird carved in wood. The woman says that one of her ancestors was given the carving by the Empress Catherine of Russia, Peter the Great’s wife. Unable to prove the claim (by normal means), the woman is turned away. But Nicola uses her powers to see it’s history, only by her touching/holding the Firebird, Nicola discovers that the woman is correct. And the journey begins . . .

Pearl Buck in China: Journey to the Good Earth-Hilary Spurling -- Her parents were missionaries, she went to China when she was three months old. Her dad traveled to convert the Chinese; her mother ministered to Chinese women in a small dispensary she established. In 1900, during the Boxer Uprising, they evacuated to Shanghai, where they spent several anxious months waiting for word of Absalom's fate. There is so much that this review nearly touches the surface. I highly recommend her biography.

The Fault in Our Stars-John Green -- Hazel is diagnosed with terminal, thyroid cancer. Personally, it hits me deeply since I am a thyroid cancer survivor. Great read, couldn't put it down - sad ending.

Orphan Train-Christina Baker Kline -- A true story of more than 200,00 homeless, orphaned or abandoned children were sent to the Midwest: for adoption but often more became indentured servitude, to people who wanted a worker rather than a child. An excellent read, I recommend it highly.

Me Before You-Jojo Moyes -- When Louisa Clark lost her job, she was hired for a six month assignment as a caregiver for Will Trayner. The active young man had been hit by a car, and was left a quadriplegic. Louisa was hired to help ward off the depression that was settling in Will's life. He also expanded her world by showing her that there was a big world outside her small hometown in the English countryside. Definitely a tear jerker ending.

A Tale for the Time Being-Ruth Ozeki - Magical storytelling in multi-layers; memory, dreams, and the effects of violence in depressed characters (taking their lives), Time and the Universe and the reader's place in it.

Carol wrote: Pearl Buck in China: Journey to the Good Earth-Hilary Spurling -- ..."

I do want to read a bio of Buck this year.

---------------
Carol: Orphan Train-Christina Baker Kline -- A true story of more than 200,00 homeless,
-----------------
Am I correct that this is a fictional account based on a true event? Either way, I do plan on reading it. Glad to hear you like it.

As always, I enjoyed your reviews.

I have to say I did like Where'd You Go, Bernadette; it was also a great read.

Enjoy Pearl Buck in China: Journey to the Good Earth!! Thanks Alias!

My best reads of 2014 were nonfiction...

- Roz Chast's story of dealing with her aging parents, told in a graphic novel format. Funny, sad and very true to life.

Jeff Hobbs was a Yale roommate of Robert Peace and tells a story that just broke my heart. I think this should be required reading.

- I laughed so hard reading this that I had to put it down a few times to catch my breath. By Allie Brosh

For fiction, my favorites were

by Gabrielle Zevin. I'm not sure if I loved this book so much because I am a bookseller too, but this was my favorite novel of 2014.

Kate Atkinson's book was a "love it or hate it" one. I absolutely loved it!

I frequently say that I don't like short stories, but when Jhumpa Lahiri writes them, I love them. Go figure.


My least favorite book for 2014 was a reread of by Nancy Mitford. When I first read this I was young and idealistic and smitten with the tragic story of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. This time around I found them childish, annoying, unpleasant and obnoxious. Either they changed since 1971 or I did.

I keep seeing the The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League and now your recommendation. On it goes on my TBR list !

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
I wrote this down in my TBR notebook and couldn't remember who recommended it. Now I know it was you, Connie. :) I'll have to put your name next to the title. I usually do that but forgot.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
I was at a neighbor's house for coffee yesterday with some friends and this book was mentioned as a must read.

Thanks for sharing with us, Connie !

Best Mystery: The Seven Perfumes of Sacrifice by Amy Logan--An American journalist investigates an honor killing in the Druze community in Israel, but there's a great deal more depth to this book. See my review at

Best Historical Fiction: Last Stop Klindenspiel by Marta Tandori--Did you know about the Nazi lebensborn program? Did you also know that the children of the lebensborn program were actively persecuted after WWII? Here's a novel about one of them who takes refuge in a circus. Also see my review at

Best Non-Fiction--Slavery and the Meetinghouse: The Quakers and the Abolitionist Dilemma, 1820-1865 by Ryan P. Jordan previously mentioned on BNC.

Shomeret, i really appreciated your review & shared thoughts about the concept of honor, reputation & killing. I'll be thinking about these ideas in the future, as i read about such murders. Thank you. And thanks for linking to your review.

It was a pleasure to read the further "favorite" lists shared, as well. Good reading year, i think, for many of us. Always nice.

My favorite book(s) for 2014 have to be Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series. I discovered them in the past 18 months, and have just finished reading #9 in the series, "How the Light Gets in". These books are a great read, especially for someone who loves mysteries done in series. More then most, these must be read in order, as the back story builds and progresses with each book. I'm sure I got the recommendation from this book group, and am grateful to whoever suggested them. Every book in the series has been a 5/5 for me.

Georgia, I agree (and also just finished reading How the Light Gets In a couple of weeks ago). This is a good series. Although I found the first book just so-so, the backstory and the characters get better with each book.
I'm holding off on reading #10 for awhile as it's the last that has been published.

I have read a couple of the Louise Penny mysteries, too. I stopped around book 4 because the town was too perfect. Maybe I was envious? I suspect I'll read more later, as my sister-in-law has read them all & continues to treasure them.

deb

Madrano wrote: "I have read a couple of the Louise Penny mysteries, too. I stopped around book 4 because the town was too perfect. Maybe I was envious? I suspect I'll read more later, as my sister-..."

Three Pines is a bit too perfect (except for the number of murdersthat occur there), but the characters are all too human. I urge you to keep going as Louise Penny does a wonderful job of expanding the characters and their emotions.

I agree with you, Susan, the books get better and the characters more interesting as they move forward. And as the back story continues and grows, it increases the mystery and "edge of your seat" quality of each story.
I recently watched the BBC version of the "Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery". It was fun to see the characters brought to life and for the most part I liked the actors they chose for each part. Oh, and I also liked hearing the names pronounced, since I don't speak French.

Good to know, Georgia. I haven't given up on reading the rest in the series & comments shared here are encouraging, Susan. My priorities have been weird lately, so who knows when i'll get back to them?