Best of 2014 and Year-End Summary

I realize everyone else posted their Best Books of 2014 Lists weeks ago, but hey, I always seem to be behind. Things this January have been especially hectic and difficult at our house, but I still wanted to share my favorite books read in 2014.


I've got 2 lists in this post, Top 10 Adult Books Read in 2014 and Top 10 Kid/Teen/YA Books Read in 2014. Note that these are both lists of my favorite books that I READ in 2014 - only a few of them were actually released in 2014 (again, always behind...).  If you want to look back, check out my Best of 2013 post from last year.

All together, I read 78 books last year (that's 1 less than in 2013). Here's the break-down:

• 27 were adult fiction
• 34 were teen/YA fiction 
• 11 were middle-grade fiction
• 6 were nonfiction
• 8 were graphic novels

Of the 78 books, I listened to a whopping 25 of them on audio.


Drumroll please....my Top 10 Kid/Teen/YA Books Read in 2014 (in the order I read them) were:

• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (teen/YA)
• Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick (middle-grade)
• Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys (teen/YA)
• This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki (middle-grade/teen graphic novel)
• We were Liars by E. Lockhart (teen/YA)
• UnSouled by Neal Schusterman (teen/YA)
• Endangered by Eliot Schrefer (teen/YA)
• Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick (teen/YA)
• The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata (middle-grade)
• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (teen/YA memoir in verse)

And, my Top 10 Adult Books Read in 2014 (in the order I read them) are:

• Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
• The Unfinished Life of Elizabeth D. by Nicole Bernier
• The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed
• Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
• Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots by Jessica Soffer
• Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
• Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
• Us by David Nicholls

As I mentioned, I listened to 25 books on audio this year - a record for me! - but it was easy to choose my two favorite audio books of the year: Us by David Nicholls for adults and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson for all ages. Both were amazing books in their own right, but their audio versions were extra-special and highly recommended.

Matthew Quick appears on both of my top 10 lists this year - perhaps a first! - and these two powerful, funny novels made me want to read everything he has written...ever.

And for the second year in a row, one of my top 10 books of the year was also the Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction (The Goldfinch this year), so I guess the Pulitzer committee knows what they are doing.

What were your favorite books read in 2014? Do you agree with my choices? I'd love to hear which books were the highlights of your reading year!

I'm looking forward to more great books like these in 2015.