2014 in books
72 books read in 2014, and a ton of short stories
Favorites:
Etiquette and Espionage, by Gail Carriger. I HAVE to get my hands on the rest of this series, which is a YA prequel to her Soulless books (which made my best-of list last year!).
The Masqueraders, by Georgette Heyer. Cross-dressing regency fun!
A Turn of Light, by Julie Czerneda: an author I've been meaning to try for a long time. Gorgeously written, despite the fact that I didn't like the protagonist very much - but she was SUPPOSED to be sort of a spoiled brat, so very well done!
Code Name Verity: by Elizabeth Wein: For anyone who doubts that YA novels can blow your mind, read this historical fiction about espionage in WWII.
The Martian, by Andy Weir: I didn't think a novel about an astronaut stranded alone on Mars would be this funny! Well-researched, too.
The Shadowed Sun, by N.K. Jemisin: sequel to The Killing Moon, which I'd read and loved several years ago and just got around to continuing - had to re-read the first to refresh my memory because it was a pretty complex plot, but that was no hardship!
An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination, by Elizabeth McCracken: a memoir about moving on from loss that I just really needed to read at that particular point in time.
Pavilion of Women, by Pearl Buck: she's more well-known for The Good Earth, which I've not (yet) read, but I picked this up on a whim and just absolutely loved it. Incredible portrait of a matriarch in pre-Communist China.
The first six books of the Kate Daniels series (beginning with Magic Bites) by Ilona Andrews: just fun! I have to continue the series one of these days.
The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison: stunning fantasy debut, this is one to watch.
Hild, by Nicola Griffith: historical fiction about St. Hilda of Whitby which is just fantastic. I had never heard of this woman but was immediately swept up into seventh-century Britain.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne Valente: Valente has a way with language that just blows me away. The only other of her novels I've read is Palimpsest, which is the complete opposite of this one in terms of subject matter (that one is VERY adult, this is YA), but the lyrical writing is the same and it's gorgeous.
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, by Mary Roach: Roach is rapidly becoming one of my favorite popular science writers. This in-depth look at the nitty gritty of space exploration (including an entire chapter about defecation in space...for real) was fascinating.
The Worst (one that was awful, one that was just meh):
The Unremembered, by Peter Orullian: I read and loved three prequel short stories set in this universe, so I had high hopes for the novel. Let's just say Orullian should stick to short stories. Totally formulaic novel full of overused fantasy tropes. I gave up after 100 pages.
Shogun: by James Clavell: I'm glad I read this, as it's considered a classic by many, but had a hard time getting through parts of it. Sometimes I think historical fiction writers should take lessons from SF/fantasy writers about worldbuilding.
I think I'm getting better at not wasting my time on books that I'm not enjoying. Nothing else on my list stands out as particularly bad.
Full 2014 list, for the curious:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2672243-shel?authenticity_token=k5U3sigiUD%2BWbBnQ2H1Dz0h8QEEEis33Bn6xI04UxVQ3NqiAyUR%2BdzFcgDhVnyjyp%2BPhSulacsiQekZuVUlnLg%3D%3D&shelf=read-in-2014&sort=date_read&user_id=2672243
Favorites:
Etiquette and Espionage, by Gail Carriger. I HAVE to get my hands on the rest of this series, which is a YA prequel to her Soulless books (which made my best-of list last year!).
The Masqueraders, by Georgette Heyer. Cross-dressing regency fun!
A Turn of Light, by Julie Czerneda: an author I've been meaning to try for a long time. Gorgeously written, despite the fact that I didn't like the protagonist very much - but she was SUPPOSED to be sort of a spoiled brat, so very well done!
Code Name Verity: by Elizabeth Wein: For anyone who doubts that YA novels can blow your mind, read this historical fiction about espionage in WWII.
The Martian, by Andy Weir: I didn't think a novel about an astronaut stranded alone on Mars would be this funny! Well-researched, too.
The Shadowed Sun, by N.K. Jemisin: sequel to The Killing Moon, which I'd read and loved several years ago and just got around to continuing - had to re-read the first to refresh my memory because it was a pretty complex plot, but that was no hardship!
An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination, by Elizabeth McCracken: a memoir about moving on from loss that I just really needed to read at that particular point in time.
Pavilion of Women, by Pearl Buck: she's more well-known for The Good Earth, which I've not (yet) read, but I picked this up on a whim and just absolutely loved it. Incredible portrait of a matriarch in pre-Communist China.
The first six books of the Kate Daniels series (beginning with Magic Bites) by Ilona Andrews: just fun! I have to continue the series one of these days.
The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison: stunning fantasy debut, this is one to watch.
Hild, by Nicola Griffith: historical fiction about St. Hilda of Whitby which is just fantastic. I had never heard of this woman but was immediately swept up into seventh-century Britain.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne Valente: Valente has a way with language that just blows me away. The only other of her novels I've read is Palimpsest, which is the complete opposite of this one in terms of subject matter (that one is VERY adult, this is YA), but the lyrical writing is the same and it's gorgeous.
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, by Mary Roach: Roach is rapidly becoming one of my favorite popular science writers. This in-depth look at the nitty gritty of space exploration (including an entire chapter about defecation in space...for real) was fascinating.
The Worst (one that was awful, one that was just meh):
The Unremembered, by Peter Orullian: I read and loved three prequel short stories set in this universe, so I had high hopes for the novel. Let's just say Orullian should stick to short stories. Totally formulaic novel full of overused fantasy tropes. I gave up after 100 pages.
Shogun: by James Clavell: I'm glad I read this, as it's considered a classic by many, but had a hard time getting through parts of it. Sometimes I think historical fiction writers should take lessons from SF/fantasy writers about worldbuilding.
I think I'm getting better at not wasting my time on books that I'm not enjoying. Nothing else on my list stands out as particularly bad.
Full 2014 list, for the curious:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2672243-shel?authenticity_token=k5U3sigiUD%2BWbBnQ2H1Dz0h8QEEEis33Bn6xI04UxVQ3NqiAyUR%2BdzFcgDhVnyjyp%2BPhSulacsiQekZuVUlnLg%3D%3D&shelf=read-in-2014&sort=date_read&user_id=2672243