Top 14 Books I Read in 2014

14. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

            I just recently read (and saw the movie adaptation) of Gone Girl. It was amazing! The story is riveting and it has so many great plot twists. I do have to say that it is not something I would probably ever feel the need to reread though.

13. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

            This is the non-fiction memoir by Piper Kerman that the tv show (which I also love) by the same name is based on.  The memoir was much less sexual and much more “dry” – not as much exciting story line – than the tv show is, but I found that listening to the audiobook was still entertaining while I drove on long car rides.

12. The Giver by Lois Lowry

            This was a reread for me this year, because I hadn’t read it since I was in 7^th grade and knew that I loved it. I didn’t remember the main characters being as young as they are, but the story is such a classic, and I will definitely be continuing with the series.

11. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

            This was such an unexpected story for me! The main character is young, and so some of the language he used was odd, but ignoring that, I absolutely fell in love with the very real and painful living situation he lives in, and I love the fact that art plays such an important role.

10. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

            This book was overhyped, and so there is some stigma surrounding it, but I found that the plot twist and the big reveal of what happened with the group of main characters was so shocking, that I was just so emotional. And that is always a very good thing for me.

9. Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

            The world building in this first novel of the Heir Chronicles is glorious! I loved the protagonist, and his friends who play a big role in the story. There are some hilarious moments in the story as well as dramatic moments.

8. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

            This was a book that I started without having ever heard of it, I was just looking for a Jennifer Donnelly book. And I was most definitely not disappointed. 

7. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

            This was just a feel good book to the max.  The main character and most of the other important characters are very young – in 6^th grade – it doesn’t feel like only young children should be reading it.  It was for me.

6. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

            This was a beautiful story.  It was weird, and it crossed between the real and an unnatural world and it was fascinating for it.

5. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

            This plot was glorious! They went into such detail, talking about the evolution of the language used on the ship years after they’ve left earth, and about how nobody looks like different races and everything else.  I just couldn’t get enough.  I cannot wait to continue with the series.

4. Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

            The writing in this story was beautiful.  I’ve said it before in videos but it was like reading a dance.  That’s how it felt. There wasn’t much of a plot, it was more about the descriptions of the circus that only came at night and what magic went on there. It was amazing.

3. Winger by Andrew Smith

            This one was heartbreaking for me, but it was wonderful nonetheless, and it just hits hard.  The characters were very real to me and it was beautiful.

2. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

            This entire world was just – wow – I still can’t believe how real it seemed, and there were so many layers to the world, the characters, and everything else that’s involved with this story. It really makes you think about where our future is headed.

1. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

            THE SUPERHERO STORY.  I thought this was going to feel too young for my taste, but it was an adult superhero story at its finest.  The characters are well developed, twisted, and there were no good men in the game. There were no black and white good or bad guys.  Everyone was a little fucked up and it was simply a matter of who was more fucked up. Amazing.

BONUS: The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler

            This is a written play of short stories that Eve Ensler heard from real women and then performed as a one woman show all together in one play.  I think every woman, but really every human should read (or go see it live!) this book! It just tells a whole lot about women and how well we may or may not know our vaginas.