The Next Best Book Club discussion

Hey everyone! Happy New Year (to those who are in a part of the world where New Year's has already begun) and Happy Nearly New Year to those of you in my neck of the globe!

I thought it would be cool to get everyone listing out their favorite reads of 2014 as we stare down the face of a brand new year....

Who's in?

Here are mine:

Best "oh my god the world is falling apart" post apoc book:
Above All Men - by Eric Shonkwiler

Best short story collection and Best book title in the history of ever:
Elegantly Naked in My Sexy Mental Illness - Heather Fowler

Best "My Family is More Fucked Up Than Your Family" book:
Deep Ellum - Brandon Hobson

Best light bizarro/dramadey post apoc novel:
Apocalypticon - Clayton Smith

Best creepy, Alaskan backwood book on audio:
Hold the Dark - William Giraldi

Honorable mentions:

Suckers - Z. Rider
Winterswim - Ryan W Bradley
The Poor Man's Guide to an Affordable, Painless Suicide - Schuler Benson
The Last Horror Novel in the History of the World - Brian Allen Carr
Starship Grifters - Robert Kroese
Romance For Delinquents - Michael Wayne Hampton

I second "Above All Men," and I'm so happy that we have the same favorite book! I made a list over here: http://alt-current.blogspot.com/2014/..., but also recommended are "Brutal Youth" by Anthony Breznican and "The Hollow Ground" by Natalie S. Harnett, that I received after I made the list.

Leah, I wish Goodreads had 'like' buttons on comments. (sigh)

I tried to "like" yours and searched for the button, too, haha!

tried a few different genres this year...

2 faves in graphic novels:
The Complete Persepolis
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?

for audiobooks:
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend (I also made the author's week with my review. So sweet he was. *G*)
Water for Elephants (I was so taken in by the older guy reading; best as an audiobook I think)

for YA:
Eleanor & Park (ahh, young love and angst)

ebooks:
I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats (funny...recommend for cat peeps)

hardcover:
The Princess Bride (recommend for fans of the movie version)

and, though I'm not quite finished yet...
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help (it's fun and wacky, like the author herself...and her telling of getting together with her hubby - so sweet)

My Nominations in 2014 (from what I've read)

Best book:
Birdbrain
Comedy-love-birding-family-life. Brilliant.
My review

Best in SF:
Descent into Mayhem
Hard military SF. My new favourite SF author.
My review

Most entertaining:
Promise You Won't Tell?
Very clever, hugely fun light read.

Wild card:
Infinite Meat
Faustian drama fantasy/fairy tale.
Discovered on Smashwords, free, wonderful!
My review

Happy New Year
My favourite reads of 2014
The Orenda
A Tale for the Time Being
Canada
Trust Your Eyes

Best books of 2014:

Lori, what a great question! I was surprised to go over the books that I've been reading and see what seemed to be the strong books for me of the last year. Most of what I read are mysteries and so there are the sprinkling of Louise Penny, Jeffery Deaver, etc. but the top choices are not mysteries. Probably because of how these books made me think and feel while I read them. So, in no particular order:

Rules of Civility

Caleb's Crossing

The Light Between Oceans

Island Beneath the Sea

5-star reads (unless otherwise noted)

The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum – The subtitle says it all: Murder and the birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz-Age New York. This is a look at Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler who transformed the New York City medical examiner’s office and introduced some of the now-familiar scientific studies to determine cause of death. Fascinating and compelling.

The Sins of the Fathers by Lawrence Block – Block is a master of suspense, and he writes a tight novel. There is nary a word out of place or an extraneous phrase. What I really loved about the book was Matthew Scudder himself. I’ll definitely be reading more of this series.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie – When a wealthy American is found stabbed to death in his locked sleeping compartment, railroad officials ask fellow passenger Hercule Poirot to investigate. Christie is at the top of her game here. She populates the Orient Express with a wide variety of colorful characters. The train may be at a standstill, but the plot races forward.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate – What a lovely story! Inspired by true events, Applegate has crafted a wonderful tale of friendship, loyalty, perseverance and greatness. I love that it is Ivan’s “art” that eventually gets through to the humans. Patricia Castelao’s illustrations are marvelous, adding to the story’s impact. Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature.

The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham – Grisham turns a spotlight on justice in America, focusing on the story of Ron Williamson who was wrongly convicted (and sentenced to death) for a murder he did not commit. It’s a gripping account of a horrific episode.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt – This is an emotional coming-of-age story, set in 1987 when a diagnosis of AIDS was a certain death sentence. I liked the very personal story of one family’s response to this issue, and particularly how Brunt used an innocent child to concentrate on the love and admiration for the person, rather than the disease that killed him.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton – An extraordinary coming-of-age novel first published in 1967. The narrator is 14-year-old Ponyboy, a member of a gang of greasers who wants desperately to be recognized for the individual that he is, not for the label attached to him. In the end the reader sees that adults are not always the enemy, “nice boys” can be cruel and hoodlums can become heroes.

An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo – A frail and elderly Lizzie tells the story of her youth in Dresden Germany during World War II. What a wonderful and heart-warming story! Inspired by true events, Morpurgo has crafted a tale of courage, perseverance, and kindness in the face of horrific deprivation. The author doesn’t dwell on the horrors of war, but he doesn’t skip them either. He shows people doing what they believe is best and morally right despite difficulty. I’m sorry there are no young children in my life because I kept wanting to read it aloud

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan – Something very strange is going on at Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, and Clay Jannon (with a little help from his friends) is determined to find the secret. This is a literary adventure, a fantasy quest, a tale of friendship, a coming-of-age story and an exploration of man’s search for meaning all in one. It pays homage to Old Knowledge while celebrating New Technology, and encourages us to look to the past while envisioning the future.

The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande – This is a heartbreaking and heartwarming memoir of a childhood living in want, both in Mexico and in the United States. Grande writes with courage about the abject poverty of her early years, the sense of abandonment she and her siblings felt when their parents left, and how feeling abandoned affected their futures. This is an inspiring story of courage and perseverance.

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck – What a wonderful novel of a time gone by. I was laughing aloud at several of the shenanigans Grandma perpetrated. The writing is very atmospheric. I itched with the memory of chigger bites, felt the torpidity of a humid summer day, and heard the sounds of a summer night. This may be a children’s book, but I’ll wager that adults will appreciate it even more.

Jim the Boy by Tony Earley – Earley’s debut novel is quiet, peaceful and yet powerful. The story may focus on one boy, his family and friends but the lessons conveyed are universal. Jim is a wonderful character. Earley’s writing is luminous and evocative. This short gem of a novel should be read by more people. It is simply marvelous.

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute – A young English woman survives WW2 as a prisoner of the Japanese, and then finds her way to Australia and a new life. Nevil Shute is a wonderful story teller. I was engaged and interested from page one. Jean is a remarkable young woman – brave, intelligent, level-headed, and resilient. There is a fair amount of adventure in the story, and some horrific circumstances to be got through. But on the whole it is a quiet tale of a life well-lived.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – This is the first memoir in a series of six which together formed Angelou’s autobiography. In this work she chronicles her childhood from about age three to age 17. This is a wonderfully told first-hand account of a young woman’s coming of age, as well as of the changes brought about in the country from 1930-1945. She was an extraordinary woman, and this is an extraordinary memoir.

April in Paris by Michael Wallner – A young German corporal falls for the lovely daughter of a French bookseller in 1943 occupied Paris. This is an impossible relationship for she is dedicated to the Resistance. And yet…. No, this is not a hearts-and-flowers romantic escapade; it is gritty and real, full of hardship and heartache. It’s also a suspenseful novel. I was engaged from beginning to end.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding – A group of British schoolboys is marooned on a tropical island when their plane crashes. With no structure other than what they themselves create and impose, the group descends into survivalist mode, with violent results. It’s a fascinating and disturbing story.

Paula by Isabel Allende – Evocative, heartwrenching, luminous, suspenseful, triumphant – I cannot think of enough adjectives to describe this beautifully written memoir. Allende lays her soul bare on the page as she attempts to write her family history at the bedside of her comatose daughter, Paula. The work moves back and forth from Allende’s history to the events in Paula’s hospital room. Her experiences may be unique, but her reactions are universal.

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin – 4.5 **** This is a beautifully written debut novel that exemplifies “show, don’t tell.” Just as you get to know your neighbors or friends over decades, one event and reaction at a time, the reader gets to know Talmadge over the course of the novel. A man of few words he rarely directly reflects on the guilt he carries over his part in events. Rather, his actions speak to his deep-seated pain and desire to make amends. Coplin also writes with eloquence about the land and the time period.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly – What a magical, wonderful story! This is a quest, a fairy tale, a horror story, a coming-of-age story, and a psychological study all in one. I love David, and I loved how Connolly incorporated so many life lessons in this imaginative tale. The adventures David has while in this “other” land are familiar and yet disturbingly different. This is a fast-paced, suspense-filled narrative.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa – A beautifully elegant gem of a novel that explores a unique friendship between a Housekeeper, her son and the brain-injured Professor of mathematics whose memory is limited to 80 minutes. The slow way in which the Housekeeper, Root and the Professor get to know one another is framed by his lessons on the poetry of mathematics and the elegance of prime numbers.

Orchard by Larry Watson – 4.5**** What a gem of a novel. This is a character-driven story involving two couples: Sonja and Henry House who live and work on the House orchards that Henry's family has farmed for generations, and Henrietta and Ned Weaver, a wealthy and famous painter and his long-suffering wife. When Sonja begins to pose for Weaver jealousies flare. Beautifully written, and so evocative of time and place. Of course, I know Wisconsin's Door County Peninsula very well, so I'm sure that helps.


We Are Water by Wally Lamb – Intricate and nuanced, Wally Lamb has given us a portrait of one American family’s disintegration and coming back together. Rather than use a single narrator, Lamb gives voice to various characters, switching point of view from chapter to chapter. All these characters suffer trauma and loss, and struggle to find their way back to hope. There were some very distressing scenes dealing with pedophilia and hate crimes. But we should be bothered by those issues and facing what makes us uncomfortable is a theme of this book. The audio book is narrated by a cast of voice artists, including the author himself.

Book Concierge wrote: "5-star reads (unless otherwise noted)

The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum – The subtitle says it all: Murder and the birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz-Age New York. This is ..."

That is quite the list! Looks like you had an AWESOME reading year!!!

I'm really enjoying reading about other's favorite reads from 2014 - have definitely added some to my TBR "mountain". Here are some books that I really enjoyed:

The Outlander
All the Dancing Birds
Heaven Has No Favorites
All the Voices Cry
An Appetite for Violets
Lila
Prairie Ostrich
The Absolutist
Random Passage
History of the Rain
The Glass Room
Jim the Boy

Looking forward to more responses to this thread.

Damn, reading everyone else's Best Reads is making me add to my list for 2015!

I was trying to work my way through some classics/top SFF recommendations this year, so my favourite reads were (in no particular order):

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
The Last Colony by John Scalzi
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Sharyl wrote: "Pamk, you have an interesting list there, all authors I've never read. An Appetite for Violets sounds like a real page turner
"

An Appetite for Violets was very different. I'm a bit of a closet foodie (thank God I don't subscribe to any of the TV cooking channels or I'd never get anything, including reading done!), and that was what initially appealed to me. I also love reading about live "below stairs" a la "Upstairs, Downstairs". Enjoyed it very much and it wasn't like any other book that I read last year.

Nice lists everyone!

My top three reads were:
Tell the Wolves I'm Home
Everything I Never Told You
An Untamed State