Wrat-Up 2014 - Top Ten of the Year

And so we come to my top ten books in all genres from 2014. What a year it has been! I have read great books in all genres, though I feel like I didn't even scratch the surface of all the books I would have liked to read. Narrowing the lists down to ten has not been easy and arranging them in order even less so.

Still, here are, in descending order, my top ten books of the year!

10. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

A worthy successor to Gone Girl in the surprise twist ending league, but also a fine YA novel with an intriguing narrator.

9. The Second Amendment by Michael Waldman

Fascinating and extremely well-written, The Second Amendment is the biography of a legal text rife with contradictions.

8. No Place to Hide by Glenn Greenwald

A comprehensive and terrifying look at the revelations made by Edward Snowden about the NSA.

7. The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

Reminiscent of Stephen King's The Green Mile but told with a fresh, heart-breaking voice.

6. Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb

Just missing out on on a top 5 spot by a nose, Hobb's triumphant return to Fitz and the Fool. I want the next book NOW!

5. Life, Animated by Ron Süskind

I don't think I've ever read a book better able to break my heart at the same time as filling it with hope. Deals with autism and a possible way out through the magic of animation.

4. Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire

A perfect book in its genre, spooky, epic and so wonderfully well-written. Seanan McGuire is at the top of my TBR list now!

3. The Martian by Andy Weir

Worthy of all the accolades it has received, a taut, exciting, edge-of-the-seat thriller set on Mars, aided and abbetted by some fantastic characters.

And so we come to the final two, the silver and gold. Both of these books have switched places numerous times while I put this list together so you could almost call it a tie.

2. I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

From the opening scenes at a murder scene in a hotel in Manhattan to the tense finale, I Am Pilgrim kept me glued to the pages (or screen in this case) until I finished. A great book, a great thriller, and a fantastic narrative voice.

1. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker

My book of the year 2014! A mystery, a thriller, an exploration of the art of writing and the price you pay for love, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair made me fall in love with books all over again. Cannot say how much I loved this book. If you haven't already, go out and buy it. Read it. Great stuff!




So there you have it. 2014 in ten books. Can't wait to see how 2015 will match up. See you tomorrow for my top ten resolutions for the year and then on Wednesday for my list of books I'm most looking forward to.

And please share your own top ten in the comments below! Happy reading!