Top 10 in 2014: The Good, the Bad, the Thoughtful, and the Series

Posted January 1, 2015 by Kathy Davie in Book Reviews, Challenges, Reading Books

I post guest reviews at Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!, and Stormi asked if I’d consider compiling a list of my top 10 favorite reads for 2014. Ten. Just 10. Who does she think I am, Superwoman?

She seriously thinks I’m able to cut down my faves to…10???

As I puzzled and swore, scratched my head and guzzled wine…none of which helped, I finally realized I had three lists: 10 raves, 10 urghs, the stories that most changed my thinking, and a partridge, er, I mean, a few series new to me.

My Top 10 Favorite Reads in 2014



Michelle Sagara’s
Cast in Sorrow


Nalini Singh’s
Shield of Winter


Jill Shalvis’
Lucky Harbor series


Jennifer L. Holm’s
The Fourteenth Goldfish


Jacqueline Winspear’s
The Mapping of Love and Death


John Scalzi’s
Redshirts


Emily Croy Barker’s
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic


Seanan McGuire’s
Indexing


T.S. Krupa’s
Safe & Sound


Ilona Andrews’
Magic Breaks

The Ten Worst Books I Read in 2014



Radhika Sanghani’s
Virgin


Cordelia Frances Biddle’s
The Conjurer


Sidney Halston’s
Against the Cage


Mayra Calvani’s
The Luthier’s Apprentice


Larry Bond’s
Dangerous Ground


Anna March’s
Ménage a Tracy


Jeaniene Frost’s
The Beautiful Ashes


Catherine Winchester’s
The Reluctant Duchess


Yasmine Galenorn’s
Night’s End


Andre Norton’s
Tales From High Hallack

2014 Stories That Most Changed My Thinking



Kim Barnouin’s
Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched


Renate Stoever’s
Escape from Plauen


Neil Gaiman’s
The Graveyard Book


Frederique Molay’s
Police Homicide series


Kelley Armstrong’s
Visions


Thaddeus Russell’s
A Renegade History of the United States


Steve LeBel’s
The Universe Builders: Bernie and the Putty


Alena Graedon’s
The Word Exchange


Rainbow Rowell’s
Landline


Max Barry’s
Lexicon

My Top Ten New (to me) Series in 2014


John Sandford’s
Lucas Davenport

Åsa Larsson’s
Rebecka Martinsson

Robin Hobb’s
Farseer Trilogy

Louise Penny’s
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache

Connie Willis’
Oxford Time Travel


John Connolly’s
Samuel Johnson vs. the Devil


Diana Rowland’s
White Trash Zombies


Abigail Roux’s
Cut & Run


Melissa Marr’s
Wicked


S.M. Stirling’s
Emberverse