Faves of 2014 ~ Part One

Faves of 2014: Part One

I love looking back over my reading year and seeing so many good books read (which is especially awesome to see when I am in a slump ~ reminds me it has been an excellent reading year with a bunch of new fave authors and series to follow). Instead of just launching with my top ten fave* I wanted to showcase so many more books I read and loved and recommend by nominating them for some different categories. I liked every single book featured here and happily recommend them all :)

*If I limited it to my top ten there would be so many other good books that I wouldn't get a chance to mention. But I will be posting my top ten in a few days (still finalising the final three picks, it's so hard...)

Books here were all read in 2014 and are a mix of backlist and new release.


1. Favourite book read in 2014

Hands down absolutely The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty

I love this series so much. It's coming together so brilliantly and unexpectedly and it has so much heart and humour and endearingness alongside crazy-wild creativity and hilarious dialogue and happenings. So excited for the final book (understatement).

2. Most powerful book

The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White, The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult & Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Nominating three. Liane's book is brilliant and funny and the funniest-serious book I've ever read (it handles some serious issues in a powerful way even while being hilarious). Best Picoult I've read in a while, even though I've read a couple of holocaust books that didn't detract from a really powerfully written story with a brilliant ending. And The Road Home was AMAZING and will stay with me for always ~ so recommended!
3. Brilliantly funny

The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty, Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor

Night of Cake and Puppets is a short stand-alone story which was swoony and fun and funny and sparkling ~ and Cracks in the Kingdom definitely gave me the most grins and smiles and laughs of my reading year :)
4. Best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read

The Protected by Claire Zorn and the first two Sevenwaters books by Juliet Marillier

The Protected is the only book I cried a few actual physical tears *sniff* and the Sevenwaters books have pretty much the whole spectrum of emotion from beloved romance to sorrow, both beautifully told tales.

5. Most beautiful story

Laini Taylor's books

As a series and a world, these books are amazing (pictures are out of order due to blogger being obstinate).
6. Delicious rainy day comfort read

Nearly a Lady by Alissa Johnson, Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

I really enjoyed curling up with these two and just relaxing into the story

7. Adrenalin-fuelled, unputdownable award

Dark Horse by Honey Brown, Through the Cracks by Honey Brown

Honey Brown is an amazing talent! My fave of these was definitely Dark Horse, but Through the Cracks was also amazingly addictive and startling. If you like psychological thrillers you MUST check her out! 


8. The beautiful prose award

Laini Taylor, As Stars Fall & The Bridge From Me To You

Laini Taylor's writing is lush and evocative, also funny (a really great combo!). Lisa Schroder is amazing (although I prefer her verse, this novel is half verse, half prose). As Stars Fall (Aussie YA) was really gorgeously written!

9. Most atmospheric and vivid setting

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Runners Up: Laini Taylor, Sevenwaters, The Road Home

Set in Iceland in the 1800's ~ I was totally transported vividly with all my senses. The story was hauntingly brought to life. I also have runners up: two fantasy worlds that you sink right into and The Road Home which brought me a spectacularly real portrayal of Vietnam during the war -- amazing book.

10. i-so-want-to-go-there award

Cello!

Haha ~ would love to hang with the gang and go exploring about.
11. Most original and imaginative

Jaclyn Moriarty/ Also imginative: Laini Taylor

I am trying hard not to choose Jaclyn Moriarty for everything, so I've also included Laini Taylor. I don't think anyone can beat Jaclyn for being original but Laini's world is also amazing and vivid.

12. Best under-appreciated, hidden gem book

Confessions of an Angry Girl 
Runner Up: Better Off Friends & Head of the River

I really really liked and so recommend Confessions of an Angry girl to contemporary YA fans. I didn't try it for a long time, thinking it would be too angsty/high school drama for me. But it turned out really great, lots of heart and emotion and Rose is so readable and relateable. Also a bonus: Jamie Forta (bad boy angsty swoon material). 

Better Off Friends was just a book I picked up from the library by chance and I had no idea how perfect it would be for my reading mood ~ charming and breezy and with plenty of depth and heart. 

Head of the River is not exactly under-appreciated as I have only ever seen great reviews for it but I would love for it to have a higher profile. It's a stand-out Aussie YA book, brilliantly written with so much heart and soul and real, achey teen characters. I really recommend it (and I have a review in my frafts ready to post soon).


13. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love this-so award
The Winner's Curse, The Darkest Minds, Daughter of Smoke and Bone

None of these are my fave genre. I'm burnt out on paranormal, dystopia and covers with girls in fancy dresses (ha!). But all these three took my by surprise and I am so glad I gave them all a chance :)
14. Most haunting story

The Girl With All the Gifts

That ending guys! Beautiful but haunting...

15. Series (still in progress) that I’m loving

Confessions, The Rephaim, Cracks in the Kingdom

Three series I am insanely excited for and can't wait to get my hands on the next instalments!

16.  Always recommending this book award

Paula Weston's series

Major love for these books <3
17. Completely awesome premise award

The Caged Graves, Disruption by Jessica Shirvington

I love Shirvington's writing and her new duology (Disruption is the first) really pulls off a complicated but totally imaginable dystopianish high-tech future. The Caged Graves is just a beautiful and haunting idea.

18.  Would make the best movie

We Were Liars & The Girl With All the Gifts

Man, We Were Liars would make a stunning movie (can't say 'in the vein of' for fear of spoilers but it would be an awesome kind of psychological thriller/drama). The Girl With All the Gifts reads like a movie ~ vivid and action-y and awesome.

That's it for today but I'll be back with Round Two soon ~ choosing fave characters, couples, scenes and other random awards for my fave reads of 2014.

x Nomes

Sneaking in an update post before my end of year lists...

It's been so sleepy on my blog for the last few months. Here's a few things to kick off my post ~

One: I am in the worst reading slump ever. It's been 5 weeks since I've finished a book (although I've started and abandoned dozens).

Two: I love this time of year and love reading about everyone's fave things of 2014. I am drafting some blog posts of some of my fave reads this year <3 (and also a post about books I can't wait for in 2015).

Three: I have always always been a mad crazy reader and I love chatting about books so I don't think my blog will ever die completely but I have seriously been lacking in motivation to sit down and blog. In part, that would be due to being in a slump, also due to seasons of life and shifting passions and it is also due to many of my fave bloggers having left the scene so things just don't feel the same. I started in 2009 and so much has changed since then. So a big shout out to anyone who is still around and reading (my sporadic posts).

Four: So many of my highly anticipated reads for 2014 turned out to be real duds for me! Haha, that felt a bit blunt, but it is so (unfortunately) true. Books by authors who I previously loved fell flat, books in series I was so into had me forgetting characters and stalling midway. Hate when that happens. But I also discovered new-to-me authors to love and new fave series to follow AND I read outside my fave genres and found some new books to love <3.

Five: On a personal note ~ 2014 had so many challenges for me with health and study but it also included the BEST  (five week) holiday ever in braw Scotland (with a touch of York, Cardiff, London and Paris thrown in). I have fallen in love with Scotland and absolutely cannot wait to go back. My mum is Scottish and all her family is still over there (she has five sisters all still living where they grew up) so it was awesome visiting with them all ~ I am half Scottish by blood and it has stolen my heart :)

I've picked just a tiny section of photos from Scotland for those who are interested (see below, haha. I was going to keep going and get my England, Wales and Paris pics but was worried I'd never be able to restrain myself...)

Six: I'll be back in a few days. I hope you all had an awesome Christmastime ~ so much to celebrate and be thankful for at this time of year x

Gartmorn Dam, Alloa ~ right around the corner from where my mum grew up

My daughter with some local highlanders at the Scottish Highland Games

Campbell Castle, Dollar

Views from the Wallace Monument, Stirling (The Ochil Hills)

Hills in the highlands opposite Rob Roy's gravesite

Walking along Loch Ness, Fort Augustus

River Ness, Inverness

Inverness Castle

Urquhart Castle ruins on the Loch Ness

Highland Cows at the Culloden battlefields

Culloden Cottage, site of last great Jacobite uprising 

Clava Cairn, 3000BC burial chamber

Walking Ben Cleuch in the Ochil Hills

Magnificent Ochil Hills

Stirling Castle

Old Town Edinburgh

Clackmannan Tower

Me and my three kids, Ben Nevis Mountain Range, the highlands

Bonus pic to say hey ~ my kids and I up the top of the Eiffel Tower, Paris
(it was freezing and windy but very cool!)