#wintersrespite Update

So far I have been quite successful in completing three books, but they were books that I was in the midst of reading and two that were almost done.  Still not bad.  I hope to be equally successful in the coming days, but I am not going to put too much pressure on myself to get them done before Sunday.  Happy reading.

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Title: A Christmas Carol
Author: Charles Dickens
File size (Pages): 939 KB (104)
Published: 2010 (originally published 1843)
Challenges: e-book, Reading England, The Classics Club
Genre: Christmas, Classics, Fiction
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal

Description: The beloved holiday classic with illustrations by John Leech. A Christmas Carol is Dickens' haunting cautionary tale about Ebenezer Scrooge a miserly businessman who dismisses charity and holiday cheer with an icy "bah humbug!" One night Scrooge finds himself visited by the ghost of his late business partner Jacob Marley returned from the dead with a trio of spirits and a plea for his old friend Ebenezer to change his ways and open his heart to the true meaning of Christmas... before it's too late. (via kobobooks.com)

Thoughts: Probably due to the fact that I was reading other books, I wasn't as engaged with the book this time around as I was back in December 2013.  Nonetheless, the book was worth re-reading.

I did find that some of the book was a bit dry at times, but the words that Dickens uses does help with portraying 1843 London as a place that was not exactly a place a person would want to be.

Dickens also was able to show how man can become easily enamoured with the trappings of the world rather than focusing on helping those less fortunate out and that the lesson that Scrooge is forced to learn, that material wealth isn't all it is cracked up to be.  I also liked how the book is still very applicable to us 170 years after the book was published.

Bottom line: Even though I was distracted with other books and wasn't able to appreciate the book as I did a little over a year ago, it is a book that has application to us now.  Highly Recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages in 2015: 2,439

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis

Title: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (The Chronicles of Narnia #5)
Author: C.S. Lewis
Pages: 288
Published: 1994 (first published 1952)
Challenges: Finishing the Series, I Love Libraries, Readers to the Rescue, Snagged @ the Library, The Classics Club
Genre: Children's, Classics, Fantasy
Edition: Mass-Market Paperback
Source: Church Library

Description: Lucy and Edmund, with their dreadful cousin Eustace, get magically pulled into a painting of a ship at sea. That ship is the Dawn Treader, and on board is Caspian, King of Narnia. He and his companions, including Reepicheep, the valiant warrior mouse, are searching for seven lost lords of Narnia, and their voyage will take them to the edge of the world. Their adventures include being captured by slave traders, a much-too-close encounter with a dragon, and visits to many enchanted islands, including the place where dreams come true. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: For some reason, I found this book to be difficult to get through.  Maybe it was the fact that the story seemed to be too chaotic and disjointed for liking and that maybe if I were closer to the age of the main characters, I may have enjoyed the book a more than I did.

Bottom line: For me at least, there were parts of the book that felt dull but also there were parts that were enjoyable and entertaining.  It was a nice continuation of the series and towards the end of the book, I finally could see the illusion that Lewis was aiming towards.  Recommended.

Rating: 2.75/5

Pages for 2015: 2,335

Daisy Miller - Henry James

Title: Daisy Miller
Author: Henry James
File size (Pages): 356 KB (128)
Published: 1987 (first published 1878)
Challenges: Back to the Classics, E-book, I Love LIbraries, Readers to the Rescue, Snagged @ the Library, The Classics Club
Genre: Classics
Edition: E-book
Source: Public Library

Description: Travelling in Europe with her family, Daisy Miller, an exquistely beautiful young American woman, presents her fellow-countryman Winterbourne with a dilemma he cannot resolve. Is she deliberately flouting social conventions in the way she talks and acts, or is she simply ignorant of them? When she strikes up an intimate friendship with an urbane young Italian, her flat refusal to observe the codes of respectable behavior leaves her perilously exposed. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I had heard about this book through a number of sources over the years, but it was Texts from Jane Eyre that prompted me to actually read the book and to give it a chance and see what it was about.

But for me, it fell a little flat and found that I really didn't care for Daisy and found her to be shallow and superficial.  And where there was probably a point that the author was trying to point out, I was unable to find what it was.

Bottom line: I felt that the book was a little rushed and that it could have been fleshed out a little more to give the reader a little more time to understand what was going on.  Recommended, but with reservations.

Rating: 2.5/5

Pages for 2015: 2,047

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jan.19)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme that is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week.

Books finished this week:

• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• A Christmas Carol

Books reviewed this week:

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
• The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
• Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Books I hope to finish this week:

• The Miniaturist
• The Silver Chair
• The Last Battle
• Station Eleven

Books I hope to work on this week:

• Fall on your Knees
• Pioneer Girl
• whatever catches my fancy

Mailbox Monday (January 19)

Mailbox Monday is a place for readers to share the books that came into their homes during the past week.  After being hosted at a number of blogs over the past few years, it has gone back to its home base, the aptly named, Mailbox Monday.

I received a couple of books from my family and also gift cards to ChaptersIndigo totaling $60, of which I purchased a paperback set of the Harry Potter books (I do have all the books, but not a complete set; in fact I have 3 different copies of The Goblet of Fire).

The books I received was Emma by Alexander McCall Smith (part of the Austen project; got this from my sister; seems we like giving each other Jane Austen bookish things; I gave her Jane Austen Cover to Cover) and Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood from my parents.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Pages: 766
Published: 2003
Challenges: Chunkster, Finishing the Series, Harry Re-Read
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His best friends Ron and Hermione have been very secretive all summer and he is desperate to get back to school and find out what has been going on. However, what Harry discovers is far more devastating than he could ever have expected . . . (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: If there was a book in the Harry Potter series that I have difficult with, it would have to be the fifth book. The reason is that I didn't enjoy his moping about and felt that it distracted from the fact that it introduced elements that become important for the final two books.

There were times I would dread opening up the book and there were times that I felt the book dragged at times, especially in light of the action that took place during the previous book, The Goblet of Fire.

Bottom line: It was a pretty decent book through the introduction of several elements that become key in the next books, but felt that the book was somewhat marred by Harry's attitude, which at 15 is pretty common for most people.  It is a good continuation of the series that helps to move the series along.  Recommended to Highly Recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2015: 1,919

Mr. Miracle - Debbie Macomber

Title: Mr. Miracle
Author: Debbie Macomber
Pages: 256
Published: 2014
Challenges: I Love Libraries, Readers to the Rescue, Snagged @ the Library
Genre: Christmas, Romance
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Public Library

Description: Harry Mills is a guardian angel on a mission: help twenty-four-year-old Addie Folsom get her life back on track—and, if the right moment strikes, help her find love. Posing as a teacher at a local college in Tacoma, Washington, Harry is up to the task, but not even he can predict the surprises that lay in store.

After trying to make it on her own, Addie has returned home to Tacoma for the holidays, but this time she plans to stay for good, enrolling in the local community college to earn her degree. What she doesn’t plan to do is run into Erich Simmons.

Addie and her next-door neighbor, Erich, are like night and day. Growing up, he was popular and outgoing while she was rebellious and headstrong, and he never missed an opportunity to tease her. Now she intends to avoid him entirely, yet when they’re suddenly forced to spend Christmas together, Addie braces for trouble.

Perhaps it’s the spirit of the season or the magic of mistletoe, but Addie and Erich soon find they have more in common than they thought—and that two people who seem so wrong for each other may actually be just right. With a little prompting from a certain angelic teacher, the two are in for a holiday miracle they’ll never forget.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I read this book for the Christmas season, fully intending to read it before the Christmas break, but due to other book commitments I had at the time, I had to set it aside as a result.

I thought that the book was okay and was a pretty standard Christmas romance book.  It was pretty easy to pick up the story after not reading the book for a bit. I know that these books appeal to a specific segment of the reading public, but honestly I wish that authors that write this stuff would realize that maybe readers would like something a little meatier and something that isn't so easily tied up in the end.

Bottom line: It was a nice, light Christmas read that didn't require a lot of thought to read the book.  Recommended, but with reservations.

Rating: 2/5

Pages for 2015: 1,153

The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton

Title: The Age of Innocence
Author: Edith Wharton
File Size (Pages): 1.5 MB (210)
Published: 2012 (first published 1920)
Challenges: Back to the Classics, Classics Club, E-Book, Eclectic Reader
Genre: Classics
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal

Description: The Age of Innocence is the haunting story of the struggle between love and duty in Gilded Age New York told through the eyes of Newland Archer and his betrothed, May Welland. A young lawyer on the rise, Newland Archer needs only a society wife to solidify his position, but finds himself torn after he meets and falls deeply in love with May’s disgraced cousin, the Countess Olenska. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: This was a book I had wanted to read for sometime and had also borrowed from the library the film that was directed by Martin Socrsese.  

I was a little disappointed with the story itself, in that I felt that the characters were superficial and therefore did not really care for the characters nor did I feel any sort of sympathy for them.  I also felt that the story was simplistic and thought that it could have been a bit more complex than it actually was.

Bottom line: I felt that the book was okay and did not exactly wow me.  I would probably start with something else by Wharton, but since I put this book in my Classics Club Spin list, it was what I ended up reading.  Recommended.

Rating: 2.5/5

Pages for 2015: 897

Sunday Salon - My Top 10 of 2014

I have delayed this by a couple of weeks for a number of reasons. First reason, I did the Annual Book Survey a couple of weeks ago and secondly, I was busy with family last weekend and by the time I remembered to post, it was almost Monday and I was feeling under the weather. I am doing this without a list at hand and pointing darts and hoping that I get them somewhat right.  So starting from Number 10, here is my Top 10 reads of 2014:

10.  A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - I know some of you are going to read through the review and see a 5/5 at the bottom of the review, but the reason it gets this spot is because it was a re-read.  I did love Dickens' use of symbolism and language in the book and did say that Dickens was my literary boyfriend.  Still love the book.

9. Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch - I approached this book with apprehension as I had mixed feelings about The Dinner when I read it during the summer of 2013, but there was something about this book that made it more readable and more enjoyable.  Really liked how Koch drew the reader into the world he created.

8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky -  I had heard a lot about this book throughout the blogging world over the years and for whatever reason it took me this long to actually read it.  Actually it was a controversy in a town about 3 hours north of where I live to get me to read the book and see what the big fuss was and why the dad didn't want his grade 10 son to read the book.

7.  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - Took me a few times to get around the book, but once I picked up the book, I was really hard pressed to put it down or even let go of the characters in the book.  Very identifiable for me, as I used to write fanfic at one time.

6. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer - I had heard about this book from a number of sources throughout 2013 and I had tried reading the book, but due to reading other books, I was unable to get around to it.  But when I was able to sit down and read the book, I was absolutely enthralled with the book and was bawling by the end, not wanting to let go of characters that I had learned to love.

5.  The Children Act by Ian McEwan - Wow!  Such a short book, but packed such a punch.  I had only read Atonement before this a few years ago and really enjoyed reading the book and thought that was an excellent book, but there was something about how McEwan used language so effectively in such a way that it only took me a few days to read the book.

4. Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood - I first heard about this book through the podcast You Wrote the Book! and was intrigued by the book.  I didn't know how I would like it, but was surprised when I really liked it and became a favourite of mine.

3. The Martian by Andy Weir - I had heard a lot of hype about this book during the spring and early part of the summer and when I was able to obtain an e-copy of the book through my local library, I was thrilled and while it took me almost the entire 3 weeks that I had with the book, I really enjoyed it.  I really liked that it was a science fiction book that didn't have too much science jargon and was fairly accessible.

2. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison - was really able to identify with the main character in the book, as I also have ASD.  I can get why Don does what he does.  Definitely was the better of the two books by this author that I read in 2014.

1. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent -  I had heard about this book throughout 2012 and 2013 and for whatever reason, I just was unable to start the book, but when my book club had chosen the book for a book club selection for this fall, I had no choice but to read it.  When I got down to reading the book at the end of November, I was definitely in entranced by the world that Ms. Kent created and absolutely loved it.

There were also books that deserve honourable mention, as while they were really good, they just didn't make the cut:

• Boxers by Gene Luen Yang 
• Saints by Gene Luen Yang 
• While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell
• A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin 
• Enchanted, The by Rene Denfeld 
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
• Levels of Life by Julian Barnes
• All the Lights We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 
• The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
• Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Maybe I should do a top 25 for 2015....

Happy reading

Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis

Title: Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia #4)
Author: C.S. Lewis
Pages: 240
Published: 2001 (first published 1951)
Challenges: Finishing the Series, I Love Libraries, Readers to the Rescue, Snagged @ the Library, The Classics Club
Genre: Children's Classic, Fantasy
Edition: Mass-Market Paperback
Source: Library

Description: The Pevensie siblings travel back to Narnia to help a prince denied his rightful throne as he gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I enjoyed this one much more than The Horse and His Boy in part due to the fact that story was less fantastical, but more a bit more based in "reality".  I think it also helped that the Pevensie siblings (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) made an appearance for a good portion of the book and that there was a definable good vs. evil story.  

Bottom line: I enjoyed this book much more than The Horse and His Boy and thought it to be better thought out and more coherent.  It is a good continuation of the series and introduces characters that become important in other books as well.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2015: 687

The Horse and His Boy - C.S. Lewis

Title: The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia #3)
Author: C.S. Lewis
Pages: 241
Published: 1994 (first published 1954)
Challenges: Back to the Classics, Finishing the Series, I Love Libraries, Official TBR, Readers to the Rescue, Snagged @ the Library, The Classics Club
Genre: Children's, Classic, Fantasy
Edition: Mass-Market Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Narnia... where some horses talk, where treachery is brewing, where destiny awaits. On a desperate journey, two runaways meet and join forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the fate of Narnia itself. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I have mixed feelings about the book, as I had great expectations of the book and found it to be ho-hum.  I was unable to find a rhythm with the book and just couldn't get into the novel itself.  It felt more like a separate story than the other two book and didn't particularly like the fantastical element in this book, even though the first two had that same element in them.   And honestly I just couldn't see were the book fits into the overall story.

Bottom line: While I wasn't enamoured with the book, I felt that it was a really good continuation of the series and I look forward to seeing how this book connects to the rest of the series.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.25/5

Pages for 2015: 447

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis

Title: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia #2)
Author: C.S. Lewis
Pages: 206
Published: 1994 (first published 1950)
Challenges: Classics Club, Finishing the Series, I Love Libraries, Readers to the  Rescue, Snagged @ the Library
Genre: Classic, Children's, Fantasy
Edition: Mass-Market Paperback
Source: Library

Description: When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to stay with a kind professor who lives in the country, they can hardly imagine the extraordinary adventure that awaits them.

It all begins one rainy summer day when the children explore the professor's rambling old house. When they come across a room with an old wardrobe in the corner, Lucy immediately opens the door and gets inside. To her amazement, she suddenly finds herself standing in the clearing of a wood on a winter after-noon, with snowflakes falling through the air. Lucy has found Narnia, a magical land of fauns and centaurs, nymphs and talking animals -- and the beautiful but evil White Witch, who has held the country in eternal winter for a hundred years. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Unlike the previous books (The Magician's Nephew), I quite enjoyed the read and felt engaged with the book.  I really liked how the story flowed and how the book continued the series.  It had a faster pace to it than The Magician's Nephew).

I really liked how the book built on The Magician's Nephew and how it could also be a stand-alone, based on how the book ended.

Bottom line: I quite enjoyed the book and liked the pacing of the book.  A very enjoyable read and a good continuation of the series.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2015: 206

Winter 2015 Mini-Bloggiesta Sign up

Its time for the Winter Mini-Bloggiesta!

This came in time, as I have a bunch of stuff that I need to catch up with and I am also recovering from a sore throat from last week.

Here is what I need to do:

• catch up on book reviews as much as possible

• post my best of 2014 list

• update the side bar area (may add in a blogs I follow feature).

2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

This year,  the Historical Fiction Challenge is being hosted at Passages to the Past.

Here are the Reading Challenge details:

Each month, a new post dedicated to the HF Challenge will be created. To participate, you only have to follow the rules:

• Everyone can participate, even those who don't have a blog (you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish)

• Add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review)

• Any sub-genre of historical fiction is accepted (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, etc.)

During the following 12 months you can choose one of the different reading levels: 

20th century Reader - 2 books
Victorian Reader - 5 books
Renaissance Reader - 10 books
Medieval - 15 books
Ancient History - 25 books
Prehistoric - 50+ books

I am going to aim for Ancient History.  If you wish to join up, you can sign up at Passages to the Past.

1. 

A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon Sign up #wintersrespite

When I saw this come across either my Facebook or Twitter feed, I knew it was that time again.  I am really looking forward to this.

The readathon is fairly simple: just read.  You don't have to read a book with any theme to it, but can read whatever you chose to.  You can find out more information and sign up at Seasons of Reading.

Here are the books that I aim to work on during that week:

• Station Eleven

• The Miniaturist

• Fall on your Knees 

• Pioneer Girl

• Ella Enchanted

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

#boutofbooks - Day 5

Busy couple of days of reading.  On Thursday and Friday, I worked on Harry Potter and was able to finish it yesterday (Friday).  I also started Daisy Miller.  Don't know how much I'll get done today, but I am hoping to complete it and possibly start The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Happy reading.

#boutofbooks - Day 3

I knew that I wouldn't have a lot of time to read yesterday (according to what I would normally expect), but I still managed to work on Harry Potter and should be able to complete it sometime today and hopefully work on another book.

#boutofbooks - Day 2

Like Monday, I didn't read too much on Tuesday, but I was able to get a bunch of Harry Potter done.  I am hoping that I will be able to get a little more done (and also get to bed earlier), but only time will tell.

Happy reading.

#boutofbooks - Day 1

Didn't really read too much today, as I had stuff I had to deal with personally.   But I did manage to finish Mr. Miracle and work a bit on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

I probably won't get much done tomorrow, as I am planning on going to see Unbroken tomorrow night, but I hope to read a bit more of Harry Potter.

Sunday Salon - 5th Annual End of Year Book Survey – 2014 Edition!

Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner has done her End of Year Book Survey and while this is a little late, I am doing this nonetheless.

So here we go...

Best of Reading in 2014

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

• The Children Act by Ian McEwan

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

• The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?

• The Martian by Andy Weir

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

I don't know if I pushed anybody to read a book and they read it in the end, but I did push Burial Rites towards the end of the year and I hope that those who I "pushed" to read it did read it.

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

I don't generally read series, but the best one that I read was the Boxer & Saints series.  The best series that I started was The Chronicles of Narnia, which I started in December.  The best sequel that I read was Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Hannah Kent; loved Burial Rites and look forward to seeing what else she has in store.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Martian by Andy Weir; don't typically read Sc-Fi, but really enjoyed the book.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

For me the most unputdownable book was The Children Act and Burial Rites.

9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

If I were to re-read something, it probably would be The Children Act.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

It really evokes the book really well.

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

Fiona from The Children Act and Anges from Burial Rites (yes, I know Anges was a real person...)

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Its a tie between Burial Rites and The Children Act.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

The Circle by David Eggars. Really made me think about the connected world that we live in and really how far we can go and how intrusive technology can be.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?

The Remains of the Day.  Such an amazing read and really thought provoking; sort of is like seeing Thomas in Downton Abbey 3o years down the road.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

Grief makes your stomach turn, snatches the breath from you, cuts off the blood supply to the brain; mourning blows you in a new direction. (88) - Levels of Life by Julian Barnes

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly  by Sun-mi Hwang (144 pages)
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (848 pages)

17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

18. OTP of the Year
(OTP = one true pairing)
Jamie and Claire from Outlander

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Jules and Ethan from The Interestings.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Ian McEwan; the language in The Children Act didn't disappoint, just as in Atonement.

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Quite a number of them.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

Don't have one, but maybe Cormac from The Cuckoo's Calling

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

A tie between The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and All the Light we Cannot See.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The Martian by Andy Weir.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, The Interestings, The Children Act, and All the Light We Cannot See.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

The Interestings

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Kinsey

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Can't think of one that made me the most mad.

31. Books that I Abandoned?

None that I can think of.

Books Read in 2014

• Starry Night by Debbie Macomber (Jan. 2014)

• Villette by Charlotte Brontë (Jan. 2014)

• Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews (Jan. 2014) 

• Great Game, A by Stephen J. Harper (Feb. 2014)

• How to be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman (Feb. 2014)

• Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin (Feb. 2014)

• Luminaries, The by Eleanor Catton (Mar. 2014)

• Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley (Mar. 2014)

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (Mar. 2014)

• Labor Day by Joyce Maynard (Apr. 2014)

• Reason that I Jump, The by Naoki Higashida; translated by K.A. Yoshida and David Mitchell (Apr. 2014)

• Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson (Apr. 2014)

• Interestings, The by Meg Wolitzer (Apr. 2014)

• Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup (Apr. 2014)

• Shopping, Seduction, & Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead (Apr. 2014)

• Whole Golden World, The by Kristina Riggle (Apr. 2014)

• Orenda, The by Joseph Boyden (July 2014)

• Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal (July 2014)

• HHhH by Laurent Binet (July 2014)

• Boxers by Gene Luen Yang (July 2014)

• Saints by Gene Luen Yang (July 2014)

• Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly, The by Sun-mi Hwang (Aug. 2014)

• Ocean at the End of the Lane, The by Neil Gaiman (Aug. 2014)

• Mysteries of Udolpho, The by Ann Radcliffe (Aug. 2014)

• Pursuit of Mary Bennet, The by Pamela Mingle (Aug. 2014)

• Frog Music by Emma Donoghue (Aug. 2014)

• Bear, The by Claire Cameron (Aug. 2014)

• Tale of Two Cities, A by Charles Dickens (Aug. 2014)

• Fault in Our Stars, The by John Green (Aug. 2014)

• While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell (Aug. 2014)

• Clash of Kings, A by George R.R. Martin (Aug. 2014)

• Enchanted, The by Rene Denfeld (Aug. 2014)

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Aug. 2014)

• Perks of Being a Wallflower, The by Stephan Chbosky (Aug. 2014)

• Remains of the Day, The by Kazuo Ishiguro (Aug. 2014)

• His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal (Aug. 2014)

• Rosie Project, The by Graeme Simison (Aug. 2014)

• Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch (Aug. 2014)

• Light Between Oceans, The by M.L. Stedman (Aug. 2014)

• Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The by Douglas Adams (Aug. 2014)

• Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (Aug. 2014)

• Levels of Life by Julian Barnes (Aug. 2014)

• Road Ends by Mary Lawson (Aug. 2014)

• Goldfinch, The by Donna Tartt (Aug. 2014)

• Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr. (Sept. 2014)

• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (Sept. 2014)

• Circle, The by Dave Eggars (Sept. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Oct. 2014)

• Cuckoo's Calling, The by Richard Galbraith (Oct. 2014)

• Word Exchange, The by Alena Graedon (Oct. 2014)

• Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood (Oct. 2014)

• 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, The by Jonas Jonasson (Oct. 2014)

• Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan (Oct. 2014)

• Martian, The by Andy Weir (Oct. 2014)

• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (Oct. 2014)

• Guns of August, The by Barbara Tuchman (Oct. 2014)

• Invention of Wings, The by Sue Monk Kidd (Oct. 2014)

• Story Hour, The by Thirty Umrigar (Oct. 2014)

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (Oct. 2014)

• Children Act, The by Ian McEwan (Oct. 2014)

• All the Lights We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Oct. 2014)

• Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, The by Gabrielle Zevin (Oct. 2014)

• Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The by Robert Louis Stevenson (Oct. 2014)

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (Oct. 2014)

• Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers (Oct. 2014)

• Rosie Effect, The by Graeme Simison (Oct. 2014)

• Discovery of Witches, A by Deborah Harkness (Nov. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Nov. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Dec. 2014)

• Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (Dec. 2014)

• New York Christmas, A by Anne Perry (Dec. 2014)

• Mistletoe Promise, The by Richard Paul Evans (Dec. 2014)

• Sudden Light, A by Garth Stein (Dec. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (Dec. 2014)

• Magician's Nephew, The by C.S. Lewis (Dec. 2014)

• Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg (Dec. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (Dec. 2014)