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

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)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling (#hpreadalong)

Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Pages: 636
Published: 2000
Challenges: Harry Potter Re-Read
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Personal

Description: It is the summer holidays, and one night Harry Potter wakes up with his scar burning. He has had a strange dream, one that he can't help worrying about...until a timely invitation from Ron Weasley arrives: to nothing less than the Quidditch World Cup!

Soon Harry is reunited with Ron and Hermione and gasping at the thrills of an international Quidditch match. But then something horrible happens which casts a shadow over everybody, and Harry in particular... (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: While this isn't one of my personal favourites books in the series, it does have a lot going on in the book that keeps the reader engaged with the story.

 Another thing that the book has going for it is that it is a turning point in the series, in that there are things that happen throughout the book, especially in the final 4 or 5 chapters that show the reader that the tone of the series has clearly shifted.

Also the book starts to deal with more adult-like themes and situations starts to show that the dynamic between the boys and the girls are starting to change and the interests and strengths of the three main characters, Harry, Ron and Hermoine, are starting to be shown.

Bottom line: A pivotal book in the series that is very clearly darker in tone and more adult-like in the themes that are explored and is clearly meant for an older audience than the first three books, which are geared to a younger audience.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

Pages for 2014: 29,028

Texts from Jane Eyre - Mallory Ortberg

Title: Texts from Jane Eyre and other conversations with your favorite literary characters
Author: Mallory Ortberg, illustrated by Madeline Gobbo
Pages: 240
Published: 2014
Challenges: I Love Libraries, Nonfiction
Genre: Humor
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Hilariously imagined text conversations—the passive aggressive, the clever, and the strange—from classic and modern literary figures, from Scarlett O’Hara to Jessica Wakefield.

Mallory Ortberg, the co-creator of the cult-favorite website The Toast, presents this whimsical collection of hysterical text conversations from your favorite literary characters. Everyone knows that if Scarlett O’Hara had an unlimited text-and-data plan, she’d constantly try to tempt Ashley away from Melanie with suggestive messages. If Mr. Rochester could text Jane Eyre, his ardent missives would obviously be in all-caps. And Daisy Buchanan would not only text while driving, she’d text you to pick her up after she totaled her car.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I heard about the book through Book Riot's podcast Reading Lives, when they interviewed the author about the book.  And due to the interview, I became interested in the book.

The book seemed to start out strongly and had a quick to the book, but sometime near the end, it seemed to lose some steam (I suppose reading ahead didn't exactly help). There were some sections that I had to look up due to the fact that I had not read the piece that the author was referencing to and therefore was unable to understand the humor.

Bottom line: What I did like was that it was a fairly quick read and didn't take a lot of time to through.  It clearly is a book geared towards those individuals who understand their literature fairly well, as there are pieces of literature that are somewhat obscure.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5

Pages for 2014: 28,392