Best of 2014: The Books that are Still Favorites
Hello, hello! Here is “part 2” of my favorites list for 2014. (Part one is all about the big and small screen.) I’m so excited to share these lists with you all as I do at the end of each year. This year I thought I’d come away with more than fourteen (I guess the general “rule” is sharing favorites numbering to the year), but I’m glad to report, I ended up with sixteen on the graphics. (Technically it was more if you count I have tree from the same author on this list plus I have one that’s not listed on the graphic.) But… moving on, the best books of 2014.
2014 and its authors gifted us with some amazing works of fiction. Some of the books release in 2015, others are from debut authors (good for you, all) and some are from seasoned veterans, who never seem to run out of fresh ideas. Either way, these are the books the genuinely stood out in my reader’s opinion.
BEST OF 2014 BOOKS
- This Quiet Sky, by Joanne Bischof Review│Goodreads
- Murder at the Mikado, by Julianna Deering Review│Goodreads
- Not in the Script, by Amy Finnegan Review│Goodreads
- If I Stay, by Gayle Forman Review│Goodreads
- A Broken Kind of Beautiful, by Katie Ganshert Review│Goodreads
- How to Catch a Prince, by Rachel Hauck Review│Goodreads
- The Wishing Season, by Denise Hunter Review│Goodreads
- In Between, by Jenny B. Jones Goodreads
- Raptor 6, by Ronie Kendig Review│Goodreads
- A Table by the Window, by Hillary Manton Lodge Review│Goodreads
- Silenced, by Dani Pettrey Review│Goodreads
- Lizzy & Jane, by Katherine Reay Review│Goodreads
- How a Star Falls, by Amber Stokes Review│Goodreads
- Here to Stay, by Melissa Tagg Review│Goodreads
- Somebody Like You, by Beth Vogt Review│Goodreads
- Meant to by Mine, by Becky Wade Review│Goodreads
- Always on my Mind :: It Had to by You :: When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren ‘Always’ Review │Goodreads ‘You’ Review│Goodreads ‘Love’ Review│Goodreads
- Storm Siren, by Mary Weber Review│Goodreads
…those are my top reads of 2014! I did try to be thorough in looking over the books I read in 2014, but there may be one or two I am overlooking. Here’s hoping I didn’t. Either way, the books that are featured above were definite stand-outs, favorites because of their charm or ingenuity… or sometimes just because in the quiet way it told a story, the book spoke the loudest of anything else. What were your favorites?
I loved Not in the Script. Thank you for introducing me to that book. Meant to Be Mine, Here to Stay, Broken Kind of Beautiful, and Silenced were favorites of mine as well.
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed Not in the Script, Dawn. I thought it was darling. Good inspirational picks as well. Gotta' love the year of books we've had. :)
Great list! I also loved Murder at the Mikado, Here to Stay, and Meant to Be Mine. I'm looking forward to reading How to Catch a Prince and Lizzy & Jane in the new year. :)
Good picks, Kristin. Cannot wait to read your thoughts on Rachel's. It was… perfectly happy and that's the sign of the best kind of love story. :)
Ah yes. I was anticipating this post. Nice choices, Rissi! I've read – and enjoyed – some of them. Here's to a 2015 with more fabulous reading. Happy New Year, dear girl!
Thanks, Ganise! I'm glad you visited. I did have a good reading year. I'm surprised I didn't have more although I will confess, I forgot to add one book in – probably because it didn't release this past year. Guess I'd better do that yet. ;)
Great list I've read many on it, My favorites on your list If I Stay (and I'd add Where She Went), A Broken Kind of Beautiful, How to Catch A Prince, The Wishing Season, and Lizzy and Jane.
I really enjoyed 5th Wave also, I'm rereading it so I can start Infinite Sea soon (so happy my oldest wanted it for Christmas :) now I can take my name off the library list! )
Ooo, I'd probably add Where She Went also, Shannon. I just haven't read it. As for How to Catch a Prince… I adored that one! Cannot wait to get the review posted and all that jazz.
I've not read 5th Wave but am thinking if I want to see the movie, that's one I'll have to pick up. Glad you liked it!
Ps; just wanted to let you know the reason I haven't commented on your blog is because each time I've visited in this last month, the comments are disabled. :)
They are well crumbs, I better fix that. I wonder what I did to get that going on. I got it fixed! :)
I kept meaning to tell you that I was visiting your blog still, but for some reason there was no place to comment. Huh. Isn't it odd how things like that happen!? ;)
Yay for If I Stay! Great list, looks like you had an excellent year in reading, Rissi :)
I did, Lianne. Initially I thought there'd be more… but I'm happy with the books that ended up on this list. :)
This is always one of my favorite posts of the year! Let's see…. super jealous you've already read Rachel's. I'm interested to see how the series ends. Katherine and Melissa's obviously were awesome! (they'll probably show up on my list, when I finally make it ;)). And Dani and Beth's are on my shelves but I haven't gotten to them yet, although I can't wait to read the stories within! Happy New Year, Rissi :)
Me too, Cassie. I have such fun reading everyone's favorites list. Cannot wait to see yours, friend. Rachel's is delightful. I think you'll love it! I couldn't decide if I should wait to put it on next years or add it here. Oh, the dilemma. :) Katherine's and Melissa's are winners. Enjoy Dani's and Beth's. I'm pretty sure you will. :)
Happy New Year, Cassie! Hope 2015 is fabulous for you. :)
Awww thanks so much for including Here to Stay. That story is still–and will likely always be–soooo close to my heart. Means so much when other people like it. :)
One of my very favorites of 2014 was Kristy Cambron's The Butterfly and the Violin. I really can't gush enough about that book. I'm reading the sequel right now and seriously cannot put it down! I loved Hillary's book too. And oh man, every single thing Susan May Warren writes is amazing. Also loved Beth's and Katie's. I've got Katherine Reay's second book waiting on my kindle…cannot wait to devour it.
It's a keeper, Melissa. Lots of awesome-ness to be found in those pages. :)
How many times must I tell myself to read Kristy's!? She's a cool lady to chat with and her book has been praised lots. I won a copy in a giveaway, but it came while I was in the midst of a large publisher TBR stack. Hopefully the new year will allow me to read it. Glad to know the sequel is good! From all the reports on book one, I'd expect nothing less. :) Yay for Hillary's. Bring on book two I say. ;) Susan's books never cease to amaze me. Katie's, Beth's and of course, Katherine's… all were must reads! Hope you enjoy Lizzy & Jane. It's too good to miss. :)
Thanks so much! Such an honor for In Between to make your list.
I cannot believe I haven't reviewed it yet, Jenny! Once January rolls around, it's high on my to-review list. Loved this "new" set of characters. Katie is one of the best, albeit a bit complex characters I've met. :)
Thanks so much, Rissi, for including Meant to Be Mine on this list! It's wonderful to see so many contemporary romance novels represented. Yay! And I've been writing long enough now to call many of these authors friends.
I really appreciate your year long support of Christian fiction. Here's to a lot of great reads in 2015!
My pleasure, Becky! I've gushed about Meant to be Mine in excess, which means, I'll leave it at that. :) Contemporary is (overall) my favorite genre. However I do think these past couple of years, authors have been amazing in said genre. They're crafting new, more complex, realistic (and genuine) stories that touch hearts. Well done to you all! :)
It's been a pleasure to support this community in any small way. :)
I have so many good things about ' Storm Siren', 'Lizzy and Jane', 'How a star falls', and Julianna Deerings books. I (hopeful) give those books a read in 2015.
Happy New Years, by the way:)
Yay! Hope you can read those in 2015, Ella. They are worthy of those good things. :)
…Happy New Year to you as well! I cannot believe today is the last day of 2014. Wow.
Thank you Rissi!!
:)
Hope you have a wonderful New Year, Rissi! Any reading goals for 2015? Seems like your lists are always packed full of good stuff :)
Hi, Shaina! You too, hope 2015 is awesome. :)
Reading goals are really just to better balance my publisher TBR against the books I've bought and/or been gifted. I *need* to start reading some of those too… and am hoping 2015 is the year. Plus I have some (upcoming) pretty awesome sounding 2015 titles to read… some of which are from you guys! *cough* Susan May Warren, maybe…!?
I'm so glad to see several mutual favorites on your list, Rissi! Of course, you know how I LOVE Susan May Warren's. And I'm so jealous/happy that you've already read Casper's story!!!
Melissa's, Denise's, Hillary's, Amber's, and Katherine's are all so great. I have Katie's sitting on my shelf, still waiting to be squeezed in to reading sometime, along with Dani's and "Once Upon a Prince" by Rachel. Here's to happy reading in 2015!
Casper's story… wow. Even better than I imagined. Going to be reviewing it next week.
Love seeing mutual favorites; it makes it all the more fun. Ooh, hope you can read Katie's and Dani's soon and of course, Rachel's area always beautiful. Happy 2015 reading! :)
Great picks, Rissi! Many of these will be on my own list, once I get myself in gear and actually put it together! Several others are currently in my TBR pile, and I can't wait to get to them! Oh, and I'm a little jealous that you've already read Always on my Mind. It should be on its way to my mailbox any day now!
Looking forward to your best of list, Becky! Betting it'll be cool. :)
Hope Always on my Mind arrived. It's definitely a surprise read though of the best kind. :)
Great list! I still want to read Lizzy & Jane. :)
Table By The Window was probably on my top five for 2014. I'm hoping she write more books!
Hope you enjoy Lizzy & Jane, Heather. Still a favorite of mine.
As for Hillary's books, yes, she has a sequel due out this spring. Cannot wait to see what comes next…! :)
Phew, I'm back! For the last ten days I've only had access to blogs via phone and trying to leave comments that way inevitably gives me small screen rage :)
My top 5 for the year were A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner, The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot, A Broken Kind of Beautiful, Meant to Be Mine and Lizzy & Jane :)
I hear you, Kara! Leaving comments on phones… so not easy! :)
Katie's, Becky's and Katherine's = DITTO! I've not read the other two you mention though have heard that Tracy's is brilliantly good. Thanks for sharing!
Rissi! I pinned this a while back so I'd remember to come back and read through your list. :) You have some beauties on here – and some that I can't wait to read. Great list! :)
Hi, Charity! So good to see you again. It's been to long since we chatted. :)
Thanks for visiting. I'm pretty happy with 2014's reads. Hope you had a good year of reading too – and bring on 2015 methinks. :)
I still need to post my favorites. I can't believe I haven't gotten to it yet, but I suppose that's what happens when you take a hiatus and then are really busy when you're trying to get back in the swing of things. :) I love so many of these! I know several I haven't read that I'm sure will be favorites as well. So glad you shared!
Whenever you do… I'll be by to check out that list! :)
I totally get the busyness and trying to get back in the swing of things. Even if I'm not going a lot of places over Christmas, my days are still very different. Now it's back to normal. :) Hope you enjoy those you still plan to read.