My Top Five Reads of 2014 (so far)

I’m part of a Goodreads group for Aussie readers and they’ve asked everyone what their five favourite reads of 2014 are. As I’m posting this I’m reading Endsinger by Jay Kristoff, and I strongly suspect that would make my list if I’d finished it already. But I haven’t. Sorry, Jay. :p

Because my list of favourite reads this year is about 20 long, I’m picking these ones based on the emotional resonance they left me with after I was done…

Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson. A combination of the creepy-ass southern gothic vibe and the unreliable narrator left me reeling when I finished this book. It’s the definition of a sucker punch!

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. This book stood out for me because of its fantastic characters, and the spooky atmosphere. It was the first book by Maggie Steifvater that I’ve read, and I’m going back for the rest!

Unhinged by A. G. Howard. I preferred this to the first book in the series, which I also read this year – probably because I find Jeb kind of annoying (ok, very), and he was off-camera for most of the book. I dug the creepy Wonderland feel, especially set in the real world.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Madeline Miller’s treatment of Achilles and his lover Patroclus is simply beautiful. By the end of the book I’d fallen in love with both boys, despite their faults.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. This book surprised me because rather than being heartrendingly sad, it was actually quite uplifting – if poignant. It was also my first John Green book, so I got to enjoy his clever, funny style for the first time.

 

 

 

 

Honourable mention

I’ve been listening to The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne on audiobook (via Audible) and enjoying them thoroughly. The books are a four-star read for me because I have a few niggling gripes here and there, but they are lots of fun and the narrator, Christopher Ragland, is my newest crush. His vocal talents are amazing – and if his Twitter profile is anything to go by, he’s a bit of a honey too!