Best books of 2014 + writing update + vote for Laika!
I’m very happy to say that I rang in the New Year with my second best writing day of my life to date! On December 31st I wrote over 6,000 words for my in-progress novel. In fact, I was writing when midnight struck (I’m obviously not a socialite). My best writing day so far was a year ago (January 2014) when I wrote over 7,000 words for Laika in Lisan in one day. Usually I’m satisfied if I can manage 1,000 words in a single day, so 6,000 on New Year’s Eve is a huge deal for me. I’m loving my time off from work right now–my writing pace has been great this past week! (The novel is currently at ~80,000 words.)
I’m also excited to announce that Laika in Lisan was selected as a finalist for the fantasy-romance genre in the 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards at Moonrise Book Blog! If you’ve read and enjoyed Laika in Lisan, please consider voting for it at this page. (Voting closes January 13.) I contacted Moonrise the day after Laika in Lisan was published on Amazon to request an honest review of the book on her blog, and she agreed to take a chance on it–despite the fact that I’m an unknown author and the book had 0 prior reviews. (Her lovely and thoughtful review can be read here.) I’m honored that Laika was selected as a finalist, especially given the significance of Moonrise Book Blog in Laika‘s history.
And on that note, here is my own Best Books of 2014 list! (These are books I read in 2014. Many were published earlier.)
Best Book Overall
This is the second novel in the Farseer Trilogy (you should read Assassin’s Apprentice
first). Holy shit. I laughed, I cried, I had a moment of complete reader ecstasy. As the kids are saying these days, OMG THE FEELS. I could spend years inside Fitz’s first-person narrative.
Best Indie (Self-published) Book
House of Secrets: A Bletchley Park Novella by W. Len
House of Secrets is a fast-paced novella about a man working alongside Alan Turing as a codebreaker in WWII. I read it in one sitting and I highly recommend it.
Most Clever Storytelling
Absolutely by Melissa Veracruz
Absolutely is a romance that addresses both partners’ points of view. The reader learns about events as they unfold from both Ashlyn’s perspective and Kiel’s perspective in a way that is never dull. It’s a heartwarming story, and I was always impressed by the transitions between perspectives.
Best Book Judged By Its Cover
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
The cover of The Ghost Bride caught my eye in a monthly Goodreads newsletter. I immediately thought, “What is this beautiful book?!?!” Fortunately the blurb was just as appealing as the cover, and the story inside didn’t disappoint. I’m so glad I judged this book by its cover.
Best Nonfiction
Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader by Bradley Martin
This is a really tough category because I read a lot of great nonfiction books this year. In terms of the overall impact a book had on me, the award has to go to Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader. It actually took me over a year to read this massive book, but I finished it in 2014 so I’m counting it this year. This book covers North Korea from many angles (history, politics, economy, journalism, human rights violations). I’m very frustrated by how North Korea is in the news for nearly everything but human rights violations. It’s a big fucking deal (excuse my language), yet instead we just laugh at the Kims and North Korea’s puny missiles. Those are important, too, but why aren’t more people talking about the human rights situation? A detailed report came out this year on the topic, and it was in the news for about five minutes and then poof — no more mention, no countries doing anything about it. Anyway, as a side note, this book was a source of inspiration for certain parts of Laika in Lisan (Lisan is modeled after North Korea).
Best Audiobook
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
I’ve been listening to audiobooks slightly more regularly now that I spend two hours a day in the car. Botany of Desire made my commute more than bearable–I was eager to return to my car to continue the book! I learned all sorts of interesting things about plants. That might sound boring, but it’s not. Trust me.
Fun & Funniest Book
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
What a romp! That’s the best way to describe Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was. Incredible mythology, humor, wit, epic adventure, and just AHH! So much fun.
Best Villain
Kennit, the villain in Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders trilogy, is superbly written. What I love about him is that he is cruel, sadistic, and undoubtedly evil in his motives… yet everything he does actually ends up improving the lives of the people around him. Wow! Robin Hobb, I will love you forever. (Kennit aside, this is an awesome trilogy. Five stars is not enough to describe how good Ship of Magic is.)
