2014 Book List
Oh, my. I waited until NOVEMBER to post my 2014 book list? Holy smokes, that's pretty bad.
Well, let's not delay any further. In 2014--that would be LAST year--I read 53 books. Most were pretty decent. The big gems were The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and The End of the Point by Elizabeth Graver. They were amazingly wonderful.
Honorable mention went to Foreign Affairs by Allison Lurie and Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple. I loved both.
2015 is shaping up to be an even bigger reading year. If you're good, I might post that list by, say, SPRING. If you're good.
Without further delay, here's the list of books I read last year:
Well, let's not delay any further. In 2014--that would be LAST year--I read 53 books. Most were pretty decent. The big gems were The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and The End of the Point by Elizabeth Graver. They were amazingly wonderful.
Honorable mention went to Foreign Affairs by Allison Lurie and Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple. I loved both.
2015 is shaping up to be an even bigger reading year. If you're good, I might post that list by, say, SPRING. If you're good.
Without further delay, here's the list of books I read last year:
1. The
Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
509 pages Rating: 3.5
For all intents and purposes, Da Vinci Code set in DC.
For all intents and purposes, Da Vinci Code set in DC.
2. Foreign
Affairs by Allison Lurie
280 pages Rating: 4.5
A stuffy lit professor falls for a rough-around-the-edges American in England. Pulitzer winner.
3. The
Circus in Winter by Cathy Day
271 pages Rating: 4
What's the circus like during the off-season? This set of stories explores the carnie lives.
What's the circus like during the off-season? This set of stories explores the carnie lives.
4. Sippy
Cups Are Not for Chardonnay by Stefanie
Wilder-Taylor
240 pages Rating: 4
My kind of parenting book. Irreverent and witty.
My kind of parenting book. Irreverent and witty.
5. Bright
Young Things by Anna Godbersen
389 pages Rating: 4
YA novel, first in a series, set in the 1920s. Lots of fun.
YA novel, first in a series, set in the 1920s. Lots of fun.
6. Only
Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
384 pages Rating: 3.75
Archer can plot a book. Compulsive reading.
384 pages Rating: 3.75
Archer can plot a book. Compulsive reading.
7. The
Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer
339 pages Rating: 3.5
Second book in Archer's series; not as good as the first and believability gets threatened.
339 pages Rating: 3.5
Second book in Archer's series; not as good as the first and believability gets threatened.
8. The
Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
386 pages Rating: 5
OMG it's amazing. A childless couple in creates a child of snow.
386 pages Rating: 5
OMG it's amazing. A childless couple in creates a child of snow.
9. Gold by Chris Cleave
321 pages Rating: 4
Bicycling, Olympics, and a child with cancer.
321 pages Rating: 4
Bicycling, Olympics, and a child with cancer.
10. The
Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn
387 pages Rating: 3.5
Another mystery by Raybourn. My least favorite so far.
387 pages Rating: 3.5
Another mystery by Raybourn. My least favorite so far.
11. Beautiful
Ruins Jess Walter
337 pages Rating: 4.25
Such great writing here. Set in Italy and Hollywood across 50 years, a quasi love affair.337 pages Rating: 4.25
12. Contented
Among Strangers by Linda Schelbitzki
Pickle
230 pages Rating: 4
Excellent research and digging into the lives of German-speaking women (women!) on the Northern Plains frontier. Very thoughtful treatment of the subject. Fascinating stuff.
328 pages Rating: 4
Oh, tear your heart out. A young boy with autism copes with the death of his mother. Excellent use of voice.
230 pages Rating: 4
Excellent research and digging into the lives of German-speaking women (women!) on the Northern Plains frontier. Very thoughtful treatment of the subject. Fascinating stuff.
328 pages Rating: 4
Oh, tear your heart out. A young boy with autism copes with the death of his mother. Excellent use of voice.
14. The Children's
Blizzard by David Laskin
288 pages Rating: 4.25
Weather made interesting! FASCINATING account of the 1888 blizzard that came out of nowhere and killed many children walking home from school on the Northern Plains.
288 pages Rating: 4.25
Weather made interesting! FASCINATING account of the 1888 blizzard that came out of nowhere and killed many children walking home from school on the Northern Plains.
15. Where'd
You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
335 pages Rating: 4.5
Is this book actually that hilarious, or is it because it's set Seattle that I find it so good? So witty, so funny, so creative. Read it.
335 pages Rating: 4.5
Is this book actually that hilarious, or is it because it's set Seattle that I find it so good? So witty, so funny, so creative. Read it.
16. The
Bones of Plenty by Lois Phillips Hudson
435 pages Rating: 4
Grapes of Wrath set in the Dakotas. Actually, arguably better than Steinbeck. 435 pages Rating: 4
17. Best
Kept Secret by Jeffrey Archer
496 pages Rating: 3
Third book in the Archer series. Predictably fast paced, with Dickensian plotting.496 pages Rating: 3
18. Unravelling by Elizabeth Graver
298 pages Rating: 4.75
Beautiful novel of a mother-daughter relationship. Highly recommended.298 pages Rating: 4.75
19. Ideas
of Heaven: A Ring of Stories by Joan
Silber
247 pages Rating: 4
A collection of stories, each very different and very solid. Recommended.247 pages Rating: 4
20. Mindset:
The New Psychology of Success by Carol
Dweck
288 pages Rating: 3.75
A Carolyn Hax recommendation. Super interesting.288 pages Rating: 3.75
21. The
Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
320 pages Rating: 4.5
Another example of subtly amazing writing that demonstrates why Strout is so good at what she does. Recommended. 320 pages Rating: 4.5
22. A
Life's Work: On Becoming a Mother by Rachel
Cusk
212 pages Rating: 4
A writerly autobiography on motherhood. Very intelligent and thoughtful, very well written. Recommended.212 pages Rating: 4
23. Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan
416 pages Rating: 4
A tale of Smithies--four college friends at Smith. I enjoyed it more than I think I should've. It's not spectacular, but . . . I liked it. A lot.416 pages Rating: 4
24. A
Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
351 pages Rating: 4
At a Rhode Island summer spot, we get intrigue and romance in the 1930s. A great summertime read.351 pages Rating: 4
25. Mistakes
I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It
Wrong Edited by Jessica Bacal
An uninspiring mish-mash of essays about making mistakes.
304 pages Rating: 2.5
An uninspiring mish-mash of essays about making mistakes.
304 pages Rating: 2.5
26. The
Cage and the Key by Amy Abrams
220 pages Rating: 3
Heavy in the metaphor and symbolism, in a rather obvious way. Okay.220 pages Rating: 3
27. The
Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister
272 pages Rating: 4
Sequel to Bauermeister's admirable School of Essential Ingredients. Totally delivered. And Bauermeister is an Oxy grad to boot. 272 pages Rating: 4
28. Lean
In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl
Sandberg
217 pages Rating: 4.25
Despite its bad press, this is a relevant, well-argued, insightful book about what it means to be a working woman. Read. It. 217 pages Rating: 4.25
29. Anna
and the French Kiss by Stephanie
Perkins
372 pages Rating: 3.25
A fairly decent YA novel set in Paris.372 pages Rating: 3.25
30. We Were
Liars E. Lockhart
240 pages Rating: 4.25
Lockhart is fantastic. And so is this book. A great YA summer read.240 pages Rating: 4.25
31. Gift of
the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
132 pages Rating: 4
Who knew Lindbergh was such a good writer? A surprisingly insightful, valuable little book.132 pages Rating: 4
32. The
Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
237 pages Rating: 3
Okay, I think there IS some value here, if you can get past the total cheeseball factor.237 pages Rating: 3
33. The
Year of the Gadfly by Jennifer Miller
384 pages Rating: 4
A well-written twist for the tried and true prep school drama genre.384 pages Rating: 4
34. The
Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen
371 pages Rating: 4
A brilliantly written novel that explores loss and marriage. And kids.371 pages Rating: 4
35. The
Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
448 pages Rating: 4
Set in Washington State a good 100 or so years ago. First half stronger than the second. But still very good.448 pages Rating: 4
36. The End
of the Point by Elizabeth Graver
335 pages Rating: 5
One of my very favorite reads of the year. Spectacularly written, this novel chronicles a family and its island place in Massachusetts in the 1940s forward. Loved it.335 pages Rating: 5
37. Winner
of the National Book Award: A Novel of Fame, Honor, and Really Bad Weather by Jincy
Willett
321 pages Rating: 4
A deliciously snarky tale of two opposite twins. Recommended.321 pages Rating: 4
38. The
Fault in Our Stars by John Green
352 pages Rating: 4
The YA sensation---two love-struck teens with cancer. It actually IS that good. Recommended.352 pages Rating: 4
39. The
Testament of Mary by Colm
Toibin
96 pages Rating: 4.5
An imagine narrative of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who says it wasn't worth it. Amazingly written.96 pages Rating: 4.5
40. The
Harbormaster's Daughter by Heidi Jon
Schmidt
368 pages Rating: 3
After enjoying Schmidt's House on Oyster Creek, I had hoped for another good read. Although the writing was good, I was bored. A lot. Not recommended.368 pages Rating: 3
41. The
Haunting of Cambria by Richard
Taylor
304 pages Rating: 3
A decent haunted house book, though the sex was gratuitous. 304 pages Rating: 3
42. Her
Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
324 pages Rating: 4
An adorable, witty mystery of a down-on-her-luck quasi-royal in Britain in the 1930s. 324 pages Rating: 4
43. Dracula
in Love by Karen Essex
384 pages Rating: 4
A retelling of the story of Dracula. Fantastic.384 pages Rating: 4
44. Gentlemen
and Players by Joanne Harris
422 pages Rating: 3.75
Another prep school drama, with some unexpected twists. Could've been shorter. Quasi-recommended.422 pages Rating: 3.75
45. A Royal
Pain by Rhys Bowen
320 pages Rating: 4
The second book of royal wit in the Royal Spyness series. Loved it. 320 pages Rating: 4
46. The
Wolves of Andover by Kathleen
Kent
300 pages Rating: 4
Set in the 1600s in colonial Massachusetts, a servant and outcast become buddies.300 pages Rating: 4
47. Let it
Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson,
and Lauren Myracle
342 pages Rating: 3.5
Three holiday-themed and interconnected stories written by three YA authors. Two were great; one was totally sucky.342 pages Rating: 3.5
48. The
Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
400 pages Rating: 4
A well-written, absorbing story involving a Vermont farmhouse, in the present and past, with disappearances and a delicious creep factor. Highly recommended.400 pages Rating: 4
49. The
Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire
Shipman
256 pages Rating: 3.5
Explores how confidence is created and executed in girls and women, particularly in a world that doesn't quite know what to do with confident women. Not a perfect book but highly recommended for women in business and those with daughters to raise. 256 pages Rating: 3.5
50. Winter
Street by Elin Hilderbrand
256 pages Rating: 2.5
The equivalent of a holiday Lifetime movie. Not recommended. 256 pages Rating: 2.5
51. Snobs by Julian Fellowes 288 4
A hilarious tale in which a girl marries up (to and earl) in British society, then runs off with an actor. Oh, the fallout. Recommended.
52. The
Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful by Myquillyn Smith
198 pages Rating: 3
A decent homemaking and decorating book that is more about how to approach decorating your home than how to decorate. Which is its appeal. Also, the it strongly promotes making rented apartments or homes beautiful too---a hugely important thing, especially in tough economic times. It's the ultimate "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" decorating book and I do think it helped me further shape how I want MY home to feel. The tone is a little saccharine, but I still recommend it. 198 pages Rating: 3
53. Lydia's
Party by Margaret Hawkins
304 pages Rating: 3.5
All of Lydia's friends come over for their annual winter party. Lydia is dying of cancer, so they'll find out tonight. Bit of a downer but pretty decent. Quasi-recommended.
304 pages Rating: 3.5
All of Lydia's friends come over for their annual winter party. Lydia is dying of cancer, so they'll find out tonight. Bit of a downer but pretty decent. Quasi-recommended.
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