Top Ten Books of 2014

Coming to my Best of the Year list a little late, but better than never.

I read 82 books this year (possibly a few more I forgot to write down). This doesn't count manga or comics. I used to be steadily above 100. I need to get back up there. It's already January 12 and I've only finished two books, although I'm almost done with two more. Need to start reading!

Top Ten Young Adult Books of 2014:

10. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

One of the weirdest books I've ever read. But in a good way. Basically it's a 16 year old boy's stream of conscious ramblings about sex, sexual identity, friendship, and family. Plus giant grasshoppers taking over the world.

9. Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Breathe, Annie, Breathe continues Miranda's streak of wonderful novels. You always know what you're going to get in a Hundred Oaks book, but I also always manage to be a little bit surprised. This is a perfect feel-good summer book and also a perfect book for runners.

8. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

I didn't like this quite as much as Anna, but still it's a stellar book. Stephanie Perkins sets a high standard for contemporary fiction. Best of all, we're back in Paris and back with all our favorite characters.

4. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars is a perfect combination of enchanting writing, intriguing characters, forbidden romance, and a suspenseful plot. The wonderful writing kept me glued to the page, and I loved both Lilac and Tarver.

5. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

The perfect summer book features the beach and/or a road trip. Since You've Been Gone has elements of both! Plus, self-discovery, friendship, and romance. It's all around delightful.

3. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park really is a stand-out novel. It hits every note of a teenage romance with all its ups and downs, without feeling melodramatic. Eleanor and Park are characters you come to love and care for, despite their flaws.

4. Wildlife by Fiona Wood

A beautiful story of self-discovery and coming of age. Very much in the mold of Melina Marchetta. Set in a semester long boarding wilderness camp in Australia, it deals with friendship, loss, love, and betrayal.

3. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You The Sun is one of those books that I could read over and over again and get something more out of each time. Marvelous writing, "real characters." Beautiful romances but most of all a complicated but wonderful relationship between twin siblings. The romances are beautiful, but most of all the relationship between the twins - fraught though it may be at times - is the most memorable and heartwarming part of the novel.

2. Something Real by Heather Demetrios

Something Real is a hard hitting, realistic look at the downside of fame and at a severely dysfunctional family. And yet it is immensely readable. It manages to be funny, sad, touching, uplifting, and infuriating without feeling maudlin. One of the most compelling contemporary fiction books I've read in a long time.

1. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Read We Were Liars. Don't look up anything about it. Just pick it up. It's a beautiful, heart-breaking book that stays with you long after you finish the last page.