life is a single skip for joy

Wherein I recommend and/or warn you about some of the awesome/terrible things I read in 2014!


Absolute Favorite Reads of 2014
I'm kind of embarrassed at how much YA is here, but these are my absolute favorites from the year.
The Raven Cycle Series (The Raven Boys/The Dream Thieves/Blue Lily, Lily Blue), Maggie Stiefvater | Link. Link. Link. | Not high literature, but I love these characters and the way Maggie writes them. After reading lots of really ambitious YA series' with big stories, complicated worlds, and rambling histories, I love how small the world is here and the atmosphere/setting. As a matter of fact, I think this series helped me to see that I prefer that kind of story. There's going to be a fourth book this year. I can't wait.
The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros | Short read but really memorable. Many moments of poignancy that brought me to tears. So many quotable passages here. "I have begun my own quiet war. Simple. Sure. I am one who leaves the table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate."
The Martian, Andy Weir | I'm sure you've all been recced this by someone by now. Not a deep read, but a vastly entertaining one. Mark Watney is a sarcastic genius who gets left on Mars. Can't wait for the movie.
The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt | There's a goofy plotline in here about some class pets that run away and go missing, only to resurface later in order to cause havoc, but otherwise this is a lovely YA coming-of-age story. Set on Long Island in the 1960s.
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, Tom Franklin | I can't really pinpoint WHY I liked this book so much in part because it's been so long since I read it. But it is definitely top of the list material. This is a mystery that runs deeper than the genre typically does.
When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead | Another YA coming-of-age story with a slight sci-fi twist. This one is set in New York City in the late 70s early 80s. (I can't remember.) I purchased both this one and The Wednesday Wars to own after reading them so they could be a part of my permanent collection. I own very few books so this is rare!


Loved, With Reservations
These were all pretty great, just shy of being stellar.
2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajama's, Marie-Helene Bertino | I read this book on Christmas Eve Eve, which happens to be the entire setting for the book. This is a bit quirky and has great atmosphere, the thing that kept me from putting it at the top of the list is mostly the added magical realism. I never know how to take that element in any story!
Yes Please, Amy Poehler | This was good. Even great. But it wasn't more than any other celebrity auto-biography/pseudo-memoir. Do I love her even more after reading it? Yes. Is it anything more than entertaining? Not really.
Tiny Beautiful Things, Cheryl Strayed | This is an awesome book and everyone should read it. My first time with this author and I really loved what she had to say. (I haven't yet read Wild, but it was a Christmas gift so I'm getting to it!) I think the only reason it's not at the top of the list is that the format may take some getting used to. It's selected essays from an advice column, so when Cheryl is talking about her life/experiences in these essays you're totally drawn in, but I did get kind of bored with some of the problems/issues that people wrote to her about.
Five Days at Memorial, Sheri Fink | Set in a hospital with stranded patients/staff during hurricane Katrina. This was fascinating on many levels. First, the level of research that had to be done to re-construct those five days is astounding. Second, what happened there is just horrifying. Definitely worth a read but it's very long. The only thing wasn't wonderful (for me) was a lot of the legal talk, especially toward the end. But overall this is a great book.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematorium, Caitlin Doughty | This book is a memoir written about the author's time working for a crematory -- it is exactly as morbid as it sounds but thankfully her tone makes it palatable. This book has completely made me rethink burial/death rituals in modern America.
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote | As with Memorial, the level of research (read: obsession) that it took to re-create this story is completely mind-blowing. Again, this is a long one. (Hey, some people like that!) I found Capote's involvement with this completely fascinating. I watched some interviews with him on youtube after reading it, and his attachment to Perry is so clear, just as I felt it was in the book.

I Love These, But I'm Not IN Love With These
These go in the "If you're already interested in reading these, you should," category.
The Bone Clocks, David Mitchell | A long read and worth it. But very detailed and felt kind of like work. I was happy I read it in the end but would hesitate to recommend it to others. (I think I'm the only one in my book club that really liked this.)
Not That Kind of Girl, Lena Dunham | I found it fascinating and strange, like Miss Dunham herself. I know there is some post-publish controversy surrounding it but I feel like most of that is unwarranted. If you like Lena, and if you find her interesting and you WANT to read this book, then read it. You won't be sorry.
My Friend Dahmer, Derf Backderf | This is my first graphic novel. It was written by a classmate of Jeffrey Dahmer's that is all about Dahmer's high school days and pre-cannibal ways. He was in no way "just a normal kid." This book kind of stuck with me because I find myself thinking about it a lot after reading.
The Fault in Our Stars, John Green | I was surprised I liked this book. At the same time, it gave me the sense that I am probably not a John Green fan at heart. Worth the read just to see what all the fuss is/was about.
Where the Heart Is, Billie Letts | I have loved this movie forever and had never read the book. I remember a LOT of girls in high school reading it. If you cut out the Willy Jack parts of the book, this would have ranked higher. It really is great.
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line, Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham | Okay so this was pretty good and a great continuation of the show. There are a couple of really great Veronica and Weevil scenes. I have such affection for Weevil. He always gets the short end of the stick. Full disclosure, I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Kristen Bell and I fully recommend you do the same.


Biggest Disappointments
Not necessarily the worst I've read this year, but my expectations were far too high for these and the crash back to earth was pretty painful.
Rooms, Lauren Oliver | Wow, I hated this book. I'm sorry. I enjoyed the first two books of hers I read. But her latest work, including this one (an adult novel, as opposed to her requisite YA), has just been more and more disappointing.
An Untamed State, Roxane Gay | I know Roxane Gay's name but have never read anything by her. She also published Bad Feminist this year which I am considering reading despite not really loving this book. There's lots of rape. I just couldn't deal with it.
Let's Get Lost, Adi Alsaid | This book was on way too many book lists and was just awful in my opinion. Terrible. Stay away!
Flash Boys, Michael Lewis | Another non-fiction book about... um... internet speeds? No, it's actually about the stock market. But there's just way too much technical jargon about wires. Literally. I should have read Moneyball instead.
Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline | I was recommended this book by one of my library compatriots. It was not for me. Maybe it's a good book actually and I just have bad taste? Maybe?
The Solitude of Prime Numbers, Paolo Giordano | Rider Strong recommended this on Literary Disco (and a lot of the books above are actually books I read because of that podcast) and I really loved the sound of the book and the beginning, and the writing was actually really good, but I really didn't like the characters (I know you don't HAVE to like the characters) but... yeah. I expected so much more.
Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein | Just was not for me.
Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell | Recommended by the same co-worker that recommended The Orphan Train. I know a lot of people love this author but after reading this book I took every one of her books off my to-reads list. It's not that I had a problem with the story. But I felt it was just unremarkable in every way.
Divergent/Insurgent/Allegient, Veronica Roth | Okay I liked the first book even though it had its problems. But in the next two books I really felt like the author just made her world too big and the story was kind of all over the place. Not to mention I could not stand Tris and Four in the second book. The movie on the other hand? I loved the movie. And I felt like it improved on the book so much. And the preview for the second movie? I have already metaphorically bought my ticket. So this is the one case in all of human history where the movie is just BETTER than the book. Period.
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle | I don't know what I expected. Maybe I should have read this as a child. Sorry for everyone who loves this book. It plays a huge part in the plot of When You Reach Me and so that's how this ended up on my to-read list this past year. I should have just re-read the wonderful When You Reach Me instead.