Monday 29 December 2014

2014 Favourites

2014 Favourites:
 
I haven't had a great year, reading-wise I mean. My book stats on Goodreads show me that out of the 250 books I have read this year (as of the 27th of December), I have read:

2 five star reads
52 four star reads
79 three star reads
75 two star reads
34 one star reads

...over 50% of my books I rated only three stars or under. I don't know about you, but I that sort of statistic makes me quite depressed. Reading is, of course, my hobby and want to enjoy it. Unfortunately, this year hasn't been the greatest in that sense.

But disregarding those facts, I did  manage to read a couple of books that I can I only describe as incredible. Lets take a look at them...
 

The Hundred by Kass Morgan
 


 


 

I know that it wasn't a particularly standout book nor was it a very popular book but I loved it. The characters were fantastic, the diversity was perfect and the change of POVs created a extra level of suspense and drama. The plot was complex and engaging. The romances were heart-warming. I just couldn't fault it. Everything I love in a book was here and it all just worked.
 
Favourite Series:

Anna and the French Kiss series
by Stephanie Perkins
 
 
 
Hands down! The characters, the romance, the humour, the settings, the stories... its all fantastic. This series is a companion novel, meaning that the series can be read separately (as standalones) but they contain connecting characters and sideplots so that they can be read as a whole.
 
The Kane Chronicles
by Rick Riordan
 
 
 
 I think, compared to this series, the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series is completely overhyped. This is where Rick Riordan's uses his real magic! Carter and the other characters are so much more realistic and lovable than Percy and Annabeth. Going on their adventures and trying to save the world from the essence of chaos itself is so much more exciting than finding out about that damn prophecy. I loved this series to pieces. It was so much fun and I would hastily recommend it.

The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials
by James Dashner
 
 
 
I haven't had the chance to read the third book yet but I will definitely be picking it up next year sometime.
 
Flitterwig and Clearheart
by Ederi Cullen
 
 
 
*******
 
Favourite Sequels:
 
The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)
by Julie Kagawa
 
 
 
Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings #4)
by Jackson Pearce
 
 
 
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
by Marissa Meyer

 

 The Awakening (Darkest Powers #2)by Kelley Armstrong


Amazon | The Book Depository

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3)
by Kristin Cashore


Amazon | The Book Depository

Series Starters:

Ice Forged (Ascendants Kingdom #1)
by Gail Z. Martin


Amazon | The Book Depository

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes (Rose Gardner Mysteries #1)
by Denise Grover Swank


Amazon (Free) | The Book Depository

The Brokenhearted (Brokenhearted #1)
by Amelia Kahaney


Amazon | The Book Depository

I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1)
by Pittacus Lore

 

Unearthly (Unearthly #1)
by Cynthia Hand


Amazon | The Book Depository

Trial by Fire (The Worldwalker Trilogy #1)
by Josephine Angelini

 
Glitch (Glitch #1)
by Heather Anastasiu


Amazon | The Book Depository

Living Dead Girl (Living Dead World #1)
by Nessie Strange


Standalones:

Deadly Secrets by Sarah Barrie
Don't Let Go by Sharla Lovelace
 
 
Amazon (Deadly Secrets) | Amazon (Don't Let Go)
 
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
 
 
Amazon (Tiger Lily) | Amazon (This is What Happy Looks Like)
 
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour
 
Amazon (Since You've Been Gone) | Amazon (Everything Leads to You)
 
One Moment by Kristin McBride
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
 
 
Amazon (One Moment) | Amazon (Dreamland)
 
**********

I don't think I am going to read any more "favourites" by the official end of the year but if I do I'll talk about them in my January Wrap-Up.
 
What were some of your favourite books of the year? Did you love any of the same books as me? I would love to know. I do need some recommendations. :)

 

10 comments:

  1. That sucks you had a mainlyy 3 star year! :( but it sounds like you did read some good ones. Im glad u liked the Kane Chronicles! I love that series too! I'm so looking forward to his new series coming this next year ^_^

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    1. Its is pretty sucky that I didn't have fantastic year but I have ended it pretty well as all the books I have read in the last week have been fantastic. :) The Kane Chronicles was an amazing series and I am so pumped about Riordan's new series. Its about Norse mythology right? :)

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  2. Anna and the French Kiss I think is everyone's favourite series this year! It's so good!!! I usually have to wait ages before I can reread stuff but with Anna and the French Kiss I read all of them like twice or three times in the spaces of half a year!! I love love love them :D I also love love love your blog! 250 books is bloody impressive :O I'm about to set my Goodreads challenge but I was thinking maybe 100? I feel a bit of a pathetic book worm now! Well done :D Also, merry Christmas and great work!!

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    1. I don't see how Anna could not be a favourite series - it was just so damn good! Really!? I have had the chance to reread them yet because I don't own them but I want to buy them so I can! I am swooning just thinking about more of St Clair and Josh... *sigh* Thanks so much for that Evie! And I am pretty proud of myself for reading that many books! Its much. much more than I managed next year. Don't feel "pathetic" for your goal! Everyone has a different reading speed and isn't how much you read - its about how much you enjoy it. Thanks and a belated Merry Christmas to you too. Happy reading!

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  3. Wow, that is a disappointing lot of books. Hopefully 2015 is better for you :) The Awakening was so great! I've just read the Maze Runner, and I can't wait to read the second one. I really want to read the 100 too. Anna and the French Kiss, however, I really didn't like... I think I'm one of the very few people that didn't

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    1. It was a bit disappointing this year and I hope that next year is better too. Thanks for that. :) I am really eager to read the third book in the Darkest Powers now and I have to say that The Scorch Trials was really good so I hope you enjoy it. I definitely recommend The 100 to you. You didn't like Anna? That's a shame. Have you tried the other books in the series? The third book was better, if you're interested. :)

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  4. You read so many books! 250 is SUCH an impressive achievement, it's just a shame you didn't end up enjoying more. :( I'm glad you enjoyed The Kane Chronicles, Scarlet, Everything Leads to You, and The Eternity Cure. I thought they were all pretty good - especially The Eternity Cure. I really want to read Anna and Since You've Been Gone (I bought them both fairly recently and need to get to them), so it's nice to see you liked those too! Good luck for reading in 2015, I hope you find loads of books worthy of 5 stars. :)

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    1. Thanks Charlotte. I have to say I am pretty proud of myself this year. What was your number? I am glad you enjoyed Everything Leads to You, not many people enjoyed that one but I found it really sweet. I must recommend Anna. Its sooo good! Happy reading to you too and I hope I can found some better books next too. :)

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    2. 179. I'm a little annoyed with myself I couldn't finish one more, just to round it up though. I found it really sweet too, especially how it handled the fact that Emi was gay. I didn't think it was the most amazing thing like people were saying it was, but I definitely want to check out more of Nina LaCour's work. I really need to get on and read Anna then!

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    3. That's a good number though. You still have about an hour to read a novella and get that number up. Good luck! :) I think it handled Emi's characters very well too and it was really refreshing to read from a non-sterotyped "straight" protagonist. I really want to read LaCour's The Disenchaments now. Yes, you must read Anna!

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