2014 Reading Year in Review!

JANUARY

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
2. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
3. Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
4. Shadow and Bone (Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo
5. Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich
6. Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer
7. Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

FEBRUARY

8. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
9. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
10. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
11. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
12. Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
13. Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
14. Private L.A. by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan

MARCH

15. Siege and Storm (Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo
16. The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
17. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
18. The Distance Between Us by Kami West
19. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
20. First Love by James Patterson and Emily Raymond
21. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
22. Black Horizon by James Patterson

APRIL

23. NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson and Marshall Karp
24. Panic by Lauren Oliver
25. The Giver by Lois Lowry
26. Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
27. Tempting Fate by Jane Green
28. The King (The Black Dagger Brotherhood #12) by J.R. Ward

MAY

29. The Target by David Baldacci
30. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
31. The Collector by Nora Roberts
32. Everything to Lose by Andrew Gross
33. Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline
34. Vicious by V.E. Schwab
35. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
36. Unlucky 13 (The Women’s Murder Club) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
37. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
38. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
39. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

JUNE

40. Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
41. The Immortal Rules (The Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa
42. A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey
43. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
44. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Illustrated by Dave McKean
45. Incarnate (Newsoul #1) by Jodi Meadows

JULY

46. Invisible by James Patterson and David Ellis
47. That Night by Chevy Stevens
48. Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich
49. Ruin and Rising (The Grisha Trilogy #3) by Leigh Bardugo
50. If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman
51. Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman
52. Cop Town by Karin Slaughter
53. The Sweet Spot by Stephanie Evanovich

AUGUST

54. The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) by Lemony Snicket
55. The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events #2) by Lemony Snicket
56. The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass
57. The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass
58. The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass
59. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
60. Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson
61. The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3)  by Lemony Snicket
62. The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket
63. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay
64. The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket
65. The Merciless (The Merciless #1) by Danielle Vega
66. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
67. The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6) by Lemony Snicket

SEPTEMBER

68. Four: A Divergent Story Collection by Veronica Roth
69. The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicles #1) by Patrick Rothfuss
70. Private Down Under (Private #6) by James Patterson and Michael White
71. Murder 101 by Faye Kellerman
72. The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner

OCTOBER

73. Obsidian (A Lux Novel #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
74. Onyx (A Lux Novel #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
75. House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus #4) by Rick Riordan
76. The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5) by Rick Riordan
77. 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
78. Crave The Night (Midnight Breed #12) by Lara Adrian

NOVEMBER

79. The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken
80. Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins
81. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) by Ransom Riggs

DECEMBER

82. The Escape (John Puller #3) by David Baldacci
83. The Prince (The Selection #0.5) by Kiera Cass
84. The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin
85. Private: India (Private #8) by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi
86. The Guard (The Selection #2.5) by Kiera Cass
87. The Job (Fox and O’Hare #3) by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
88. The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel (Outlander #1.5) by Diana Gabaldon and Illustrated by Hoang Nguyen
89. Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
90. Burn (Michael Bennett #7) by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
91. Shopaholic to the Stars (Shopaholic #7) by Sophie Kinsella

No. 28 for 2014

Title: The King
Author:  J.R. Ward
Rating: 5/5
Book: 28/50
Pages: 567 pgs
Total Pages: 10,800/15,000 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 26
Version: Book
Next up: The Target by David Baldacci

Another great instalment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood! I have to admit that the first quarter of the book I wasn’t really fond if the direction the book was going but the book did grow on me and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t care of all of the story lines but at the same time, I didn’t hate it and it didn’t take away my enjoyment. It was very nice to see more of the Shadows, Trez and iAm.

This series will forever be my guilty pleasure!

About the Book:

Long live the King…

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father’s mantle–with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything–and everyone–at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she’s unprepared for Wrath’s response–or the distance it creates between them.

The question is, will true love win out… or tortured legacy take over?

No. 27 for 2014

Title: Tempting Fate
Author:  Jane Green
Rating: 4/5
Book: 27/50
Pages: 343 pgs
Total Pages: 10,233/15,000 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 25
Version: Book
Next up: The King by J.R. Ward

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a contemporary story about love and finding yourself. There were parts of the book that dragged a bit but overall, the book flowed well. The ending was a little predictable and I feel as though the book was wrapped up a little too neatly than I would have liked. If you are a fan of fluffy contemporaries, I would definitely check Jane Green out.

About the Book:

Gabby and Elliott have been happily married for eighteen years. They have two teenaged daughters. They have built a life together. Forty-three-year-old Gabby is the last person to have an affair. She can’t relate to the way her friends desperately try to cling to the beauty and allure of their younger years. And yet she too knows her youth is quickly slipping away. She could never imagine how good it would feel to have a handsome younger man show interest in her-until the night it happens. Matt makes Gabby feel sparkling, fascinating, alive-something she hasn’t felt in years. What begins as a long-distance friendship soon develops into an emotional affair as Gabby discovers her limits and boundaries are not where she expect them to be. Intoxicated, she has no choice but to step ever deeper into the allure of attraction and attention, never foreseeing the life-changing consequences that lie ahead. If she makes one wrong move she could lose everything-and find out what really matters most.

No. 26 for 2014

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author:  Laini Taylor
Rating: 4/5
Book: 26/50
Pages: 418 pgs
Total Pages: 9,890/15,000 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 24
Version: Book
Next up: Tempting Fate by Jane Green

Although I don’t think that I feel the same way about this book that others do (in the sense that I didn’t find the book as amazing as others have seemed to) but I really did enjoy this book and I will definitely be checking out the other two in the series.

I really enjoyed Akiva and I do hope that we get to learn more about him in later books.

The ending to this book was amazing and it’s actually one of the best cliffhangers I have read. It makes me want to get my hands on book two as soon as humanely possible.

Great read and I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy read.

About the Book:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”, she speaks many languages – not all of them human – and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

No. 25 for 2014

Title: The Giver
Author:  Lois Lowry
Rating: 5/5
Book: 25/50
Pages: 179 pgs
Total Pages: 9,472/15,000 pages
Library Book?: No
No. of Library Books read: 23
Version: Book
Next up: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

This book was recommended to my by one of my best friends and when I announced on Facebook that I had not read it yet  but planned to do so before the release of the movie, many other people commented that it is one of their favourite books and it left me even more intrigued.

So I picked it up and I LOVED this book. The book is beautifully written and although the book is short (a meager 179 pages long), you do not feel the absence of a story. So much happened in those 179 pages that it feels like a normal sized book.

If you haven’t checked this book out yet, you should definitely do so. It’s a beautiful read with endearing characters and it’s a book that I now hold close to my heart.

About the Book:

Jonas’s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.

When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it’s time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

No. 24 for 2014

Title: Panic
Author:  Lauren Oliver
Rating: 4/5
Book: 24/50
Pages: 408 pgs
Total Pages: 9,293/15,000 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 23
Version: Book
Next up: The Giver by Lois Lowry

I really enjoyed this book. I admit that I was a little skeptical about picking this book up as I didn’t really enjoy Oliver’s book Before I Fall enough to be dying to read more of her works but I’m glad I chose to read this one.

This book had me turning the pages pretty fast and it had me wanting to know what was going to happen next. The only issues I had with the book is that I didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters. The characters and their back stories felt a little dry to me. Also, much like Before I Fall, I didn’t like the way Oliver wrapped the book up.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read and if you are looking for a contemporary Hunger Games-esque book, you should check this one out.

About the Book:

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

No. 23 for 2014

Title: NYPD Red 2
Author:  James Patterson and Marshall Karp
Rating: 4/5
Book: 23/50
Pages: 392 pgs
Total Pages: 8,885/15,000 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 22
Version: Book
Next up: Panic by Lauren Oliver

I enjoyed this book for the most part. There were some parts that seemed to drag on but it was still an enjoyable read. The killer was intriguing and it was a well thought out plot. Standard Patterson short chapters but you can tell that the book was written mostly by Karp as the tone of the writing is different than Patterson’s other books.

For anyone who is looking for a quick read in the mystery genre, I do recommend this one.

About the Book:

A vengeful murderer, named the “Hazmat Killer” by the press, has taken it on himself to track down and kill people whose crimes have not been punished by the justice system. A video surfaces online after each killing, showing the victim confessing to an awful crime.There are those who secretly applaud the vigilante killer. NYPD Red Detective Zach Gordon and his partner Kylie MacDonald are called in after a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections disappears. Political and personal secrets of the highest order are in the balance, and Zach and Kylie have less than 24 hours to find what is really behind this murderer’s rampage–and stop him before he kills again.