Favorite Dust Jackets/Covers of 2014

I've always been a fan of simple, type-centric dust jackets & book covers and these were my four favorites from the books I read this year. About half the books I read this year were in ebook format, but I appreciate that reading on the iPad includes a full-color cover.

Agatha Christie

You may have noticed that approximately 54% of the books I read in 2014 are Agatha Christie novels. That's no coincidence, as my other running goal has been to read all of Christie's novels. I've always been a fan of mystery and read my first Christie novel around 5th grade. Soon after, I discovered Agatha Christie's Poirot on PBS and was hooked. I've picked up at least 60 paperbacks over the years at book sales and thought it might be time to make a concerted effort to get through the backlog. For Christie fans, I would recommend all of the books I read in 2014. Here are a few notes about my favorites:

The Unexpected Guest- Agatha Christie, March
Black Coffee- Agatha Christie, April
Elephants Can Remember- Agatha Christie, April
Hallowe’en Party- Agatha Christie, May
A Holiday for Murder- Agatha Christie, May
Dead Man's Folly- Agatha Christie, June
Third Girl- Agatha Christie, July
Cards on the Table- Agatha Christie, July
And Then There Were None- Agatha Christie, July
Evil Under the Sun- Agatha Christie, July
The Clocks- Agatha Christie, July
Appointment With Death- Agatha Christie, July
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd- Agatha Christie, August
Lord Edgeware Dies- Agatha Christie, September
Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie, September
Murder in Mesopotamia - Agatha Christie, September
Mrs.McGinty's Dead- Agatha Christie, October
Peril at End House- Agatha Christie, October
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe- Agatha Christie, November
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?- Agatha Christie, November
Sad Cypress- Agatha Christie, November
The Sittaford Mystery- Agatha Christie, November
Sparkling Cyanide- Agatha Christie, December

Favorites of '14

Of the 42 books I read in 2014, I actually didn't hate any of them. There was only one book I started and failed to finish (a bestseller at that, which I'm sure would have ended well, I just had a pile of others staring at me and little interest in continuing). Here are a few of my favorites:

*Dark Places- Gillian Flynn (I liked both of GF's other books better than Gone Girl)
*Sharp Objects- Gillian Flynn (ditto)
*The Story of You- Claire Kendal (had twists I didn't see coming; just shy of my top 3 for the year)
*The Dinner- Herman Koch (slow moving, but I liked it)
*Wild- Cheryl Strayed (lives up to the hype)
*The Husband's Secret- Liane Moriarty (I'm now obsessed with Liane Moriarty and plan to read everything she's written; one of my top 3)
*Every Secret Thing- Laura Lippmann (reads like true crime, takes place in Baltimore, different story but great for Serial fans; one of my top 3)
*Summer House with Swimming Pool- Herman Koch (also kind of slow, but kept my attention; The Dinner got more press, but I like this one better of Koch's works)
*Big Little Lies- Liane Moriarty (another awesome one by LM)
*Six Years- Harlan Coben (Coben's books are all kind of similar, I realized after reading a second one; if you don't like this one, you won't like the rest, but he has a bunch of others, if you like this one)
*Dear Daughter- Elizabeth Little (another one with twists & has flawed characters you can root for a la Gillian Flynn; another in my top 3)
*One Of Us- Tawni O'Dell
*Back Roads- Tawni O'Dell
*Coal Run- Tawni O’Dell (can you tell I like her books? They're all set in PA coal country, but have different backstories)


Tell me what your top reads of 2014 were and I'll add them to my list!

-KB

Books Requested

I have the following books requested with my local library (2014 was also the year in which I purchased zero books that I actually read; I have a handful ready for 2015); please add any additional suggestions in the comments!

Alex Marwood- Wicked Girls
Liane Moriarty- The Last Anniversary
Liane Moriarty- Three Wishes

2014 By the Numbers

Books read in 2014: 42

95% fiction, 5% non-fiction

54% Agatha Christie novels

45% published since 2000

1 pre-publication novel (via the Knox County Library-- I never would have thought a rural OH library would have such a fabulous selection, including a handful of pre-publication uncorrected proofs available for checkout using the honor system)


I'm still working on counting the number of murder victims in the 41 novels I read this year, so be on the lookout for additional statistics (when I'm procrastinating, most likely).

Books of 2014

In an effort to keep track of the books I've read and loved (or hated), I'm migrating my GoogleDoc list to a blog, with brief reviews and recommendations. Friends & family have suggested a lot of my favorite reads of 2014 & I thought others might benefit from brief reviews and comparisons to other best sellers. Whether you're a voracious reader or hoping to pick up a novel after a long hiatus (grad school ruined me), hopefully you'll find a few options here that tickle your fancy.

Happy New Year!
Kim