It’s that time of year, time to make all sorts of “best of” lists! I love making lists anyway, but when I get to look back over a year’s worth of reading and rave about the books that really stood out for me, that’s got to be my favorite sort of list-making. This week I’m highlighting my top ten Adult books of the year, and next Tuesday I’ll be listing my top ten Young Adult books, so don’t forget to stop back next week. I really tried to cut one of these out, but in the end, I just couldn’t choose. So yes, I have eleven books on this Top Ten list:-) So, here they are, my Top Ten Eleven Adult Books of 2014! (in no particular order)
1. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I guess if I have to pick my absolute number 1 favorite book this year, I’d pick this one. Station Eleven was a gorgeous and emotional surprise, and I’m so glad to have read it. I’m dying to see what Emily St. John Mandel writes next, because she is on my auto-buy list for sure. Read my review here.
2. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes. I’m thrilled to have a new favorite author! I can’t wait to catch up on Beukes’ backlist, because she is so good. This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, but better yet, the author delved deep into the lives of her characters. Highly recommended! Read my review here.
3. Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown. I read this nearly a year ago, but it still lingers in my memory. Brown’s kick-off to his series was kick-ass, full of bloody action, sex and bold world-building. The second in the series, Golden Son, comes out next month, and I can’t wait to read it. Read my review here.
4. Annihilation (Southern Reach #1) by Jeff VanderMeer. Here’s another great start to a series. I loved the eeriness of VanderMeer’s futuristic world, told through the clinical eyes of a biologist. I have the next two books close at hand, ready to read when I get the chance! Read my review here.
5. The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey. This was a big surprise, since I tried not to pay attention to other reviews before I read it. If you think you’ve read all the zombie stories out there, you haven’t until you’ve read this one. Read my review here.
6. California Bones (Daniel Blackland #1) by Greg Van Eekhout. This was an unsolicited surprise from Tor Books, and boy am I glad I picked it up! I love urban fantasy anyway, but this book did new things with the genre and blew me away. Read my review here.
7. City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. Bloggers raved about this book, and with good reason. Bennett gives us a unique world, an exciting plot, and well-developed characters, all of which are ingredients for a truly successful story! Read my review here.
8. The Martian by Andy Weir. It’s hard to find a story with only one main character that can keep you riveted for nearly 400 pages, but Weir manages to do just that. The Martian proves that science can be fun, in the form of a character who laughs in the face of danger. Read my review here.
9. Endsinger (Lotus War #3) by Jay Kristoff. Jay’s Lotus War series was a bleak, dangerous, wonderful, joyous, and heartbreaking opus, and I was sad to see it end. But it went out with a bang. This is one series where each book is just as good as the next. (And yes, I consider these books adult, simply because of the way they are priced.) Read my review here.
10. Full Fathom Five (Craft Sequence #3) by Max Gladstone. Max’s books keep getting better and better, and this time he goes all out with the grrrl power! Unique worlds, intricately drawn characters, and plenty of action, if you haven’t started this series, what are you waiting for? Read my review here.
11. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. Hoffman sets her story in New York in the early twentieth century, uses actual historical events to frame it, and adds her characteristic magic realism and wonderfully unique characters to make it come to life. Read my review here.
And because it’s hard to stop at ten (or eleven), here are my honorable mentions, all books I adored as well: The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue; The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini; The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter by Rod Duncan; The Ophelia Prophecy by Sharon Lynn Fisher; Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix; Through the Woods by Emily Carroll; The Line by J.D. Horn; and The Rabbit Back Literature Society by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen.
So there they are… Let me know if you’ve read any of these, and link me up to your top ten post! I’ve linked up with The Broke and the Bookish, so don’t forget to check out other bloggers’ top ten faves of the year:-)
I love how you organized this list! Thanks for sharing these – I think I added 4 books from your list to my Goodreads TBR 🙂
Have a good Tuesday! 🙂
I’m glad I convinced you to read some of these:-) Thanks for visiting!
Amazing! I enjoyed several of those very same books. And noticeably didn’t enjoy one entry on the list, but that is ok.
I can guess that one book you didn’t enjoy, ha ha!
SO MANY GOOD BOOKS. *flails wildly*
Matt recently posted…The Week No Posts Went Live
A lot of those books are on my want-to-read list. Thanks for reminding me, I really need to update my goodreads want-to-read list…
readingsff recently posted…Review: Hugh Howey – Shift (2013)
I haven’t read any of these books but have heard a lot about them, definitely going to get round to them next year! Also, I thought the Lotus War books were YA? Not sure how I got that mixed up…
Miriam @ Inky Realms recently posted…Top Five Tuesday: The Best Books of 2014
Wow, so many good ones on this list, some already added to my TBR, and some that aren’t. Like Broken Monsters definitely sounds like a go for me. Thanks for the lists. I love and do them as well!!
Kat Stark @ Not Yet Read recently posted…Review: The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
I love how you broke this up. Thanks for sharing. here’s my TTT
Also, I still have my $30 Amazon giveaway going.
Danica Page@Taking it One Page at a Time recently posted…Review: Love Bites by Rachel K. Brukes
You had a fantastic reading year! I still have to catch up on many of these like The Lotus War, The Martian, and Red Rising. Having too many books for your best-of list is a good problem to have 🙂
Lucy @ The Reading Date recently posted…Top Ten YA Debuts and Series Books I Read in 2014
I love that you broken them down into your own categories! I definitely do what to try out 4 of those that I haven’t read yet. Especially The Martian since I just can’t get away from all the praise being heaped on it.
Tabitha (Not Yet Read) recently posted…Review: The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
Yay, I’ve read 7 of these, plus the first of the Kristoff books just need to catch up with no.2 and 3 now. Seeing as how we have so many books in common it seems I should check out the 3 on your list that I’ve not read!! (No.s 1, 6 and 10)
Lynn 😀
Lynn recently posted…The best of the best of the best!!! 2014
It is a fun list, and I like the various headings. Haven’t ever thought of doing a Best Of list quite like that, but I like it!
The Martian will be on my Top Whatever list for sure, that one sucked me right in.
I really need to read Station Eleven, I have heard such amazing things!
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Enter my blog birthday giveaway!
Missie recently posted…Top Ten Books I Read In 2014
I have not read Broken Monsters, though I have been meaning to. I did read her other book though, The Shining Girls. It was so good!
I like how you did this, it feels like the oscars awards for books. Red Rising made my list too and I’m reading Golden Son right now! I’ve heard good things about Girl with all the Gifts and California Bones. I haven’t read the Martian, because I’ve never found a book with only one character that I liked.
Molly Mortensen recently posted…Top Ten 2014 Books I Read this Year
I just loved the suspenseful vibe from Jeff VanderMeer. I was so thoroughly creeped out reading at night alone. I was sure someone was watching me. I need to read the next two, and alone at night again. It added something to the experience. 😛
Anne @ Lovely Literature recently posted…Celebrating one year with three giveaways!!
Great list and I love the format! Station Eleven is on the list. Hoping to squeeze it in this holiday break!
couchtomoon recently posted…To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971) by Philip Jose Farmer
I’m going to be putting together a list one of these days as well – and I’ll say it right now, there’s NO BLOODY WAY I will be able to stop at 10. I may have to give each book “special distinctions” to be able to feature them all, much like what you did here!
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…Graphic Novel Review: Criminal, Vol. 6: The Last of the Innocent by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Great post! I haven’t read any of these yet, but I plan to!
Lauren recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read In 2014
Through The Woods….UGH SO GOOD. Unless there’s a major upset in my reading roster over the next two weeks it’s definitely going to be in my top reads of 2014 list.
Danya @ Fine Print recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday: Vol. 26
I’ve seen Station Eleven on so many top tens. I have to get to it soon!
A wonderful list, you’ve got several I really wish I had read this year. I gave The Martian and Red Rising to my father, but still need to borrow them back. Station Eleven and The Museum of Extraordinary Things were definitely some of the most shining “grown-up” books I recommended this year, too.
The Martian and The Girl With All the Gifts were both incredible, I agree. several of your other picks are on my TBR.. hope to get to them soon! Thanks for the recommendations!