This year the preliminary list is 21:
The Year of Wonder-Geraldine
March
Death
Comes For The Archbishop: Willa Cather
Still
Alice-Lisa Genova
Iron
House-John Hart
Miss
Pegrine’s Home for Peculiar Children-Ransom Riggs
A
Town Like Alice-Nevill Shute
The
Son-Philipp Meyer
The
Goldfinch-Donna Tartt
The
Fault in our Stars-John Green
The
Grapes of Wrath-John Steinbeck
Frog
Music-Emma Donoghue
A
constellation of vital phenomena: Anthony Marra
Calling
Me Home-Julie Kibler
Angle
of Repose-Wallace Stegner
The
Invention of Wings-Sue Monk Kidd
Carthage-Joyce
Carol Oates
Natchez Burning-Greg Iles
Night
Fall-Nelson DeMille
Lila-Marilynn
Robinson
Gilead-Marilynn
Robinson
The
Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry-Rachel Joyce
I find it interesting that 2 of the books are Young Adult, and 4 of the books are older works. 11 of the 21 were written by women, so still fairly even.
I am eliminating the last two only because they were recent re-reads. That by no means indicates that they are not worthy of my favorite books read! That being said-
Narrowing it down to my top 11 favorites of 2014:
Still
Alice-Lisa Genova
Iron
House-John Hart
A
Town Like Alice-Nevill Shute
The
Son-Philipp Meyer
The
Goldfinch-Donna Tartt
The
Grapes of Wrath-John Steinbeck
Angle
of Repose-Wallace Stegner
The
Invention of Wings-Sue Monk Kidd
Carthage-Joyce
Carol Oates
Natchez Burning-Greg Iles
Lila-Marilynn
Robinson
Again, three of these books are older books. Now to get serious: my top 6 favorites:
The
Son-Philipp Meyer
The
Goldfinch-Donna Tartt
Angle
of Repose-Wallace Stegner
The
Invention of Wings-Sue Monk Kidd
Natchez Burning-Greg Iles
Lila-Marilynn
Robinson
And so it gets down to 2 books:
Natchez Burning-Greg Iles
Lila-Marilynn
Robinson
And choosing between these two books is like having to pick a favorite child. I really loved both of them, but the winner goes to this stunningly beautiful book:
Lila by Marilynn Robinson
2 comments:
I just picked up Gilead because so many people love it. I am seeing Natchez Burning turning up on some lists for the end of 2014, so I'll be looking for it in 2015. You read some good books, Sue. Happy reading in 2015!
I forgot to say that I loved Year of Wonder when I read it several years ago, and gave it to my mother to read, who also enjoyed it very much. Glad to see you enjoyed it too! I often think about it, it really brought the plague home in a very personal and real way, didn't it?
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