2014 Book Challenge Wrap-Up

Finding a new job and completing 3 major home improvement projects last year sucked away my reading time, so I didn't do so well with my reading challenges. Here's how I fared:

Eclectic Reader Challenge: 6/12

Award Winning: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout finished 10/19 (Pulitzer Prize)

Alternate History Fiction: 11/22/63 by Stephen King finished 7/27

War/Military Fiction: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller finished 12/13

Anthology: The Granta Book of the African Short Story by Helon Habila finished 4/26

Travel (Non Fiction): A Woman Alone: Travel Tales from Around the Globe by Faith Conlon finished 7/1

Published in 2014: The Taste of Apple Seeds by Katharina Hagena finished 3/16

Didn't get to: True Crime (Non Fiction), Romantic Comedy, Graphic Novel, Cozy Mystery Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Medical Thriller Fiction

Take It or Leave It Challenge

Challenges #1-6: 5/6

1. Read a book whose title names an object usually found in the kitchen: The Taste of Apple Seeds by Katharina Hagena finished 3/16

2. Read a book from your 'average' year (2000)

3. Read a book that has a connection with the number "14": Innocence by Dean Koontz (published in '14)

4. Read a work of fiction from the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2013: The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer finished 2/15

5. Read a book set in France before the 21st Century: Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris finished 10/8

6. Read a book by a Yorkshire Born writer: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris finished 11/30

Challenges #7-12 Completed!

7. Read a book you received as a present: Darwin: Portrait of a Genius by Paul Johnson finished 2/21 (from my nephew Kyle)

8. Read a book that has a glossary: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai finished 3/7

9. Read a book by the author of one of your favorite books of 2013: Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King finished 3/23

10. Read a book that you discovered on an LT thread in 2013: Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book by Diane E. Muldrow finished 3/7

11. Read a book that has two of something in the title: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller finished 12/13

12. Read a mystery book where the lead investigator is a professional sleuth, but not one employed by law enforcement: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith finished 8/25

Challenges #13-18: 3/6

13. Read a book by an author who died in 2013: A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson finished 10/6

14. Read a book that is about an athlete or athletes: Horse People: Scenes from the Riding Life by Michael Korda finished 5/25

15. Read a book that takes place during "The War to End All Wars" (1914-1918)

16. Read a book with an ugly cover

17. Read a book about the city, state, or country in which you live

18. Read a book by an author from Sub-Saharan Africa: The Granta Book of the African Short Story by Helon Habila finished 4/26

Challenge #19 Completed!

19. Read a book with a walking or standing figure on the cover: Something Missing by Matthew Dicks finished 2/6

20. Read a book by an author called Elizabeth or a version of that name: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout finished 10/19

Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge: 0/2

Overall I completed 2 out of 6 challenges, and read 22 out of 34 challenge books. Hopefully I'll more reading time in 2015!

P.S. I found the book store picture on FFFFOUND!

My Favorite Books of 2014

I read 33 books last year. Here are my 10 favorites and 1 honorable mention, which I recommend you read as well. They are listed in the order I read them.

Something Missing by Matthew Dicks - reviewed here on February 18th

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King - Stephen King can write anything, including incredible short stories.

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd - takes place in the early 19th century, told from the perspective of a girl against slavery and from her slave, Hetty's, perspective. The ending is amazing.

Animal Wise: How We Know Animals Think and Feel by Virginia Morell - reviewed here on May 19th

11/22/63 by Stephen King - a man travels back in time to stop the Kennedy assassination

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - delightful story of a man on the spectrum as he searches for the perfect wife

The City by Dean Koontz - reviewed here on September 30th

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - shocking mystery about a man whose wife goes missing

Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris - the coming of age story of a girl living in German-occupied France and the effect it has on her as an adult

Eventide by Kent Haruf - the sequel to Plainsong, we catch up with the McPheron brothers and Victoria, and meet some new characters from Holt, Colorado

Honorable Mention:

The Granta Book of the African Short Story edited by Helon Habila - Almost every story in this anthology is deeply engrossing, and I can't stop loaning it to others and making them read it too.