2014: Top Books of the Year

My 2014 Top Books of the Year post is late! Unfortunately it could not be helped. I always say, better late than never. :) In 2014, my reading was not as prolific as it has been in previous years. Fortunately, I read many memorable books, particularly during the first half of the year and during the summer.

Below, you will notice that my favorite books fall under three different headings: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Romance, and Honorable Mentions. Out of 114 books read during the year, I have chosen the most memorable from those rated A/A- (5.0/4.75), and a few "honorable mentions" from books rated B+ (4.5). These are books that were highly recommended and quite memorable despite the lower grade.

SFF: (Click on titles to read reviews)

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Fantasy (2014, Tor Books)

I loved this stand-alone fantasy and ended up reading it more than once this past year. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison stands out from the rest with a hopeful outlook and an unforgettable central character.

Ancillary Justice* & Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
Science Fiction Space Opera (2014, Orbit)

Ancillary Justice and Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie are, without a doubt, my favorite science fiction books of 2014, with Ancillary Justice (*2013, Orbit) read in January 2014, taking the top spot. I also reread these books throughout the year. I love the unique world-building and characters, and was particularly taken with the characterization and emotional impact that Leckie achieved in this a science fiction opera with an AI as central character.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Speculative Fiction (2014, FSG Original)

With its nameless characters and truly mysterious Area X, VanderMeer's Annihilation drew me into the mind of a biologist whose skewed perspective and detached narrative took me away from reality. This is a book I could not stop reading.

The Girl with All The Gifts by M.R. Carey
Speculative Fiction Thriller/Horror (2014, Orbit)

Post-apocalyptic zombies? We've heard of those before and I am not a fan. But The Girl with All The Gifts is not that typical a book, and after having read the first 10 chapters, I was hooked by a little girl named Melanie. This book is a fantastic read that I devoured as soon as it was released. A keeper!

World of Trouble (The Last Policeman III) by Ben H. Winters
Science Fiction Pre-Apocalyptic Mystery (2014, Quirk Books)

World of Trouble is the last book in Ben H. Winters The Last Policeman pre-apocalyptic mystery trilogy. Hank Palace's actions may seem obsolete to some, but he is one of my favorite, most memorable characters of the year. This is a trilogy that makes readers ask questions of themselves, and with World of Trouble, Winters ended Palace's journey just the way it should.

The Winter Long (October Daye #8) by Seanan McGuire
Urban Fantasy (2014, DAW)

In 2013 I read the entire October Daye UF series and it took me a while to warm up to the main character Toby and to the series as a whole. So it was a surprise to me when The Winter Long turned out to be my favorite UF read of the year. McGuire's execution is particularly notable. She opens up this series, drives it forward, while revealing some long-held secrets and closing up threads. A fabulous read!

ROMANCE:

It Happened One Wedding by Julie James
Contemporary Romance (2014, Jove)

I loved this contemporary romance by Julie James with its snappy dialog, sense of humor, and narrow focus on the main couple. It is fun and sexy, with an oblivious couple whose love grows from one fantastic hostile meeting that is used to build heat between the two, until surprise! They are in love. This romance is the perfect example of an up-to-the moment, sexy, fun, read.

Now and Forever (A Last Past Romance, Part 2) by Logan Belle
Contemporary Romance  (2014, Moxie Books)

Now and Forever is Part 2 of Logan Belle's A Last Chance Romance. I love that this two-part series is all about an adult woman's journey. She finds love with the right man while dealing with real-life conflicts. With a sexy, erotic romance, and pertinent, relatable conflicts to today's woman, Now and Forever is one of my favorite reads of the year.

Always to Remember by Lorraine Heath
Historical Romance (Kindle Ed. 2010, Harper Collins)

Always to Remember came as a complete surprise to me! I read it up for Wendy's TBR Challenge as it had been in my Kindle for a long time. This book is also the only historical romance to have received an A grade from me in 2014. A fantastic American post-civil war romance set in Texas, this RITA Award winner is exquisitely executed by Lorraine Heath. With both a memorable plot and characters, there is no question that it belongs right here. A classic!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine
YA/Historical Fantasy-based Fiction (2014, Atria Books)

The Paradox Trilogy by Rachel Bach 
Science Fiction Space Opera (2014, Orbit)

Seduced (Into the Wild #1) by Molly O'Keefe
Historical Romance Western (2014, Molly Fader) 

In Want of a Wife by Jo Goodman
Historical Romance Western (2014, Berkley)

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Some interesting facts:

• Of the 114 books read (I did not count rereads or DNFs), most of the favorite reads on this list are SFF (Science Fiction / Fantasy).
• I read few historical romances in 2014. Regardless, it is interesting to note that my top 3 are all western historical romances.
• I read more westerns than usual, across the board: romance (historical, contemporary, YA, m/m), mystery, young adult fiction, LGBT.
• Mysteries take the top spot though. Even some of my science fiction and fantasy books had a mystery as the core plot. Lots of mystery mash-ups in 2014!
• As in previous years, I read some fantastic LGBT books. My favorites are listed on a separate post. You can see them here.

The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

"Melanie was new herself, once, but that's hard to remember because it was a long time ago. It was before there were any words; there were just things without names, and things without names don't stay in your mind. They fall out, and then they're gone.

Now she's ten years old, and she has skin like a princess in a fairy tale; skin as white as snow. So she knows that when she grows up she'll be beautiful, with princes falling over themselves to climb her tower and rescue her."

I first read the extended free version sample(10 chapters) of The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey in May and was absolutely taken in by the author's fresh approach to what are basically the makings of an old horror tale. I had such a positive response to the short version that I actually became anxious to read the entire novel. The novel lived up to my expectations. There are different reasons behind that:

1) The relationship between the two main characters.
The growing attachment between ten-year-old Melanie and her teacher Ms. Justineau is central to the story. Although Melanie is confused as to whom or what she is, her IQ is also off the charts, and she is strong-willed and tenaciously protective of Ms. Justineau, just as Ms. Justineau is protective of Melanie. Yet, I believe that what makes this very tense, fast-paced action, horror thriller a particularly effective read is the heavy contrast between the unexpected poignancy that stems from Melanie's unconditional love for her teacher, and the dangerous situations and dark revelations unfolding around her.

In the beginning, Melanie thinks she's a normal little girl. She lives in a cell, just like the other children, and is only allowed out when Sergeant and his men strap her on a wheelchair and take her to eat or to classes for the day. Her best days are Ms. Justineau days! Until one chaotic day everything changes, and every day is a Ms. Justineau day. Helen Justineau knows what Melanie is and why she's in that cell, and although she's part of a team and understands the dangers that go with her position, she disregards warnings and dangers and comes to see Melanie as 'just a child.’ Protecting Melanie, helping her navigate dangers inside and outside the compound where they both live, becomes her mission.

2) World-building:
The Girl With All the Gifts is a post apocalyptic piece set in the UK, however, it is clear that years earlier the Breakdown was a global event that devastated civilization when the majority humans were infected by the “hungry” pathogen. There are pockets of isolated humans restricted to living in small towns and a few cities such as Beacon, and “Junkers,” gangs of humans who go about freely throughout the countryside and cities looting for hardware and goods in order to survive. But communication is down to the old basics and no one really knows who or what is left out there.

The basis for the world-building may sound familiar, however, Carey’s book strikes me as distinctive in that he doesn’t take unnecessary shortcuts. Carey uses science by incorporating biological details that explain how the hungry pathogen derived from Cordyceps works and evolves, adding scientific methodology used to study mutations, as the logical steps to arrive at the beginning point of the story, and later to its logical conclusion. He does so without sacrificing high level tension by weaving those excellent details with the fast-paced action and horror aspects found in the novel.

3) Secondary Characters:
Speaking of horror, I was more horrified by a human character's actions than the natural reaction of the infected "hungries." The ‘human monster’ is a familiar character whose motivations are usually portrayed as black and white because, no matter the consequences, they are always able to rationalize their actions. Although the ‘moral’ question is sometimes introduced, as was the case here, for the ‘human monster’ the conclusion is almost always the same: the end justifies the means. However, there's also a redemptive quality to another central secondary character that turned out to be an unexpected bonus.

Melanie is a child and as such she dreams of princes rescuing her from her tower. Her little life turns out to be much different from how she imagined it would be once she gets out of her cell and discovers the reality of her world. But like Pandora's box when it is opened, once brilliant, courageous Melanie emerges, good or bad, the world will never be same.

“Growing up and growing old. Playing. Exploring. Like Pooh and Piglet. And then like the Famous Five. And then like Heidi and Anne of Green Gables. And then like Pandora, opening the great big box of the world and not being afraid, not even caring whether what’s inside is good or bad. Because it’s both. Everything is always both.

But you have to open it to find that out.”

Short Stories: M.R. Carey, John Chu, Justin Torres

I read countless short stories yearly but I rarely feature them on their own. Today I'm highlighting three single shorts that are not only excellent reads, but also free downloads. Check it out.

"Melanie was new herself, once, but that's hard to remember because it was a long time ago. It was before there were any words; there were just things without names, and things without names don't stay in your mind. They fall out, and then they're gone.

Now she's ten years old, and she has skin like a princess in a fairy tale; skin as white as snow. So she knows that when she grows up she'll be beautiful, with princes falling over themselves to climb her tower and rescue her.

Assuming, of course, that she has a tower."

I read the extended free preview of "The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey" (9 chapters!), and it turned out to be an absolutely fabulous speculative fiction read! I'm not saying much more about the story at this point because I believe it should be approached from a fresh perspective, but know this: if you give this book a try the main narrator and central character, a ten-year old whose name is Melanie, will snare you into reading the whole thing.

I am salivating to continue reading but have to wait until the whole novel releases on June 10th! I have high expectations for the rest of the book. As a teaser this preview is the perfect hook, but it also works really well as a short story. It gets an A- from me ONLY because I know there's more to come. Highly recommended.

In the near future water falls from the sky whenever someone lies (either a mist or a torrential flood depending on the intensity of the lie). This makes life difficult for Matt as he maneuvers the marriage question with his lover and how best to "come out" to his traditional Chinese parents.

I strongly recommend John Chu's The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere, a short piece nominated this year for a Hugo Award. I think what needs to be said about this piece has already been said. But personally what I like most about the story is how effectively, albeit sparingly, Chu uses the falling water. I like how this device affects the characters and plot which main focus is on family, love, and relationships. The writing style is both beautiful and concise, making this SF short story a personal favorite.

This story is also included in Some of the Best From Tor.com, 2013 Edition: A Tor.Com Original. Also available as a free download.

Reverting to the Wild State by Justin Torres was published in The New Yorker Magazine, August 1, 2011, but I just read it this past week.

Justin Torres is a fabulous writer whose 2011 novel We the Animals was acknowledged widely and garnered positive attention and reviews. This short piece gives the reader a taste of his writing style and a different sort of story.

Reverting to the Wild State is not much more than a broad sketch of a relationship that is related in reverse by the author. That first step as the story goes back in time is confusing but quickly becomes clear. This piece is unique, sad, and rather haunting, and leaves the reader wanting more. Free online read