Our Top 5 or 10 Books We Read in 2014

 

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This year the Triple Scoop read a LOT of great YA novels!! A few of them were reviewed here, but with so many wonderful books and so few weeks available for reviews, we just couldn’t get around to singing the praises of ALL of the fantastic books we enjoyed. Now, at the end of the year, we want to share with you some of our favorite books that we read in 2014!! (Not all of these were released this year—some were simply discovered by us during the year. And we do love discovering these gems!) And, as for that top five OR ten—well, some of us just can’t limit ourselves!!

None of our lists are in any particular order.

Sarah's Top Ten List

 

* I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson - Maybe one of my new favorite books. Ever. 

* Anna and the French Kiss series by Stephanie Perkins - I don't usually gravitate toward Contemporary genre, but this was the year for it. Loved all three of these books!

* The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski - Such a great new series. Loved these characters so much!

* The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo - I'm so happy I hadn't started these until this year so I didn't have to wait to read them all! I would NOT have been able to take it.

* The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson - This book! I loved the mystery and romance of it. 

* Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas - The year for Fantasy. This is easily one of my favorite series and I can't wait to find out what happens next with Celaena Sardothien.

* Brazen by Katherine Longshore - If you love historical fiction, read ALL of Longshore's books. This story of Mary Howard and Henry Fitzroy was so touching. 

* Uninvited by Sophie Jordan - The one that surprised me the most this year. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did! A unique concept and a major page turner. 

* The Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken - I don't know HOW I have not read these books before now, but it’s a bandwagon I am all too happy to jump on! 

* The Burning Sky and The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas - Another incredible high fantasy series!

Monica's Top Five List

* Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. This continuation of the The Raven Cycle was even more magical than most of Stiefvater’s previous books—if that’s possible. Her twists have twists, and I adore the characters—even the evil ones. Left me craving the next, and last, book in the series.

* Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. My new obsession with contemporary YA, after years of a steady diet of paranormal, can be directly attributed to Ms. Perkins and her delightful connected books, Anna and the French Kiss (swoon, swoon) Lola and the Boy Next Door, (Cricket!), and now this amazing book, which I reviewed in this space a few months ago saying that it HAS ALL THE FEELINGS. Let me repeat: ALL. None are left out. Hmmm, I think all three books need a re-read. Soon. Maybe I’ll start that tonight…

* My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. So, after Stephanie Perkins opened wide that door to contemporary, many other books just walked right into my heart, but few took up residence there

quite the way this book did. To say I LOVE this book and its amazing characters simply isn’t enough. MLND is currently sitting on my nightstand awaiting a re-read. Also, I just finished Fitzpatrick’s What I Thought Was True, and again she gives us characters to love and to care about and to wonder about after the book is over.

* The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. Fantasy isn’t usually my genre, but this book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. Beautifully written, the story and its telling is riveting. This is the first in a trilogy, and I can’t wait for the next installment!
 

* Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. Another contemporary that just doesn’t leave you after you’ve closed the book. Sweet, tender, heartbreaking, I couldn’t shake this one for weeks after I finished it. Loved it dearly. 

Heather's Top Seven List

Okay, we all agreed that this would be a post of our top five most un-putdownable books of 2014 but as I sit here I know there is no way I am going to be able to stick to that number!

* What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick. This book drew me in in a way not many contemporary books can, I loved the MC and each and every scene was exceptional!

* The Naturals/Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. These books! I never thought a book about teenage serial-killer catchers would stick with me for so long! This book seemlessly blends YA contemporary and Criminal Minds! READ IT! LOVE IT!

* Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas. Need I say more? No. OK. But I will. There is something about her

characters that is truly amazing! Celena sits on my shoulder for days after I read her books and whispers to me. In fact, sometimes I lay in bed still and replay the plot in my head.

* The Rules/ The Hunt by Stacey Kade. These books captured my attention immediately! The series so far is exciting, funny and the internal dialogue is one-of-a-kind!

* Aleinated by Melissa Landers. I loved Cara's voice! She was a total crack up! I can't wait for Invaded (book 2 in the series)!!!!

* The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski! (Yes I feel the need to put an exclamation point.) This

book sucked me in! In fact, the second I was finished reading it, I started it over!

* The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. I loved the relationships in this book and the imagery was beautiful.

And last but not least, I would like to make a nod to The Hunger Games trilogy which I re-read every year in November. These are the books that got me HOOKED on YA!

*****Happy New Year from the YA TRIPLE SCOOP!