Need to spend those Christmas book vouchers you received from aunt Mabel? But it’s tough to keep track of all the “best of” lists this time of year. Books LIVE has rounded up the best of the “Best Books of 2014” lists, for your convenience.
What was your book of the year for 2014? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter, or in the comments below
The New Yorker: The Best Books of 2014
We asked some of our contributors for their favorite books they read this year. (Most listed new books, but a few picked older favorites or ones that will come out in the new year.)
Africa is a Country recommends: Books of 2014
Everyone has their own ways of getting through those long, blogless days of festive family over-eating, and AIAC generally relies on Gin and Tonic, long walks, and English football. But there are also books. Remember those? Especially good for giving you that faraway feeling as you try to zone out of your uncle’s homophobic musings. Here are some recommendations from AIAC contributors for some books we enjoyed in 2014 (not exhaustive by any means, please add your own favorites in the comments).
2014′s Best Reads: Sunday Times Book Reviewers Pick Their Highlights of the Year
The Sunday Times reviewers have picked their 2014 books of the year. What do you think of their choices?
Announcing the winners of the 2014 Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book awards decided by readers. Congratulations to the best books of the year!
Flavorwire: The Best Novels of 2014
Let me open contentiously: I’m bored by the 2014 year-end lists in literature, especially from big print newspapers. The reason? There is a measure of comfort in books coverage that breaks faith with the lively, exploratory spirit of contemporary literature. And 2014 has been an exemplary year in this regard, especially for poetry and the novel.
The Guardian: Readers’ 10 best books of 2014
We asked you to nominate your favourite books of 2014 and here, in no particular order, are the results – the 10 books that attracted the most consensus. Below you’ll find acclaimed fiction, memoir, fantasy and polemic. Interestingly, the list differs greatly from readers’ choices halfway through the year – take a look at those here.
Huffington Post: The Best Books Of 2014? Here’s The Ultimate List
Last week we shared an infographic created by designer David McCandless that suggests To Kill a Mockingbird is likely the most-recommended novel of all time (or at least of recent times). But what are critics and readers suggesting you pick up this year?
The Economist: Books of the Year – Page turners
The best books of 2014 were about the South China Sea, the fall of the Berlin Wall, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the publishing of “Ulysses” and capitalism in the 21st century
Gawker: The Best Things We Read in 2014
Many things were published in 2014—things we liked; things we hated; things we didn’t understand. And since it’s that time of year where we shame you for reading all the wrong things, we’ve collected our favorite books, essays, short stories, lists, and blog posts. We’ve also included selections from years past that, for one reason or another, caught our attention in 2014. Enjoy.
NPR’s Book Concierge: Our Guide To 2014’s Great Reads
Use the filters below to explore some 250 titles NPR staff and critics loved this year. (You can also combine filters!) Want even more recommendations? Check out our favorite books from 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008
Slate: The Top 10 Books of the Year – As picked by the editors of the Slate Book Review
This year, Slate reviewed, excerpted, wrote about, and podcasted about hundreds of books. These are our 10 favorites, as chosen by the editors of the Slate Book Review. Nonfiction spanning the breadth of family life, from childhood to the hard choices at the end. Short stories and novels about friendship, love, sex, murder, and God. And essays and poems that explore with grace and good humor the difficulty of living in, and talking about, our world.
The New York Times: The 10 Best Books of 2014
The year’s best books, selected by the editors of The New York Times Book Review.
New Statesman: Books of the Year
NS friends and contributors choose their favourite reading of 2014. Including: Hilary Mantel, Rowan Williams, Grayson Perry, Alan Johnson, AS Byatt, Geoff Dyer, Alex Salmond, Kate Fox, William Boyd and Dave Eggers.
Electric Literature: 25 Best Novels of 2014
Year-end lists are always subjective and incomplete, but they are especially tricky for books. A dedicated film critic can watch every wide release film and a theater critic can go to most every play, but the book critic is faced with an insurmountable mountain of books each year. The sheer number of books is inspiring as a reader, but it can make “best of” lists laughably subjective when the critic has only read a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of novels published each year.
Bustle: The Top 25 Young Adult Novels of 2014
It has been an absolute break-out year for young adult literature. With movies like The Fault In Our Stars, Divergent, and Mockingjay: Part I practically breaking the box office, and loads and loads of think pieces about adults reading YA fiction, young adult has broken into the mainstream conversation. Hey, you haven’t made it until the haters are tearing you down, right? Subsequently, it was a great year to be a young adult author — but it was an even more amazing year to be a young adult reader, because those authors were up to the challenge.
Amazon: Top 20 Overall Customer Favorites for 2014
This year’s best seller lists include a lot of familiar authors and characters–over half of the books on the lists are part of a series. It’s also exciting to see our January Best Books of the Month Pick—and Oprah Book Club Pick—The Invention of Wings take the top spot overall. We hope all of these lists will help our customers explore great books this holiday season, whether it’s a gift for a loved one or a treat for themselves.–Sara Nelson, Editorial Director of Books and Kindle at Amazon.com
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- The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
EAN: 9780349004587
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- The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
EAN: 9781472212757
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- Lila by Marilynne Robinson
EAN: 9781844088805
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- H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
EAN: 9780224097000
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- Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
EAN: 9780374104092
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- The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
EAN: 9780340921616
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- Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante
EAN: 9781609452339
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- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
EAN: 9780007548675
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- The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion by Kei Miller
EAN: 9781847772671
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- Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
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EAN: 9781447254225
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- 10:04 by Ben Lerner
EAN: 9781847088918
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- Another Man’s War: The Story of a Burma Boy in Britain’s Forgotten Army by Barnaby Phillips
EAN: 9781780745220
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