Best of 2014...so far | #TopTenTuesday

In just under the wire here, but I didn't want to miss this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic, which is your top 10 books so far in 2014. I've had a few hits — and quite a few misses — and sometimes it's nice just to sit and reflect on the good. So here, in no particular order, are the best of the best* of 2014!

*...of the limited amount of books I've managed to squeeze in so far this year; or at least what popped into my head for this post, and completely subject to change, dependent entirely on my fickleness and whims. 
So, to be taken with a grain of salt.


The Lost
I just finished this one, and I know we have 1/2 a year still to go, but I feel pretty confident in saying that this one will remain in the top 10 of 2014. Every book of Durst's has grown in strength for me, and her adult debut is no exception to this. I loved a lot about this story (a lot), and am very eagerly awaiting book 2.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

This was our #WednesdayYA bookclub pick for April, and like all of King's books, I loved it. She's a master of gorgeous, odd, though-provoking and powerful contemporary stories with a magical realist bent, and I truly think she's one of the premier talents working in YA today.

Titan Magic: Body & Soul

Was there every any doubt that I'd love this? After the massive lovefest that was the first Titan Magic book, I don't think so. But fortunately, there was no trace of sophomore slump here, and I once again fell in love with Jodi Lamm's lush writing and rich world.

Stolen Songbird
This book took me by storm. I thought I'd like it, maybe, but I didn't expect to be immediately and thoroughly swept up, and more than a little bereft when it ended. Book 2 can make its way into my hands now, please!

Keturah & Lord Death
This is another book that I was fairly positive I'd love, and thank god I was right. This brief folkloric story was striking in its simplicity, very memorable, and I fell in love with the characters and their path to their right ending.

Tin Star

Though I can see how this book wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, I'd gladly guzzle a whole pot of it.
Um. I'm just going to let that metaphor go, and say I loved this for its uniqueness, its cold-fish MC, and the way it made aliens both very believably Other and yet still somehow relatable (and even lovable!). I was very impressed, and would love to see more of these dynamics unfold.

In the Age of Love and Chocolate

I was a little afraid to read this, not because I didn't think I'd love it (of course I would), but because once I did, the series would be ovvvvvvvvverrrrrrrrrr *sobs*. But of course, I couldn't resist finding out how things turned out for my favoritest cold-fish, Anya Balanchine, and the host of people she's gathered around her.
And I couldn't have asked for a better, more well-suited, more satisfying conclusion to a series I've loved. Everything just felt right.

Return of Zita the Spacegirl

And speaking of series' that ended and made me want to whimper and beg, the last Zita book couldn't end up anywhere other than my Top list. I've loved every minute, every character, right down to the nameless rocks, and that is saying something. (What it says, I don't know, and what you may think of my blackened little heart loving a rock with eyes... well, whatever. Think what you will.)

At Any Price

This is another one I read very recently, and that was unintentional. Don't get me wrong, I knew I was going to read it, but I really didn't have plans to work it in so soon, as I have a mountain of books that need reading (like, literally(ish); there are adventurers with sherpas scaling my TBR pile as we speak...). But I couldn't resist the siren song of this book, and I'm pretty sure Brenna Aubrey is a witch, 'cause this book stole all my sleeps. What do you need with my sleeps, Brenna!?


The Hollow Kingdom

This is kind of a funny one for me, because I'd actually read it before, and ended up disappointed.  I talked a bit previously about how I must have just been having a Bitch Misty day, because for the life of me, I don't know why I was so mad at this book — I freaking love it! I mean, I won't say it's going to win a Pulitzer any time soon, but damned if I don't love these characters and the ways they come together, and I kinda want to read it again very soon (and have already bought both books 2 and 3), so... what gives, Me of 4 Years Ago?  Get your sh*t together, girl!

And there you have it! Honorable mentions to all of the books that almost made it into this list, but I just couldn't seem to rank one above the other at this time (again, fickleness and whimsy); including My Last Kiss, Plus One, The Truth About Alice, The Darkest Minds, and pretty much every other graphic novel I've read this year so far that wasn't Zita.  A more interesting question would be my least favorite books of the year so far, 'cause I'm pretty sure I could easily make a list of 10 (or more) of those (ugh); but that would also be a meaner question, so we'll just let it go let it go can't hold it back anymorrrre! and instead I'll ask you what some of your faves of the year have been?