My Best Books of 2014

Nearly 2015! Where has the year gone? I've had some reading up and downs this year, but I've read some truly amazing books in 2014. Here's the list of my favourites.

This was a bit of a surprise for me! I wanted to read it because I liked the title and the cover and the synopsis was intriguing. I was sucked in straight away by the dry, humorous prose and the cloak-and-dagger way the story was told. It's a hard ending to swallow, but I'm glad I read this one.

I read all but one of the Skulduggery Pleasant series last year and absolutely couldn't wait for this final instalment. I love end of series, cause I'm a big fan of answers and storylines being wrapped up and this series certainly ended with a bang. The Skulduggery Pleasant series has some of my favourite characters ever and while I'm sad for it to be over I'm excited to see what else Derek Landy comes up with.

I really liked the sound of this one and it did not disappoint. I was really interested by the true story element and the setting. The voice of Agnes was really gripping and my heart was in my throat for that conclusion.

I read this one on a recommendation from a number of bloggers and it was so worth it. It's gripping and it packs one hell of an emotional punch. It's also incredibly diverse which its great to see. 

I followed this one right from the reveal of the original pink cover, because MG detective fiction is something some friends and I are really into. This is a witty homage to all the great detectives and the 2 main characters are absolutely fantastic. This debut fully deserves all the praise and attention it's been getting. 

I was fortunate enough to get to read two out of three of Stephanie Perkins books (twice) this year. While Lola is definitely my favourite of the three, I love the warmth and the instant characterisations that SP delivers. These are perfect YA Contemporaries.

There was so much hype surrounding this book and That Ending and I'm so grateful I got to read it as early as I did. Before the end, this book blew me away with the writing and Cadence's struggle to find the truth. It may not be for everyone, but I loved it. 

Two offerings from one of my favourite authors in one year? Perfect. And that's what these books are. It's hard to pick a favourite, as Sinner features Cole and Isabel, my two favourite Stiefvater characters and Blue Lily, Lily Blue is my favourite of Stiefvater's worlds. Both of these were beautiful, lyrical and full of emotion. Exactly what I expect from a Maggie Stiefvater offering.

This completely blew me away. If you know me, you'll be surprised by the amount of adult fiction on this list. This is the book that started it all. A colleague lent it to me and I was sceptical at first but it's just amazing, I have never read anything like it. 

My very favourite of 2013 was an author, rather than a book, and this theme has carried through to 2014. I read The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab back in 2011, which meant I had a whole host of delights to discover this year. I read Vicious which is, hands down, my best book of the year, but I also loved The Archived and its sequel The Unbound, and I managed to read Victoria's upcoming 2015 book, A Darker Shade of Magic, after borrowing the proof from a friend. I'm now a huge fan of this author, whose writing style reminds me of Maggie Stiefvater with its impeccability and it's lyricism and the magic of the stories is truly captivating. If you haven't already read a Victoria Schwab book, I urge you to pick one up. 

Did any of these make your list?