Top Ten Books of 2014 (So far!)

Top Ten Books of 2014 thus far

1. Divergent - Roth
I started off the year with the Divergent Series. During one of the worst storms in recent memory I read through all three books. Divergent is the one I'm putting on this list but all three were fantastic.  Divergent was the perfect mix of interesting dystopia and interesting characters. I still find myself thinking about it.
2. Anna and the French Kiss - Perkins
Here's the thing with Anna and the French Kiss. I was blogging when it came out years ago. I dismissed it as YA fluff. I was sort of right. It's young adult, and it is pretty fluffy. But it's also full of great characters and a really great writing. It was not to be dismissed. I still get warm fuzzies thinking about Anna and Etienne. It's no joke.
3. Daughter of Smoke and Bones - Taylor
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Daughter of Smoke and Bones. At the time i didn't know it was a series. I also didn't know it would COMPLETELY TAKE OVER MY LIFE. Please read this book. I've honestly never read anything like it. PS: I really want blue hair now.
4.The Other Language  - Marciano
How often to short story collections make lists like this? Every story in The Other Language is perfectly paced. The characters fleshed out. The settings feel gritty and real. I would gladly live in a world Marciano created.
5. Fangirl - Rowell
This has been the year of Rainbow Rowell. I've read all three of her published novels by this point in  2014 (Landlines comes out next month) and it was easy to pick which to put on this list. Fangirl is amazing. Cather feels like tumblr come to life. There is actual fanfiction in the novel. Levi isn't your typical love interest. There are so many ways that all of these elements could have created a disaster, instead it feels like some of my college days come to life.
6. One More Thing - Novak
BJ Novak isn't the Office temp anymore! His first book, a collection of short stories, is hilarious and  perfect for anyone who identifies as a millennial.
7. A Replacement Life - Fishman 
Fishman's first novel just came out last week. I was lucky enough to get a review copy and have been telling everyone I can about how brilliant this novel is. It feels like Foer got series and, if possible, more introspective. I look forward to seeing this on more lists this year.
8. Paris, My Sweet - Thomas
Paris, My Sweet has grown on me. I wasn't as in love with it when I read it in January. Now I look back on it with sugary goodness. It's all Paris streets, patisseries, and life. You can't ask for much more in a food memoir.
9. Detroit: An American Autopsy - LeDuff
I had a friend visit in March. She'd never been to Michigan so I took her to the Detroit Historic Museum to give her a rundown on the basics. It wasn't long after that I picked up LeDuff's gritty collection about Detroit. I was really stricken by it. My hometown comes up in it's pages, places and stories I've grown up appear everywhere. I finished it in a day. Few things have left me more depressed.
10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone -Rowling
I'm reading Harry Potter again! I know that this isn't news. I really loved Sorcerers Stone this time through. It's amazing that my favorite character and books can still change after all these years, but maybe that's why I keep coming back to Hogwarts.