I always enjoy putting together my list of favourites at the end of the year and reminding myself of all the great books I’ve read during the previous twelve months. Of course there have also been some that weren’t so great, but I prefer not to focus on those and concentrate instead on the books that I loved or that I found special or memorable in some way.
And here they are, my favourite books of 2014, in the order I read them. I apologise in advance for the length of this list!
Little Man, What Now? by Hans Fallada
From my review: “I’ll be very surprised if this one is not on my list in December! I loved every minute of this funny and charming yet dark and poignant German novel from 1932.”
Falls the Shadow by Sharon Penman
From my review: “Long, complex and emotionally intense…this is the story of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, the French nobleman who ruled England for more than a year. I didn’t realise quite how much Penman had made me love Simon until I reached the end of his story.”
Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope
From my review: “As usual with a Trollope novel, I was completely drawn into the lives of the characters and enjoyed all 690 pages! This is definitely one of my favourite Trollope novels so far and I’m now looking forward to reading the rest of the Pallisers.”
The Convictions of John Delahunt by Andrew Hughes
From my review: “A wonderfully moody and sinister historical crime novel…I loved this dark and atmospheric book and was completely gripped by John Delahunt’s fascinating story.”
The Moon in the Water by Pamela Belle
From my review: “The Moon in the Water follows the story of Thomazine Heron and her family, and is set during the English Civil War. I loved it from the first page to the last…it was a joy to discover this one and to know that I have many more Pamela Belle books still to look forward to.”
Insurrection by Robyn Young
From my review: “Insurrection is exactly the sort of historical fiction I love…I found it to be a fascinating, atmospheric tale of kings and knights, witches and soldiers, treachery, murder and war.”
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
From my review: “I loved this book as much as I expected to and enjoyed being back in Hardy’s Wessex. The plot is a great one, with lots of twists and turns and plenty of drama; I was never bored once.”
The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas
From my review: “A fascinating historical novel set in Renaissance Italy and narrated by Barbara of Austria. Although the back cover of this book promised “conspiracy, intrigue and murder”, I was still surprised that the story had such a strong mystery element.”
The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson
From my review: “I found The Devil in the Marshalsea very entertaining and fun to read. As a mystery novel, it kept me guessing right until the end..as a work of historical fiction it’s equally impressive.”
The True and Splendid History of the Harristown Sisters by Michelle Lovric
From my review: “I loved this book, the first I’ve read by Michelle Lovric, and I would agree that it really is a ‘splendid history’. One of my favourite books of the year so far.”
An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris
From my review: “This is the first book I’ve read by Robert Harris…and guess what? I loved it! An Officer and a Spy really is a fascinating novel and took me through a range of emotions from shock to frustration to absolute outrage!”
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
From my review: “Yet again I have book blogging to thank for helping me to discover an author who I think is going to become a favourite…Assassin’s Apprentice, the first book of The Farseer Trilogy seemed the logical place to start, and what a great book it turned out to be!”
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
From my review: “The Crystal Cave introduces us to Myrddin Emrys, better known as Merlin…A great book and now one of my absolute favourites by Mary Stewart.”
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
From my review: “It’s a gentle, slow-paced novel but completely compelling and, despite the lack of drama, I found it difficult to put down…The ending is perfect too.”
Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
From my review: “There’s just so much packed into this novel: the scandals and intrigues of the 17th century French court, a version of Rapunzel much darker and more compelling than the one I remember from my childhood, a vivid depiction of Renaissance Italy, magic and witchcraft, religious persecution, stories within stories, and much more.”
A History of Loneliness by John Boyne
From my review: “A very insightful and thought-provoking novel and my favourite John Boyne book so far. I loved this book and am so glad I still have so many of his earlier novels left to explore!”
Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald
From my review: “What a great book! A wonderful setting, a beautiful romance, characters I really cared about, an exciting story and lots of fascinating historical detail…definitely one of my favourite books of the year.”
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
From my review: ” It’s fun and imaginative and entertaining – and I loved it… I’m going to miss Don Quixote and Sancho after spending so much time with them this year!”
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What about you? What are the best books you’ve read this year? Have you read any of the books on my list?
She Reads Novels 