The best book I read in 2014 was... [add yours]

[chicaguapa]

1 month to go and I already know that this will be the best book I read this year. I absolutely loved it. It's £2.99 for the Kindle version and you'll want to read it again as soon as you finish.

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

Waves at postchildren - another J L Carr fan, hurrah!

I liked History of the Rain, without wanting to rave about it. I thought the "voice"/dialogue/setting were all convincing (I'm Irish myself). No alcoholism or clerical abuse for once - slightly ridiculous levels of family tragedy, but sometimes real life is like that. Hope that's not a spoiler...

I loved The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan. Not without its faults but I became more and more obsessed by it. I loved the turn of phrase - DH didn't but we both loved the book.
Also (I am cheating) Grace Williams Says it loud. Fantastic and surprisingly uplifting. And What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriaty stuck with me despite being quite a quick read.

Another vote for We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
Her - Harriet Lane

To the PP who asked if Under The Skin was any good as a book - I really enjoyed it. Didn't fancy the film and it sounds like I didn't miss anything!

I don't think I have a favourite, but this year I've enjoyed The Goldfinch, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and Life After Life.

I didn't love The Narrow Road to the Deep north.

A friend introduced me to the Cazalet Chronicles (late!) which I am really enjoying. I am currenty reading Confusion (number 3)

Marking my place here - I'm going to steal some of these for when I start 50 in 2015

I've just been looking back at my list of books I've read this year. What is strange is that the ones at the beginning feel like I read them years ago. It's odd because normally it feels as if the year disappears really fast and yet when I look at stuff from January and February it's difficult to believe I only read those books this year.

Anyway, I've commented on this thread already, but I'd liked to add a few more non-fiction faves:

1. Do no harm by Henry Marsh - a neurosurgeon's memoir. Fascinating and awe-inspiring. When you read of the time that he made a mistake that left someone completely paralysed, it kind of puts one's own work mistakes in perspective.

1. Delusions of gender by Cordelia Fine - intelligent and entertaining analysis of research on gender differences. Very readable.

1. Nine parts of desire by Geraldine Brooks - Brooks was a foreign affairs journalist and this is her account of visiting and talking to women in Muslim countries about their lives. Really gives you an insight into what it's like for these women.

1. The Railway Man by Eric Lomax. A very powerful and moving account of being a POW held by the Japanese in 2WW. Can't recommend it highly enough.

New one: The Goldfinch. I absolutely loved it and still think of it often.

Old one: Day of the Triffids. Book group book but what an awesome choice. Truly truly wonderful and thought provoking.

I was forced to read Clear by Nicola Barker, and ended up really enjoying it. Also The Road, which is obviously amazing...
I've just ordered Station Eleven and have high hopes of it

Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo.

oh yes, the Book of Evidence is terrific. I was very taken with Elizabeth is Missing and After the Storm a Still Quite Voice.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Wonderful writing, tackling social issues relevant today. This book is one of my favourite books of all time.

Other books I have enjoyed this year are The Bone Season (dystopian fantasy), Smut by Alan Bennett, This much I know is true by Wally Lamb and The Panoptican by Jenni Fagan (heart-breaking depiction of a young girl growing up in care in Scotland).

Read The Goldfinch. Enjoyed the first three-quarters of it but thought it would never end! Much too long. But then I felt a bit meh about The Secret History so maybe she's not an author for me..

I have just finished reading H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald.

It is the account of her rearing & training of a goshawk & coming to terms with the death of her father.

I am still not sure how I feel about falconry in general but her writing is just wonderous. It is some of the finest descriptive prose I have ever read.

My top 5 books

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
We are called to rise - Laura McBride
Apple Tree Yard - Louise Doughty
Wake - Anna Hope
Elizabeth is missing - Emma Healey

the haw book sounds dull and depressing. Is it?

Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier

Elizabeth it is neither - I could not put it down.

I am Pilgrim

Oh good thread. I'll look out for lots of these

The one I enjoyed most this year was Viv Albertine's autobiography 'Clothes clothes close, music music music, boys boys boys'.

Natasha Solomon's "Mr Rosenblum's List" and Leanne Moriarty's "What Alice forgot" and "The husband secret"

The Narrow Road to the Deep North
The Bone Clocks
The Goldfinch
Blood and Beauty

The Goldfinch, Bringing up the Bodies, Life after Life and also really enjoyed Instructions for a Heatwave.

Got some of the ones mentioned on here to as presents to look forward to .

"Crossing to Safety" by Wallace Stegner - as good as his "Angle of Repose" but more moving.

Pereira Maintains by Antonio Tabucchi. Simply marvellous.

Have had a look through my reading list for 2014 and I have narrowed it down to 12 books which stand out above the rest, although I have read lots of really good books this year.

The Hours - Michael Cunningham
A Man Called Ove - Frederik Backman
Writing Home - Alan Bennett
The Children Act - Ian McEwan
Notes on a Scandal - Zoe Heller
Untold Stories - Alan Bennett
The Sea - John Banville
A Scattering - Christopher Reid
Love, Nina - Nina Stibbe
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls - David Sedaris
The Lie - Helen Dunmore
Strange Meeting - Susan Hill