Faves of 2014 (Non Bookish)

If you've visited the blog before you've certainly realized that it is not only books that I fangirl over. TV, movies, and sometimes music can quickly become obsessions.

I thought it might be fun to share some of my favourite non bookish things from 2014 before the year ends.

TV

Breaking Bad

I binged watched this last Dec/Jan during a holiday marathon. It quickly became one of my favourite shows. Not just of the year, but ever. Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are two characters you will never forget and the question of what happens after still haunts me. Without giving spoilers...you want this one character, in particular, to be okay. You want to think that they found their happiness after the events. The idea that they might not have...soul crushing. This show is insanely well written, even more well acted, and all consuming. Trust the hype, and just watch it already if you haven't.

The Affair

The he said/she said storytelling. The subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, differences in events. The brilliant acting. The amazing writing. Take your pick as there are plenty of reasons this show should already be on your radar.

The show plays with perception and our recollection of events. It asks how much of what we remember is based on how we see ourselves and others instead of on actual facts. The person you love for example will always look better to you than they do to themselves. Are our views of someone accurate? Is it something we're projecting onto them? All of this is tackled against a tightly woven plot that keeps unraveling as the story continues to spiral. The main four characters (Joshua Jackson, Ruth Wilson, Dominic West, and Maura Tierney) are electric and the chemistry between them all is palpable. You'll want to watch them connect with each other, destroy each other, and implode over and over.

Penny Dreadful

Eva Green. Those two words are enough to make watching Penny Dreadful a must. She delivers one of the best performances on television this year. I read somewhere that someone said nobody acted harder in 2014, on television, than Eva Green. I 1000% agree with this sentiment. The later half of the season in particular allows her some great material to work with. It stuns me that she hasn't received any nominations as of yet (hopefully an Emmy is in her future).

The fact that the rest of the cast is also very good, and that the show is well written only adds to it's allure. The show itself looks beautiful and the storyline is captivating. Harry Treadaway deserves a special mention for his role as Victor Frankenstein as well. He makes the iconic character his own, and provides something extra to his storylines as a result.

How To Get Away With Murder

The twisty, incredibly fun hit of the fall season also happens to have some of the most brilliant performances. Viola Davis literally and figuratively strips away the layers she hides behind in one stand out moment. Jack Falahee slays as the self destructive Connor Walsh. Alfred Enoch plays an audience stand in of sorts, and does it fantastically. His "WTF" expressions, and puppy like demeanor only add to his charm. The best thing about this show however is that after it's stunning first half of the season it can, pretty much, go anywhere. The possibilities have me excited and may just determine if this show has staying power.

MOVIE

Gone Girl

The book to movie adaptation of 2014 for me. Rosamund Pike's flawless performance as Amy Dunne steals the movie. Once the mysteries behind her character are revealed Rosamund gets her chance to showcase what she can do, and the effect is breathtaking. Too many details would spoil the movie, but her performance left me with goosebumps.The movie itself is a faithful, well done, impeccably acted, adaptation of one of my favourite novels and I left the theatre extremely pleased.

Jacke Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler

Chilling, creepy, perfection. Jake Gyllenhaal has be praised for his acting talents numerous times (Brokeback Mountain, anyone?) but his performance as Lou Bloom is beyond words. His transformation is nothing short of awe inspiring. He both repulses and fascinates you as a supremely driven crime scene journalist who will stop at nothing to get ahead in his career.

Boyhood

A movie that is both a look at growing up and the journey that takes us from childhood to the cusp of adulthood and a nostalgic time capsule. The amount of time, and planning that went into creating this story that spanned 12 years is inspiring. It's uplifting, bittersweet, and shows just how similar everyone's experiences really are.

MUSIC

Taylor Swift's 1989

Only one CD mattered to me this year (yes, this makes me lame, whatever) and it was this one. It has pretty much been on repeat since it's release and I am obsessed with Blank Space, and Wildest Dreams. OBSESSED.

Music was definitely the element lacking this year for me? Anything I should check out? Let me know in the comments.

OTHER

Etsy

This website has quickly become a favourite of mine. There are so many cute, and amazing things to buy. If you're part of a fandom, it's basically got you covered. You'll spend way too much time browsing but you'll undoubtedly leave it pining for some items, and with less money! It's going to be something I continue to use in 2015, especially for gifts for people. 

2014 Bookish Survey

Jamie, from The Perpetual Page Turner, started this and it's turned into a super fun annual thing. Here are my answers to the BOOKISH SURVEY OF 2014! Thanks for posting again, Jamie!

2014 Reading Stats 

Number Of Books You Read: 122 books
Number of Re-Reads: Zero, actually
Genre You Read The Most From: A mixture, but heavier on the non contemporary

Best in Books 

1. Best Book You Read In 2014? Can I just link to my BEST OF 2014 post?

2. Book You Were Excited About And Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? 
Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014? Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes. I did not expect THAT when I picked up this particular book.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014? Famous In Love by Rebecca Serle (if talking one I've read this year) and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (if talking not read this year).

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014? 

Best series started - The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Best Sequel - Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas (still scarred from that one)
Best Series Ender - The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014? Emery Lord, I think.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? None that I can think of.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige and Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins were both one sitting reads for me.

9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? Toss up between Isla and the Happily Ever After and The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014? The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.

11. Most memorable character of 2014? Jude and Noah from I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014? Either The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson, or We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014? Hmmm....I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson, maybe.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry. Pretty sure I was the last person to read this book.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014? 

I have four that stood out, and I could put SO many more...

First from Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins....

'I'm...getting there. I', beginning to think that maybe it's okay to be a blank canvas. Maybe it's okay that my future is unknown. And maybe," I say with another smile, "it's okay to be inspired by the people who do know their future." "It goes both ways, you know." I link his icicle fingers through mine. "What does?" "Artists are inspired by blank canvases." My smile groes wider.'

Next from Open Road Summer by Emery Lord....

'His eyes are between gray and blue, and his hair is somewhere between brown and blond, and I am somewhere between hostile and attracted.'

From The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.....

"He could never use you. you own him. You should've seen the way he was look at you while you were out." I smile a little "How?" "Like you're the ocean and he's desperate to drown."

Lastly, from Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

"....and then I am going to rattle the stars"

There were seriously some great quotes from books this year!

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013? 

Shortest - Just One Night by Gayle Forman at 40 pages
Longest - After by Anna Todd at 592 pages

17. Book That Shocked You The Most Anatomy of a Misfit. OUT OF NOWHERE. Possibly We Were Liars as well.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!) Kestrel and Arin from The Winner's Curse, or Dorian and Celaena from the Throne of Glass series.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year Jude and Noah from I'll Give You The Sun, or Sloane and Emily from Since You've Been Gone.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously Brazen by Katherine Longshore or The Vanishing Season from Jodi Lynn Anderson.

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014? Jordan from Famous In Love, and Oscar from I'll Give You The Sun. *swoon*

23. Best 2014 debut you read? Either Open Road Summer by Emery Lord, or Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? Exquisite Captive, and The Fall by Bethany Griffin.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014? Brazen by Katherine Longshore, and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year? Brazen by Katherine Longshore. Read it, everyone. SO GOOD.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul? See #26. Both those books crushed me, and I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson as well.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014? Toss up between The Unfinished Life by Addison Stone and Love Letters To The Dead. Both had unique narration styles. Love Letters To The Dead is entirely in letter format and The Unfinished Life is a fictional account of one of those true crime shows in novel format.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? All The Rage by Courtney Summers. I liked it, but the anger was real. I had to vent. It was wonderful though.

Your Blogging/Bookish Life 

1. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014? Attending BEA again and getting to see all the lovely bookish people I've chatted with online in person.

2. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? Etsy in general is a hidden gem of bookish delights. You can find so many things. My favourite are art prints of book quotes. It's a bit of a rabbit hole when you start going down though and a complete time drainer, but so worth it.

3. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? The only challenge I took part in is the Goodreads challenge and I was able to complete it.

 Looking Ahead 

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015? The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson and Marie Lu's The Young Elites

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)? Finding Paris by Joy Preble or A Court Of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas.

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard or Anne and Henry by Dawn Ius

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015? Truly, Madly, Famously by Rebecca Serle

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015? Every year I say the same thing and every year I suck. I want to comment on more blogs.

6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone: The Winner's Crime (sequel to The Winner's Curse).

Best of 2014

As the end of one year, and the beginning of another approaches, it's time to reflect. This means all those Best Of lists begin to pop up everywhere, and this blog is no exception.

Here are the top 15 books I've read this year. I couldn't stop at 10. It was impossible. I even cheated a little and included two books in the same series together.

These are in no particular order, that would have been even more impossible.

Each selection links to my review (where available) if you wanted more information.

1 We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Beautiful writing, and a story that blends together sadness, summer, and a fantastic mystery. The "don't reveal the ending" marketing plan was buzz worthy, and in this case I happen to agree. Knowing the minimal amount about the story going in increases your enjoyment of this story as this is one to experience with the character.

2 The Winner's Curse/The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

I cheated and included both books under this as I've read both this year. The characters will ensnare you and keep you riveted with every single twist and bump during their journey. A story full of secrets, lies, hidden truths and political intrigue, it's one that keeps you guessing and crushes your heart (in the best way).

3 Half Bad by Sally Green

This story succeeds because of Nathan. His story will stay with you long after you finish the book. The potential for the rest of the series is evident in this first installment and I am excited to continue Nathan's journey and discover more of this rich world Sally Green has created.

4 Love Letters To The Dead Ava Dellaira

Told in letter format, this story offers a unique and satisfying experience. Through letters to deceased celebrities we learn Laurel's story. It's a story that isn't always a happy one. It's a mix of hopeful and heartbreaking and looks at the long road back from grief and forgiveness.

5 Since You've Gone by Morgan Matson

This novel will immediately leave you with the Kelly Clarkson song stuck in your head, and a smile on your face. Filled with a sweet romance, and friendship that has the starring role, and characters you want to be friends with, it's a lighter read that has a lot of depth. You'll want to create your own 'to do' list for your BFF when you turn that final page.

6 Brazen by Katherine Longshore

All of Katherine's novels have an underlying message of finding your voice, and standing up for what you believe in. Something that resonates no matter what year we're in. This story is of finding your own self worth, and embracing it. It's a story that is filled with sharp writing, and the lasting desire to live life with no regrets.

7 Famous In Love by Rebecca Serle

Any fan of Hollywood gossip, CW TV shows, and love triangles will devour this novel and immediately beg for more. It's depth, and characterization however will have you utterly smitten. It's a story of falling in love while everyone watches, of finding yourself while under the spotlight, and adjusting to drastic changes. You may end up being either Team Jordan or Team Rainer, but you'll undoubtedly end up finishing the novel Team Paige.

8 The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Jodi's breathtaking writing combined with her ability to create the kind of characters that get under your skin made this one a heartbreaking, crushing read. The mystery of the missing girls is secondary to the destructive relationships between the central characters, and it's aftermath.

9 I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

My first Jandy Nelson book stunned me. I expect this one will pop up on quite a few of these lists and for good reason. Two distinct and unique voices, two unforgettable narrators, and a story that is capable of breaking your heart and mending it all at once. The sibling relationship is the heart of this story, and it's beautifully done. This novel also gave me Oscar, my new book boyfriend.

10 Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

If you ever wondered what it might be like to be BFFs with Taylor Swift, this novel is for you. Underneath the lightness and fun is an insanely enjoyable story. A friendship at it's heart, and a swoon worthy romance make for a quick paced read that is a fave debut for many. There is plenty of emotion packed into this read, and you'll end it being an Emery Lord fan.

11 The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

This novel takes fantasy tropes and flips them. You think you know this story, and where it's going only for Holly Black and Cassandra Clare to show you just how wrong that assumption was. It packs a surprising punch, and is perfect for middle grade and young adult fans alike. I cannot wait to see these characters grow and progress over the coarse of this story.

12 Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

A finale that was more than worth the wait. While I may prefer Etienne to any of the other boys Stephanie Perkins has created, Isla is perhaps my favourite girl. She endeared herself to me immediately, and is perhaps the most like me. A romantic, achingly realistic, beautifully written conclusion to a stellar set of companion novels. Stephanie Perkins may just be the Queen of Contemporary novels (for me she shares the title with Gayle Forman).

13 The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The buzz around this one started when Emma Watson signed on to be the main character in the movie adaptation. Kelsea is a protagonist that quickly makes you fall in love with her. The Fetch is an intriguing element to the story and adds an air of mystery. The world building is one of my favourite parts of this story and seeing Kelsea grow and change is the heart of the story.

14 Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Danielle Paige takes something beloved and makes it all her own. She twists Oz in fascinating ways all while maintaining the recognizable elements of the classic. The clear and concise set up allows for a tightly woven story that begs to be turned into a CW TV show. Those who want what made The Wizard of Oz so speical will find it here, just twisted beyond belief.

15 Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrois

Heather Demetrois' writing is often praised (and her 2015 release I'll Meet You There) is already gaining a lot of praise for it's writing). This novel is no exception. Combined with her writing is fantastic world building, and a love triangle that works because it really isn't a love triangle. This novel has magic, wonder, and a fantastic lead character that all equal up to a great read.

I could have easily made it 20, but decided to at least try to limit myself. Have you read any of these books? Did they make your Best Of list? Let me know in the comments.