As I look back over my 2014 reading list — and my 2013 reading list for comparison — I’m feeling pretty good. I finished thirty-odd fiction books, plus eight non-fiction books and the usual assortment of half-read but not quite finished books. I read Part one of Don Quixote, for instance, while we were travelling in Spain, but it’s going to be a while before I make it through the second part…

My top three books from 2014 have all gained their place on my physical bookshelves; here they are.

Deathless – Catherynne M. Valente – Write the story you want to read, they say, but how did I know that I wanted to read a reweaving of Russian folklore into St. Petersburg-Petrograd-Leningrad until a friend lent me this? I’m incredibly jealous of Cat Valente for writing this before I could think of it, and overwhelmingly grateful that she wrote it so beautifully. My taller half twits me for reading YA fantasy sometimes; Deathless has all the things I enjoy about YA fantasy, yet is totally and refreshingly adult. It reminded me that YA fairy tale adaptations are for teenagers and there’s a lot of breadth and depth to life after you hit 20. Or 30. And being 30 is way better than being 14. And Cat Valente’s book is way better than any YA fairy tale adaptation I can think of. It was also a perfect follow up to rereading Master and Margarita at Christmas and one of the most perfect for my interests books ever. Of course, not everyone has the interest in folktales and the the Russian revolution(s) that I do, but–this is a good book! A very good book!

The Tiger’s Wife – Tea Obreht – A mixture of medical science and magical realism in the former Yugoslavia. Also an escaped tiger and so many lovely details! A few years ago, the taller half and I went through pretty much everything that Louis de Bernières ever wrote. The Tiger’s Wife reminded me of some of his work, in both geography and the multigenerational intertwining of multiple stories to give you a sense of a whole country.  I’m disappointed to note that, although it’s been a few year’s since this book came out, Obreht seems to have no online presence and there’s no sign of any future writings.

Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell – A story in a story in a story in a story in a long chain of butterfly wing choas that resolves into an imaginative picture of past, present, and possible future. There are plenty of places you’ve probably already heard of this book and it’s subject matter, so I’ll just say that I’m in the appreciative camp on David Mitchell.

And now the rest of the fiction, in rough chronological order…

Lies of Lock Lamora  – Scott Lynch This story is described as “one part “Robin Hood”, one part Ocean’s Eleven.” I’d say more Ocean’s Eleven than Robin Hood, and there are two or three massive Ocean’s Eleven style schemes that get mixed up into each other. If this were television, it would have a warning at the beginning for language and violence – lots of blood, and both four letter and SAT words.
Two Serpents Rise  – Max Gladstone A follow-up to Three Parts Dead, which I enjoyed, Gladstone revisits the same world in a new city with new characters and a new story which I think was even better than the first book. Reviewed at length here.
Travel Light – Naomi Mitchison  At first I thought this would be like Patricia Wrede’s Dealing With Dragons but then it was entirely its own delightful thing.
The Encylopaedia of Early Earth – Isabel Greenberg I wanted to like this, but meh.
The Hunters – Claire Messud A quick read for my book read. Interesting from a technical perspective because (mild spoiler) the first person narrative never specifies the gender of the protagonist.
The Sekhmet Bed – L.M. Ironside Very well-written and (to my eye) researched historical novel of Egypt. But I never understood why the protagonist had no relationship with the previous generation…
The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt  I got impatient with the length of this book. I liked the way the plot tied up, but by the time I got through the philosophical ending, I was annoyed.
Kabu Kabu – Nnedi Okorafor Short stories, magical realism, fantasy, & scifi. Recommended for all readers of speculative fiction.
The Maltese Falcon – Dashiell Hammett A modern writing workshop would tear Hammett’s writing to shreds; the first pages are all physical descriptions of the characters. But the plotting and the one-liners are something else. Sam Spade is one of the original honey badgers.
The Girl Who Would Be King – Kelly Thompson Despite the veneer of action, this was really all about the psychological journey of the two main characters, and all the secondary aspects of the book had a Potemkin village feel. The writing was very strong, with a narrative voice that tended to take over my own internal monologue for a while after I put it down.
My Antonia – Willa Cather I never imagined that a book about farm life in Nebraska would be fascinating, but this tale of immigrants making lives and agriculture out of the raw prairie is deservedly a classic.
The Lion’s Lady – Julie Garwood I found much of this book hilarious in ways the author may not have intended.
Frankenstein – Mary Shelly I actually started reading this ages ago, finally finished it. I can see why it is called the first scifi book — there’s a lot in it to make you think about the consequences of science.
Ravished by a Highlander – Paula Quinn I was curious about the Highlander subgenre of romance. There was a political thriller plot and entertaining secondary characters in addition to the sexy bits–perhaps not exactly a “ravishing” though.
Eloisa James romance binge – When Beauty Tamed the Beast, When the Duke Returns, Duchess By Night, Storming the Castle, An Affair Before Christmas, The Duke Is Mine, The Ugly Duchess – Exploring the romance genre, I found an author I really enjoy: James is a tenured English professor and the historical detail, along with sly references to academia, are really lovely.
Cress – Marissa Meyer I’m thinking that Scarlet was the best in this series so far, but I’m still looking forward to the afternoon pleasure of reading the remaining books.
The Tudor Secret – C.W. Gortner Mystery and family drama among the children of Henry the Eighth and other surviving Tudors. Good for intrigue though the romantic bits didn’t quite work for me.
Full Fathom Five – Max Gladstone Book #3 in the Craft Sequence takes us into something like Polynesia.
By the Sword – Mercedes Lackey A reread to see what it was that captivated me when I was in high school…
Shards of Honor – Lois McMaster Bujold Having heard much about this book, I gave it a try. I was not disappointed; it’s a classic for a reason.
Along Came A Duke – Elizabeth Boyle Still exploring romance offerings.
The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer – Neal Stephenson Some of the sci-fi ideas are dated, some are still outlandish and intriguing. And for once I don’t have too much reason to gripe about Stephenson’s portrayal of female characters.
Tamora Pierce nostalgia binge – Song of the Lioness (Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Lioness Rampant) & Daughter of the Lioness (Trickster’s Choice / Trickster’s Queen ) – Rereading Alanna’s books and adding on the duology about her daughter, plus earlier rereading of Mercedes Lackey and I begin to doubt the seeming whimsical serendipity of my start in martial arts training. Obviously I was dreaming about being a woman warrior a long time ago…
Century Rain – Alastair Reynolds A little hard-boiled detective in with your social scifi? Don’t mind if I do…

Non-Fiction

If this list gives you the impression that I have been very interested in the 1890s or thereabouts historically, you wouldn’t be wrong.

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex – Mary Roach  Fascinating topic, obviously, and great creative nonfiction from Roach, whose personality makes the awkward bits funny.
Mrs. Robinson’s Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady – Kate Summerscale Trials and tribulations caused by repression of sexuality in 19th century Britain, personal narrative used to illustrate wider social context in very informative manner. An interesting pairing with Bonk.
The Big Sea – Langston Hughes While Hughes relates the events in what seems to have been a very adventurous life, I agree with those who accuse him of hiding behind his words – none of his own personality or reaction come through. Still fascinated me, though.
A Homemade Life – Molly Wizenberg I read this book to prep for the Bushwick Book Club show around it. I’ll be honest, I may have skipped the recipes…
Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt’s Doomed Quest to Clean up Sin-loving New York – Richard Zacks Before he was the manliest president there ever was, TR was a politically doomed police commissioner in New York City.
American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee – Karen Abbott A biography of a vaudeville star’s life, piecing together the facts of her lifestory from the less than factual way she herself would have told it…
Little Demon in the City of Light: A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque Paris – Steven Levingston If you commit a murder while hypnotized, is it you or the hypnotist who is responsible?
Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me – Harvey Pekar One man’s opinion of a situation beyond complicated gave me a better sense of the history of the conflict than I had before.