Thursday 1 January 2015

The High and Lows of Two Zero One Four - Book Edition








As we come to the end of 2014, I figured it’s time that I spew out what I thought were the best reads of the year. Keep in mind, some of the books I mention, may not be 2014 publications, but just books I got around to reading this year. I’ve also listed my 3 biggest disappointments of the year, sadly, that didn’t live up to the hype. 

Nonetheless, it’s been a wonderful book year for me, with some amazing reads, and without further babbling, I will launch into it. 

The Best :
One of my most recent reads has been the Throne of Glass series, a bandwagon which I recently jumped on to after hearing so much praise about it from my friends and the blogging community. Though disappointed somewhat with the first book, the second was mindblowing. Like. YES. WOW. And thus Crown of Midnight drops itself into one of my favourite books of the year, a truly explosive and exciting read that pleases me even more due to the supreme character development and improvement on writing by the author. 



Coming in with a contemporary favourite, is Kasie West’s, On The Fence, a truly hilarious and heartwarming read about a girl who is surrounded only by brothers yet finds something more in one of her brother’s best friends. I loved West’s writing, which I previously encountered in her book The Distance Between Us, and I continue to look forward to more from this author. 






I finally got around to writing a review for my favourite book, ever ever ever. Since discovering it 9 years ago almost. Need I say more? Go check out the review and fall in love. 









John Green has exploded in the last few years, and for good reason too. Of all his books, my personal favourite is Looking For Alaska, a truly amazing reading with some epic characters. If you’re a John Green virgin, this is the best book to start with.









Rainbow Rowell is another author that has come out tops in the recent year, with her book Eleanor and Park becoming people’s fast favourites, yet for me, her earlier book, Attachments is my favourite, that combines her easy writing style, romance is a subtle read that leaves you smiling at the end. 






This book comes in as one of my favourite contemporary/ YA books ever, not just this year, and it’s such a gem that I implore that you all pick it up. Pronto. An amazing story about trust and love and the author manages to explore some sensitive issues in the right manner, an underrated talent. The prequel to this, told from the male point of view, is also amazing, and the review for it can be found here. And with that, I conclude the best books read in 2014! Now, on to the not so best. 


The Worst:


One of the most hyped up books of the year, and one that has won several awards in the category of best books this year, however I was failed to be impressed by this story, which was okay at best, and too pretentious at worst it seemed to me. Though the twist was an eye opener, the story leading up to it didn’t do it any justice and I felt it could have been a lot better written - yet all in all, not worth the hype it has been receiving. 





Another one that failed to disappoint, was a book I was extremely excited to read given the premise, yet in this instance the writing and story telling failed to fully capture my attention and again, it could have been a lot better, given the promise that came with the premise. 



I only picked up this book after the movie came out, knowing I couldn't escape much longer. Everyone kept raving about "the twist" and though it was psycho to some extent, the whole book dragged on for the whole first half I felt, not to be redeemed. I was disappointed with the book overall and feel like the book hasn't lived up to the hype.  I'm on the verge of watching the movie, maybe it's better to see this plot on film than to read it. Nonetheless, that concludes the list of books that disappointed me this year.

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And that's a wrap! Those are my best and worst books of 2014 for me, would love to know what you guys think of these books or your own favourites of the year :D Leave a comment below or drop by with some links. And I hope the year ahead is full of bookish love for you all!

This is Sahina, in the year 2015, over and out.




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