Although I’ve cut way back on the book review side of my blog, I still like to spotlight books every now and then. And today, I’d like to spotlight my top 10 favorites from 2014. As you’ll see below, I read and enjoyed a wide variety of books last year: Light and heavy. Adult fiction and YA. Historical fiction, drama, sci-fi, contemporary romance, paranormal…I was all over the map! So, check them out. Maybe you’ll find a few that pique your interest?
Jen’s Top 10 Favorite Books of 2014
#1: Cress by Marissa Meyer
I read Cress in early 2014, and it stuck with me the whole year. Like its predecessors in the Lunar Chronicles series, Cress was fun, witty, adventurous, and downright entertaining. Marissa Meyer has definitely proven to me old tales can be remade in exciting and creative ways. I can’t wait for Winter, the final book in this amazing series, to be released later this year!
To read my full review and more about Cress, click here!
#2: The Martian by Andy Weir
I just finished The Martian during the holidays and…wow. Just wow! Think the movie Cast Away, but on Mars. Seriously, it’s like nothing I’ve ever read before. Gripping, intelligent, funny. I might’ve even shed a tear at the end.
The second I finished The Martian, I said, “Well, that has Hollywood written all over it.” And, guess what? The film is set to be released in November 2015. Ha! So don’t wait. Go read it before you see the movie…And then thank me for recommending it to you. 😉
To read more about The Martian, click here!
#3: Winter of the World by Ken Follett
You know what amazes me about Ken Follett? He can write a 1,000 page story that flies by like a 400 page one. What amazes me more? He can write a 1,000 page historical fiction that doesn’t bore me to tears! Just like its predecessor, Fall of Giants, Winter of the World ensnared me from the start and has everything you want in a story: likable characters, rich settings, suspenseful plots, and so much more.
Trust me, don’t let the daunting size of this book stop you from reading it. It’s too good to pass up!
To read more about Winter of the World, click here!
#4: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
So, I read three Rainbow Rowell books in 2014, and I must admit, I wanted to put all of them on this list. But, I resisted the temptation and only put two (sorry Landline).
I’m sure most of you have already heard a lot of buzz about Eleanor & Park, and I’m sure many of you have already read it (and if you haven’t, you should.) It’s an addictive tale that takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions: Anger. Humor. Fear. Love. I’ve never read a contemporary romance quite like this one. You go from smirking at Eleanor and Park’s resentful start, to grinning at their magical connection, to holding your breath at their uncertain future.
In a nutshell, it’s awesome. So go read it!
To read my full review and more about Eleanor & Park, click here!
#5: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
You know, there has been some debate about this sequel to The 5th Wave. Some have liked it. Some have not. Personally, I did. No, it wasn’t as great as The 5th Wave, and yes, it did feel like a middle book in a series (you know, the wobbly bridge that connects the 1st and 3rd book). But, whatever. I still enjoyed it and I’d still recommend it to others.
And, hey, here’s another book that will likely be adapted to screen someday since they’re already filming the first in the series. So, go read it before you head to the theater!
To read more about The Infinite Sea, click here!
#6: The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo
After seeing this book cover all over the place for a couple of years, I finally decided to place a hold on it at the library…and then I proceeded to devour it within two days…and then I proceeded to devour its sequels within a week. Yeah, The Grisha series is ahh-ddicting! Magical, mysterious, scary, romantic, all three books (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising) have the perfect elements to make a perfectly entertaining story.
So, if you’re looking for a quick, fun, adventurous read, here you go!
To read more about The Grisha series, click here!
#7: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor
Considering Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my favorite books of all time, I placed its final segment, Dreams of Gods & Monsters, at the top of my must-read list for 2014. I can’t even explain how excited I was to get my hands on it. Once I did, I was satisfied with it. I’ll admit, it wasn’t my favorite in the series, but it wrapped things up nicely, answered all my questions, and made me both happy and sad. It’s always bittersweet to finish a wonderful series, you know?
Trust me, this is a must-read!
To read more about Dreams of Gods and Monsters, click here!
#8: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Annnd here’s the second Rainbow Rowell book on my list. Thinking about it, I should’ve listed this above Eleanor & Park because, honestly, I enjoyed it more. It’s not as intense and it’s just a tad more addictive. Plus, I totally fell in love with Lincoln. He’s one of my biggest book crushes ever.
*cue googly eyed expression*
…Hmmm…
Okay, I’m gonna keep daydreaming about Lincoln while you go read Attachments. I promise, it’s awesome!
To read my full review and more about Attachments, click here.
#9: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
This was another highly anticipated book for me in 2014. And–unlike some of the other books I had looked forward to reading–City of Heavenly Fire lived up to my expectations. It also polished off The Mortal Instruments series in a satisfying way. As usual, Cassandra Clare wove a wonderful tale of adventure, wit, and love. And, of course, there were plenty of twists and turns, “Oohs” and “Ahhs”, and even a few “Noooooo…!” moments.
If you haven’t had a chance to get into this series, and you enjoy paranormal stories with a dash of humor and lots of action, then I highly recommend it!
To read more about City of Heavenly Fire, click here!
#10: Vampire Academy series Richelle Mead
Oh, yes. I did it. I put the Vampire Academy series on the list. Go ahead and laugh, mutter “Huh?”, and poke fun at me all you want. But, you shouldn’t judge me until you read these books. Talk about addicting! I ended up reading all six of them in just over a month.
And, fine, these are not the most serious, challenging, or life altering books out there. But you know what? Sometimes, light and easy books are the best. And these are some of the best I’ve read in a long time. So check them out!
To read more about Vampire Academy, click here!
Overall, I read some great books in 2014 (and, okay, some not so great books, but we won’t talk about those). I can’t wait to read all the adventures awaiting me in 2015! I’ve already gotten off to a great start with Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.
If you’d like to check out more of my book reviews, click here!
Last week, I was completely obsessed with one of my favorite Malt Shop artists, 
I fell in love with this song years and years ago, all the way back to when I was a kid and my aunt used to babysat me and my siblings. Whenever we’d go over to her house, she’d throw on Lesley Gore’s record, grab a spatula, and “serenade” us while we ate dinner. Usually her performance would end with all of us dancing around to 
However, it was my aunt’s theatrical rendition of “You Don’t Own Me” that stuck with me throughout the years. And lately, as I’ve been working on the edits for my manuscript, it’s become one of my obsessions.
So, if you’re looking for a wonderful song that’s full of power, drama, and attitude, listen to Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me”.
So, to be perfectly honest, I spent the majority of my week doing this:
Daydreaming. Pondering. Staring off into La-La Land…
I spent all last weekend hermit-ing it up to regain my footing and get back on track with my manuscript–which I did. Phew! Better yet, I sent my beta reader new chapters, and her feedback was positive. Her exact words were: “All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!”
I’m hoping to send her one more chapter before tonight, when the 2nd round of the 
Seriously, if I get political satire, I’m doooomed.
How was your week? Anyone have fun plans for the weekend? If I finish my writing contest early, I might crack out the Halloween decorations and gloom up my house a little. Of course, that means I’ll need to enter the dreaded Crawl Space of Spiders…Nope. Forget it. I’m not decorating this year 😉
One of the most important things in my life is my family. If anything happened to them…well, I’m not sure what I’d do. It’s one of those fears that haunts me on a daily basis, just as I’m sure it haunts many of you. To think of having everything you cherish taken away in the blink of an eye…
*shudder*
But, don’t worry. This story isn’t only about making you cry and sob and go through an entire box of tissues. It celebrates life and love, and offers hope when there is no hope to be found.
As hard as this story is to read, it’s worth it. For me, it made me consider what I’d do if this type of tragedy ever struck in my life. Would I give up? Or would I fight for life? To be honest, I’m still not sure. Like Mia, it’s a choice I can’t make until it I had to.
Okay, seriously, if you haven’t read a book by Rainbow Rowell yet…well. You better get on it! As of this month, she has four–FOUR–awesome books published. And her newest, Landline, is no exception. Just like her other novels, Landline had me hooked from page one. It was thoroughly engaging, filled with vivid, relatable characters, and so addicting, I didn’t want to put it down. I also enjoyed how it wasn’t completely adult fiction. There was plenty of YA moments, which made it all the more special.
That about sums things up 😉
Plus, the 
…That’s all I have to say about that.
Read more about Legend 
Have you ever read a book as slow as possible? Because you’re dreading the end? Because you know when you turn that last page, the story will be over and you’ll be sad for days and days? Well, that’s how I felt while reading The 5th Wave. Although I’m not a huge fan of stories revolving around aliens, this one is both awesome and terrifying. It actually made me stop and think, “Oh crap. What if this actually happened?”
“How rude. Many who have gazed upon me have compared it to gazing at the radiance of the sun.”
Yeah, obviously I’d 
Well, that about sums up my feelings for Cress. Yippy, ya-hoo, woo-hoo, yea, yeah, yes! Seriously, can Marissa Meyer write a bad book? I mean it. I thought 
I can’t even begin to tell you how endearing and amusing Cress is. This Rapunzel inspired character was a perfect combination of sweet and naive, and edgy and brave. Half the time I wanted to laugh and shake my head at her daydreamin’, romantic fantasies, while the other half I wanted to give her a high five and thank her for not being a total damsel in distress.
If you read Scarlet, then you’ve already been introduced to Captain Thorne. And if you didn’t fall in love with him then, I promise, you will in Cress. Through countless adventures and an unfortunate accident, Captain Thorne proves to be more than a charming, arrogant, self-centered fop. He shows us he’s also a genuine, patient, caring guy. And a man of his word.
To read more about Cress, click 
Jen's Pen Den 