Heather's 2014 Reads

Several of us discussed it, and we decided that in 2015 we should make a better effort with both the 50/50 challenge and the blog, even if our chances of success aren’t all that great. I thought I’d begin by listing all the books I read in 2014, with occasional notes. It wouldn’t be worth doing the movies, as I only saw three or four, which is as many as I’ve seen in the first few weeks of 2015.

 

I had a decent reading year in 2014 – over 60 books. I seriously embraced audio books as a valid way to experience more books. When I Metro and walk to or from work, it takes about an hour, and since I can’t really read during that time, audio books seemed a good use of my time.

 

Here’s what I read in 2014

 

1. Beautiful Creatures
2. Beautiful Darkness
3. Beautiful Chaos
4. Beautiful Redemption
   1. This is a series of paranormal young adult romance or something novels about a Caster (witch) and the boy whose interested in her. I read them because I saw the movie of the first book and liked it. It’s a good thing I saw the movie first, because I would have been annoyed with the changes they made. A well-written, interesting and enjoyable read.
5. I am Half-Sick of Shadows – Flavia de Luce, so of course it was a good book.
6. A Cape Code Notebook – Short book that I bought during a trip to Cape Cod.
7. The Orphan of Awkward Falls – Children’s book
8. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate – another children’s book. This was excellent.
9. Charon’s Cosmology – poems by Charles Simic
10. Murder Past Due
11. The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived before Achilles (audio)
12. The Raven Boys – I didn’t realize this was the first book in a series (The Raven Cycle), so I was really annoyed when I got to the end. I enjoyed it, more YA paranormal.
13. Human Chain – poems by Seamus Heaney
14. Cannery Row – I read this before a trip to Monterey. I recognized Steinbeck’s characters on the statue we saw.
15. Morning poems – poems by Robert Bly
16. Pooh and the Philosophers: In Which It is Shown That All of Western Philosophy is Merely a Preamble to Winnie-the-Pooh
17. The Human, the Orchid and the Octopus (audio) – I loved this book.
18. Splintered
19. Shades of Grey (not to be confused with that other book) – This book was set in a colourtocracy and was one of my favorite books of the year.
20. Summer World (audio)
21. The Dream Thieves – second book in The Raven Cycle
22. Fahrenheit 451 (audio) – Just revisiting a book I’d enjoyed in high school.
23. Way Off the Road (audio) – Humor, and it did have some funny bits in it.
24. The Voluntourist
25. Dive # 1: The Discovery – Children’s book
26. Infinity Ring #1: A Mutiny in Time (audio) – Children’s book. This one was written by James Dashner, so I was interested in it. These are middle-grade books written by various authors, so all a particular writer’s style is edited out. Still fun for children, and I’ll continue listening to them.
27. Eaarth (audio)
28. Infinity Ring #2: Divide & Conquer (audio)
29. The Jungle Book (audio)
30. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Alchemyst
31. Why Read Moby Dick (audio)
32. Stung – YA, dystopian
33. Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians (audio) – Children’s book
34. Man Down
35. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
36. Olive’s Ocean
37. The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable – I read a lot of children’s books, trying to keep up my knowledge, but there are too many!
38. Around the World in 80 Days (audio) – He never rides a balloon!
39. Science Matters (audio) – This is a book designed to give the reader basic scientific literacy. It has the best explanation of the theory of relativity that I’ve ever heard. It was great, and I might have to listen to or read it again.
40. The Calder Game (audio)
41. The Danger Box (audio)
42. The Copernicus Legacy: The Forbidden Stone
43. Adam Bede (audio)
44. First Light
45. Being Henry David
46. A Tale of Two Cities (audio) – I never read this, even as an English major. It was great.
47. The Unfinished Angel (audio)
48. Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin (audio)
49. I’ll Mature When I’m Dead (audio) – Dave Barry
50. Physics of the Impossible (audio) – Michio Kaku
51. The Lost Code
52. Treasure Island (audio) – I listened to this because I wanted to listen to a modern “sequel” read by David Tenant. I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. An excellent adventure story.
53. Book of Mormon – this is a reread, but that’s OK.
54. Silver: Return to Treasure Island (audio) – see 52, above
55. The Medusa and the Snail: More Notes of a Biology Watcher (audio) – I listened to it because I liked the title.
56. Infinity Ring #3: The Trap Door (audio)
57. Infinity Ring #4: Curse of the Ancients (audio)
58. Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library (audio) – children’s book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
59. The Getaway Car – I read this after hearing Ann Patchett give a talk.
60. X-Files: Whirlwind – Don’t judge me.
61. A Path Appears – excellent! I got my copy signed by Nicholas Kristof.
62. The Real Boy
63. Blue Lily, Lily Blue – Book 3 of The Raven Cycle
64. Our Mutual Friend (audio)
65. Man’s Search for Meaning
66. Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So Far) (audio)