Best Books of 2014!

I would say that this year has been a rather successful one when it comes to reading. Unfortunately, I opened a Goodreads account mid 2014, so I am not completely sure how many books I have read or which books I have read for that matter. I am just not that organized. Still, I do have a rough sense of the books and it will be more than enough for my Best Books of 2014.

(If I did a full review for the book, there will be a link to it, so you can check it out.)

14. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

A great classic, really enjoyed it, it became one of my favorite books ever.

13.  Landline by Rainbow Rowell
I was hesitant to read it but I ended up loving it. It was so emotional and breathtaking. Adore it.

12. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

I really like reading about mental illness. It's something that intrigues me and I am studying it, so it's always interesting to me. This was really good, loved the characters and the story.

11. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
A really fun and beautiful roadtrip story, with good music, which is always nice.

10. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Really late to the party, but I loved it, and finally a dystopian book that didn't disappoint.

9. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
This took me by surprise, because I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. But it was just amazing with superb writing.

8. Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Such a unique and special writing style, amazing point of view, amazing setting. Just really, really great.

7. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Again, such a unique writing style. Really beautiful and sort of poetic.

6. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
I have never cried so much. I couldn't sleep. The ending was just so perfect. I am actually still recovering even though I read it more than 6 months ago.

5. Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Yes it had some problems, but in my eyes Rick Riordan can do no wrong and I loved this book, especially Nico's point of view, it was amazing and I am so sad that it's over.

4. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
The best title that ever was. Read it in one sitting, it was beautiful and remarkable and important and I adore it forever.

3. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
I was so excited for this book, and it lived up to my expectations. It was brilliant. Cassandra Clare can do finales justice. I am in love with the Mortal Instruments series, and this was a proper ending to the amazing series.

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This is such a page turner, a gripping story that just sucks you in. The characters are so diverse and morally gray, and the story is so twisted. It's basically amazing.

And finally...

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
I couldn't resist putting this to the top. Because honestly, I have never connected more to a character than I connected with Cath. She spoke to me. I loved the love story. I loved the writing. I loved the characters. I love Rainbow Rowell, she is pure genius.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

As I've mentioned in a previous post, after reading Eleanor and Park, I wanted to read every single thing Rainbow Rowell had ever written. But then I saw that her other YA novel was called Fangirl, and I just really, really hate that word. (I did a blog post on Fangirl, you can check it out, so I won't ramble on about that whole thing again. But spoiler alert: I LOVED the book.) Anyways, as I've also mentioned, when I heard about Landline, I thought I probably couldn't relate to the characters, given the fact they are in a struggling marriage, and I am... well, nineteen. I am here to point out that I was utterly wrong. 

Landline was brilliant. Truly. I don't know why I ever doubted I would like this book since it was in fact written by Rainbow Rowell. No other writer has that effect on me. But she writes so inexplicably magical, that I am left speechless. I have to put down her books mid-sentence, just because I can't deal with all the feelings. Her characters are so undeniably realistic. They are real people. They are written in a way that no matter what, you can relate because they feel so genuine. I always feel this after reading a Rainbow Rowell book. I am a puddle on the floor, just trying to get over the fact that the book is over and just trying to sort out how is it possible to even feel so much for a book. This doesn't happen to me with books. I am not that person. But somehow, Rainbow Rowell takes all that is magical in this world, and puts it into words. And you just melt. 

I loved this story. I loved every single character in the book. Georgie and Neal's relationship was just brilliant. I loved them as a couple. I loved their kids. I loved how everything was right and wrong at the same time, all the time. I loved the fact that there was this almost SciFi aspect to the story, but it didn't felt misplaced. It was perfectly interwoven into this story, so seamlessly and almost casually.

Obviously, this book got a 5/5 stars on Goodreads (You can add me if you want to, that would be great). And if you are reluctant to read this, as I was at one time, just don't be. It's as every bit as magical as her other books.

***Also the Cath and Levi update thingy?!?! I was over the moon with it. It wasn't a big deal, but somehow it was. Cath and Levi are my favorite characters ever so I really enjoyed that bit. 

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

After reading Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell and absolutely loving it, I went seeking for other books by this author. Thus came Fangirl. After seeing the title, I was really put off by it. I HATE the word "fangirl". When I read it, in my mind there's an instant pop of an image of a 12 year old squeaking girl who can't control her emotions and who obsesses about "celebrity". Don't get me wrong, I am a person who loves franchises and books and authors and actors, but I don't worship them, I just appreciate and respect their work. So, I was kind of disappointed by the title and didn't really want to read it. 

Well, I was wrong. This book is AMAZING. The story follows a girl named Cath, who is just starting college and she's dealing with the fact that her sister doesn't want to share a dorm room with her because she wants to get the real "college experience". Cath, who is a bit of an introvert and is used to her sister doing everything with her, finds herself kind of intimidated.

The special thing about Cath is that she writes fan fiction about Simon Snow (a series of seven books that have been made into movies and it's sort of obvious that the Simon Snow series is actually the Harry Potter series. The story of Simon Snow isn't really the same story as Harry Potter, but that's beside the point) and she's very famous in the fan fiction world. I am a bit skeptic of fan fiction I find it kind of strange, but I loved it in this book, it fits well into the story and I quite enjoyed the little bits of Cath's fan fiction. 

Cath also has to deal with her roommate Reagan and the boy who always hangs out with her, Levi. She is also taking a writing class and there's a boy there called Nick and she starts to write and hang out with him. On top of that, she's feeling guilty because she left her dad behind and he doesn't do well on his own.

The thing that really drew me in and made me love the book, is that I can completely relate to Cath. She is basically me. Of all the books I ever read and all their characters, Cath is the one I relate to the most. 

Rainbow Rowell's writing is just spot on. It's so easy and fluent. After reading this book I just felt so good, I kind of couldn't stop smiling. It was just purely amazing and I loved every bit of it. I highly recommend reading this book.
Btw, the love story is to die for. Literally. It's so beautiful.