Hot off the Presses is on hiatus -- there are so few books coming out in the next three weeks that I'm going to combine them all in a post on December 30.
But hello and welcome to my first Best Books of 2014 post. I always have a hard time choosing "bests" of anything and I can never limit it to ten, so every year I make my book lists by genre. All the books on my list are YA books that were published in 2014.
This post will cover Best Contemporaries of 2014. Tomorrow I'll feature fantasy, sci-fi and paranormal titles.
What I look for:
Contemporaries are often my favorite books. To me, a good contemporary needs well-drawn characters and evokes real emotion. If the story tackles a important, complicated issue, all the better. I also like books that reflect all the wonderful diversity of our world -- books set outside the US or about characters I don't always read about are a plus to me. Finally, I like books that surprise me in some way.
Click on the cover to get to Goodreads -- click on the title to get to my review!
 |
 |
 |
We Were Liars by e. lockhart (Delacorte, May 2014)
Open Road Summer by Emery Lord (Bloomsbury, April 2014)
Wildlife by Fiona Wood (Poppy, September 2014)
 |
 |
 |
Something Real by Heather Demetrios (Henry Holt, February 2014)
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (Dial, September 2014)
Here are a few quick Book Match questions to see which of these you might enjoy:
Looking for SWBs (swoony book boys)? Try Open Road Summer or Something Real
Love books about female friendships? Wildlife or Open Road Summer
Do you love books about families or siblings? I'll Give You the Sun or Something Real or We Were Liars
Looking for books with diverse characters? Everything Leads To You
Looking for something different and unexpected? We Were Liars or I'll Give You the Sun
Looking for something different and unexpected? We Were Liars or I'll Give You the Sun
Have you read any of these? Let me know if you agree or disagree. Then go read the second post!
I own Open Road Summer and Something Real is in the mail coming to me... I hope I'll get to read them next year!
ReplyDeleteI'll Give You The Sun is in my wish list!
Read them!!!!
Delete(Sorry to yell, but....)
I'm really in to contemporaries right now, so I'm loving this list. I liked We Were Liars too! I have I'll Give You the Sun and I will be reading it soon!
ReplyDeleteIGYTS is not an easy read, but it's really wonderful!
DeleteI've only read two of these, although I own almost all of them. Great list!
ReplyDeleteKate @ Ex Libris
Thanks -- hope you get to them soon ;)
DeleteI feel like such a book loving looser because so I've read only two of these books but ALL the other ones are on my TBR and I just haven't had time to go read them yet *cries*
ReplyDeleteIt happens!!
DeleteLoved Open Road Summer, and I really want to read I'll Give You The Sun and Something Real :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear what you think!
DeleteI LOVE contemporary but I haven't read any on your list yet! BUT I WANT TO. For a couple of these, I didn't read them because they were really popular/hyped titles and that burns me, so I always choose to wait on them. I'm excited to get to them all, even if they're backlist. (OH GUESS WHAT, I just looked at Wildlife on Goodreads and I didn't realize it is a #2 in a series!)
ReplyDeleteWildlife is really just a book with a crossover character but a completely different plot, like a Sarah Dessen. I haven't read the other book either.
DeleteThe only book I've read from this list is Open Road Summer and I loved it! I'm so excited to read I'll Give You the Sun~ Just waiting for my copy to come now!!
ReplyDeleteWasn't it great!
DeleteI'm so sad to say that I haven't read any of these books! I'm dying to read I'll Give You The Sun, and I already have We Were Liars. I hope I get to read them soon!
ReplyDeleteThat's okay!
DeleteI absolutely loved We Were Liars as well, so incredibly surprising. I haven't read I'll Give You The Sun yet, I didn't know it was out actually. I loved The Sky is Everywhere and really hoping that lives up to the hype as well. The cover for Open Summer Road is absolutely divine! I don't think it's been released in Australia yet though, looking at the paperback edition.
ReplyDeleteAwesome list Jen, going to check some of these beauties out on Goodreads <3
I loved We Were Liars. IGYTS is more complex in structure than TSIE, but a really moving read if you give it time..
DeleteI've only read two of these but they are on my favorites list for this year too - Open Road Summer and I'll Give You the Sun. I just read Things We Know by Heart for next year and it also had a great family dynamic. I really do love when a book has that. :)
ReplyDeleteI love a family dynamic!
DeleteWe were Liars was a great book! Loved it!
ReplyDeleteGlad you agree ;)
DeleteThank you for separating it into genres! I've only read Open Road Summer but I loved it.
ReplyDeleteMy brain can handle it better that way...
DeleteOh man, you've given me plenty I need because I love contemps.
ReplyDeleteI should have made an issue book list for you! I'd say Wildlife is the one I'd recommend to you the most.
DeleteOoh I really want to read Something Real and Open Road Summer. They sound so wonderful. Great picks <33
ReplyDeleteThey're really good!
DeleteI'm really bad at contemporaries. The only one I have read from this list is We Were Liars and it destroyed my soul.
ReplyDeleteHeh -- I guess that's why I love them!
DeleteI haven't read any of those yet, but I really want to read Open Road Summer and We Were Liars!! Can't wait for your next posts :)
ReplyDeleteI have two of these in my house right now (I'll Give You the Sun and Everything Leads to You)-I'll need to bump them up my priority list now!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these yet but a few of them are definitely on my list. I keep seeing good things about Something Real so I might have to add that to my list.
ReplyDeleteI loved We Were Liars. It is the only one here I have read so far. It surprised me. I did not see the ending coming even though I should have. I just didn't expect that. I have Something Real and I'll Give You The Sun and look forward to those!
ReplyDeleteI'm not really surprised that I haven't read any of these.. Because contemporary is one of the genres I rarely read. Last year I read more, in fact I don't think I've read any this year?! I'll have to check that out..as I compose my end of the year book post, slowly, over the next month ;)
ReplyDeleteI rarely read Contemporaries, but I'll definitely try out your recommendations here! I want one that's full of the power of female freindships!
ReplyDeleteFaye at The Social Potato
I actually haven't managed to read any of these yet, but most of them are on my list! I'm especially eager to read I'll Give You the Sun!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
We Were Liars was definitely amazing!
ReplyDeleteAndreea
http://toallthebooksivelovedbefore.wordpress.com/
Contemporary is my favorite genre! Lots of great ones this year. Definitely agree with you about Something Real and I'll Give You the Sun. Wasn't craaaazy about ORS (had issues with the MC), but it's still a swoony read. Great choices!
ReplyDeleteI love books about friends and siblings so much! I think I will really enjoy We Were Liars, and I did get it as a Christmas present so I will be reading it this month with my book club!
ReplyDelete