2014 Year End Review

Hey friends,

Happy New Year's Eve!  After a short break, I'm back and ready to jump into things on the Shelf Addiction blog and YouTube channel.  I hope you all have fun plans for this evening. Whether it's reading your favorite book with a glass or two of wine or champagne, going to a party, watching the ball drop on TV, or reading. It's time to leave 2014 in the rear view and have a great time looking forward to 2015!

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While we are waiting for the New Year ball to drop, check out the cover art gallery and coordinating video of my best and worst reads of the year.  Watch the video and find out why I selected each book.  Please share with me some your book favorites and disappointments of 2014!  The books listed below weren't necessarily published this year; some are and some aren't, but instead these are the best and worst of the books that I've read during 2014. 

2014 Best Reads

• Up From the Grave (Night Huntress #7)  by Jeanine Frost 
  
• Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, #1) by Patricia Briggs 
  
• In a Handful of Dust (Not a Drop to Drink, #2)  by Mindy McGinnis
  
• Immortal (Fallen Angels, #6) by J.R Ward
  
• The Good Girl  by Mary Kubica
  
• Big Little Lies by Laine Moriarty
  
• The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
  
• Dreams of Gods & Monsters(Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #3) by Laini Taylor
  
• Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths, #1) by K.A. Tucker
  

 
Special mention (not in the video) to The Passage and The Twelve by Justin Cronin. Both books received a 4 star rating and the stories stayed with me and I found myself recommending them again and again. 

2014 Worst Reads

• The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries, #1)  by L.J. Smith
  
• Frozen (Heart of Dread, #1) by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston
  
• Unbreakable (The Legion, #1) by Kami Garcia
  
• The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon
  
• Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe, #1) by Rosemund Hodge
  
• Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little
  
• This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
  
• The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner (My only DNF for the year.) 
  

What about the 2014 reading challenges?

I did pretty well this year. I finished 10 more books more than I set out to read and/or listen to.  

Married-Listen to more than 25 Audio Books

Movie Fan - read 3 books and watch their movies

For the audiobook challenge, I rocked it! I listened to 38 audiobooks! Audiobooks have saved me during my many hours in the car each week.

I also did very well in the book to movie challenge. I set out to read 3 books and watch the corresponding movies, and I did 1 better. I completed The Book Thief, Before I Go to Sleep, Horns, and The Giver.

How did you do with your 2014 book challenges? 

Happy Reading,
~Tamara
On a mobile device? Watch the coordinating video here!

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