Highlights of 2014

The Highlights, The Favourites and The Flops of 2014

 Another year, another reading challenge and another Hogmanay hangover, lovely!

So, it's now the first of January. My Mum always used to say to me.. Enjoy the years while you can, they go by a lot faster the older you get. I never believed her but what do you know, Mothers are always right.

Before I go any further I want to say, Happy Hogmanay folks and many oh them. An' lang may yer lum reek!

Everyone else is in bed still sleeping off their overindulgence of alcohol, lightweights that they are. It's been so busy over the Christmas and Hogmanay season here but I finally have to time to sum up my year of books, my favourites and the flops.

I think I slightly underestimated how many books I would read in 2014 and set my reading challenge to 60 and finished on 165. When I first started cataloguing my books I was lazy and didn't put dates in for a lot of them and just rated them instead. So although my challenge says I read 165, I think it is more around the 200 mark. I guess one of my Hogmanay resolutions should be to be add read dates for every book!

Just for the hell of it I'm gonna throw in some stats.

The majority of the books I read were published in 2014 (some not till 2015)

• Books read - 165
• Pages read - 35,850
• Books marked as DNF - 7
• Longest book read - No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill 628 pages

• 5 star reads - 45
• 4 star reads - 65
• 3 star reads - 29
• 2 star reads - 15
• 1 star reads - 8

86 of the books I read were provided for review from NetGalley.
The rest are a mixture of books provided free for review through my blog/Amazon or direct from authors, and of course purchased books.

Top Ten Favourites

Fiction

1 - The Martian by Andy Weir (click for review)

There was a lot of hype surrounding this book, all my friends loved it and I was somewhat apprehensive about reading this one.  I decided to take the chance and requested a copy from the publisher for review. I figured if I didn't like then at least my son would love it as he's really into astronomy and astrophysics. I actually really enjoyed it, it shot right to the top of my list for best read of 2014. The main character Mark Watney is the best male MC that I have come across in all my years of reading.

2 - Devil's Day by Kyle M. Scott (click for review)

I got to know the author of Devil's Day after reading his collection of shorts Consumed: Volume 1 and have since become very good friends with him. I had the pleasure of beta reading this one and I knew right away it was going to be one of my top reads. It took me back to when I first started reading horror and what it was about the genre that I fell in love with.  At the point of reading Devil's Day I had become slightly disheartened with the horror genre, the books I had been reading were good but they didn't give me the rush that I used to get when I first came to the genre. Devil's Day changed all that.

3 - No Such Thing as Werewolves by Chris Fox (click for review)

No Such Thing as Werewolves is the first full novel published by Chris Fox and what a novel. I was expecting to get a run of the mill werewolf story here but what I got was an extremely clever novel with a very unique and impressive plot, delivered at a gripping pace that had me hooked from start to finish. It's a very mixed genre with everything from horror, to thriller, to sci fi, to mystery, really it's got it all and it's a very impressive and clever debut.

4 - Exorcist Road by Jonathan Janz (click for review)

Exorcist Road covers one of my favourite topics in horror, demons and possession. Although it's an exorcism story it's also a mystery, someone is torturing and killing 16 year old girls and the young boy that's possessed in the story is being blamed .  I was hooked on this one right from the first few pages. I didn't want it to finish, I kept putting it down to try and put off the inevitable but I was picking it right back up again, I just couldn't help myself.

5 - What Hides Within by Jason Parent (click for review)

I loved this book right from the first few pages, I don't know that I would place it as horror alone but it certainly ticked all the boxes for me in so much as I couldn't put the book down. I loved the humour in the story, the sarcasm and sharp one liners had me laughing out loud. You can tell by the cover that it has something to do with spiders and I hate spiders but I have to admit I even liked the character of the spider in this one.

6 - Full Moon Over Cedar Hill by Edward Lorn (click for review)

Full Moon Over Cedar Hill is a short story set in Cedar Hill Rehabilitation Centre. Good stories covering the topic of this short are hard to come by and hats off to the author for pulling this one off. At just 15 pages it's rather short but there is so much packed into those pages. It's impressive just how much is in this short story and you wouldn't think such a short read could make such an impression as this one does. I'm usually not a fan of shorts but I loved this one, it kind of felt like a whole novel condensed into 15 pages of  hard hitting supernatural horror.

7 - Omerion by Angel Gelique (click for review)

Samuel Rylandt in life was a serial rapist, in death he finds himself in a hell unlike you've ever read before. This was one hell of a read, literally. It was twisted, creepy, dark, gory and an intense story of revenge. I have never enjoyed reading about someone getting their just deserts as much as I did while reading this.

8 - Don't Look Back by Gregg Hurwitz (click for review)

Don't Look Back is the perfect example of why I love Gregg Hurwitz books, fraught with tension, fear, peril and suspense this story had me on tenterhooks page after page.  Many times during reading this book I realised I was tense and holding my breath, the tension was palpable.  It felt at times like I was in the middle of a really intense, action filled thriller/adventure movie.

9 - Graveyard Scavenger Hunt by Brian Barnett (click for review)

Pete has to stay with his grandparents for a few days, adjacent to their house is a graveyard that his grandfather has warned him not to enter. Of course kids being kids, Pete didn't listen. Upon entering the graveyard he comes face to face with Benny “Bones” Barton who challenges him to a scavenger hunt in return for his freedom. I had a lot of fun with this one. Graveyard Scavenger Hunt is a children's horror novel and what a wee gem it turned out to be. I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading this one, I just wish my children were still young enough to have shared this with them and experienced it through their eyes.

10 - Hacker (The Outlaw Chronicles #3)  by Ted Dekker (click for review)

This is one of those books that sets your mind spinning, has you stopping to evaluate what you thought you knew, what you thought you believed, has you thinking about life and death and what happens to who we are after our physical body is no more and it's all wrapped up in a fast paced story that centres around a teenage hacker. I was mind blown on finishing this book. It gave me all sorts of questions and things for my mind to ponder on after I had finished reading. I almost wanted to pick it up right away and read it all over again to try and digest what I had just read better.

Non Fiction

 

I prefer to read fiction so I didn't read a lot of non fiction in 2014 but there was one book that I connected with on such a personal level that I have got to make an exception and have a top 11 favourites list rather than 10.

I have linked to the review in the title but I'm just going to go ahead and copy the review into here as this book had such a profound effect on me that I want to share my thoughts. The link though will also link you to the book on Goodreads with other reviews and links to buy it etc.

On Dragonfly Wings by Daniela Norris (click for review)

Reading this book reminded me very much of my own journey and experiences. I lost my mum to cancer many years ago and before she died she was looking for something, something not just to comfort her but to help her fight the cancer. Reading On Dragonfly Wings almost echoes the experiences we had together when we started down the new path of what was to eventually become a huge part of our lives.

My mum lost her battle with cancer but because of all the similar experiences we had to those in this book, she touched many more lives and shone so much brighter as a result. Together we went on shaman journeys, learned to use dowsing rods and crystals, we both studied Reiki and became Reiki Masters, learned magnified healing, met our spirit guides and many more different things. We met lots of wonderful people who touched our lives in a way that I will remember forever.

This book has brought back so many memories that I hadn't thought about for a long time, it's made me both smile and shed a tear. Thank you Daniela for sharing your journey, I will be reading this book many times over in the future as it will help in a way to keep those memories closer for me.


So that's my top books of 2014. Now for the biggest flop of the year. The award for the biggest flop of 2014 goes to...

Gypsy Hunted by Andrea Drew (click for review)

Although this is the biggest flop of 2014, I have to admit that it's got to be the worst book I have read ever. The premise sounded good but the book itself was unreadable. The author doesn't know how to structure a sentence properly. It was all over the place.  

For example:

 "Her dark hair was just the same as it had always been, her hair part poking through amongst the mess her mouth set in a grimace, accepting all that was barely tolerable."

"I spoke through flattened lips, past my neck in which a vein was pulsing and engorged."

I had to reread certain parts so many times to try and understand what was happening, what was being said and who was doing what, that I gave up in disgust.  Add to that a lot of the 'Let's eat Grandma!' effect.

So there you have it, my year in books. I hope you all have a year full of wonderful books ahead of you and I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know all you book buddies here and on Goodreads. You have introduced me to so many great new authors that I wouldn't have found without you and I've had lots of fun talking books and getting to know you all. Here's to another year filled with lots more of the same!

Review: The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I received a copy of The Martian from the publisher in return for an honest review.

“I’m stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Earth. I’m in a Habitat designed to last 31 days. If the Oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death. So yeah. I’m screwed.”

Mark Watney is the best male character I have come across during all my years of reading. I love his smarts, sarcasm, wit and pure determination. Watneys dialogue is what made the book for me, he was just so much fun to be in the company of, despite his situation. I believe this has to the be the first time I have said this, not only in a review but ever... I developed a huge book crush on Watney, my first one ever! Seriously, who needs romance for book boyfriends, I'll take Watney over them all any day.

The plot was very well done and the tension and pace held my attention from start to finish. There was a lot of science in the story, some I understood, some I didn't but it honestly didn't matter either way. The writing style is impressive, Watney is in a very serious situation, high stakes, big risks and trying to survive the impossible but it's unique, interesting, hilariously funny, riveting and full of tension. Yet despite all the seriousness of his situation, all the science talk and the danger, it's fun, it's lots of fun and that is all down to the author's writing style. The author has taken a life or death situation, all the highs and lows, injected lots of sarcasm and humour and he's turned it into something unlike anything I have read before.

The Martian is at it's heart a science fiction book but it's more than that. It's got adventure, humour, tension, thrills and chills. It's both character driven and plot driven. Really it has it all. Should you choose to give this one a go, don't be put off by the science. It seems complicated and hard to follow at first but trust me when I say, it doesn't matter. The story will grab you and before you know it you'll have learned and understand a lot of the science. The bits you don't? Well, by that point you are so hooked it doesn't matter!

The Martian has easily shot right up to the top of my favourite reads of 2014, it's well deserving of all the hype that surrounds it and I highly recommend picking this one up.

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Review: No Such Thing as Werewolves

No Such Thing as Werewolves by Chris Fox

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I received a free copy of No Such Thing as Werewolves via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

No Such Thing as Werewolves is an extremely clever novel with a very unique and impressive plot, delivered at a gripping pace that will have you hooked from start to finish.

I found myself thinking many times while reading how impressed I was with how the plot was progressing and the way everything was tying together. This novel totally grabbed me and didn't let go, I didn't want it to finish and upon finishing I immediately wanted more. So much happens between the pages of this book and I honestly had no idea where the story was going to go, it wasn't even slightly predictable. It's a very mixed genre with everything from horror, to thriller, to sci fi, to mystery, really it's got it all and it works, boy does it work. It's non stop action right from the start and it doesn't let up right till the last page.

The character development was great, the back story and the progression of the characters really fleshed them out and made them all stand out. The dialogue was well done and I enjoyed the interaction between the characters. The writing style, well lets just say that I'm not a huge fan of stories with military and gun talk etc but I was totally hooked in this case, that says a lot about how well the author told the story and kept me turning those pages. The mythology, history, back story, plot, everything really, was fascinating and really made the book one that stood out for me. I honestly don't think I could write a review that would do this book justice.

That cliffhanger though, it killed me. I hate cliffhangers, I really do but in this case I get it, it's a long book and you can't put everything in and believe me there's a lot in this book but it's not complicated, it's cleverly done and easy to follow.

I believe this is the authors first full length novel and wow, just wow. For someone to turn out a book as unique, well paced and with such a well developed, researched and thought out plot, I'm impressed. I kept pausing while reading and finding myself actually in awe of how well everything linked together.

No Such Thing as Werewolves will appeal to fans of almost every genre and I highly recommend giving this one a read. I have said I'm impressed and enjoyed it but I can't say it enough, really I'm impressed and loved every minute of it! I need more, I'm dying to know what happens next.

An easy 5 stars, I would give more if I could.

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Review: Book of the Dead

Book of the Dead by Greig Beck

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I received a copy of The Book of the Dead from the publisher in return for an honest review.

"And the Earth shall fall before they rise."

Sinkholes are opening up all over the world, getting larger and larger, birds are falling from the sky and hundreds of pets and people are missing. When the government start to investigate what's going on, they realise there is a lot more to what's happening and mankind is in danger of being wiped out.

In the authors notes at the end of the book it states that this book pays homage to H.P Lovecraft and I have to applaud the author, he did a damn fine job. This book had me totally hooked, I couldn't put it down I devoured it and the pages more or less turned themselves.

I couldn't find any fault in this book and I certainly can't find the words to express just how good this book was. I loved absolutely everything about it. The characters were great, well developed and fleshed out, the pacing was perfect and the world building was fantastic. I was totally engrossed in the story from start to finish. The whole time I was reading I felt like I was part of the world created in the story and I had to resist peeking further down the page.

Definitely one I would highly recommend. The Book of the Dead is a must read for all Lovecraft fans and is one of my top reads of 2014.

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Review: Seed

Seed by Lisa Heathfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Seed from the publisher in return for an honest review.

I couldn't put this book down, I picked Seed up earlier this afternoon and before I knew it it was dark outside and the rest of the day had gone without me realising.

What would you do if you discovered everything you'd learned or been taught was a lie?

Pearl has just become a woman and is looking forwards to one day becoming the companion of Papa S like many young girls have done before her. It's all she's ever wanted but the arrival of three new members to the community begins to awaken doubts within her and she finds herself questioning everything she's been brought up to believe in.

Pearl lives a happy, content and perfect life, she has everything she could ever need. A roof over her head, a family who loves her and food on the table. Food that is grown lovingly by the hands of the community she has grown up in, the only one she's ever known. The community of Seed.
Seed is run by Papa S, they all look up to him, they live their daily lives following his beliefs and thanking Mother Nature everyday for all she provides. Secure and happy in the knowledge that as long as they stick to the beliefs and live their lives by the rules their leader has put in place, that life will go on as Mother Nature has planned, together, perfect and happy, safe from the outside world. But things aren't always what they seem to be.

Seed is a coming of age story with a difference, it's both beautiful and horrifying and will open your eyes to the stark truth that goes on in places all over the world. We all want to have that ideal life, to be surrounded by people we love and to feel safe and content with everything we have but sometimes things are too good to be true. The story is beautifully written and the characters give us a peek into a world that many of us will have heard of and found ourselves wondering, what were they thinking? How couldn't they not see what was going on? Why didn't they leave or question things? To us looking in, these questions seem so simple, the signs so blaringly obvious but on reading this book you find yourself understanding why they didn't leave, why they weren't seeing what was really going on and why they didn't question things. The power that someone can have over a group of people is scary to witness, how easily someone can manipulate and control, how far they will go to make sure they maintain that control.

I really wasn't expecting this book to touch me in the way it has, It just grabs you, and doesn't let go. The character development was fantastic and I felt for them, I just wanted to grab them and save them, show them that the outside world isn't such a bad place.

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Review: Exorcist Road

Exorcist Road by Jonathan Janz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I received a copy of Exorcist Road from the publisher in return for an honest review.

I was hooked on this one right from the first few pages. I didn't want it to finish, I kept putting it down to try and put off the inevitable but I was picking it right back up again, I just couldn't help myself.

It's hard to read a story about exorcism without thinking about The Exorcist by William Blattey, it's the one that all others have to compete with and be compared to and I have to admit I found myself doing the same when I started the book. I wasn't comparing it for long though, all thoughts of comparison flew out the window and I was drawn in completely. Exorcist Road may be a story about exorcism but it also has an underlying mystery which gives it something original, as a result not only are you focused on the possession but you're also trying to pick up on clues to try and solve the mystery. Someone is torturing and killing 16 year old girls and it is believed to be the young boy possessed, but is it?

The story is told by the voice of Father Crowder and is done very well. I was both captivated and horrified by his account, his voice draws you in and holds your attention as he recounts his experience of that awful night. The characters are well developed, they each have have their own demons to fight in the face of the true demon, one who thrives on using their personal demons against them.

I read this book in one sitting, just when I thought I knew the answers and where it was going, the twists and turns got me every time. It was gruesome, fascinating, gory and disturbing and it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I think this may be a new addition to my favourites of 2014 shelf and I really hope there will be more to come for Father Crowder!


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Review: On Dragonfly Wings: A Skeptic's Journey to Mediumship

On Dragonfly Wings: A Skeptic's Journey to Mediumship by Daniela Norris

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




First reads giveaway win (May 15, 2014 )

I received this book as part of a FirstReads giveaway.

Reading this book reminded me very much of my own journey and experiences. I lost my mum to cancer many years ago and before she died she was looking for something, something not just to comfort her but to help her fight the cancer. Reading On Dragonfly Wings almost echoes the experiences we had together when we started down the new path of what was to eventually become a huge part of our lives.

My mum lost her battle with cancer but because of all the similar experiences we had to those in this book, she touched many more lives and shone so much brighter as a result. Together we went on shaman journeys, learned to use dowsing rods and crystals, we both studied Reiki and became Reiki Masters, learned magnified healing, met our spirit guides and many more different things. We met lots of wonderful people who touched our lives in a way that I will remember forever.

This book has brought back so many memories that I hadn't thought about for a long time, it's made me both smile and shed a tear. Thank you Daniela for sharing your journey, I will be reading this book many times over in the future as it will help in a way to keep those memories closer for me.


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Review: Devil's Day

Devil's Day by Kyle M. Scott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



It's official, I wanna have Kyles little horror book babies after reading this one.

I was over the moon when I was asked to beta read Devils Day, I've been looking forwards to getting my hands on this since I read Consumed: Volume 1. I dropped everything else I was reading when I received my copy and dived right in.

I have been a little disheartened with horror lately, I have felt for a long time that I have been searching for a book that would remind me why I fell in love with horror to begin with. Don't get me wrong, I have read many a good horror lately, just not found the one. You know, that one that would give me the rush that I used to get when I first came to the genre. Well guess what? I found it!!

This is by far the best horror I have read in a long, long time. Devils Day had me cringing and pulling faces and I'm not even going to mention the noises that I found myself making at some parts, or the rather unladylike words that occasionaly slipped out. I have literally not been able to put this book down since receiving it, well apart from the WTF! No! He's not gonna go there is he? OMG he did! That is so freakin sick and wrong and brilliant at the same time moments, where I had to put it down to digest what I had just read.

Two nights in a row now I have been up till after 7am reading, I just couldn't help myself. I feel like I have sat reading with a horrified grin on my face the whole time I had the book in my hands, yes it was that good. I even found myself having weird dreams, it's been ages since a book last gave me weird dreams.

I probably sound like a rambling fool but it's just pure excitement at having managed to find that horror rush again after so long. You've GOT to give this a read, it's a must read for horror fans out there and it's definately my favourite read of 2014 so far.

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Review: Omerion:

Omerion: by Angel Gelique

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This was one hell of a read, literally. It was twisted, creepy, dark, gory and so much more.

If reading this doesn't scare you into staying on the right path and treating others as you would wish to be treated yourself, then nothing will.

I have never enjoyed reading about someone getting their just deserts as much as I did while reading this.

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Review: Full Moon Over Cedar Hill

Full Moon Over Cedar Hill by Edward Lorn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




It's been ages since I read a good werewolf story and that's exactly what this is. A freakin great werewolf story!!

Full Moon Over Cedar Hill is a 15 page horror short, I wanted to savour it which was hard to do as I found myself fighting not to peek ahead.

This is the stuff nightmares are made off, the fear and terror just jumps right out the pages and woulda scared the pants off me, had I been wearing any. Get your minds out the gutter folks, I read it in bed. :P

Going to have to make my kids read this one, teach them what will happen if they ever put me in a home!


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Review: Graveyard Scavenger Hunt

Graveyard Scavenger Hunt by Brian Barnett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I was given a copy of Graveyard Scavenger Hunt by the author Brian Barnett in return for an honest review.

I had fun reading this one, what a wee gem this book turned out to be. I would have loved to have had a book like this for my kids when I was first introducing them to the horror genre. It's well balanced with not too many scares, but at the same time it's eerie and has a wonderfully spooky atmosphere.

I can't wait till my niece is old enough for me to share this book with. The characters were fun, the story had me reading with smile on my face. I couldn't help but picture how much fun this would be to read with a child and see their reaction and imagination run away with them.

This is a definate 5 stars for me, I'm keeping this one on my kindle app. It's so much fun that I know I will find myself rereading it from time to time.


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Review: Hacker

Hacker by Ted Dekker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received an ARC of Hacker in return for an honest review.

Wow just wow, I don't know where to even start with this review. I feel like someones taken my brain apart and put it together again in a completely different form. This was totally not what I expected when I picked the book up, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what I've just read. This is one of those books that sets your mind spinning, has you stopping to evaluate what you thought you knew, what you thought you believed, has you thinking about life and death and what happens to who we are after our physical body is no more and it's all wrapped up in a fast paced story that centers around a teenage hacker. I haven't been able to put this book down and devoured it in more or less one sitting. This book really surprised me and I'm kind of lost for words to even begin to explain or describe the journey this book took me on. I already want to reread it now that my mind has kind of digested all the questions and thoughts it brought up the first time.



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Review: Don't Look Back

Don't Look Back by Gregg Hurwitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a copy of Don't Look Back by Gregg Hurwitz from the publishers via netgalley in return for an honest review.

Don't Look Back is the perfect example of why I love reading Gregg Hurwitz books, fraught with tension, fear, peril and suspense this story had me on tenderhooks page after page. The scenes played out in my mind like a movie, with bated breath I was pulled into the chase and the fear within the pages, willing the characters to find the strength for just one more step as they fought for their lives.

I experienced a rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout, there was heartbreaking moments that brought a lump to my throat and tugged at my heart strings, and times I found I was holding my breath, tensing and cringing at the descriptions and situations the main character found herself in.

I cannot recommend this book enough and it's a must read for all thriller lovers out there. A definate 5 stars from me!

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Review: What Hides Within

What Hides Within by Jason Parent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved this booked right from the first few pages, I don't know that I would place it as horror alone but it certainly ticked all the boxes for me in so much as I couldn't put the book down.

The sarcasm and sharp one liners had me laughing out loud, the plot is well thought out and it all wraps up nicely with some twists and turns in the end. We are introduced to several characters throughout the book one being the main character Clive who certainly goes through one hell of a rollercoaster ride, Jason Parent has done a great job getting inside the head of this main character (See what I did there? heh) And Chester.. what can I say about Chester? I think I'll leave that for you to find out yourself ;) I don't think I'll ever look at a spider or a Q-tip quite the same ever again.

Excellent book! Humour, horror, thriller and mystery all wrapped up in one and I'll certainly be on the look out for more of Jasons work.



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