Wednesday, 17 December 2014

AbeBooks' Literary Review of 2014
Declared by writer Joanna Walsh as 'the year of reading women', 2014 was a remarkable year for today's female authors. Last year's knock out book The Goldfinch earned author Donna Tartt the 2014 Pulitzer Prize, while three young up-and-comers received recognition from The Women's Prize for Fiction. The trio of debut novelists that included Eimear McBride, Hannah Kent, and Audrey Magee, made the 2014 Women's Prize short list alongside veterans TarttJhumpa Lahiri, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The award went to Eimear McBride for her first novel,A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing.
McBride wasn't the only new author to win big in 2014. First-time writers popped up on many of 2014's award lists, even winning. The National Book Award for Fiction went to Phil Klay for his first book of stories, Redeployment, and Canada's Giller Prize went Sean Michaels for his debut novel Us Conductors, while Ann Leckie took home the Hugo Award for her debut, Ancillary Justice. We didn't consider writers' careers or previous works when we compiled our list of notable reads, and in the end many are from industry newbies. We may not be familiar with the names Celeste Ng,Jeff HobbsMatthew Thomas and Lena Dunham now, but we will be soon enough.
While it may have been an exceptional year for the rookies, literary mainstays Stephen King and J.K. Rowling, andHilary Mantel released new books in 2014 - King actually released two. Rowling released a second book under her male pseudonym Robert Galbraith, after being outed in 2013. The cat out of the bag, Galbraith/Rowling made a live appearance at Harrogate's annual Crime Writing Festival in July. Creating quite a media buzz, Rowling - wearing a smart suit and tie - announced that she, er, Galbraith, would write many more Cormoran Strike novels. Meanwhile, Mantel made British headlines for quite another kind of announcement. Known for her epic historical novels, Mantel caused an uproar when she admitted her new short story, The Assasination of Margaret Thatcher: August 6th, 1983, was inspired by a day in her own life in 1983 when she spied then Prime Minister Thatcher and fantasized about killing her. Despite the controversy, Mantel's new story collection of the same title was indeed one of the biggest books of the year.
Look back on an incredible literary year with our list of the top fiction and non-fiction books, a review of the big award winners, and a tribute to the authors we lost in 2014.

The Top 20 Fiction Books of 2014

These are the books that had literary critics writing rave reviews in 2014. They've climbed to the top of every reader's choice list and the bestseller charts. Some are from veteran pros, and others are from literature's newest names. Regardless, here are the best fiction books of 2014.
     
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk KiddThe Invention of Wings
Sue Monk Kidd
The Paying Guests by Sarah WatersThe Paying Guests
Sarah Waters
 
Station Eleven by Emily St. John MandelStation Eleven
Emily St. John Mandel
 
We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew ThomasWe Are Not Ourselves
Matthew Thomas
 
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina HenrîquezThe Book of Unknown Americans
Cristina Henrîquez
Euphoria by Lily KingEuphoria
Lily King
 
Bark: Stories by Lorrie MooreBark: Stories
Lorrie Moore
   
The Dog by Joseph O’NeillThe Dog
Joseph O’Neill
 
An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih AlameddineAn Unnecessary Woman
Rabih Alameddine
 
Lila by Marilynne RobinsonLila
Marilynne Robinson
 
Orfeo by Richard PowersOrfeo
Richard Powers
Nora Webster by Colm ToibinNora Webster
Colm Toibin
   
Some Luck by Jane SmileySome Luck
Jane Smiley
 
Perfidia by James EllroyPerfidia
James Ellroy

The Big Award Winners of 2014

From the Pulizter Prize to the Newberry Medal, here are the books that won the industry's most prestigious awards.
Redeployment by Phil KlayRedeployment
Phil Klay
The National Book Award for Fiction
 
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard FlanaganThe Narrow Road to the Deep North
Richard Flanagan
The Man Booker Prize
 
Patrick ModianoPatrick Modiano
Nobel Prize for Literature
 
The Goldfinch by Donna TarttThe Goldfinch
Donna Tartt
Pulitzer Prize
A Girl Is a Half Formed Thing by Eimear McBrideA Girl Is a Half Formed Thing
Eimear McBride
Women's Prize for Fiction
 
Us Conductors by Sean MichaelsUs Conductors
Sean Michaels
Giller Prize
 
Ancillary Justice by Ann LeckieAncillary Justice
Ann Leckie
Hugo Award for Best Novel
 
The Back of the Turtle by Thomas KingThe Back of the Turtle
Thomas King
Governor General’s Award for Fiction
All the Birds, Singing by Evie WyldAll the Birds, Singing
Evie Wyld
The Miles Franklin Award
 
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamilloFlora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
Kate DiCamillo
The Newberry Medal
 
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline WoodsonBrown Girl Dreaming
Jacqueline Woodson
National Book Award for Young People's Literature
 
Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan OsnosAge of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
Evan Osnos
National Book Award for Non-Fiction

Notable Non-Fiction Books of 2014

From Lena Dunham to Tennessee Williams to Wall Street, here are the memoirs, biographies, business, and history books that created the biggest buzz in 2014.
   
Not That Kind of Girl by Lena DunhamNot That Kind of Girl
Lena Dunham
 
Flash Boys by Michael LewisFlash Boys
Michael Lewis
 
Updike by Adam BegleyUpdike
Adam Begley
 
In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton SidesIn the Kingdom of Ice
Hampton Sides
 

In Memoriam: Authors Who Died in 2014

2014 saw the passing of some of litearture's biggest heroes, including Nobel Prize-winners Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Nadine Gordimer, and three-time National Book Award-winner Peter Matthiessen. Matthiessen's final book, In Paradise, was published just three days after his death in April of 2014. We also bid farewell to Canadian author Farley Mowat, crime fiction pioneer P.D. James, creator of the beloved Adrian Mole books Sue Townsend, Hugo Award-winner Daniel Keyes, and romantic-mystery writer Mary Stewart.
Gabriel Garcia MarquezGabriel Garcia Marquez
(1927 - 2014)
 
Peter MatthiessenPeter Matthiessen
(1927 - 2014)
 
Nadine GordimerNadine Gordimer
(1923 - 2014)
 
Daniel KeyesDaniel Keyes
(1927 - 2014)
Farley MowatFarley Mowat
(1921 – 2014)
 
P.D. JamesP.D. James
(1920 – 2014)
 
Mary StewartMary Stewart
(1916 – 2014)
 
Sue TownsendSue Townsend
(1946 – 2014)

Books-Turned-Movies in 2014

Often, a book can go unnoticed until rumours of a movie-version surface. When the rumours start, the book sales creep up until the title becomes a bestseller. The Fault In Our Stars was published in 2012, but thanks to its silver screen edition, it was one of the most talked-about books of 2014. In the case of The Giver, first released in 1993, the 2014 movie gave a classic new life.
 
The Giver by Lois LowryThe Giver
Lowis Lowry
 
Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnGone Girl
Gillian Flynn
 
Wild by Cheryl StrayedWild
Cheryl Strayed
Unbroken by Laura HillenbrandUnbroken
Laura Hillenbrand
 
Divergent by Veronica RothDivergent
Veronica Roth
 
Mockingjay by Suzanne CollinsMockingjay
Suzanne Collins
 
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan TropperThis Is Where I Leave You
Jonathan Tropper


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