I was intrigued by the premise of this book after reading a Bookriot post on books set in the afterlife. There was a lot of good stuff in there - beautiful ideas about what might be in store for us in the afterlife, commentary on our potential future as a consumer driven society, and about the importance of connections we make with others. I furiously turned the pages until the very end, it was a quick read, but leaves you hanging. Though, I was happy to draw my own conclusions in some ways, I would have liked a little more closure in others.

This was an equal parts hilarious and yet disturbing read, which is quite the feat to pull off! Though I thought one of the big reveals at the end was predictable (even when Moriarty tries to throw you off), the question of who dies at the school fundraiser and how it happened was certainly shrouded in mystery. Yes, the book kicks off with and revolves around a sort of 'whodunnit' theme. I furiously turned the pages in the last quarter of the book. As a mom of young kids, I really identified with each of the characters in different ways and it made for a more relatable story. Although, I'm hoping that people who DON'T have kids realize that it's a SATIRE in much the same way as Where'd You Go Bernadette.

It's been AGES since I read a Jodi Picoult book. Looking through the archives, it's been since April of 2012, and my thoughts on Lone Wolf were the same as the last few Picoult books - they just felt a bit flat. This book is definitely a redemption for me. The characters all really come alive and have a great balance of humor and heartache. I was completely engrossed Jenna's search for her mother and the mystery surrounding her disappearance. I also love how Jodi Picoult very obviously researches the hell out of her subjects, as I learned a lot of cool things about elephants (which Jenna's mother studies). I was sad that it had to come to an over-used gimmicky conclusion, but enjoyed the journey to get there.

I don't think there's much more I can say about these books that I haven't said before. They are certainly included in my favorites of the year and I loved how a Rapunzel character has been woven into this series. Just great stuff.

This has been on quite a few of the best of 2014 lists, and deservedly so. It came close to being on my favorites for the year. I immediately empathized with each of the characters and furiously turned the pages to see how their stories would unfold in this post-apocalyptic world. Yes, it's another dystopian tale. However, it is deftly told in flashbacks. We see not only what becomes of people after the great flu epidemic, but really great back story on where they came from, which I found original and refreshing.

When deciding what to read next, I usually avoid short stories like the plague. Why read a bunch of short stories that I'll most likely forget, when I can read an entire novel? The exception to this is anything by David Sedaris, since all the stories are about him and they cohere in my mind easily as one story. But I just couldn't resist a special holiday book that included a number of loved authors - I've read (and loved) books by at least five of them! Now I need to read more! I can't even say who's story I loved the most. All were so very different, just as the writers are. Maybe it was the holidays and enjoying these stories by the tree and sipping eggnog, but I just adored this book.

Waters' latest novel, The Paying Guests, is getting a lot of attention and the library hold was rather long. So, I thought I'd try out one of her earlier novels that was highly praised by a friend of mine, and I wasn't disappointed. This was a perfect rainy January book to immerse myself in: Dickensian London, plots within plots, and a wholly original love story.

Yeah, I couldn't get into this one. I've always wanted to read one of Steifvater's books, and maybe I should have gone with the Raven Boys trilogy instead. This story just jumps right into the two main characters being obsessed with each other. Even if they've been dancing around each other for years, I've only known them for a few pages. It fell flat for me, as did the characters.

I was wary of this one because I didn't want to cry my eyes out like Marley and Me. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the story being told from the perspective of the dog. It could have gone horribly wrong, but it lent just the right amount of humor and also a simple honesty to a heart wrenching, but ultimately uplifting, story.

I know already that this will be on my favorite books for the year. The one word that keeps coming up in reviews to describe this book is lyrical. And try as I might to think of another, I think it hits the nail on the head. Despite it's poetic style, it's a super fast paced read, as it bounces in short chapters between the two main characters: Marie-Laure, a blind French girl in an occupied French town and Werner, a reluctant German soldier, as well as a few chapters from the evil Nazi officer von Rumpel who is trying to track down a treasure that may, or may not, be in Marie-Laure's keeping. This book made me wish I was in school to write a paper about it, to dissect all the beautiful symbolism as well as the time period. I spent a few weeks during the summer between my Sophomore and Junior year of high school exploring Brittany, the coast, and many of the cities mentioned in the book, including Saint Malo. I really wish I had read this book beforehand!