As we near the halfway point of 2014, Top Ten Tuesday has asked book bloggers to share their ten favorite/best novels so far this year. Here are my favorites (listed alphabetically by author’s last name); I can’t honestly say they’re the “best” because there are so many novels I haven’t read.
(The hot links will take you to my recent reviews. I have also done interviews with Molly Antopol, Cara Hoffman, Laline Paull, and Mary Vensel White. My interview with Laura McBride is coming this week.)
The UnAmericans — Molly Antopol (Feb. 3)
The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street* — Susan Jane Gilman (June 10)
Be Safe I Love You — Cara Hoffman (April 1)
We Are Called to Rise — Laura McBride (June 3)
Everything I Never Told You* — Celeste Ng (June 26)
Boy, Snow, Bird — Helen Oyeyemi (March 6)
The Bees — Laline Paull (May 7)
Home Leave* — Brittani Sonnenberg (June 3)
Chasing the Sun — Natalia Sylvester (June 3)
The Qualities of Wood — Mary Vensel White (June 17)
* Discussed in my May 26 Summer Reading Preview (reviews to come).
Recent Releases on TBR List (some of which may make the revised Top Ten list on June 30 — watch for my upcoming reviews)
Ruby — Cynthia Bond
Abroad — Katie Crouch
The Chronicle of Secret Riven — Ronlyn Domingue
What is Visible — Kimberly Elkins
The Book of Unknown Americans — Cristina Henriquez
The Last Illusion — Porochista Khakpour
Euphoria — Lily King
The Frangipani Hotel — Violet Kupersmith
The Sixteenth of June — Maya Lang
The Other Language — Francesca Marciano
The Ghost of the Mary Celeste — Valerie Martin
This is also a good time to preview some of the books that will be published later this month and over the summer. I’ll be reviewing most or all of them in the next couple months.
Upcoming Releases on my TBR List (discussed in my May 26 Summer Reading Preview)
Life Drawing — Robin Black
The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing — Mira Jacob
Mambo in Chinatown — Jean Kwok
Rainey Royal — Dylan Landis
The Home Place — Carrie La Seur
The Hundred-Year House — Rebecca Makkai
Land of Love and Drowning — Tiphanie Yanique
READ HER LIKE AN OPEN BOOK 
Bill –
I am so buried this week. Which of those 15 questions matter most to you?
Laura
LikeLike
Hi Laura. I just sent you an email with my answer. Thanks for checking in.
Bill
LikeLike
Boy, Snow, Bird and The Bees are both waiting for me from the library. I’m excited to read both of them.
LikeLike
You won’t find any two books more different than those. But they are very satisfying reads. Oyeyemi has such a unique voice and Paull has written a smart, involving, passionate thriller. Enjoy!
LikeLike
I haven’t read anything on your list, but they all have really stunning covers! Here’s my list http://deliabattie.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/top-ten-tuesday-books-ive-read-this-year/
LikeLike
I haven’t posted my list yet, but I agree on the Oyeyemi. I’m going to try and get to it later today.
I look forward to hearing what you think about the Maya Lang, Violet Kupersmith and Valerie Martin books — I think they are all wonderful and very different. Your TBR pile looks very similar to mine.
LikeLike
I look forward to hearing what you think about the new Rebecca Makkai as i read The Borrower at the start of the year.
LikeLike