My top reads of 2014

Like most writers, I am an avid reader and this year I have managed to get through a hundred different titles by a whole host of authors.

Now as any writer knows a bit of free promotion is never a bad thing and one of the best ways to show appreciation for a good book is to pass it on to others as well as leaving a good review. So this post is my attempt to do both of these things, for the authors whose stories I’ve really enjoyed this year.

Let’s begin.

An author whose books both my son and I have fallen in love with is David Walliams. With titles like Gangsta Granny, Mr stink, Demon Dentist and Boy in a dress it’s pretty clear that David Walliams is a quirky writer, but he is also a genius. His stories are fun, engaging and a must have for any bookshelf. We’ve collected them all this year and can’t wait for more. David Walliams is the Roald Dahl of our times and like Roald Dahl, his books will live on in kids hearts for the rest of their lives.

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Isaac Marion and his book Warm bodies is next on my list.

I loved his book so much that I rushed out to buy the film and for once was not disappointed. His book is a combination of love and humour. Plus any writer who can make you route for a zombie has gotta be worth a read right?

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Veronica Roth and her amazing Divergent collection:

·         Divergent

·         Insurgent

·         Allegiance

·          Four

This collection has been one of my greatest reads this year. I fell in love with the books and movies and four has become my book boyfriend of choice. Although my husband will never pick up a book he enjoyed the divergent film along with me and I love it when books result in movies we can all watch together. I can’t wait to read more by Veronica Roth in 2015.

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That brings me to another set of books that I adore, this time by Suzanne Collins, The hunger games.

·         The hunger games

·         Catching fire

·         Mockingjay

I read these books through twice now. I just adore Katniss and storyline in these books as a whole and would highly recommend them.

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Francine Rivers is another of my most beloved authors; she has a way with words that completely absorbs you into her written worlds.

This year I enjoyed several of her books including;

·         Sin eater

·         Bridge to heaven

·         The shoe box

·         The scarlet thread

Francine writes Christian fiction beautifully and if you’ve never picked up one of her books, you really should.

She is also the author of one of my favourite books: Redeeming love.

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George R.R. Martin is next with his game of throne books.

These books are brilliant and I really enjoyed the series. That said I do still have the last book left to read. These books are not for the faint hearted. Many of them are very big reads but in my opinion they are worth ago. I hope to complete the series in 2015.

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Some co-authored books for you to next, in the form of the boy soldier series, by Andy McNab and Robert Rigby.

Now I can’t show you Andy McNab as I have all the other authors as he was genuinely a part of the SAS and as a result keeps his identity private.

So I’ll just pop up a shot of all the books instead.

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy these books as they are really not my normal genre and yet here they are on my top reads of 2014.

I really enjoyed the whole series and will definitely be reading more by both these authors. As they created realistic, believable characters that were easy to route for as well as intriguing storylines.

Give them a go, you might be surprised too.

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There are lots more books I would have liked to have included in this list but given the time of year, I’m a bit pushed for time. So on that note, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and will have a great new year.

Let me know what you enjoyed reading this year, I love finding new authors and good reads.

Love and hugs

Joss xx