Well, everyone has their top ten lists of 2014 out, so here are some best awards I created for some favorite books of 2014.  I gave awards to 10 books I found true delight in. If they have been reviewed here before, I gave a truncated version of the review. Put some on your list for next year, or just enjoy reading my bests.  What did you love reading this year?  Please tell me in the comments.

Best Book about a Long Walk:  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce: A man learns an old friend is dying on the other side of England.  He literally just starts walking to her without even changing his shoes or grabbing a sack lunch.  A good read all in all.

To Order click here: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel

Best Non-Fiction Book:  Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan.

A man loves his wife and children and makes their daily lives extremely hilarious in the written form.   When Jim Gaffigan was asked as a child why he was so white, he would reply, “My Dad was a Q-tip.”  That is funny people.

To Order, click here: Dad Is Fat

Best Book Where Bunnies Wear Platform Shoes:  Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, Detectives Extraordinaire by Polly Horvath  This children’s mystery is delightful, odd, and very funny.  Adults should read it, and if you have children in your general vicinity you should read it to them, together.

To Order, click here: Mr. and Mrs. Bunny–Detectives Extraordinaire!

Best Book Written from an Animal’s Perspective: The One and Only Ivan  by Katherine Applegate.  

This is the true story of a gorilla kept in the Tacoma mall for most of his life.  Most Northwest natives know this history, but I missed out on this by growing up in the Rocky Mountains.  I only saw old abandoned gold mines when I was a kid.  However, most locals know the story of Ivan and his rescue from the mall to a zoo in Atlanta.  I loved it; it speaks of the dichotomy of human nature, and how we care for and sometimes miss-treat animals.

To Order, click here:  The One and Only Ivan

Best Book with a Genius Female Character: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson   Girl lives in Africa and manages the latrines; it is gross job with grosser male co-workers.  She is a secret genius and ends up traveling across half the world, and out-smarting a ton of pompous men along the way.  She meets a very nice twin named Two, and helps save the King of Sweden.  It is quirky, indescribable, creative, and full of twists and turns.  I loved the quiet genius of it, a bit of an off-the-beaten path book.     To Order, click here: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden: A Novel

Best Book About Women Having Cool Jobs During World War II:  The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg.  Listen to Ms. Flagg read this to you on Audiobook, I love her southern drawl and charm.  This was a sweet little read; it makes you want to eat some fried chicken and hug your lady friends.  Also, it is fun to hear about women taking over men’s jobs when they are away at war and rocking it hard core.

To Order, click here: The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion: A Novel

Best Historical Fiction:  All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer  Anthony Doer deserved all the praise and accolades he received for taking ten years to write this novel of World War II.  It was sweet, hard, engrossing, and a fantastic book.  If you liked The Book Thief you should read this.  Most likely my favorite read this year.

To Order, click here: All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel

Best Book with a Grumpy Protagonist:  A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman      Ove is old and angry, however, his heart is wide and caring in the most unexpected ways.   I loved this book; it has subtle humor and very rich characters.  It is hard to describe the beauty of it, except to say I missed it when it was over and it made me feel deeply as I read.  Some of it is sad, but I found it a superb read.

To Order click here: A Man Called Ove: A Novel

Best 80’s Love Story:  Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.     If Pretty in Pink morphed itself into a young adult novel, this would be it.  Girl feels awkward, boy feels awkward, and they meet on the bus.  It is awkward and then they listen to 80’s music and it is not as awkward.  Two people that feel unlovable fall in love with each other.  Swoon.

To Order on Amazon, click here: eleanor and park kindle edition

Best Book about a Book Store:  The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin  Man runs a book store on an island.  Woman from a publishing company comes to sell him books, he is rude to her.  He gets a baby dropped at his front door and his whole life changes.  Loved it.

To Order, click here: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel