2014 Novels, & Christmassy Reading...

Happy Friday All,

This week has been filled with appointments pretty much every day so I've been kept on my toes.

With Christmas on its way and the end of the year coming, I thought I'd give a look at some of my favorite novels that were released in 2014 (besides my own, of course LOL).

In no particular order, here are some of my favorite novels published in 2014:

YA Category:

CC Hunter's Eternal This is book number 2 in C.C.'s Shadow Falls

After Dark series, featuring vampire Della Tsang. I love how underneath all her prickles and walls, Della feels deeply and is an incredibly loyal person. She's strong, sassy, but also vulnerable. I recommend reading C.C.'s Shadow Falls series, first, before reading Della's stories because these books happen after the events in the first novels. Of course, I recommend reading any of C.C.'s novels! She's an incredibly talented author. To check out my official blog book review of this novel, click here.

Katie McGarry's Breaking The Rules. If you're a fan of her Pushing

The Limits featuring Echo and Noah, then you'll be glad for this novel. Katie's writing is gritty, edgy, honest, and emotional. I don't read a lot of contemporary YA, but I make an exceptions for Katie's novels simply because of her talent and ability to draw a reader into her characters and sympathize with them.

Jennifer L. Aremntrout's Opposition. The final installment in Jennifer's Lux series came out in August and there were several

surprises, but a satisfying ending. I'm not usually into aliens, but Jennifer's work drew me in. I enjoyed Daemon's attitude and him and Katy's relationship.

These are just the YA's that stood out in my mind. It doesn't mean there wasn't any other notable YAs that were released in 2014.

Paranormal Romance:

Anne B. Cole's Souls Entwined. An intriguing and imaginative story. By the end I was fascinated with Anne's imagination and wondered what she'd come up with next. She certainly has unique ideas. I believe she'll pleasantly surprise readers. And nothing is more fun than getting a pleasant surprise from a novel! I have an official blog book review of this novel, which you can find here.

Marie  Hall's Rumpel's Prize. I'm a huge fan of Rumpel & Belle on the show Once Upon A Time, so when I heard about Marie's novel, I was interested to see what kind of spin she'd put on the Rumpelstiltskin story. I was not disappointed. As always, Marie

took a recognizable fairy-tale character and made it her own. I've loved the Kingdom series and haven't been disappointed by her writing. I still have to read Hood's Obsession and Her One Wish, but I plan to. Check out my review of this novel here.


I still have a huge TBR (To Be Read) pile although some are not 2014 releases. This doesn't reflect all the books I've read and/or enjoyed this year, but they stand out.

Now, since we are in the Christmas Season, let me recommend some seasonal reading from all different publication dates (and in no particular order):

Christie Craig's The Cop Who Stole Christmas--a humorous tale released in 2013, that had all the right hallmarks of a Christie novel--romance, suspense, and humor. Lots of fun, with a holiday twist.

Debbie Macomber's The Perfect Christmas, released in 2011. One of my favorite Christmas novels. Debbie has written several Christmas ones, but I especially loved this one. It involves a matchmaker who matches everyone up to their "most suitable" match, but doesn't see any love for himself, until an opinionated woman enters his life and turns it upside down. Heartwarming and fun.

The Night Before Christmas--various editions. I love this poem. So much fun. My offspring has a version of this story that I've read a loud and there's been giggling and great interest in it.

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Various editions have been published over the years, even though Dickens has been dead for a long time. To me, that says a lot about the man's writing. I'm a big fan of A Tale Of Two Cities, and this story brings back memories of my father reading a version of it to me and my siblings at Christmas time. I wasn't ever a fan of the Ghost of Christmas-Yet-To-Come, but the message is a great one, and the story is worth sharing.

Kerrelyn Sparks' All I Want For Christmas Is A Vampire. If you're a fan of her Love At Stake series, you don't want to miss this one.  It was published in 2008. This novel is Ian MacPhie's story,which ties in Christmas, Kerrelyn's humor, and vampires all in one novel.

Lisa Scott's Holiday Rush--part of her Holiday Flirts! Set (which I haven't read the rest yet, I got Holiday Rush free on my E-reader--I think she was running a special offer at the time that I got the novelette on my E-Reader). This short story, published in 2011, is a fun, quick read, with a Christmas spirit, and Romance. I always wish her short stories were longer, but that would be why they're called Flirts. I've read several of her short stories and have enjoyed every one.

Of course, being a Roman Catholic Christian, I recommend the Gospel readings in the Bible of Jesus's birth. My favorite is Luke's rendition of the Nativity story.

I love Christmas stories and wish I could get one written. I've tried over the years, but they never came out quite right. Maybe someday, though!

What are some of your favorite 2014 releases and Christmas novels?

Have A Fabulously Festive Friday!