If there’s one thing I know to be true, it’s that Scholastic employees can always be counted on for fantastic book recommendations!
Looking back at 2014, the OOM team read so many amazing books outside the office—from bestsellers like The Goldfinch to historical fiction such as New York: The Novel, and even classics including the sci-fi novel Dune. Before December comes to a close, we rounded up our favorite books, new and old, from this past year that had us captivated until the very last page. If you haven’t read these top picks already, be sure to add them to your list ASAP!
Without further ado, here’s our list of the best books that we read in 2014:
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- Lia:I adored The Goldfinch (can’t believe I read that almost a year ago!!). The writing was so beautiful and it stands out in my mind as a book I couldn’t put down.
- Nadia: I love the way she writes! Her descriptions are so vivid and it makes the scenes so powerful.
- Kristen: I read an embarrassingly low number of books this year (other than cookbooks, which don’t really count, I guess). I would say that my favorite was The Goldfinch – even though it took me forever to get through this hefty novel, I felt really connected to the characters, and enjoyed the twists in the story line along the way!
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- Alex:The best book I read in 2014 was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. If you are looking for an (adult!) mystery this book, this is a must read. This book goes beyond the typical murder case and pulls out a number of unsuspected plots twists at every corner.
- Gina: Gone Girl was the perfect beach read for my summer vacation. I didn’t see the twist coming and I finished it in less than three days – and my trip was a week-long!
New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd
- Lia: I’m a big fan of historical fiction and reading this helped me better understand our City’s history.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
- Megan: I am reading Unbroken (hoping to finish by the time the movie comes out) and I love it so much. I’m only 50 pages in and I already know it’s going to be the best book I read this year. It definitely meets all of the hype!
The Quick by Lauren Owen
- Mike: It’s the perfect mix of gothic horror meets mystery-thriller. If you love shows like “Penny Dreadful,” check this out. (His other favorites from the year include Lucky Us by Amy Bloom, Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg and The Days of Anna Madrigal by Armistead Maupin)
Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy
- Deimosa: I think this book is amazing, and it completely reads like a movie (Aaron Paul for Daniel, let’s start the movement now)! Trent Reedy weaves together all of the debates we see in our news cycle, and puts us (via Daniel) in a situation where we reconsider our opinions on issues like states’ rights, gun control, social media, true love and high school football. This was a favorite in our employee reading club, and we are amped to read Burning Nation, #2 in the trilogy, which is out this month.
The Last Magazine by Michael Hastings
- Suzanne: The Last Magazine is a great read. Based on a manuscript found after the reporter's death in 2013, it deftly chronicles the decline of the New York media world, providing lots of laughs along the way.
Dune by Frank Herbert
- Brittany: I was initially intimidated to dive into this massive science fiction novel, but once I started reading, I was immediately sucked in by the intelligence, strength and emotion of the characters. I would describe Dune as Star Wars (on the planet of Tatooine) meets Game of Thrones. What’s not to love?
Now it’s your turn. What was the best book you read in 2014?
Image via Amazon (Little, Brown and Company)
