Top 5 Books of the Year! | Top 5 Wednesday

2014 has been a fantastic book year for me, not only in terms of what was released, but also for the sometimes slightly older books and series I discovered. I'm glad to have found these stories this year:

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Read my review here!

2. Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts

Read my review here!

3. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Read my review here!

4. Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Read my review here and read about my experience meeting Moira Young here!

5. The Saga series by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Read my review here!

Honourable mentions:

Black Widow, Vol. 1: The Finely Woven Thread by Nathan Edmondson
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
Come Closer by Sara Gran
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

What's one of your favourite books you read in 2014?

Top 5 Wintry Reads | Top 5 Wednesday

These books are all excellent in their own respects, but I love the way they remind me of winter with their beautifully-described settings and the feelings they evoke.

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Christmas break. Need I say more? I love knowing what Hogwarts is like when so many of the students are back home: the grounds are covered in snow, the halls are practically empty...it adds another aspect of magic and mystery to the place.

2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

If you've ever experienced social anxiety, or found yourself deeply in love with a TV show, movie, or book and its characters, you'll probably love this novel. The lovely descriptions of the snow falling at night when there are so few people on campus take me back to my school years.

3. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
Read my review here!

Joey the horse takes us through all the seasons of the year, but the winter scenes really stuck with me. Not only was it dreary, it was also incredibly dangerous for the soldiers and the horses to be out in the cold for so long - the injuries sustained were just terrible. This is an emotional book, and well worth the read.

4. The Shining by Stephen King

The Overlook Hotel is iconic not only for its grand beauty and murderous tenants, but also for its isolation come wintertime. If you like being creeped out and want to prepare for the upcoming winter, this book is for you!

5. The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks

In the wake of a tragic bus accident that killed several children, residents of the small town Sam Dent try to cope - but with all their secrets and lies, who is to blame? Like in The Shining, the winter setting emphasizes the loneliness and separation the townspeople feel in the aftermath of the accident.

What's your go-to wintry read?

Top 5 Historical Books | Top 5 Wednesday

This week's Top 5 Wednesday topic is "Top 5 Historical Books", or, any book that isn't set in the present time.

I'm not going deep into the past with these because I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but the books on my list do take place at least one decade into our past.

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This series takes place in the glorious 80's, although because it involves so much space travel, we mostly get to see what the rest of the (hilarious) universe was like back then.

2. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Read my review here!

This is such a beautiful book. It shows how awful WWI was, not only for humans, but also for the animals used. It's a new perspective - a horse's! - and I think it does a wonderful job of showing the deep bond between humans and animals and how it can transcend tragedy.

3. Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins

Set in the 80's, Watchmen is a critique of the superhero genre that manages to be satirical, philosophical and political all at the same time. And it doesn't stop there, either.

4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Read my review here!

Without giving any spoilers about the plot, there are scenes in this novel that take place in the present time, and also scenes that take place in 1940. It makes for a truly fascinating read.

5. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

A poignant tale that questions and re-imagines what it means to be human, this novel takes place in the 90's.

What are your favourite novels set in different times, past or future?

"War Horse" | Book Review

I finished reading "War Horse" yesterday, and what a story.

It's told from the perspective of a young farm horse, Joey, who's sent to help the troops fight in WWI. Joey starts off helping the English in the war, and after a period of rest is recruited for the Germans before returning to the English again.

Seeing Joey on both sides and reading his observations of the people surrounding him provides a very interesting perspective. Oftentimes in war, there is perceived to be a "good" and "bad" side. The truth of the matter is that you'll find both kinds of people fighting on either side. Joey encountered kind and cruel people on each side, all of them affecting him and his view of the war and the people involved in it.

I really love the way this story portrays the bond between humans and animals. Joey and his human, Albert, share an unbreakable bond that carries the two of them through the war in the hopes of being reunited. It's not only this strong bond that's shown in the story; even just seeing horses makes most of the soldiers happy. The horses are not just animals to them, they're friends and comrades.

The writing style itself is simple, and most people will breeze through the novel. It's very emotional, particularly in the last third of the book, through which I basically sobbed. My pillow was soaked in sad, salty tears.

"War Horse" is a wonderful story not only about the deep bonds we're capable of forging with animals, but also of the human condition. All this from a rather unique perspective: a horse.

Have you read "War Horse"? Seen the play or movie?