BookGateway.com is pleased to announce its books of the year award, the Bookys, for books published in 2014!
The Booky is awarded annually by the editors of BookGateway.com, a book review website for reviewers and book bloggers founded in 2010 with the express goal of encouraging a lifestyle of continued learning through the love and practice of reading. The Booky awards recognize the best books published and reviewed at BookGateway.com during the preceding year. Each reviewer that submits at least 10 reviews during the calendar year along with each Genre Editor of BookGateway.com can nominate books for Booky award recognition. Final decisions are made by the Managing Editor of BookGateway.com.
Children’s & Teens:
Galaxy’s Most Wanted
Written by John Kloepfer | Illustrated by Nick Edwards | HarperCollins | July 2014
From the review: “I would call this a perfectionist’s masterpiece. All the adventure and non-stop fun and danger made me not want to put the book down. And it’s a cliffhanger, too. I’m dying to read the next book. It was absolutely amazing.”
Fantasy:
Raising Steam
by Terry Pratchett | Doubleday / Randomhouse Audio | March 2014
From the review: “What’s interesting is that Pratchett threw most of the protagonist from his last several series together in this one in a sort of all star cast of funny and it worked! Vimes and Moist play off each other very well. Vetinari gets to exercise his awesome evilness at times, although unseen, of course. And characters from all over the Discworld make an appearance. All that to say that anyone who enjoys any of the Discworld series will love this one. Funny as always but building towards more.”
Graphic Novels:
Outcast
written by Robert Kirkman | art by Paul Azaceta | Image: Skybound | June 2014
From the review: “The artwork by Azaceta is dark, brooding and heavy. Which is perfect. The story is tight and intriguing. A book that horror and suspsense fans will be thrilled to read. It is also a book that fans of the Walking Dead and Kirkman’s other work (not counting his superhero stuff) will enjoy because of the complex character development. This is another story where the supernatural is merely the setting that our characters move through.”
Non-Fiction:
The Answer to Bad Religion is Not No Religion
by Martin Thielen | Westminster John Knox Press | February 2014
From the review: “There is a lot of bad press about Christians today. Sure, a lot of negativity is stirred up in Hollywood but there is enough smoke here to say a fire exists. So a message that clearly explains why someone shouldn’t abandon Christianity because of Christians is a welcome and needed one.”
10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know
by Kari Kampakis | Thomas Nelson| November 2014
From the review: “Reading through the book I not only thought these were truths that my daughters should know but that I wished that I had known these things when I was a teen. These really are “ultimate truths” as they speak to who we are as created and loved beings and speak to an inner peace that just doesn’t come from any other source but the foundation of God. This is a must read for teenaged girls and their parents. I highly recommend it.”
Romance & Chick Lit:
The River
by Beverly Lewis | Bethany House | September 2014
From the review: “This is a story of redemption, healing, forgiveness, and family. Both girls have to find peace and resolve and be content in their decision that led them away from their Amish roots… this is a worthwhile story that will pull at your heart strings and break your heart at the same time.”
Science Fiction:
Star Wars: Tarkin
by James Luceno | LucasBooks & Randomhouse Audio | November 2014
From the review: “Luceno’s great accomplishment is how he has readers cheering for Tarkin’s success. We grow to like him and understand his decisions. (Obviously not those decisions in the movies, but the decisions prior to those that made up his character.) I don’t recall the last time I rooted for the bad guy. I’m not talking anti-hero here, but actual bad guy.”
Thriller & Suspense:
Personal
by Lee Child | Delacorte Press / Random House Audio | September 2014
From the review: “Child’s character and this story is outstanding. Far and away more enjoyable than most “big name” series I’ve read over the last decade. I’m definitely a fan from this point on and the great news is that I’ve got a bunch of old books to catch up on!”
Deep Black Sea
by David M. Salkin | Permuted Press | June 2014
From the review: “In my opinion, this book is perfectly set up for being made for a movie. It has everything that other survival horror movies has but it’s in a situation that hasn’t been done often or for a while. There have been some movies set at these depths but not many. And the pace of this book is very similar to that of a movie. I read most of it in a single night – not wanting to put it down. Very cinematic.”