Best and worst reads of 2014?

Theydon Bois

My books read in 2014:

Desert Spear - Peter BrettThe Sum of all Men - David Farland [R]Rage of a Demon King - Raymond E Feist [R]Shards of a Broken Crown - Raymond E Feist [R]Krondor the Betrayal - Raymond E Feist [R]Krondor: The Assassins - Ratmond E Feist [R]Krondor: Tear of the GodsQuest for Lost Heroes - David Gemmell [R]The Black Lung Captain - Chris WoodingThe Bunker Diary - Chris BrooksDodger - Terry PratchettAbout 5 Tintin books as I couldnt be bothered to read anything properly as such. [R]A Storm of Swords - George RR MartinThe Daylight War - Peter BrettThe Iron Jackal - Chris WoodingBroken Homes - Ben Aaronovitch
Loved the Chris Woodling books - think Firefly and you wont go far wrong. Feist is a favourite, but the Kronder books are based on a very old video game and they are just not very well written at all. Very underwhelming (psudeo written?) and I think the Tear of the Gods actually breaks the magic of the world and really annoyed me. Peter Brett's books are excellent, Terry Pratchetts Dodger was just meh sorry to say, the Bunker Diary is very bleak and excellent.

Smurfin

I don't agree at all with this.  I don't care who you are, find yourself on a planet in complete isolation with no real hope of survival...you're going to hit the wall at some point.  Apollo 13 is a good example of this!  But there's no sense of that from the author of this book, it's basically badly written.

No-one is saying it should be Thomas Hardy but to say there isn't room for that characterisation?  Well it's a sh*t book then!    I think that's a very good way of someone trying to cope with isolation, actually putting thoughts and emotions down on paper....it would have been easy for the author to take this approach.  
Agreed

DOBLY

Just watched the film trailer - it looks as if they are making Mark Watney a bit more vulnerable than the book suggests - you are going to get your wish.
Release date (in the USA) is 1 October, so not too long to wait.

Courtjezter

Mine from 2014, in reverse order.


Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, #2)

Butcher, Jim *


Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)

Abercrombie, Joe


Before They Are Hanged (The First Law, #2)

Abercrombie, Joe


The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastard, #3)

Lynch, Scott *


Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastard, #2)

Lynch, Scott *


The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1)

Lynch, Scott *


Prince of Fools (The Red Queen’s War, #1)

Lawrence, Mark *


A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

Martin, George R.R.


Unseen Academicals (Discworld, #37; Rincewind #8)

Pratchett, Terry


Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)

Collins, Suzanne


Dangerous Women

Martin, George R.R.


Lords and Ladies (Discworld, #14; Witches #4)

Pratchett, Terry


Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

Pratchett, Terry


Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1)

Butcher, Jim *


Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8, Volume 1

Whedon, Joss


Excession (Culture, #5)

Banks, Iain M.


Dreamsongs Volume II (Dreamsongs, #2)

Martin, George R.R.


At Home: A Short History of Private Life

Bryson, Bill


Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1)

Hobb, Robin *


Wild Cards (Wild Cards, #1)

Martin, George R.R.


The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1)

Abercrombie, Joe


Midnight Riot (Peter Grant, #1)

Aaronovitch, Ben *

A few re-reads in there.  The best one, was either The Lies of Locke Lamora or Prince of Fools.

I would ask those who couldn't persist with Emporer of Thorns to do so, as the journey comes to a satisfying conclusion.  I got my head around the flashback premise and really thought King of Thorns was a Stellar book,  Emporer not quite as good though, i also wouldn't let it put you off reading Prince of Fools, set in the same universe.  The flashbacks have been ditched and it is, tonally, completely different.

The worst were Unseen Academicals, unfortunately, and i struggled with Wild Cards quite a bit.