[I received a copy of All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven from its Canadian publisher Random House Canada. This does not affect my opinion of the novel.]

When I heard that Jennifer Niven’s novel was being compared to John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park AND has already been optioned for film starring Elle Fanning, I knew I had to give it a shot. I went into it expecting it to be a cute young adult novel about two teens finding comfort in each other; what I didn’t expect was how emotionally affecting and important its message to its readers (teens or otherwise) would be.

The publisher’s synopsis: The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this compelling, exhilarating, and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

When Finch and Violet meet on the…

Hell has broken loose and demons have fled;
Beauties on earth Hades bellows must be dead.
I know a weary Crystal lying in her bed;
I must rescue her even if I’ll lose my head.

I walked through fire burning skin of times
Filled with courage, tears, love and rhymes
To find this maiden in her tortured innocence.
Cry not, follow me, please for now in reticence.

Let them take me oh demons of Hades!
My heart handsome mortals have bled for ages.
Leave me you! True love cannot cross my dailies.
She cries, from you men, what have I gotten as wages?

I held unto her as tight as I could,
Poured out my love as honestly as I should.
In my mood I was nude like a Druid,
But will she arise and cease seeing me like another dude?

Can she not see my shining armour?
I cry…

The year 2014 ended with 17 books read, which was way off my intended goal of 30 books.  Again, the problem is that I read some very long books.  In fact, the number of pages was almost as many as 2013.  However, I will challenge myself with 30 books again this year.  But this time, I’ll be reading every night before bed.

In 2014, I was a bit harder on books in terms of ratings, though it may be because I didn’t read many really great ones.  I only gave 2 books 5 stars.  I gave a 4 1/2 and some 4s, though.  I also rated a book that was only 2 stars.

I think that’s where we’ll start.  Let’s look at the worst book I read this year, down at number 17.  After that, the top 5.

Worst of the Year

#17 – The Somali Doctrine

I got this…