I am so happy to have Melissa from Raincoast Books here on the blog today. She was kind enough to put together a list of the best books she has read in 2014! Let see what she has to say!



I have such trouble with the end of the year lists, because I find it so hard to choose
my favourite books of the year! To make it more manageable for myself, I've chosen my 5
favourite YA books of this year (and I cheated a little on one, it's not actually YA. But
I had to include it because I love it so much!)

characters' personalities through text messages, and this book had me laughing out loud

at my desk. Definitely one of my favourites of the year!

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

lucky enough to have already read the sequel to this book, The Winner's Crime, which in

my opinion, was just as brilliant as the first. I have to warn you, though: the wait for

the next book in the trilogy is painful!

My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

read some short stories. Naturally, I chose to read this holiday anthology edited by

Stephanie Perkins, which has 12 short stories from some fabulous YA authors. And it was

such a good decision! This anthology has a story for everyone. Plus, I'm a little

holiday-crazy (my work colleagues called me Santa this morning...), making this an

obvious choice for one of my favourite YA books this year.

Going Over by Beth Kephart

and are instantly engaging. Kephart has absolutely beautiful prose, almost lyrical in its

delivery, and I would highly recommend reading this one.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

desperate to see how the series will end! 

Thanks so much!




I want to thank Melissa SO MUCH for being on the blog today and for sharing her top 5 reads of 2014! Any of these are your list? Let me know!!

~Siobhan 

I am back!!!! I am so excited to be back in this world and able to take time to talk about books I loved and ones that I didnt. Before I get to todays post, I just want to thank you all for the support through these past few months. It has been a crazy ride but I am so glad that I am!

Ok now onto the good stuff :)


Since this is my first post back in a few months, and since the new year is tomorrow I thought, what a great way to restart my blog! So here is my Best of list for 2014, which includes bookish things, movies, TV and music!




1. Captain America: Winter Soldier- This movie was EVERYTHING! I think it is by far my favorite Marvel movie made. It had everything, action, adventure and a lot of mystery and aha moments for fans of these movies. I highly recommend it.
2. The Other Woman- To be completely honest I went into this movie with absolutely no expectations and it blew me away. It was hilarious, full of great jokes and real life issues that women face today. And I think the part I loved the most was the fact that this was a movie about women, not about the man that cheated on them.
3. Guardians of the Galaxy- I loved this movie for its soundtrack alone, But I also loved that this movie was fun. Something some Marvel movies in the past forget to include. This movie is extremely sic-fi but honestly you hardly notice.
4. Lego Movie- I love animation, any kind of animation so when this movie came out I knew I wanted to watch it. But what I did not expect was the end of this movie. I liked this movie overall, was it my favorite. No, but the end made up for it cause it made everything I was watching make sense for me in the real world. I loved that so much.
5. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes- This movie made me cry. I never thought I would say that about a movie about Apes, but honestly this movie was killer. The effects were out of his world and the story line was seriously better than the first one. Worth a watch of both movies, this one and the original.




1. The Big Bang Theory- I have loved this show from the very start, and although it has changed over the years it is still the show I will watch any day any time, whether it is new or old. I know many hate this show because of its treatment of certain characters etc. But for me I just like good humor, and since it makes me laugh every time then I will continue to love it.
2. The Flash- I am not a fan of DC Comics shows/movies recently but this show is amazing! You do not need to know anything about the comic to understand, and it keeps you hooked from the beginning. And also it will make you want to rewatch/catch up on Arrow lol
3. The Blacklist- This is one of the only serious shows that I watch and I think I love it so much because of James Spader. He is a genius and his character RED on this show is brilliant.
4. Agents of Shield- Marvel can do no wrong in my books at this point. This show started off slow last year but picked up speed at the end. This year they continued that climb and are quickly become my favourite show :)
5. Castle- Although this show has dropped a big story wise recently, I still love this show, mostly because Castles character is and should be forever more my bestie. I love his sense of humor and how he handles certain situations. And I cannot wait to discover what actually happened to him when he disappeared!




1. 1989 by Taylor Swift- Seriously, I don't think I have to explain why this record is the best of the year. Every song is amazing, she is amazing and honestly I just want to be her friend. Pick up this record of you haven't yet because you will not regret it.
2. Little Machines by Lights- I love lights, particularly because she is Canadian, but also because she makes amazing music! This is the 3rd album I have bought of hers and I have never been disappointed. Her songs are catchy and real, something I love in an artist.
3. Shatter Me by Lindsay Sterling- I had never heard of Lindsay Sterling before this year, and honestly she is one of the most talented musicians I have ever heard. Her music is mostly all instrumental but it is a rock/techno violin. It is amazing and great writing music too!
4. Sorry I'm Late by Cher Lloyd- I usually am not a fan of this kind fo music, but Cher Lloyd is amazing. This album has everything, rap songs, ballads and pop hits that makes you want to get up and dance. I love it so much. She is brilliant.
5. Head or Heart by Christina Perri-  I have loved Christina Perri since I heart Jar of Hearts on SYTYCD a few years ago. Now this album is just amazing and just as heartfelt as that song. Well worth the listen.


1. Blank Space by Taylor Swift- Can you blame me? This song and video are SO addictive. I love it so much I think its one of the highest repeated songs on my phone lol
2. The Heart Wants What It Wants by Selena Gomez- Although I was not a fan of her relationship with JB, this song gave me a glimpse into her heartache and I felt for her. This song is the perfect sing for someone who has loved and lost.
3. Elastic Heart by Sia- I found this song before Catching Fire came out but I still love it and think it fits the movie perfectly. Her voice is amazing and this song is haunting.
4. I Will Never Let You Down by Rita Ora- Rita Ora is my new fav import from the UK, I love this song and cannot help but sing along when its on.
5. Still Into You by Paramore- I have loved Paramore since I was in high school, and I am so happy that they are finally getting recognized for being so awesome. This song is just one of my favs from them this year and I cannot wait to see where they go next.




1. The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski- This cover is my all-time fav cover. The typography, the image, the colors. All amazing.
2.Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman- The colors on this cover are to die for and I love the image. It fits the story perfectly.
3. The Queen of Tearling by Erika Johansen- I am a sucker for book covers with only typography and this is one of those books. So gorgeous.
4. Learning Not to Drown by Anna Shinoda- I just love this image. It is haunting and mysterious and it made me read this book.
5.Great by Sara Benincasa- This cover is brilliant. It is striking from the get go, but it also fits the novel perfectly.



1. Get Even by Gretchen McNeil- This book blew me away. I loved every page and every word. The mystery, the characters and that ending! It was amazing! Cannot wait for the sequel this year!
2. Trial by Fire  by Josephine Angelini- I loved the Starcrossed series, but when I saw that she was writing a book about witches I knew I needed to gte on that. The romance, the powers, the setting, everythging was amazing!
3. Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley- This book was a crazy surprise for me. I am in love with this writer and her ability to create a story. This book will tear you apart and build you back up again. Amazing.
4. Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson- I think the reason I loved this book so much was the way itvwas written and the way the characters were introduced. It was so original and made me fall for the characters even more!
5. Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang- This book destroyed me, in the best possible way i promise! This is a book you need to be prepared for but in the end it will stay with you after you finish. An amazing debut from a authr that will definitely go very far.

Thats it! Hope some of your favorites were on my list, and I hope that you discovered some new and exciting things! 
See you next year!