I read many, many books this year, but here are the ones I enjoyed the most, in no particular order:

The Paying Guests

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. Kept me up way past midnight. Waters is a master.

Caught

Caught by Lisa Moore. Delightful detail, smart dialogue and an intriguing plot. Wonderful! #CanLit

Life After Life

Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson. Wow. I will read this novel again. If I had to chose one book for the year, this would be it.

The Testament of Mary

The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin. I listened to this on audible.com, as read by Meryl Streep. Simply amazing.

Longbourn

Longbourn, by Jo Baker. I loved this novel about the servant world of Austen’s Pride & PrejudiceExtremely well done.

They Left Us Everything

They Left Us Everything, a memoir by Plum Johnson. An often-funny yet moving account of dealing with parents’ “stuff” after their death. I wept! I laughed! #CanLit


Prideandprejudice

Of course, I must also mention movies—well, just one, which I watched three times and will watch three times over again, no doubt. It’s the 2005 release of Pride & Prejudice, staring Kiera Knightly. I love this movie so much I can hardly stand it.


Serial

Ok, now for podcasts—but again, I’ll just mention one: Serial. It’s a reality-crime-mystery sort of series, and therefore highly unlikely to capture my interest, so trust me on this. It’s very well done—and extremely compelling.

Yet! How can I not also mention the podcasts that have been my daily bread for years? They include: This American Life, Learn French by Podcast, Book Review by the New York Times, and Writers & Company from CBC Radio.


Duolingo

In addition to my standby apps, I became fond this year of: Duolingo and Anki (for learning languages), and Lyne (a game).


And, as if this weren’t enough, here is another 2014 shortlist:

Mags & blogs: my 2014 shortlist

You might also want to check out my last year’s round-up:

My top 5 fiction titles for 2013: virginal and not

My top 5 non-fiction and memoir reads of 2013: a canvas in red, black & blue—irreverent, wise, tragic, and ultimately unforgettable