Amazon's picks for best of 2014 (so far) include an Updike biography and a novel set in World War II
'Delancey' by food blogger Molly Wizenberg and 'No Place to Hide' by journalist Glenn Greenwald are also among the titles that Amazon selected as the best books so far this year.
'No Place to Hide' by Glenn Greenwald and 'The Invention of Wings' by Sue Monk Kidd are two of the books that Amazon chose as the best titles to be released so far this year.
Now 鈥� as we head into the second half of 2014 and readers continue to draw up their summer reading lists 鈥� it's the perfect moment to ask: What were the best books to have emerged in the first half of the year?
Amazon recently released its own list of the best books to hit have shelves over the last six months. The company鈥檚 picks included a biography of John Updike, a novel about contemporary immigrants in America, and a sequel to a 2011 young adult bestseller.
鈥淲e鈥檝e arrived at a list that will fit every customer鈥檚 summer reading agenda 鈥� whether you鈥檙e headed to the beach, traveling the world or enjoying a staycation,鈥� Amazon editorial director Sara Nelson said in a statement.
The Amazon staff compiled a list of 20 of their favorite titles, including a mix of genres. Many of these titles were also appreciated by Monitor critics, with our reviewer James Schiff calling 鈥�Updike鈥� by Adam Begley, one of Amazon鈥檚 choices, 鈥渁n insightful, compelling, discreet, and admirable biography.鈥�
Monitor reviewer David Holahan, however, was less enamored of 鈥�No Place to Hide鈥� by Glenn Greenwald鈥� than was Amazon, which chose the book as one of its 2014 favorites. Holahan wrote that 鈥渆ven those who agree that having a full-blown debate on the balance between security, freedom, and privacy is healthy may find the book wanting in certain particulars. The author鈥檚 advocacy can be relentless and repetitious鈥�. A clear deficiency is the almost total lack of reporting on Snowden鈥檚 life, before or after his revelations shocked the world. The truth about him is undoubtedly more complex and interesting than the superficial whistleblower-in-shining-armor portrait that Greenwald conjures.鈥�
However, Monitor fiction critic Yvonne Zipp enjoyed 鈥�The Invention of Wings,鈥� which was another of Amazon鈥檚 choices, calling author Sue Monk Kidd鈥檚 decision to include the character of a slave named Hetty in the story of abolitionist Sarah Grimke 鈥渂rilliant.鈥澛�
She also agreed with Amazon鈥檚 positive assessment of the novel 鈥�All the Light We Cannot See鈥� by Anthony Doerr, another book on its "best of 2014" list. Zipp found 鈥淟ight鈥� to be 鈥渃ompelling鈥� and noted that Doerr鈥檚 book has familiar tropes like orphans and a cursed jewel but that the author manages to make his story fresh and does it "with stylistic aplomb.鈥�
Monitor Books editor Marjorie Kehe responded positively to Amazon selection 鈥�Savage Harvest鈥� by Carl Hoffman. The nonfiction account investigating the fate of a member of the Rockefeller family is 鈥渁n intelligent and significant piece of journalism,鈥� she wrote.
Monitor young adult fiction critic Katie Ward Beim-Esche was similarly won over by Ransom Riggs鈥檚 鈥�Hollow City: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children", another of Amazon鈥檚 picks. Beim-Esche wrote that Rigg's new book 鈥� sequel to his 2011 bestseller "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" 鈥� is 鈥渁 well of backstory sprinkled with enough near-miss danger to get your heart pounding.鈥�
Monitor critic Kendra Nordin enjoyed another Amazon pick, 鈥�Delancey鈥� by food blogger Molly Wizenberg, a memoir which chronicled the 鈥渕essy, explosive, and exhilarating鈥� process of opening a restaurant, according to Nordin.
Meanwhile, Monitor reader, Sue Ransohoff, wrote to tell us how much she enjoyed 鈥�Redeployment鈥� by Phil Klay, another of Amazon鈥檚 selections.
鈥淚f you have not fought in Iraq, nothing will ever allow you to know what it was like 鈥� but Redeployment聽by Phil Klay will get you agonizingly close,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淭his is a brilliant evocation of war and leaves you wondering if聽 we will be forgiven for entering into it.鈥�
Other books on 鈥檚 list include the novel 鈥淭he Book of Unknown Americans鈥� by Cristina Henriquez, 鈥淓uphoria鈥� by Lily King, 鈥淚n Paradise鈥� by Peter Matthiessen, 鈥淩ed Rising鈥� by Pierce Brown, 鈥淭o Rise Again at a Decent Hour鈥� by Joshua Ferris, 鈥淭he Empathy Exams鈥� by Leslie Jamison, 鈥淭he Painter鈥� by Peter Heller, 鈥淭he Fever鈥� by Megan Abbott, 鈥淭he Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair鈥� by Joel Dicker, 鈥淐asebook鈥� by Mona Simpson, 鈥淏lood Will Out鈥� by Walter Kirn, and 鈥淭hose Who Wish Me Dead鈥� by Michael Koryta.