Top Ten Tuesday - My Top Ten Books So Far This Year

This is a fun linkup with The Broke and the Bookish.  Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is top ten books so far this year.  This has been an interesting reading year since I've really been trying to break out of my reading comfort zone a little.

My top ten books for the first half of 2014:

1. The Tastemakers: Why We're Crazy for Cupcakes but Fed Up with Fondue by David Sax - This book is so fascinating.  I read it back in January but still think about it every time I'm at a grocery store or restaurant.  This is a great look at the food trend industry.

2. The Tyrant's Daughter by J. C. Carleson - This is the story of an ordinary teenage girl who is trying to fit in at school and deal with her family.  The catch is that she just happened to be the daughter of a dictator who just had to flee her country after a military coup and the murder of her father.  Watching her try to resolve all the different sides of herself was really interesting.

3. The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier - I have tried to force them on just about everyone since I've read it.  I've always thought the whole concept of The Birds was kind of silly until I read this book.  du Maurier is the master of the creepy short story.

4. Murder on the Home Front by Molly Lefebure - I found this look into the workings of the coroner's office in London during World War 2 absolutely fascinating.  Definitely worth a read.

5. Delancey by Molly Wizenberg - I may be a little biased because I loved Wizenberg's first book but this book about the opening of their restaurant was so enjoyable.  I didn't find as many good recipes as I had in A Homemade Life but I thought the actual content was even more interesting.

6.  And Then There Were None by Agatha Christe - Of course I have an Agatha on my list!  So far this is my favorite of the ones I've read this year though Crooked House, Why Didn't They Ask Evans? and the Man in the Brown Suit were good as well.  I'm not sure this is my favorite Agatha of all time though because there are a few Marples I really love and I'm sure there's a Poirot or two i'm forgetting about!

7. Louisa Catherine: The Other Mrs. Adams by Margery M. Heffron - I thoroughly enjoyed this book about Louisa Catherine the wife of John Quincey Adams.  She was really a fascinating woman in an interesting time.  We hear so much about the first John and his wife Abigail that we forget about the son.  If you're interested in American history at all this is a great one to pick up.

8.  Murder at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennsion - while not flawless this mystery was a lot of fun without being too cutesy.  I loved the characters and was able to sympathize with both Kat and her mother.  It was nice to see the inner working of a once grand estate in present day.

9.  The Other Side of Paradise by Julia Cooke - This look at modern day Cuba wasn't my absolute favorite when I read it but I find that I'm still referencing it months after reading it.

10.  Hotel by Arthur Hailey - I really wasn't sure what to expect with this one but I ended up really enjoying it.  This look into a high end hotel in New Orleans in the 60s was well done and really interesting.  I've recommended it countless times since reading.