Best Books of the Year
Menu

Kirkus Reviews · award year

Kirkus Prize 2014

The 2014 Kirkus Prize went to Euphoria by Lily King (Fiction), Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast (Nonfiction) and Aviary Wonders Inc. by Kate Samworth (Young Readers' Literature). 18 books were finalists across 3 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. Euphoria by Lily Kingsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chastsource (opens in a new tab)

Young Readers' Literature

  1. Aviary Wonders Inc. by Kate Samworthsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestusource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Florence Gordon by Brian Mortonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedtsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waterssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Remedy for Love by Bill Roorbachsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty, translated by Arthur Goldhammersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Jonathan Swift by Leo Damroschsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevensonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Lagoon by Armand Marie Leroisource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbertsource (opens in a new tab)

Young Readers' Literature

  1. El Deafo by Cece Bellsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Freedom Summer Murders by Don Mitchellsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Key That Swallowed Joey Pigza by Jack Gantossource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Right Word by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweetsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Story of Owen by E.K. Johnstonsource (opens in a new tab)

About the Kirkus Prize

The Kirkus Prize began in 2014. Each year has six finalists in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers' Literature, one of which wins; source is kirkusreviews.com/prize/<year>/. Young Readers' Literature author is writer plus illustrator; translators are separate. Titles are main titles, title-cased from Kirkus's all-caps listing.

Organization: Kirkus Reviews. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2014

Shares the most books with