I made lists of all my favorite 2014 releases, 2014 debuts and the best backlist books I read in 2014. But what about the best 2015 releases I’ve read so far? I will be talking about these all in greater detail later on in their own post but I wanted to spotlight the best 2015 books I read in 2014 and think you should ABSOLUTELY have on your TBR-list!
I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
Out February 3, 2015
WOW. Just wow. Listen, if you love contemporary and even if you only read it once in a while…you NEED this book on your list for 2015. It is pure perfection. One of the best books I’ve read in a while!!
What It Is About: Skylar has been planning her way out of her small town and the future that would await her if she stayed. She’s gotten into art school and has been working her minimum wage job as summer starts to ensure she gets there — until her mother loses her job and starts slipping back into some bad habits making her wonder if she’ll ever be able to leave her and head off to art school at all. At the beginning of her summer she’s reunited with Josh, a boy she used to work with who is back from Afghanistan after his leg gets blown off, and she encounters a different Josh than the one who has left and they find an unexpected friendship despite their differences.
I Was Here by Gayle Forman
Out January 27, 2015
Ah Gayle Forman. This was quintessential Gayle Forman in that she managed to do something so completely different than everything else she’s written but in that same signature Gayle Forman way — an overload of feels, brilliant and compelling writing and an emotional story that just hits ya hard. This one was heavy but oh so good!!
What It Is About: Meg and Cody were the ultimate bffs. And then the ultimate unthinkable devastation happens — Meg commits suicide and Cody is at a loss because her best friend is gone and she didn’t see it coming. When she goes to clean out Meg’s room at college, she meets her roommates and realizes that there was a lot Meg hadn’t been telling her when she was away for college — a boy who broke her heart and an encrypted computer file that makes her question Meg’s suicide.
The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski
Out March 3, 2015
You there! Have you read The Winner’s Curse? YOU SHOULD. Because it’s amazing and this is the sequel to that. A sequel that was amazingly, devastatingly, overwhelmingly fantastic and beautiful and soul-smashing and JUST SO PERFECT. See, it leaves me forming crazy run-on sentences because I CAN’T EVEN PUT WORDS TOGETHER.
What It Is About: Well, it’s the sequel to The Winner’s Curse and I don’t want to be too spoilery. JUST GO READ THAT ONE OKAY? Or read my review of The Winner’s Curse if you need more prodding! Beautiful writing! Great setting! Two amazing main characters! Political craziness!
Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Out April 7, 2015
This is one debut that should NOT be missed. It made my heart so happy. It was an utterly charming story that I couldn’t put down and Simon is a most endearing character! Definitely one of my new favorites!!!
What It Is About: Sixteen year old Simon is gay and hasn’t yet come out to anyone — until a classmate finds an email of his to Blue, a boy he likes and has been writing back and forth to anonymously from his school, and threatens to out him unless he helps him get a girl that Simon is friends with. Not wanting to screw up things with Blue or let someone else tell everyone that he’s gay, he goes along with it all while trying to navigate this growing relationship with Blue and shifting dynamics amongst his closest group of friends.
My Heart & Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
Out February 10, 2015
This one was also a great 2015 debut! Very heavy feeling but ultimately hopeful despite the intense sadness that pulses through this book.
What It’s About: The main character has spent much of her life plotting her suicide because she doesn’t want to end up like her father — a man who committed a violent crime that has made her a pariah amongst her peers. She realizes that she won’t carry it out on her own so she finds a website that helps you find a suicide partner which leads her to Roman — a boy so haunted by a tragedy in his family.
Have you read any of these/are they are on your radar?? Let me know if you added any to your TBR from my list!
Hana says
These books sound so interesting!
Jamie says
They all really are! Hope you check them out! 🙂
Amber @ YA Indulgences says
Oops…. I’m so sorry about that comment. I’d been typing my comments into a document and totally forgot to erase the previous one before typing yours…. You can delete that and I’ll re-post my comment here.
Ah, I’m so excited about I’ll Meet You There. Contemporary is my favorite genre so I obviously love it. I’m really interested in Skylar’s relationship with her mom and her home life. The friendship sounds sort of interesting too. 🙂
I’m going to be reading I Was Here and My Heart and Other Black Holes this week. I’m really excited for both of them. Especially the latter. I love compelling writing and an emotional story too.
I have not read The Winner’s Curse yet! i will though! I’m excited for the sequel.
Oh my gosh, Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda. I love that title. I’m so excited for this one as well, definitely in my top ten most anticipated, give it to me now, 2015 releases list. 🙂 It sounds great!
Ah, I can’t wait to read all of these!
Jamie says
Haha at first I was so confused! No worries! Deleted!
OMG you are going to love I’ll Meet You There!! There was just so much explored in it and not in a heavy handed way! And yeah, I love her and Josh’s relationship. Plus JOSH <3333
I'll be curious to what you think about both of them!!
Eeee go read Winner's Curse (look at me getting all bossy!)
And SIMON. I hope this one takes the book blogging world (and the book world beyond) by storm!
Alexia @ Adventures in Reading says
I really liked I’ll Meet You There. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did, so I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not shocked at all that you loved it. I am planning to read My Heart and Other Black Holes SOON, and actually I’m really excited about it again. I’ve already read several 2015 releases and I’m excited to talk all of them up in the months ahead.
Jamie says
Same here! I expected I would enjoy it but I didn’t expect it to quite affect me the way it did!!
Rebecca says
I’d heard good things about I’ll Meet You There, but wasn’t convinced, but after hearing you chat about it, I definitely want to give it a go! I love it when people who once knew each other come back into each others lives! Apart from The Winners Crime (I still haven’t read #1), all of these are on my list! Will be reading I Was Here v. soon and I have a feeling I’m a) going to love it and b) it is going to slay me.
Jamie says
YAY that makes me so happy!! they didn’t really KNOW each other besides from being co-workers and from the observations you make about people and their lifestyle choices so it’s really interesting when they actually start hanging out! I LOVED THEM.
Let me know what you think of all of these when you read them!!
Pili says
I’ve read The Winner’s Crime and I have to agree with you completely!! WHAT A BOOK!!
I have both I’ll Meet You There and Simon in my wish list for this year, so hopefully I’ll get to them, because I’m finding that I can enjoy some contemporaries and these sound right up my alley!
Jamie says
I’m STILL reeling from that book I feel. I’ll think about it randomly like OMG WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERS DOING RIGHT NOW I NEED TO KNOW.
I hope that you enjoy both of them! They are just SO SO good!
Anna says
Definitely going to add “I’ll Meet You There” and “My Heart and Other Black Holes” and I kinda want to read “A Winner’s Curse” and the sequel sometime this year!!! 🙂
Jamie says
YAY! That makes me so happy! And you definitely should…if you time it right you won’t have to wait too much time before Crime comes out! But then you can feel the OMG I NEED BOOK 3 feeling I have which is exciting but also I’m in constant worry for these characters!!
Katie says
I lent I’LL MEET YOU THERE to a friend and she had the EXACT same reaction I did which was that she immediately went back to the beginning to read it all over again because it is just. that. good.
All the others on your list sound A++ and I can’t wait to read them! (ps reading THE WINNER’S CURSE right now. If I were on my phone, this would be accompanied by the streaming tears emoji, fyi)
Jamie says
YESSS that makes me so happy. I just cannot WAIT to have a copy of it for myself.
OOOOH TEXT ME YOUR FEELS (even though I am the LITERAL worst at texting as you know. I am trying to resolve to be better in 2015 soooo ya know)
Dahlia Adler says
Have read two so far, am reading I’LL MEET YOU THERE this weekend, and definitely plan to read the other two! (Well, I still have to read A WINNER’S CURSE, but I was told if I loved THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT – which I did – I should try A WINNER’S CURSE next, so, good feeling about that series.) Excellent choices!
Jamie says
OOOH DAHLIA I NEED TO KNOW YOUR FEELINGS WHEN YOU READ I’ll Meet You There!!! Oooh that makes me more excited about The Girl At Midnight if you say that!
Sana // artsy musings of a bibliophile says
I just started reading Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda and it’s SO good!
Definitely reading I Was Here and I’ll Meet You there (haha that rhymed!)
Gaaah, I want to read The Winner’s Crime. Maybe I’ll binge read them both when The Winner’s Curse comes out. Solid plan, right?!
Jamie says
I am so happy you are falling in love with it too!! And YES I think a binge read is smart because you will WANT book two with how Winner’s Curse ends!
Sana // artsy musings of a bibliophile says
I just started reading Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and it’s SO good!
Definitely reading I Was Here and I’ll Meet You there (haha that rhymed!)
Gaaah, I want to read The Winner’s Crime. Maybe I’ll binge read them both when The Winner’s Curse comes out. Solid plan, right?!
Katie says
Most of these have been on my list for awhile! Can’t wait for the releases, and it’s nice to see you enjoyed them.
Jamie says
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!!
Nadia says
I LOVED SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA SO MUCH!! I can’t wait until it comes out to push it into everyone’s faces.
Jamie says
YESSSSSS we shall make sure everyone reads this glorious book!!
Alexandra says
I can’t wait to read the new Gayle Forman!
Jamie says
It’s so good!! I hope you enjoy it too! Definitely different than IIS/WSW and the JOD/JOY books but excellent!
Cayce says
Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda!!! Yesss, loved that book so, so much. Will definitely buy it when it comes out~
Jamie says
Yes same!! I need it on my shelf! We have from now until it’s released to make everyone go out and buy it that day 😛
Christina says
Have you read All the Bright Places? So amazing! Looks like it would pair well with I Was Here and My Heart and other Black Holes. I just requested those two at the library. Thanks!
Jamie says
No I haven’t but I’ve been hearing AMAZING things! I need to get my hands on this one then!
Natalie says
Most of these sound like they’ll make me cry, which is exactly why I want to read them so badly (is that slightly masochistic? I think that’s slightly masochistic). They all sound so interesting! Guess I better get saving some money.
Jamie says
HAHAHHA this is me. I typically seek out books that will destroy me. We are definitely one in the same there! 🙂
Samantha @ Bookish Serendipity says
Oh, these all look great! I’ve already read and loved The Winner’s Curse, and I’m super excited to read I Was Here and I’ll Meet You There. They look awesome and I love Gayle Forman.
Jamie says
SAME. Gayle Forman is my queeeeeen. 🙂
Kristilyn (Reading In Winter) says
I’ve already preordered the Gayle Forman! I like the idea of the Heather Demetrios, but only liked her last book … I might still have to give it a go since it sounds so interesting!
Jamie says
Did you read her debut? Lots of people seem to love that one (I own it but haven’t read yet) and heard that her latest was only okay. Maybe you’ll have better luck with this one?? I’m telling you. I don’t hand out 5 stars a lot on Goodreads but that one is getting it!
Betty Louise says
I was very interested in your top books of 2014. I did a list of best books. The one I like the best wasA GOOD YEAR FOR THE ROSES by Gil McNeil
http://idahobluebird50.wordpress.com
Jamie says
Never heard of it! Will have to check it out!
Rachael @ Rachael Turns Pages says
Excited for I Was Here. I need to read Just One Day and Just One Year also.
Jamie says
AH yes you do!! Just One Day was one of those books that changed my life — read it at the right time when I needed to hear it.
Kayla @ The Thousand Lives says
I won a preorder for I’ll Meet You There, and honestly I’m getting more and more excited as the release date gets closer! I’m even reading Something Real before then, just so I can read her books in publication order 😀 And OF COURSE I’ll be reading The Winner’s Crime! I can’t wait!
I think I’ll be skipping My Heart and Other Black Holes… I’ve found that books about suicide – while I love them – can be pretty triggering for me. It took me a while to figure that out, but now I know to be extra careful! So I’ll just stare at the pretty cover and read all the reviews instead ^_^
Jamie says
EEEE that is so exciting!! I want to pre-order but I also want to see if she’ll be signing around here so I can buy it at one of my indies. Either way IT IS MINE. I need to read Something Real too! I’m excited especially after this one!
I think it’s smart to know your limits! Better to be safe! <3 And while it is a great book, I'm not going to say it's amazing enough to jeopardize that!
Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books says
I just read I’ll Meet You There today actually and it was amazing!! I loved it so much. The Winner’s Crime broke my heart, I need book #3!! I plan on starting My Heart and Other Black Holes soon, glad to see you liked it. 🙂 Simon sounds so good!! I’m glad you enjoyed these, I’ll have to read those other three soon 🙂
Jessie Marie Reads says
Well just toss my previous TBR out the window, why don’t ya? But that’s okay. I’m not mad at it.
My Heart & Other Black Holes sounds like just the exact book I need in my life. And The Winner’s Crime (well… I should probably read the first book, yeah?). And everything else you have here. I’m not normally a contemporary reader (though I do love a good hard hitting real life story) but I want these stories in my life… now. So, thank you. : )