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The Observer

The Observer Best Books of the Year 2014

The Observer Best Books of the Year 2014 names 61 books across 8 categories. 17 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Biography

  1. Behind the Mask by Matthew Dennisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Havel by Michael Zantovskysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Napoleon the Great by Andrew Robertssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Shackleton by Michael Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Churchill Factor by Boris Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Red Earl by Selina Hastingssource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Victoria: A Life by AN Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Some Luck by Jane Smileysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafaksource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchellsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Children Act by Ian McEwansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burtonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waterssource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Taxidermist's Daughter by Kate Mossesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Zone of Interest by Martin Amissource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Us by David Nichollssource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Novels

  1. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chastsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Even More Bad Parenting Advice by Guy Delislesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Fatherland by Nina Bunjevacsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Grandville Noel by Bryan Talbotsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Just So Happens by Fumio Obatasource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Legends of the Tour by Jan Cleijnesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Over Easy by Mimi Pondsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clarkesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Polina by Bastien Vivèssource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Probably Nothing by Matilda Tristramsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Rembrandt by Typexsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Sugar Skull by Charles Burnssource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Paper Doll's House of Miss Sarah Elizabeth Birdsall Otis, aged Twelve by Eric Bomansource (opens in a new tab)
  14. WWI by Jacques Tardisource (opens in a new tab)

History

  1. A People's History of the French Revolution by Eric Hazansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Empire's Crossroads: A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day by Carrie Gibsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. God's Traitors: Terror & Faith in Elizabethan England by Jessie Childssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. National Service: Conscription in Britain 1945-1963 by Richard Vinensource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Partisan Diary: A Woman's Life in the Italian Resistance by Ada Gobettisource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Secret World: Behind the Curtain of British Intelligence in World War II and the Cold War by Hugh Trevor-Ropersource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War by Tim Butchersource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Zeppelin Nights: London in the First World War by Jerry Whitesource (opens in a new tab)

Psychology

  1. Becoming Freud by Adam Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawandesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Looking Through Freud's Photos by Michael Molnarsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stosselsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Last Asylum by Barbara Taylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Story of Pain: From Prayer to Painkillers by Joanna Bourkesource (opens in a new tab)

Science

  1. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Hararisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Innovators by Walter Isaacsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbertsource (opens in a new tab)

Sport

  1. Chase Your Shadow by John Carlinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. KP by Kevin Pietersensource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Lanterne Rouge by Max Leonardsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Night Games by Anna Kriensource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Race Against the Stasi by Herbie Sykessource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Second Half by Roy Keanesource (opens in a new tab)

Thrillers

  1. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukessource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilarysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Blacksource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Farm by Tom Rob Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannahsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Secret Place by Tana Frenchsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Three by Sarah Lotzsource (opens in a new tab)

About the The Observer Best Books of the Year

The Observer's own critics' year-end book lists: one essay per critic and section (Fiction, Biography, History, Science, Psychology, Poetry, Graphic Novels, Thrillers, Sport, Memoir). 2025 uses the paper's own sections (Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Graphic Novels) and comes from observer.co.uk, after the Tortoise Media sale; earlier years are Observer-branded pieces on theguardian.com. Years with no list: in 2006, 2008-2011, 2018, 2020 and 2022 the Observer ran only writers' and public figures' picks columns, gift guides or joint Guardian lists, all left out. Also left out: writers' picks columns in every year, the 2011 Books for giving gift guide, the 2008 year-end review round-ups, art, architecture, photography, food and children's lists, and 'One for my stocking' wish-list items. Most pieces are essays; titles set in bold are counted as the critic's picks. Bold titles with no author named on the page are left out: the Wildlife Photographer of the Year books (2012, 2014), This Is Pollock/Warhol/Dali and the Moomin editions (2014), the Drawn & Quarterly 25-year anthology (2015) and The Author's XI (2013). All pages were read through Wayback Machine copies, since theguardian.com and observer.co.uk block AI agents in robots.txt. No list is ranked.

Organization: The Observer. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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