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BOOKS
Tennessee Williams

10 books we loved reading in 2014

Compiled by Jocelyn McClurg
USA TODAY
Our favorite books this year.

USA TODAY's book critics were dazzled by these titles:

1. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (Putnam, fiction)

Helicopter parenting, Aussie-style, is the launching pad for Moriarty's funny, sharp tale of three women friends and their suburban struggles. And watch for the biggest OMG plot twist of the year.

2. Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh by John Lahr (W.W. Norton, non-fiction)

This witty, moving, ferociously intelligent study of the great, troubled playwright's personal and creative paths, and how they intersected, is essential reading for any theater fan.

3. Some Luck by Jane Smiley (Knopf, fiction)

The first installment of an ambitious trilogy covering 100 years of an Iowa farm family from 1920 to 2020 is a remarkable achievement all by itself. A rich and massively entertaining read.

4. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (Riverhead, fiction)

Imagine Downton Abbey after the money's gone, throw in a pair of lesbian lovers and a sensational 1920s murder trial, and you've got British historical fiction that slow-burns its way into a page-turning sizzler.

5. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (Scribner, fiction)

Revival is the 2014 Stephen King novel that will grab all the attention and accolades, but the author's take on the detective genre is a modern noir masterpiece.

6. Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart by Carol Wall (Amy Einhorn/Putnam, non-fiction)

No green thumb is required to enjoy the pleasures of this heartfelt memoir about a Virginia woman's transformative friendship with her Kenyan gardener.

7. In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides (Doubleday, non-fiction)

Sides, an accomplished teller of true and, yes, "terrible" tales, reclaims this long-lost adventure — the story of George DeLong and his doomed quest to conquer the planet's polar reaches — for our present-day wonder and appreciation.

8. Lila by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, fiction)

Robinson beautifully explores the relationship between Lila, a lonely, tough character who has endured suffering and abandonment, and the man she gradually comes to trust and accept. A powerful conclusion to the author's "Gilead" trilogy.

9. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (Little, Brown, fiction)

J.K. Rowling's magic touch continues even when she calls herself Robert Galbraith. Our second visit (after The Cuckoo's Calling) with private eye Cormoran Strike and assistant Robin Ellacott deepens our affection for them, just in time for the BBC adaptation.

10. Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism by Ron Suskind (Kingswell, non-fiction)

When a seemingly perfect child regresses into serious autism and then, over many tormenting years, finds his own way out through Disney's remarkable animated movies, isn't it something of a miracle?

Contributing: Jocelyn McClurg, Elysa Gardner, Kevin Nance, Brian Truitt, Patty Rhule, Gene Seymour, Carmela Ciuraru, Charles Finch

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