I kept hovering around my computer Monday morning, because on Monday the Whitney committee announced the 2014 Whitney finalists. I was eager to see which books I’d be binging on for the next three months. And here they are! I’ve only read two this year, so I’ve got to get cracking. A few notes before I post the list:

-As Andrew Hall noted in the comments of his post at Dawning of a Brighter Day, there are nine self-published books, and only nine by traditional LDS publishers (Deseret Book, Covenant, Cedar Fort). That is down from 19 in 2013.

-Anyone who wants to follow along with the Whitneys should note that you can buy some of them fairly inexpensively on Amazon–I have already bought a couple of $3 self-published books, for instance. I will make notes as I go of any books you can get for $5 or less (as of Wednesday, when I finished the list). I will add that I do believe in paying full price for excellent traditionally published books (anyone who has seen my overflowing shelves will know this. I don’t really have a shoe collection, but I do have a book collection). Go out and pay full price for Wedding Cake or Words of Radiance–you are unlikely to be disappointed. But also, it’s nice to have unfamiliar indie authors be at a lower price point so you can check them out without breaking your budget.

-I’ve only read two of these books. That’s the lowest number ever since I first became involved with the Whitneys. The field of great LDS authors is widening, and it’s no longer as easy to predict who will be in the finals. This is good for readers but makes life harder for people who try to read ahead.

-Whitney winners will be announced at the Whitney Awards Banquet, May 16th, which comes after the LDS Storymakers conference.

-Speaking of Storymakers, I’m going this year! I haven’t been able to for a while, due to having a baby/being pregnant/the date of Storymakers coinciding with major child things like my son’s eighth birthday. But this year there are no conflicts, so I am going and I’m really excited about it. If you go, come say hi! And if you haven’t signed up yet but would like to, you have two days left to take advantage of this promotion: if you sign up you get to attend a cool Pastries and Publishing event with some authors: J. Scott Savage (HarperCollins/Shadow Mountain), Kathryn Purdie (HarperCollins), Courtney Alameda (Macmillan), Traci Abramson (Covenant), Adam Sidwell (Indie/Future House Publishing) Jennifer Nielsen (New York Times bestseller of the Ascendance trilogy) and Heather Moore (USA Today bestseller of FINDING SHEBA.).

-As in past years, the Segullah staff has divided up the categories so we can have more voices and more discussion when choosing our favorites. This year, Shelah and I are reading them all, Rosalyn is reading YA and YA Speculative, Sharlee is reading Middle Grade, Linda (check out her great post from today) will be reading Mystery/Suspense, Ashley will read Historical, and Sandra will take the Speculative finalists. I will also focus on the General category. In the next few weeks we’ll post an interview with Annette Lyon, this year’s Whitney president, give brief reviews of each category, and choose our favorites. It’s a lot of reading but we are looking forward to it–I love discovering new authors every year.

And the 2014 Finalists are:

GENERAL FICTION
A Plentiful Rain, by Elizabeth Petty Bentley ($2.99 ebook)
My Name Is Bryan, by Stacy Lynn Carroll ($4.99 ebook)
Still Time, by Maria Hoagland ($2.99 ebook)
The Law of Moses, by Amy Harmon ($4.95 ebook)
Walking on Water, by Richard Paul Evans

HISTORICAL
An Ocean Atween Us, by Angela Morrison ($3.25 ebook)
Deadly Alliance, by A. L. Sowards
Eve: In the Beginning, by H. B. Moore ($3.99 ebook)
Gone for a Soldier, by Marsha Ward ($4.99 ebook)
Softly Falling, by Carla Kelly ($3.99 ebook)

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE
Blood on the Water, by Anne Perry
Death on Black Heath, by Anne Perry
Drop Zone, by Traci Hunter Abramson
Tomorrow We Spy, by Jordan McCollum ($4.99 ebook)
Wedding Cake, by Josi S. Kilpack

ROMANCE
Becoming Lady Lockwood, by Jennifer Moore
Lady Emma’s Campaign, by Jennifer Moore
Longing for Home: Hope Springs, by Sarah M. Eden
Painting Kisses, by Melanie Jacobson
Spy by Night, by Jordan McCollum ($.99 ebook)

SPECULATIVE FICTION
Nameless: The Darkness Comes, by Mercedes M. Yardley ($2.99 ebook)
Pretty Little Dead Girls, by Mercedes M. Yardley ($3.99 ebook)
The Accidental Apprentice, by Anika Arrington ($4.99 ebook)
This Darkness Light, by Michaelbrent Collings ($3.99 ebook)
Words of Radiance, by Brandon Sanderson

GENERAL YOUTH
Death Coming up the Hill, by Chris Crowe
Forbidden, by Kimberley Griffiths Little
Kiss Kill Vanish, by Jessica Martinez
Not in the Script, by Amy Finnegan
On the Fence, by Kasie West

SPECULATIVE YOUTH
Cured, by Bethany Wiggins
Dangerous, by Shannon Hale
Illusions of Fate, by Kiersten White
Remake, by Ilima Todd
The Glass Magician, by Charlie N. Holmberg ($4.99 ebook)

MIDDLE GRADE
Almost Super, by Marion Jensen
Forbidden Flats, by Peggy Eddleman
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place</em>, by Julie Berry
The Shadow Throne, by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Time of the Fireflies, by Kimberley Griffiths Little

BEST NOVEL BY A NEW AUTHOR
Nameless: The Darkness Comes, by Mercedes M. Yardley
Not in the Script, by Amy Finnegan
Remake, by Ilima Todd
The Accidental Apprentice, by Anika Arrington
Becoming Lady Lockwood, by Jennifer Moore