Lao Sheng By: Jia Pingwa Publisher: People's Literature Publishing House Year published: 2014 Pages: 295 Price: 36 yuan ($5.86) Photo provided to China Daily

Some old names have come out with new titles this year. Jia Pingwa published his novel Lao Sheng, which literally translates as Old Man, after the 62-year-old's novel Dai Deng, literally translated as To Bring a Light, hit bookshelves last year.

And 103-year-old Yang Jiang's After Baptism－the sequel to her 1988 novel Baptism about Chinese intellectuals' "ideological reform" after New China's founding－exceeded expectations.China Daily asked authors, critics, editors and scholars to suggest the best books of 2014.