I saw this floating around Youtube lately and I haven't seen anything like this before this year, so I thought why not. I was able to read 101 books in 2013.. so it was a bit difficult to narrow down my favorite 13 because I did not read a lot of books that I did not like (though.. some school assigned readings were painful to get through). Anyways, I thought that this could be a way to recommend some of my favorite books that I read this year to you all. :)
13. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
I decided to pick this up after hearing
Kat's recommendations about it. I love Schwab's writing style. It is really intriguing and the world building is great. It is a lovely little stand alone novel!
12. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Another great stand alone novel that is a mix about history and technology and just about books and reading. The protagonist is awesome and really easy to follow. It is just an overall really enjoyable read about the past and present in a way that involves reading.
11. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
This book has been around for a long time and I never got around to reading it until this year. I decided to pick it up after seeing the movie and really enjoying it. It is different from the movie, and I loved the movie version, but this book is much more disturbing in terms of content. The relationship that Ender has with his brother for example is much more intensely explored in the novel and his brother is absolutely terrifying and I found that the violence level was a lot higher. It was wonderful read and I really enjoyed it even at moments that made me cringe, because I really loved Ender as a character so much. You just can't help feeling empathetic towards him.
10. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
This was an amazing conclusion to a trilogy I really loved. I was really worried about how she was going to end it, considering the major love triangle that is the basis of the entire story, but she ended it in such a unique and satisfying way. Oh, it hit me right in the feels. If you haven't read this series yet, check it out because like most girls who have read it, you will love and adore Will Herondale.
9. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
I finally got around to reading the Percy Jackson series this year and omg they are amazing. I loved them so much. Percy as a protagonist is amazing. I had a tough time deciding which one of the series was my favorite, but I have to say this one. What amazing character development for Percy and continuity in this series. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to reading the spinoff series this year!
8. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling)
I feel like this was one of the most raved about books of this year. It was a release by JK Rowling under a pseudonym and I will be honest I did not finish her other book.. simply because I could not get into it. But this.. this was so addictive from the first few pages. The characters are amazing and really relatable and the story was so interesting and intriguing I just kept reading and reading and did not want to put it down. Rowling does mystery crime novels really well.. and I am really excited to see what else is to come in this series.
7. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
I had to read this for my narrative class and it was just an amazing read. It is a boarding school book and just the story was so enthralling from the beginning pages. I really loved the character of Finny so much. The story and the intricacies of it was just amazing. I really recommend this.
6. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
This was such a delight seriously. It is about a girl named Cath and she enters her first year of university with her twin sister Wren. Cath writes fanfiction and is an introvert whereas Wren wants to explore a bit more. I loved Cath as a character so much. This book was super relatable. All the characters were lovable. It just hit close to home. I also got to go to my first book signing and meet Rainbow this year and it was just an amazing experience.
5. Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets to the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
I cannot even begin to describe this book. It is a book about friendship, to say the least. It was such a delight and I walked into it not knowing what to expect. Trust me when I say that this book was truly a treat. It was so lovely.. so emotional. Just.. ah! Go and read it. NOW.
4. Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
I read this book shortly after my trip to Paris and omg.. It made me super nostalgic. It was a lovely, romantic read. Etienne is just omg. I loved him as a character so much. This book just made me gush so much. Perkins is an amazing author that builds wholesome characters that you really love and care about. I read her other novel this year too and really loved it too and I am so excited for 2014 to read the final book.
3. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
I had read this after the book signing and it was seriously a one sitting read. It was so lovely. I loved how rich the relationship was between Eleanor and Park. I loved how realistic it all was. It was a great book and super emotional. I definitely recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Rowell's already.
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
THIS BOOK. I have heard so many good things about it forever. And I am so glad that I finally read it. It was just amazing. The way it was written.. the structure, the language, the words. ALL of it was just amazing. GO read it immediately.
1. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
So here we are, at my favorite book of the entire year. It was this short novel by Neil Gaiman. It was just amazing. It had fairytale and fantasy elements and just made me super nostalgic. It was a lovely book and one that you can easily devour in one sitting. I really recommend this especially if you haven't read Gaiman before, let this be your first experience. You will not regret it. I loved this book so much. It was incredibly magical and I already reread it.
Well that is it folks. Tell me what your top books of 2013 were. I would love to know! Happy reading. x
