Best Books of 2013
I made a goal at the beginning of the year to read 52 books, one a week. Now, after spending a year relishing in the worlds and imaginations of some truly brilliant authors, I’m one book and one week away. Huzzah! (I have a perhaps-crazy goal simmering for 2014, but that’s for next week’s blog…)
52 books seemed like a huge feat until I gained a little perspective. Mainly the fact that, in 2010, there were approximately 3.1 million** books published, that’s about 8 thousand books per day. And I imagine this number has grown over the last few years. That’s a lot of books. So, even though I read a mere drop from a humongous bucket (0.00002%), here are my favorite books of the year along with a link to my reviews:
1. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – A sweet, moving, and lighthearted read that had me laughing out loud with its subtle humor. Stellar writing, great characters, pretty much I can’t say enough good things about it.
2. Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu – Yes, I’m batching the full trilogy together, and yes, it’s seriously amazing. This is a YA Dystopian series that I enjoyed more than Hunger Games (no joke).
3. The Cuckoo’s Calling (Cormoran Strike #1) by Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling – A fast-paced murder mystery that takes place in London (*sigh* maybe my favorite city in the world) with a compelling, one-legged sleuth. Add the crisp and vivid writing reminiscent of Harry Potter and you’ve got a winner.
4. Front Page Fatality (A Headlines in High Heels Mystery #1) by LynDee Walker – My favorite part about this book was the sharp and witty voice of the main character, Nicey, and her shoe collection. The mystery was edgy and well-developed, keeping me guessing whodunit.
5. Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater – Deliciously angst-filled focusing on Ronan and his ability to take things from his dreams. Absolutely beautiful writing and, bonus, one of the sweetest, most heartbreaking kiss scenes I’ve ever read.
What were your favorite books of the year?
** Note: It was shockingly difficult to find publishing stats, but the numbers above are from Browker (this article), and the 3.1 million approximation includes new titles/new editions from the traditional sector (a projected total of 316,480) as well as books published from the non-traditional sector (projected total of 2,776,260).
What I’m reading: Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
What I’m listening to: Straight No Chaser – The 12 Days of Christmas (live)
I agree with you that The Rosie Project is my favorite book of the year. I downloaded The Cuckoos Calling but didn’t get to it yet but your review makes me want to pick it up next. I also liked where’d you go Bernadette but I think it might’ve been published in 2012.
Where’d You Go Bernadette is a fantastic book!! That was probably 6th on this list 🙂