After mulling it over and thinking about my favorite reads from 2013,
I've composed a little 'best of' list for you.
Note that most of the books I read last year were of the Young Adult genre,
this year I'm pushing myself to branch out into Adult and Nonfiction writings more.
Also, these are in no particular order.
Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynn
Gone Girl was one of those books that I'd heard the name of many times before I actually picked up the book. I eventually checked it out of the library on the recommendation of the hubs, who raved about it. And being that he's not a huge fan of fiction writings, I decided to give a go and see what the fuss was about. Let me tell you, this book is quite twisted and most definitely falls into the thriller category. But it is a really great read. Most of the people I know that have read it, loved it. But there are a few that majorly disliked it. I'm definitely interested in reading more of Flynn's books.
Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo
Siege and Storm
by Leigh Bardugo
These two books I'll count as one.
They are both part of The Grisha trilogy. And for Shadow and Bone being Bardugo's debut novel, these are written amazingly well. As a matter fact of fact these books were two of the only three books that I gave 5 stars on Goodreads in 2013. I read each of these in very limited sittings and was totally enthralled the whole time. The pull of dark and light, and the fight between doing what's right and what feels good are major components to this story. Plus there's the (almost) always present in YA literature addition of a love triangle, where the choice between the good boy and the bad boy is ever so hard to make. Honestly, I have yet to make my choice between Mal and the Darkling as well. Another thing is that this story doesn't really have the feeling of being "done" already that many YA books have. The premise is pretty original and holds its own. I am eagerly awaiting the June release of the third installment, Ruin and Rising.
Under the Dome
by Stephen King
I came across this book while reading an article that was highlighting books that were being turned into television shows or movies. After reading the premise and having enjoyed the previous works of King's that I've read, I knew that I had to get my hands on it. Boy was I in for a surprise when I picked up my hold from the library and this 1,074 page behemoth was in it. This book starts off with a (pretty literal) bang and keeps going all the way through. It definitely gets weird, and sick, and twisted, and just down right gross at parts, but hey, it's Stephen King, what do you really expect?! What made this a top pick for me was how it kept me engaged consistently, all the way through. So much so, that I read it in about a week's time. That's saying something for a 1,000 page book.
Also, if you've watched the tv show, it is WAY different than the book. I know that this happens all the time with book to show/movie adaptations, and it's something that I really don't mind that much but seriously other than the dome and a few characters, these are SO far apart.
So, if you've seen the show and want to read the book based on that, expect something way more grotesque. ;)
Vampire Academy
by Richelle Mead
This is another series that I'll count as one, although I won't list each one of them, since there are six books altogether. I absolutely adored this series. When I first started I was very skeptical because of a few things. The cover, the title, and the fact that it was yet another vampire series. Pleasantly surprised was what I was when I just wanted to keep reading and acquiring the next in the series. I read these in about a month and that was with waiting for holds at the library and taking a week after the first book to read Under the Dome. I also wrote a review post here, that is a bit more in depth than what I'm writing now. If you love fun, action packed, romance filled, supernatural YA books with kick ass females as the protagonist, this series is probably one you'd enjoy.
Also, the movie adaptation looks to be cheese filled, but given that seeing YA books turned into movies is one of my "things" (no matter how bad), I'll be headed to theater sometime next month to check it out.
The 5th Wave
by Rick Yancey
I picked this up on a whim while perusing at the library. After reading the opening to the synopsis on the book jacket, I was hooked. "After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one." I am a big fan of anything "alien", and this book is definitely up there in the ranks. The main protagonist, Cassie, is bad ass, yet vulnerable. The book is going through several stories that eventually meet up. There is raw sadness, mixed with action, and the hope of something beyond the sadness and despair of the current world woven through out the story. This is one of those books that, although I'm so happy that I read it, I feel like I read it too early in the game, since the second installment isn't expected to release until September, with the third trailing behind in August 2015. It will be getting reread twice more for sure. ;)
What are your favorite reads of 2013?
Note that most of the books I read last year were of the Young Adult genre,
this year I'm pushing myself to branch out into Adult and Nonfiction writings more.
Also, these are in no particular order.
by Gillian Flynn
Gone Girl was one of those books that I'd heard the name of many times before I actually picked up the book. I eventually checked it out of the library on the recommendation of the hubs, who raved about it. And being that he's not a huge fan of fiction writings, I decided to give a go and see what the fuss was about. Let me tell you, this book is quite twisted and most definitely falls into the thriller category. But it is a really great read. Most of the people I know that have read it, loved it. But there are a few that majorly disliked it. I'm definitely interested in reading more of Flynn's books.
by Leigh Bardugo
by Leigh Bardugo
These two books I'll count as one.
They are both part of The Grisha trilogy. And for Shadow and Bone being Bardugo's debut novel, these are written amazingly well. As a matter fact of fact these books were two of the only three books that I gave 5 stars on Goodreads in 2013. I read each of these in very limited sittings and was totally enthralled the whole time. The pull of dark and light, and the fight between doing what's right and what feels good are major components to this story. Plus there's the (almost) always present in YA literature addition of a love triangle, where the choice between the good boy and the bad boy is ever so hard to make. Honestly, I have yet to make my choice between Mal and the Darkling as well. Another thing is that this story doesn't really have the feeling of being "done" already that many YA books have. The premise is pretty original and holds its own. I am eagerly awaiting the June release of the third installment, Ruin and Rising.
by Stephen King
I came across this book while reading an article that was highlighting books that were being turned into television shows or movies. After reading the premise and having enjoyed the previous works of King's that I've read, I knew that I had to get my hands on it. Boy was I in for a surprise when I picked up my hold from the library and this 1,074 page behemoth was in it. This book starts off with a (pretty literal) bang and keeps going all the way through. It definitely gets weird, and sick, and twisted, and just down right gross at parts, but hey, it's Stephen King, what do you really expect?! What made this a top pick for me was how it kept me engaged consistently, all the way through. So much so, that I read it in about a week's time. That's saying something for a 1,000 page book.
Also, if you've watched the tv show, it is WAY different than the book. I know that this happens all the time with book to show/movie adaptations, and it's something that I really don't mind that much but seriously other than the dome and a few characters, these are SO far apart.
So, if you've seen the show and want to read the book based on that, expect something way more grotesque. ;)
by Richelle Mead
This is another series that I'll count as one, although I won't list each one of them, since there are six books altogether. I absolutely adored this series. When I first started I was very skeptical because of a few things. The cover, the title, and the fact that it was yet another vampire series. Pleasantly surprised was what I was when I just wanted to keep reading and acquiring the next in the series. I read these in about a month and that was with waiting for holds at the library and taking a week after the first book to read Under the Dome. I also wrote a review post here, that is a bit more in depth than what I'm writing now. If you love fun, action packed, romance filled, supernatural YA books with kick ass females as the protagonist, this series is probably one you'd enjoy.
Also, the movie adaptation looks to be cheese filled, but given that seeing YA books turned into movies is one of my "things" (no matter how bad), I'll be headed to theater sometime next month to check it out.
by Rick Yancey
I picked this up on a whim while perusing at the library. After reading the opening to the synopsis on the book jacket, I was hooked. "After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one." I am a big fan of anything "alien", and this book is definitely up there in the ranks. The main protagonist, Cassie, is bad ass, yet vulnerable. The book is going through several stories that eventually meet up. There is raw sadness, mixed with action, and the hope of something beyond the sadness and despair of the current world woven through out the story. This is one of those books that, although I'm so happy that I read it, I feel like I read it too early in the game, since the second installment isn't expected to release until September, with the third trailing behind in August 2015. It will be getting reread twice more for sure. ;)
What are your favorite reads of 2013?
Gone Girl was one of my best reads of 2013. I'd also add:
ReplyDelete1. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
2. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
3. Arcadia by Lauren Groff
4. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in A Mumbai Under city by Katherine Boo
5. The Food Police: A Well Fed Manifesto About the Politics of Your Plate by Jason Lusk.
6. Why Evolution is True by Jerry Coyne
7. The Swedish Atheist, The Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails by Randal Rauser
8. Reading the Old Testament by John Barton
Good year for nonfiction, not so much for fiction.
-B