Well, for the 4th (or is it 5th?) year in a row, I have not met my goal of reading 100 books. At least I did much better than last year though, which you can read about in my 2012 wrap up post. I have excuses though, and many of them. Let’s see… I got married, went on an amazing honeymoon, moved into our first house, continued to lose weight, trained for and ran my first half-marathon, welcomed my first nephew into the world, had a whirlwind trip to NYC when Jer and I were invited to the Rachael Ray show, AND finished my MLS degree… yes, I’d say I had pretty good reasons not to have met my goal! No matter, I’ll STILL shoot for 100 again next year. This year, I managed to read 56 books. Not too shabby, all things considered. Below are my top ten favorite reads of 2013 (in the order I read them):
Top Ten Favorite Books of 2013
Diners, Dives and Dead Ends by Terri Austin – an awesome start to a cozy mystery series that is funny and witty with fantastic writing!
Wonder by R.J. Palacio - EVERYONE, children and adults alike, should read this touching, inspiring, and beautiful novel of Auggie, a 5th grader born with a severe facial deformity.
Butter by Erin Jade Lange – a fascinating YA novel about an obese teen who claims he will eat himself to death on camera. This book packed a punch and was incredibly thought provoking and touching.
A State of Jane by Meredith Schorr – the epitome of perfect chick-lit with an endearing and imperfect heroine. This is my favorite of Schorr’s works so far, and I would definitely consider her a favorite author!
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell – a beautiful YA novel of first love, misfits, and rooting for the underdogs.
The After Girls by Leah Konen – an absolutely incredible YA novel of teen suicide that chilled me to the bone, gave me goosebumps, and occupied my thoughts for days.
Hollywood Strip by Shamron Moore – this book was pretty shallow, but I LOVED it. It was a scandalous thrill ride about making it in Hollywood and was a total blast!
Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr – why yes, this is the second Schorr book on my list of favorite reads this year! I guess I just love me some good chick lit, and Schorr’s is amazing! If you’re a blogger, you NEED to read this one!
Another Saturday Night and I Ain’t Got No Body by Jennie Marts – the first in a new hilarious cozy mystery series, I loved this relatable story about a dog-loving, book-reading introvert (sound like someone you know?) solving a crime with her funny book club friends.
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey – holy crap, this YA dystopian thriller about an alien invasion had me on the edge of my seat. I need the sequel and NOW!
Honorable Mentions
… and some honorable mentions. I really enjoyed these books as well and highly recommend them:
OCD, The Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn – a hilarious and witty YA read about a misfit girl.
The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane by Kelly Harms – a delightful story about a lottery mix-up with a whole lot of heart and friendship.
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion – a clever and unique take on the zombie tale, I really enjoyed this heartfelt story of zombie love.
Have you read any of these books? What were your favorite reads of the year? I’ll be blogging soon on my personal reflections of the year as well as my goals for 2014. Happy New Year, all!
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