My Top 5 Books of 2013

I love end of year posts - how people did on their goals, a reflection on the year as a whole, big events. But there's a special level of excitement that I save for posts about the best books of the year! I have end-of-year posts to thank for many of the wonderful books I read early this year. And of course I want to throw my opinions out there too, so here are my top five books for the year, in no particular order:
And a slight clarification before we jump in - these are my favorite books that I read in 2013, not books published in 2013. 

If I Stay by Gayle Forman - Heart-wrenching, but so good. Mia and her family are in a terrible accident one snowy morning, and Mia finds herself transported out of her body, watching the aftermath. She figures out that she has to decide if she wants to stay or die before she'll return to her body. This is not a plot-driven story by any means. It's all about the characters - who they are, who they were, what part they played in Mia's life. This is one of those books that leaves you feeling bereft afterwards because you're leaving characters that feel like real people behind.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy - I'm smiling just thinking back on this book. The humor is so dry and the dialogue is super snappy - and that makes me laugh even harder. It's about Stephanie, whose Uncle Gordon has recently died, and Skulduggery (one of Gordon's best friends), and their quest to find who is behind Gordon's death. If you have the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, do it! 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth WeinIt's a book about two friends, Julie and Maddie, who are working for the British military during WWII. What I loved most about this book was how it made me feel like I knew the characters. It starts off slow, but once you're really invested in the story and in love with the characters, the plot picks up as well. I can't recommend this book enough - you should read it!

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud - Loved this book! It's a fantasy story about magicians who use various demons to do their bidding. It begins with Bartimaeus (a demon) being summoned to steal the Amulet of Samarkand and that's when the action starts. Plus I have a soft spot for sarcastic narrators, so Bartimaeus and I were meant to be. My full review is here.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - Laura sure knows how to make biographies enjoyable :) This one is the story of Louis Zamperini, with the main focus on his unique experiences during WWII. This is an amazing book. I loved it so much that my husband listened to the audiobook to understand what I'd been raving about (he also gave it two thumbs up!). My full review is here.

If you're looking for more, here are my top 5 books from 2012, RA's top 12 from 2012, Jessica's top 10 for 2013, and Janssen's top 10 for 2012

Do you often read books? What were your favorites this year?

Comments

  1. I love book round-ups too! It is fascinating how different everyone's reading tastes are. I like how your books are distinctive and not the latest bestsellers.

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    1. It is interesting! I usually find at least one book that I'm interested in reading on everyone's list.

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  2. Oh, yes, Unbroken and Code Name Verity! Both on my top books in past years. :) I'm still figuring out my list for this year because I had 2 late-breakers this week! 2013 was a GREAT year for reading.

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  3. I FINALLY started Code Name Verity today, and I'm going to make it through this time! Unbroken is on my list, too, and I had an old boss who would not shut up about Skullduggery - I should probably read that one, too. Great list! Happy New (Reading) Year!

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    1. Code Name Verity is slow going at first - I struggled with that too. I hope you enjoy Unbroken and Skulduggery when you get to them :)

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  4. Oh - the Skulduggery Pleasant series was one of the most highly borrowed series in the Library I worked in last year! I kept meaning to borrow it. I like your review, it sounds really enjoyable! Love reading book roundups at the end of the year...!

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    1. I can see why it would be so popular! I was glad to find out Skulduggery's a series so I can read more with those same characters :)

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