The Boy with a Hat asked, “How many books have you read this year?” and it got me thinking…
My number is 36 and a half. The half is Anna Karenina, probably my only title that (my son-in-law) would classify as Literature, and I started it almost a year ago…
As I read my own list, I can see that this is a strange mix of titles, and feel like I need to explain myself, somewhat…
1. Many of these titles were have-to-reads–choices of the book discussion group, of which I am a moderator. I was pleasantly surprised to find some of my best reads in this category (Short Nights of the Shadowcatcher, Cleopatra, Unbroken, Crooked Letter Crooked Letter, Into the Beautiful North)
2. The Matched series I read as a result of attending PNLA in Boise this year, and listening to an address by the author, Ally Condie. As she spoke, I realized I knew her: several years ago we were members of the same church congregation. Got my daughter to read them along with me, for a great shared/bonding experience.
3. I was going for a shared experience with another son-in-law, who wanted to read Atlas Shrugged, but he quit before finishing. I really enjoyed it and ended up watching the movies as well (Hope they finish the series with a part 3 soon…)
4. Working in a library you get a) recommendations from people on what is “good” and several of these are those sorts; and b) you happen upon intriguing titles serendipitously when you are putting away books or seeing them come across the counter. Several more are in this category.
5. I haven’t read much non-fiction in the past, but this year I developed several new interests and read to learn more. (Running, nutrition)
6. A couple of these are favorite authors and I had to read their latest (Harlan Coben, Neil Gaiman)
What’s on Your List?
Non-Fiction
From Bagels to Buddha: How I found My Soul and Lost My Fat, By Judi Hollis
Dead Whispers: Ghostly EVPs, by A. E. Angel
Bossy Pants, by Tina Fey
The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability by Lierre Keith
Fates Worse than Death, by Kurt Vonnegut
My Beef with Meat: The Healthiest Argument for Eating a Plant-Strong Diet, by Rip Esselstyn
Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692, by Richard Godbeer
The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us, by Christopher Chabris
Short Nights of the Shadowcatcher: the Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis, by Timothy Egan
The Greater Journey: American in Paris, by David McCullough
Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America’s Greatest Marathon, by John Brant
Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultra-marathon Greatness, by Scott Jurek
Cleopatra, A Life, by Stacy Schiff
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand
Fiction
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman
Matched (Matched, #1), by Ally Condie
Crossed (Matched, #2), by Ally Condie
Reached (Matched, #3), by Ally Condie
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Baiermeister
Let it Snow, by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
Looking For Alaska, by John Green
The Evolution of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin
Return to Sullivan’s Island, by Dorothea Benton Frank
Sun Storm (Rebecka Martinsson #1), by Asa Larsson
The Leavenworth Case, by Anna Katharine Green
Six Years, by Harlan Coben
Look Again, by Lisa Scottoline
In the Woods, by Tana French
Girl in Translation, by Jean Kwok
Forever Odd, by Dean Koontz
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
Into the Beautiful North, by Luis Alberto Urrea
Swamplandia! By Karen Russell
Anna Karenina, (1/2) by Leo Tolstoy
Related articles
- Ally Condie’s ‘Matched’ Trilogy (Matched, Crossed, Reached) (adifferentdanii.wordpress.com)
- Third Thursday Trilogies: Matched (klynneerickson.wordpress.com)
- Review: Matched by Ally Condie (readingoutloudblog.wordpress.com)
- Matched by Ally Condie (memaaike.wordpress.com)
- Reached (summersweetie98.wordpress.com)
- matched.jpg (culalapm.wordpress.com)
Making Life an Art 
The Fault In Our Stars was the best book I read in 2013. I like this list!
John Green is pretty cool.
I need to read some of those….
Some names there to add to my search list at the library when back in the UK. I read several Coben this year, and Forever Odd was one of my favourites – I’m a great fan of Koontz. Thanks for the information.
Sounds like we have similar tastes. What else was on your list of “bests” in 2013?