It's that time of year again, time that finds us looking back on the year that's been.
While I haven't read as many books as I would like to have this year, I certainly have read a lot of books that have stayed with me. In fact, it's very difficult for me to narrow it down to just ten overall. So I won't. Instead, here are my favorite fiction, non-fiction and audiobooks for 2013. Some you will see under both fiction and audiobooks as they deserve a spot for both the writing and the reading.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield -
City of Women by David Gillham
A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
The Gods of Heavenly Punishment by Jennifer Cody Epstein
The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Night Film by Marisha Peitl
Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman
Moranthology by Caitlin Moran
Prague Winter by Madeleine Albright
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen
Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
City of Women by David Gillham
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
A Good Year by Peter Mayle
I find I've done a lot of traveling through reading this year - quite of lot of time spent in England, France and Italy but I've also visited China, Japan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the former Yugoslavia, Germany, Russia, Belgium, Chile, Afghanistan, Holland, Australia, Czechoslovakia, and much of the African continent. One of my favorite things about reading is learning about other people and places and this has been a banner year.
My favorite fiction reads this year tended to be character driven, although plenty of plot-driven novels piqued my interest (Under The Dome, Gone Girl, and Night Film). I spent almost as much time in the past as I did in the present. My experience with audiobooks was mixed which I find had as much to do with the narrator as it did with the story.
I've had better luck with getting through challenges than usual although I'm still working on a couple of them as the year runs down.
As always happens when I'm looking back at a year, my thoughts start to stray to the coming year. More next week on what I'm looking forward to in 2014!
I was interested in your lists, Lisa. Thank you for all your reviews this past year. You introduce me to books that I want to put on my future reading list. The Madeleine Albright is definitely at the top of that pile for 2014. Look forward to hearing your reading plan for the new year.
ReplyDeleteGreat lists, Lisa! I see some of my favorites and plenty to explore, too. Have to agree with you that City of Women deserves recognition for the reading as well as the writing.
ReplyDeleteI have read a few of the books on your list but the others do look good too. Nice round up of 2013.
ReplyDeleteHarvee
Book Dilettante: Friday Book Memes
You had a great year in books! I haven't compiled my "best of" list yet because I hope to do some more reading on my Christmas vacation, but City of Women and Looking for Me will probably be on it. Great list!
ReplyDeleteI'm incredibly honored to see my novel on your list. Thank you so much! Happy holidays to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteWhere'd You Go, Bernadette is definitely on my list! I need to start reading more around the globe. I am woefully behind on that!
ReplyDeleteWe must have similar reading tastes. Looking for Me was one of my favorites this year. I also liked Gone Girl, The Thirteenth Tale and a few more. I am surprised that you read Under the Dome but it didnt make your list.
ReplyDeleteHere's to a year of fabulous books in 2014!