G’day Bookworms!
It’s TUESDAY, so we’re going to get our list on with the ladies of The Broke and the Bookish! Today they’ve asked us to list the Top Ten Books we’ve read so far in 2013. I’ve read some AWESOME books this year, so it’ll be tough to narrow it down to ten, but here goes…
1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. How much more can I say about my adoration for Eleanor & Park? This book summed up the high school experience in a way that a lot of other YA books are missing these days. It’s a slice of awesome.
2. Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. I realize my review for this has not yet been posted, but WOAH. It’s a whole lot of awesome. Should be up on Thursday. Be sure to come back to read me fumbling all over myself trying to explain the greatness! (No seriously. It’s coming out all weird and stupid. Something to look forward to, no? Me being inarticulate?)
3. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I’m so excited to be able to list this as one of my “best of” because it’s the first pick for The Fellowship of the Worms! I finished it last week and I’m working on preparing questions for thought provoking and/or ridiculous discussions on July 8th!
4. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Will and Louisa! Eye opening insight into the world of a quadriplegic. Ethical conundrums. Love story. And a castle. What more do you want?!
5. The Silver Star by Jeanette Walls. I love Jeanette Walls! Her new book explores some familiar themes- parental abandonment, childhood poverty, and the like. Nobody can pull that off the way Walls can. Even the horrible parents are portrayed with compassion. Plus, there are EMUS. Those are some funny looking birds, y’all.
6. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Spies! WWII! Airplanes! Ladies breaking gender roles. Badassery of all sorts. Excellent book.
7. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. This title has plenty of detractors, but I loved it. New take on zombies. A little lighthearted fun? Yes please.
8. The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan. I simply adore stories behind the art… Even when they’re fictionalized. I thought Buchanan’s portrayal of the girl behind the famous Degas sculpture was fabulous. Historical fiction buffs will adore this!
9. Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. A book about books with a little bit of mystery… And a glow-in-the-dark book cover. It’s whimsical fun times for the bookworm detective in all of us.
10. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. This book isn’t new, but it took me forever to get around to reading it. Actually, I listened to it and I thought it was awesome. The way Christopher’s mind worked! It gave me so much insight and compassion for what struggling with Aspberger’s and autism spectrum disorders is really like. Such a good read (and listen. English accents are a delight.)
What about you, Bookworms? What are some of your favorite books you’ve read this year?
Maryam
All these have been on my TBR list for so long, can’t wait to read them.
Great list, by the way!
Words for Worms
I can assure you, they’re all worth the read! 🙂
mynovelopinion
The Curious Incident is one of my favorites – I read it years ago and still think about it! I so want to read Mr. Penumbra’s and Warm Bodies but I’m trying not to add to my TBR right now (harder than I thought).
Words for Worms
The curse of the never ending TBR- I definitely feel you on that one!
Ciara_H
I like the sound of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour bookstore! 🙂 The Curious Incident is such a great book, I love it!
Words for Worms
Penumbra is delightful!
Meg
I really need to read the Curious Incident!!!
Words for Worms
I thought of you and the Boog while I was reading it! It was fascinating to get inside the mind like that. It must be SO overwhelming to be the Boog not being able to filter all the sensory stuff he’s bombarded with.
middleagebutch
Another fan of The Curious Incident. One of the best books that I read this year was, believe it or not, The Great Gatsby. I had read it many years ago as assigned reading in high school. My partner and I read it to each other before we went and saw the movie. I found that I was really able to appreciate the brilliant way Fitzgerald used words to paint a picture. So rich and gorgeous.
Words for Worms
I LOVE that you and your partner read aloud to each other! Sometimes the beauty of the sound of the words gets lost when reading silently. I read my (then boyfriend) husband Harry Potter over the phone when we lived apart. It was ridiculous and lovely :).
middleagebutch
It was her idea. It seemed kinda crazy at the time, but it was nice to be able to share a book in that way. It’s way more intimate than two people silently reading the same book to themselves at the same time. And, yes, words are meant to be spoken out loud. I know that when I write, I always read each chapter out loud to myself.
Nish
That’s a nice list. The only book I read on that list is The Thirteenth Tale, I liked the book, but I didn’t really love it as much as I expected it to. Maybe because I read it when it was at its most hyped moment.
Words for Worms
I was saved from the over hyping since I only recently discovered The Thirteenth Tale. A blessing really- over hyping can really taint the experience of reading an otherwise good book.
Mary E.
Have you heard about Anne Hood’s The Obituary Writer? I just read it at the beach and … wow. The characters, the language … ah-mazing from start to finish. The ending also offers an unexpected twist that I’m still turning over in my mind a week after I finished the book. Loved, loved, loved it.
Words for Worms
I just googled it! It sounds fascinating! I’m going to have to add it to my impossibly long TBR list!
Liesel Hill
Great list! The Painted Girls and Code Name Verity are both on my list. Glad you liked them. 😀
MY TTT.
Words for Worms
It’s been a good year for reading, I think 🙂
didibooksenglish
I’m still dying to read Tell The Wolves I’m Home and Me Before You. Hated Warm Bodies! I didn’t think The Thirteenth Tale was that good. Loved The Curious Incident of the Dog! I read that a couple of years ago. I’m not that interested to read Eleanor & Park. Mr. Penumbra I hope to read although I have a sneaky feeling that it’s a little overhyped.
Words for Worms
LOL I know you hated Warm Bodies. I think Mr. Penumbra might be suffering some over hyping… It’s fun, but it’s not the greatest book ever. Maybe wait until the hype dies down and you’ll enjoy it more?
didibooksenglish
Possibly.
Rhian
I’ve excluded books that are part of a series. I read a lot of series!
Lies and Prophecy by Marie Brennan
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Naked by David Sedaris
The Elephant Keepers’ Children by Peter Hoeg
The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve
When we Wake by Karen Healey
Before I go to Sleep by S J Watson
Sutton by J R Moehringer
The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
I’m adding a couple off your list to my “to buy” list. Which is about as big as my “to be read” pile!
Words for Worms
Oh excellent choices! Gone Girl, Naked, TFIOS! Fantastic stuff. I might have to add some of YOURS to MY TBR list! 🙂
Sheila
Since you like stories about art you might like The Passion Dreambook by Whitney Otto. I loved it because it’s all about different renaissance periods through history. Thanks for those recommendations – I’ll have to give The Painted Girls a try.
Words for Worms
Ooooh that sounds like fun! I’m going to have to look that up!
ashley
Ok, I’ve read half this list and have loved them all! I would say Tell the Wolves I’m Home is the best! I’m glad to hear you read it! I’m reading Me Before You right now. Its absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful!
Words for Worms
I read Tell The Wolves I’m Home because of you! You were so right!!!!!!!
ashley
I think that might be one of my favorite books of all time! Such a different story!
ChrissiReads
The Curious Incident is a fabulous book. As is Me Before You, one of my favourite books of all time. So amazing. Great list!
Words for Worms
Thanks! Both of those books were just chock full of awesome, I couldn’t leave them out!
Rory
I am SOOOO excited to see Tell the Wolves I’m Home on here, it was one of my (if not absolute) favorite book of last year. I’m looking forward to reading The Silver Star. I thought Warm Bodies was cute too, did you see the movie? I saw the preview for the movie (which I haven’t seen) and thought they gave away every single plot point in the trailer! It was like ‘yep, that’s the whole book’, I don’t know if I was disappointed by that or not…
Words for Worms
LOL I didn’t see Warm Bodies- I’ve heard it’s cute, but that’s from people who hadn’t read the book. And TELL THE WOLVES I’M HOME! I can’t gush enough. My review is coming out really terrible because I can’t articulate the LURVE well enough.
Rory
It’s been the one book I’ve been hounding people to read, plus I love the cover!
Laura
I was with you until I saw Mr. Penumbra on your list! I wanted to like that book so badly, but just couldn’t. I think almost all the books on your list are on my TBR soon list so I’m glad to see such positive reviews. And I’m looking forward to seeing your thoughts on Tell the Wolves I’m Home!
Words for Worms
LOL- I hate when that happens to me! I always feel kind of like I missed something brilliant when I just don’t care for a popular book. It’s alright. Not everyone likes the same stuff. I hope you like some of the others you’ve yet to read!
Heather
I have to say, so far this year, my top book has been The Night Circus. I just finished it while I was on vacation earlier, and I want to read it all over again.
Warm Bodies is on my list, along with Mr. Penumbra. The rest look interesting, so I may need to add them to my TBR list- which is well over 300 books at this point. I have to stop going to Half Price Books.
Oh, and I am also a big fan of The Curious Incident. Such a lovely well written look into living with someone who has an autism spectrum disorder. I actually upgraded my paperback copy to a hardcover version once I finished reading it because I loved it so much.
Can’t wait to discuss The Thirteenth Tale next month. I finally started it. 🙂
Words for Worms
Ooooh I’m so glad you’ll be joining us! I feel you with the endless TBR list. Ah well. It’s a fun problem to have 🙂
kristinshafel
I loved Me Before You, too, and Curious Incident! I have The Painted Girls down on my must-read-this-summer list. Hoping I really finally get to it in the next couple months 🙂 Here’s my 2013 top ten reads so far.
Words for Worms
If you like historical fiction- particularly of the Tracy Chevalier variety? You’ll love The Painted Girls! You’ll have to let me know what you think! 🙂
Turn the Page Reviews
Great list! I really like Mr. Penumbra also. I am planing to read The Painted Girls also.
Kerri
Words for Worms
You’ll have to stop back and let me know what you think of The Painted Girls! 🙂
Sarah Says Read
Wooooo Warm Bodies and Mr. Penumbra! Well and really, just about everything on this list.
And I AM in fact looking forward to you being inarticulate over Tell the Wolves I’m Home, thankyouverymuch.
Words for Worms
I’m glad someone is looking forward to my ramblings! It’s coming out all crazy-like.
Christi
These are almost all on my TBR list (so many books, so little time…). I’m especially excited to read Code Name Verity.
Lately, I’ve been recommending The New Geography of Jobs to everyone (it’s nonfiction, though). I also loved Transparent by Natalie Whipple, a fun, light summer read, among other awesome YA books I’ve read this year.
Words for Worms
Code Name Verity was fantastic, I’m sure you’ll love it. I don’t read a whole lot of non fiction… Well, really, the only non fiction i find myself reading are memoirs. I need to branch out I think!
Monika
Great list!! I hope to get to E&P soon, it’s on my Nook waiting for me. 🙂
Words for Worms
You will love it! I say that because I can’t imagine anyone not loving it. Rather closed minded of me.
Shannon (Giraffe Days)
I’m not sure how many blogs I’ve visited today, but I’ve seen Eleanor & Park on loads of them and that makes me so happy because I absolutely loved it! I read it last year though so it went on last year’s “best of 2012” list. 🙂
I recently got a copy of Tell the Wolves I’m Home, only I couldn’t remember what prompted me to get it – so glad to hear you loved it! I’ve had Me Before You sitting on my shelf since last year but because friends told me not to read it without a box of tissues handy, I haven’t quite felt in the right mood to read it yet.
I’ve had The Curious Incident… for ages but never read it – I got it for a (real life) book club but then quit the month we were meant to read it, so I wasn’t motivated to start it at the time.
The Painted Girls made my list today too – wonderful book!! I really enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale as well, but I was a bit mixed about Mr Penumbra: exciting atmospheric mystery about books or homage to the wonders of Google? 😉 Though I liked the juxtaposition of the two…
My TTT
Words for Worms
Tissues are probably a good idea for Me Before You, but it’s so worth it. I need to go check out your list, you OBVIOUSLY have excellent taste!
lostinliterature108
So far I’ve enjoyed these….
The Book Thief — Markus Zusak
The Furious Longing of God — Brenning Manning
The Great Gatsby — Fitzgerald
Horton Hears a Who — Suess
Guns (A Kiindle single by Stephen King)
Killing Lincoln O’Rielly
Illusion — Frank Peretti
Words for Worms
The Book Thief = Awesome. Gatsby = Classic Awesome. Seuss = Awesome in a hat with a rat and a bat.
Wayne
If I take a look at any of these books it will probably be *Eleanor and Park*. H.S. experiences interest me even though I don’t like “Glee” much 😉
Words for Worms
That’s what’s great about high school books, especially the awkward ones. We’ve ALL been there. Glee I loved the first couple of seasons, but I was also a bit of a theater nerd so it was kind of up my alley anyway…
Leah
So many good books! I mean, I haven’t read any of them, but I want to read ALL of them.
Oh wait! I actually did read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time when I was in high school and wanting to read grown-up books, and then not understanding them. But I liked this one!
Words for Worms
Hahahahaha! I did this too! That’s probably why I really didn’t care for The Sun Also Rises- I tried to read it on my lunch breaks during my summer job at a pool. I mean, I finished it, but all I retained was that they had wineskins and everyone was drunk a lot. And bullfights. All nuance was lost on me!
caitlinstern
I loved Eleanor & Park, and The Curious Incident…, found Warm Bodies funnier and grosser than the movie, and Code Name Verity made me cry a little.
I keep seeing Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore on people’s list… perhaps I shall add it to mine…
Words for Worms
You have excellent taste in books! 🙂 You’ll have to let me know what you think of Mr. Penumbra!
caitlinstern
Finally got to Mr. Penumbra. It was a bit odd, and the technology aspect was almost preachy, but I loved the concept of normal people being sucked into this weird bookish world, and changing the weirdness just a little.
Rissa
Thanks for a great list! I just went on a “place hold” spree via my local library website! After your previous review I’ve just devoured Me Before You (wow – just wow! so many tissues, so much book-love). The other books that have fulfilled my so-in-love-with-this-book test of being unable to stop reading before 2 am (on a school night!) this year are: Cloud Atlas, Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles, and Melina Marchetta’s Lumatere Chronicles (oops I look like a mega fantasy fan!).
Words for Worms
Awesome! I’m getting drunk on my power- MUAHAHAHAHA! I haven’t read Cloud Atlas… Or any of your fantasy novels. But there’s no shame in getting down with some fantasy if that’s your jam. Did any of them have unicorns? I’m on a mission to find a book for my unicorn enthusiast neighbor…
Rissa
Sadly no unicorns at all! You know I don’t think I’ve ever read a really good unicorn fiction… or non-fiction for that matter… (duh!) I eagerly await your review when you find one! (And I’ll let you know if I do).
Words for Worms
Excellent!
Nish
If Murakami is your thing, you should try Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Lots of unicorns there 🙂
Words for Worms
I need to get over my Murakami issues. I hear so many great things, but I tried reading 1Q84 and felt like a dunce for not getting the glory. Then I got shamed for it…But unicorns! Must move on for the unicorns!
Books, Tea & Me
Phew. That was a lot of scrolling just to be able to comment, haha.
Love your list! Especially when you include Me Before You and The Thirteenth Tale. Great books! I definitely need to read Eleanor & Park, Tell The Wolves I’m Home, Warm Bodies, and Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore.
Words for Worms
I’m flabbergasted- so many excellent (and lengthy) comments! I’ll have to keep a close eye on your blog to see how you like the rest of the list! 🙂
Kelly
13th Tale and Curious Incident = YES. Loved them both. Every other book on your list is high on my TBR. I guess I have some work to do!!
Words for Worms
I knooooow how it goes. TBR lists are never ending!
Charleen
I really enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale and Mr. Penumbra. The only other one on your list I’ve read is Tell the Wolves I’m Home, but I wasn’t as taken with it as other people seem to be. Looking forward to your review though.
Words for Worms
It’ll be pretty gushy because it pulled at all the right heart strings on me.
Andi (@estellasrevenge)
Such good choices!!! I loved Eleanor and Park and Me Before You. Both will be on my faves list.
Words for Worms
I have such a hear time picking favorites but I’ve read several awesome books in a row, I just want to shout and dance and squeal!
Lyssapants
Do you think I would like Warm Bodies?
Words for Worms
Yep, I think you’d appreciate it. Think of it as a fractured fairy tale for zombie lore.
Lyssapants
cools, I’m adding it to the list.
The Underground Writer
“Same Kind of Different As Me” by Ron Hall. True story about a rich white man who befriends a homeless black man and what happens. Must read!
Words for Worms
Oooh sounds good!