Book Lists : Your Best and Worst reads of 2013

[[deleted user]]

My favourite reads in 2013 were (I really liked Julie's way of giving things awards, so I hope you don't mind but I've borrowed it!):

Most Life-Affirming:
Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady by Florence King - this memoir was funny, intelligent and changed my life a little bit. Florence King's parents were a wonderful pair to read about and her thoughts on the meaning of womanhood are just marvellous.

Promising Start to Something Award:
The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke - I have been searching for a series to get my teeth into for what feels like years and now I have it. I love Robicheaux and the Southern setting which is so evocative and alive. Plus he eats and drinks wonderful things so I am always craving what he's having when I read! I have book 2 ready for this year!

The 'I-Can't-Stop-Reading-Despite-Subject-Matter' Award
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver - Even though this book was populated with awful people behaving in questionable and awful ways I could not put it down. It is so well written and compelling and I am still debating the central theme to this day. I love it when a book makes you consider the very core of your human nature.

Best Writing
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - Awful subject matter written in such incredible, beautiful language only makes it more powerful. The words would take me away on a wave of beauty only to bring you crashing back to earth when you realise what's being said. Nabokov is a master of words.

Discovery of the Year
Watchmen by Alan Moore - I had never read a graphic novel until 2013 and this was dark, scarily relevant and brilliant. My wish list is now full of graphic novels as I need to catch up!]

Honourable Mention
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller - This was a re-read so I couldn't include it in any of my main awards, but it was even better after a second reading and the best book I read this year. It got my reading year off to a flying start and made me laugh and cry in turn. One of my all time favourites.

And the not so good:

The So-Light-It's-Empty Prize
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan - This would have had only one star except I read it very quickly and it was so devoid of content it didn't even really merit my disdain. Just a silly non-plot and cardboard characters with an inconsequential ending to something I didn't care about in the first place.

Most Disappointing
Joyland by Stephen King - I gave this 3 stars because it was a nicely written coming of age tale. But I was expecting The Shining in a carnival setting and this I did not receive! The fault is all mine for assuming but I was still deflated!

Worst Worst Worst Book of the Year UGH
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - The definition of The Emperor's New Clothes. Floaty, fussy language, little to no plot and obvious touchstones cynically deployed to suggest 'magical realism' but failing. Stars and tents and circuses and wisps of air and magic and Victoriana and love against the odds and PLEASE DO SHUT UP. I didn't finish this because it was a waste of my life.

The 'I Wanted To But Could Not Finish' Award
Of Human Bondage by W Somerset Maugham - I really wanted to finish this book and got a full half way through the 700 odd pages before finally stopping. I am disappointed in myself because this type of book is usually right up my street and Maugham's writing is very good. But in the end I could not overcome my ambivalence towards every single character. A shame as I really wanted this one ticked off my list of classics!

I'd say it was a pretty good year in reading for me! I discovered a good few writers I'd not previously heard of, found a new series to get stuck into and read more broadly genre-wise than ever before. I also had some really good discussions with people! Hopefully I can carry this on in 2014!

[Madrano]

Julie, I agree, most people seem to really like the series by Penny, including my sister-in-law. As noted, i became leery when i identified the killer from the onset of the first two books in the series. I continued with hopes i could talk with SIL about them. At that point i realized how almost cloying the village was. I guess I'm over quaint.

Shomeret, the addiction theme runs deep & you've helped me understand why now. I was surprised how often she turned to it. Now i know.

Thank you for supplying the link to The Unit, Julie. The only other book from Korea i have read is a mystery set in the North, A Corpse in the Koryo, written by James Church. While it was interesting, i wouldn't recommend it for what I understand your purpose is. Still, I liked it.

[Julie]

Thanks Deb, but yeah, I am currently reading Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea for North Korea (it's good!). It was South Korea that was harder to find something for.

[Julie]

Soph wrote: "My favourite reads in 2013 were (I really liked Julie's way of giving things awards, so I hope you don't mind but I've borrowed it!)..."

Re: We Need to Talk About Kevin, I gave this 5 stars when I read it. It was one of those books that I kept thinking about afterward.

Re: Lolita, I am the oddball with this book. Everyone says he has beautiful writing and I don't like his writing at all. I gave up on the book before it even got to the awful plot parts.

Re: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, I was disappointed with this book too

[Alias Reader]

Soph wrote: "My favourite reads in 2013 were (I really liked Julie's way of giving things awards, so I hope you don't mind but I've borrowed it!):
."

Loved Loved Loved your post ! I have to remember this format next year.

[Susan from MD]

I liked Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, but part of the reason was that I went into it thinking it was light fluff. I think a lot of people, based on comments I've read, thought it would be more substantive. I'd have liked more substance, but for me it was a light summer read, so fluffy was ok.

[Amy]

Alias Reader wrote: "Soph wrote: "My favourite reads in 2013 were (I really liked Julie's way of giving things awards, so I hope you don't mind but I've borrowed it!):
."

Loved Loved Loved your post ! I have to rem..."

I love these categories, too! I will have to remember these as well. I think this is a much better way of sorting the books out in my head.

[Alias Reader]

Susan from MD wrote: "I liked Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, but part of the reason was that I went into it thinking it was light fluff. I think a lot of people, based on comments I've read, thought i..."

-----------------
I didn't read the book, but I did recommend it to a friend of mine. She said she enjoyed it a lot. Sometimes we need a little lightness in our reading.

[Madrano]

Great fun with the categories, Soph. Thanks for sharing.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D]

Since I finally made a list of the books I read in 2013 (although I think I have missed recording a few), here is a list of my favorites for the year:

Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda- very interesting memoir

K2: Triumph and Tragedy- I really enjoy mountainclimbing tales

Brooklyn- Loved this story about an Irish immigrant

Caleb's Crossing- Everything Geraldine Brooks writes is great!

The Last Girl- The first I've read in a British series about London detective Maeve Kerrigan.

The Spies of Warsaw- This author does WWII-era spy novels so very well.

House Secrets- The fourth in the Joe DeMarco series involving Washington politics and problem-solving.

The End of Your Life Book Club- May be my #1 for the year.

Worst book that I actually finished (for book group):

Secret Agendas- Good intentions but poorly done

Worst book that I couldn't finish:

Lying With Strangers- Very disappointed; I've enjoyed this writer in the past.

[Alias Reader]

I'm glad to see you loved two that I also think are terrific.

Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda is amazing and inspirational.

The End of Your Life Book Club was very inspirational and not the downer that one might expect.

Since we seem to have similar tastes I am going to make note of the books on your list.

Q- I see that The last Girl is number 3 in the series. Did you feel you should have read the series in order ? And do you know the titles of the first two? If you don't, no need to look it up, I will.

[Madrano]

I've enjoyed the Geraldine Brooks books i've read but haven't gotten to Caleb yet. Your post reminded me to addition to my library queue. Thank you, Carolyn.

[Amy]

Add me to the list of people who love Geraldine Brooks. Although my favorite of her books is Year of Wonders. I liked that one better than "Caleb's Crossing."

[Portia]

Please add me to the Brooks list. I recommend March, about the father of the sisters in little Women.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D]

Alias Reader wrote: "I'm glad to see you loved two that I also think are terrific.

Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda is amazing and inspirational.

[book:The End of Your Life Book Club|1341..."

Alias, the first two books in the series are THE BURNING and THE RECKONING. I imagine reading them in order would be preferable (so one would know the background), but I don't think it is essential. I think I will order the first two with my Amazon gift card from Christmas; hope they have them.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D]

Amy wrote: "Add me to the list of people who love Geraldine Brooks. Although my favorite of her books is Year of Wonders. I liked that one better than "Caleb's Crossing.""

I also loved YEAR OF WONDERS, as well as PEOPLE OF THE BOOK. I have MARCH on the shelf somewhere, will pick it up one of these days.

[Alias Reader]

Carolyn (in SC) C234D wrote: Alias, the first two books in the series are THE BURNING and THE RECKONING. I imagine reading them in order would be preferable (so one would know the background), but I don't think it is essential. I think I will order the first two with my Amazon gift card from Christmas; hope they have them.
.."

Thank you !

[Madrano]

Years was my first Brooks novel. Curiously years prior to that book I saw her in Oregon promoting Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women, a nonfiction book. I was surprised when she began writing fiction.