Best of 2013

Jamie over at the Perpetual Page Turner created this fun survey for everyone to share what their favorite books were that they read in 2013.  If you want to do it too, go on over there and fill this out and link up!  

I read a lot of books and wish I could have read more!  There were so many books I wanted to read, but with finishing up school it just didn't happen.  I am going to get serious and read more books next year... for real!  Anyhow this was definitely the year of the teenage boy for me.  I don't think I've ever read so many books with male narrators.  And I really like them.  I'm starting to think I might be a teenage boy at heart sometimes because I've been relating to their voice and humor a little too much this year :)  So anyway on to my favorites:


1.  Best Book You Read in 2013?

• YA Contemporary Romance- My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
• YA Horror/Historical Fiction- The Diviners by Libba Bray
• YA Sobfest- Looking for Alaska by John Green & Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
• YA Awesome- Crash and Burn by Michael Hassan
• Paranormal- The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
• YA Freaking Scare Me To Death- Ashfall by Mike Mullin
• YA Series- I Hunt Killers & Game by Barry Lyga
• OVERALL Best: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

• Ditched by Robin Mellom- I was SO excited for this book because I love books about prom.  But I found the main girl to be really unlikable and dense.  It was one of those books that felt immature to me. 
• Dare You To by Katie McGarry- Yeah major let down.  I really LOVED Pushing the Limits.  It was my favorite book of 2012.  So when I found out about Dare You To, I was freaking bouncing off the walls.  But it was too cringe-worthy for me.  The romance was like sugar on crack.  Too corny and over-the-top.  Plus to me Beth was a poser.  But I'm in the minority big time!

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?

• The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin- I didn't know what to expect from this book, but it's not usually the type of book I read so I wasn't expecting to love it as hard as I did.  It's a SUPER addicting book and I can't wait for the final book in 2014!!

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2013?

• My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick- Now go read it :)

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

• I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga- Loved both this one and Game.  Now when is the 3rd one getting here?
• Crash by Lisa McMann- and Bang (Visions #2) is even better
• Shadowlands by Kate Brian- Mindf*ck.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2013?

• Jessica Brody- Loved 52 Reasons to Hate My Father.  It was like an awesome ABCFamily movie!
• Rainbow Rowell- Woah I am now obsessed.
• Libba Bray- I had heard about all her books, but never read any.  That changed this year and now I know she's an amazing author.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

• Ashfall by Mike Mullin- I don't usually read apocalyptic books because I'm sort of a baby.  My heart gets all crazy when I read this stuff... and I have nightmares.
• The Diviners by Libba Bray- My first Historical Fiction!!
• Dead Living by Glenn Bullion- Zombies!!! 

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

• Game (Jasper Dent #2) by Barry Lyga- OMG I couldn't stop reading it!  So addicting!
• The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin- Very Addicting.

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell- Yeah I really need to read this again.  I read it way too fast because I was in love with it and I feel like there is so much more I could gain a second time around.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

• Hysteria by Megan Miranda- Yeah this cover is just freaking cool.

11. Most memorable character in 2013?

• Steven Crashinsky from Crash and Burn (and also Roxanne).  

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

• Looking for Alaska by John Green- I really liked the poems in The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door by Karen Finneyfrock, but I got to give it to John Green in Looking for Alaska.  He's just too good.  All that labyrinth of suffering, A Great Perhaps, famous last words, etc., just really got me.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

• Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick- Oh this book.  It was TFIOS of 2013 for me.  Well at least with the ability to make me cry and contemplate life it was.  Leonard you broke my heart... Herr Silverman, oh jeez.  Yeah I was crying.  A lot.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?

• The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin- I feel like I was the last one to get on this train.
• Looking for Alaska by John Green- Yeah really??  What took me so long?  Don't let me do that again.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

• "For the first time ever, I felt ashamed of my species. The volcano had taken our homes, our food, our automobiles, and our airplanes, but it hadn't taken our humanity. No, we'd given that up on our own." ~Alex Halprin- Ashfall
• "Chaos is what we are made of, and we will return to it, again, and again, and again.  Our hearts will beat for it while our brains will search for order, and find that, almost always, it is elusive." ~Olivia- Notes from Ghost Town
• "Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die." ~Ryan- Try not to Breathe

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

• Longest- The Diviners 578 pgs.- This one kind of did feel like lugging around a cinder block.
• Shortest- Looking for Alaska 221 pgs.- really??  It felt so much longer.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.)

• Shadowlands by Kate Brian- THE ENDING!!  I was like PLEASE SOMEONE EXPLAIN IT TO ME!!  And then talk me down!!!  Thanks to Amanda from Born Bookish for emailing with me so I wasn't alone!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

• The Colonel & Pudge from Looking for Alaska by John Green- I loved the immediateness of their friendship.  The way The Colonel gave Miles a nickname and the way they were there for each other through good and extremely bad.  They always had each others' backs.
• Sam & Jase from My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzgerald- Too damn cute!!  This couple was adorable and perfect, but not too perfect.  Jase was awesome.... definitely book boyfriend material.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You Read Previously

• Crash (Visions #1) by Lisa McMann- Didn't love the Wake Trilogy, but this Vision series is awesome.
• The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour- I was a big fan of Hold Still and will pretty much read anything by this author from now on...

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

• 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody- This was recommended to me by Alice from Alice in Readerland.  And I found it so freaking cute!!  Thanks girl!

21.  Genre you read most from in 2013?

• Contemporary- Obviously

22.  Newest Fictional Crush From a Book in 2013?

• Jase Garrett from My Life Next Door
• Steven Crashinsky from Crash and Burn

23.  Best 2013 Debut You Read?

• Crash and Burn by Michael Hassan
• The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door by Karen Finneyfrock
• Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

24.  Most Vivid World/Imagery in a Book You Read in 2013?

• The Diviners by Libba Bray- Definitely.  The 1920's came alive for me in this book.

25.  Book That Was the Most Fun to Read in 2013?

• Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar

26.  Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2013?

• Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick- Definitely a sobfest.
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell- It's not even a sad book, but I was crying. A lot.

27.  Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year or When It Came Out?

• Crash & Burn by Michael Hassan- I hardly know anyone who has read this book.  And it's SO good.  I feel like it was completely overlooked.

Book Blogging/Reading Life

1.  New Favorite Book Blog You Discovered in 2013?

Most of my favorite blogs are blogs I discovered in 2012.  But there were a few new discoveries for me:

• Tempest Books- A really really nice blogger who is always getting tons of books and is really fun to follow.
• Book Rock Betty- This girl cracks me up.  She's so honest and creative.  She's always coming up with tons of cool stuff.  You should definitely check her blog out.
• Harley Bear Book Blog- Wow I love this blog.  This girl is super inspiring.  She does a lot of vlogs and she's SO GOOD AT THEM.  
• JennRenee Read- I really like her review style and she does this feature called Delightful Discoveries which always ends up making me add books to my TBR
• Just a Couple More Pages- Love her reviews and we read TONS of the same books.  She's super smart and always tells the truth.  A really cool addition to my blogroll.

2.  Favorite Review You Wrote in 2013?

• The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door- had fun writing it :)
• Peter Pan Review- part of Project Fairy Tale.  Had so much fun doing this.

3.  Best Discussion You Had on Your Blog?

I started my feature Reviewers' Roundtable this year and actually started doing discussions.  I do it with Emily from Read Your Bookcase and I love it & her!

My favs:

• Advice for new bloggers
• Blogger Jealousy

4.  Most Thought Provoking Review or Discussion You Read on Somebody Else's Blog?

• Wow there were so many discussions this year!!  I don't even know where to start.
• The discussions on Candace's Book Blog are always really good.

5.  Best Event You Participated In? (Author Signings, Festivals, Virtual Events, Meme's)

• I love doing Top Ten Tuesday
• I had tons of fun meeting these authors: Sarah Dessen, Siobhan Vivian & Jenny Han.

6.  Best Moment of Book Blogging/Your Book Life in 2013?

• Book Club-  Joining a YA book club and meeting all the awesome new people in it was definitely a highlight of my year.
• Redesign- I really liked how it came out

7.  Most Popular Post This Year on Your Blog?  (By Pageviews or Comments)

• I did a lot of fun giveaways which got a lot of pageviews
• My most popular review by far was Confessions of a Hater by Caprice Crane (not sure why, but happy it was liked)
• My Review of Hysteria by Megan Miranda got the most comments :)

8.  Post You Wish Got a Little More Love?

• I think I'll always wish for more review love since that's what this blog is about... but I'm happy for anyone who visits me for whatever reason :)

9.  Best Bookish Discover? (Book Related Site, Book Store, Etc)

• Bloglovin- definitely changed the way I read blogs.

10.  Did You Complete and Reading Challenges or Goals That You Had Set For Yourself at the Beginning of the Year?

• I completed 2 challenges this year; one was The YA Contemporary Challenge over at Katie's Book Blog and the other was The TBR Reading Challenge from Evie @ Bookish... I met my goals for both
• I wanted to read 100 books (or at least as many as the 73 I read last year), but that didn't happen.  I read LESS than what I read last year and that makes me sad.  MUST. READ. FASTER.

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

• Jessica Darling's It List #1 by Megan McCafferty
• The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
• Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

• To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
• The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
• #scandal by Sarah Ockler

3.  2014 Debut You are Most Anticipating?

• Dorothy Must Die #1 by Danielle Paige
• Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

4.  Series Ending You are Most Anticipating in 2014?

• The Retribution  of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin- CANNOT. WAIT!!!

5.  One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

• BEA.  I'm going!!!!  I can't wait.  I'm rooming with my Broke and Bookish Secret Santa Heather and her cousin... and maybe a 4th if you want to email me!
• Other Goals: To read at least 80 or more books, grow my blog even more, meet more blogging friends, connect with some publishers.

I had a pretty good year.  Didn't read as many books as I would have liked, 57 in total.  I didn't love as many books as hard as I did in 2012 either.  Maybe my expectations were too high.  I did read some really good ones, so I shouldn't complain.  Some non-bookish things that happened in 2013 include: I graduated from college, my son started kindergarten and kicked butt in his first team sport (soccer), and I met some really cool new friends.  So Happy New Year to all you guys.  Hope you have a great 2014!!