It was a beastly task to pare down this year's fiction reading to 10 favorites. This has truly been a stellar year of reading. I took a page out of River City Reading's book and decided to share snippets from some of my favorite bloggers and their thoughts on my picks this year (whenever they happened to read them). Don't forget to check out their blogs!
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
If you're one of those people (as I was) who swear they'll never read any science fiction, don't be too quick to dismiss this remarkable book. The writing is both captivating and provocative, not to mention quite funny here and there. I've yet to meet anyone who didn't love it. --Prairie Horizons
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
If you're looking for a book that you can sink your teeth into, a book of epic proportions that will make you laugh and cry, a book that you will continue to carry with you in your heart--I very much recommend A Prayer for Owen Meany. --Love, Laughter and a Touch of Insanity
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Something about Jordan’s writing, the profundity and cruel sincerity she brings to the story make this novel entirely worthwhile. No matter how many stories you’ve read concerning the South, this one will find a way to make you see things anew. --The Blog of Litwits
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Todd and Viola grow and change so much and I love that. I love seeing the ways they react to what’s happening to them, being surprised by how they react to what’s happening to them, cheering them on and hoping for the best. --Capricious Reader
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
This is a must-read book. Not only is Shirley Jackson a literary icon in her own right, but the book is fantastic. Let me repeat that. The book is fantastic. --The Book Wheel
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
There is absolutely no boring chapter in this entire book! I loved it. I let each gorgeous phrase soak in, and though I adored it and wanted to know what happened, I took my sweet time turning the pages. --Chels and a Book
Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang
These two feature heartbreaking stories and incredible illustrations. I'm definitely going to read more by Yang...and I can't wait. --The Relentless Reader
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Though at times I struggled to reconcile one Jane with the other each phase lead us to the happy Jane we encounter at the end of Jane Eyre, which makes me love those difficult sections just a little bit more having finished. --Entomology of a Bookworm
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Oh Francie! I love this girl. She loves to read, and it’s her escape from the mean streets of Brooklyn. She loves her father in spite of his alcoholism. She is met with disappointment after disappointment in her life and comes through it all to make a life for herself. I just want to hug her. --Words for Worms
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
His most recent novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, is a slip of a book, barely longer than a novella. But packed within its pages is a story of true monsters. --S. Krishna's Books
STOP THE PRESSES!!!
Errr, publish button.
It happened. This fabled situation CAME TRUE! The last book read in 2013 is one of the best and deserves a place on this list. I'm adding it here because I didn't want to redo the graphic up top and switch out The Ask and the Answer for this baby...
A full review is coming, but in the meantime, Jenny from Reading the End has something to say about Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness. "Ness basically nails everything. There is not a false note in this whole damn book."
I really should read Patrick Ness. I have a few of the books and with two of them in this list it tells me enough. Thanks for sharing your list.
ReplyDeleteThe series was really good. I love everything Ness has written, including A Monster Calls. That's a good place to start if you don't want to commit to a series right off.
DeleteHmmm, maybe I'll have to give this Patrick Ness guy a try in the new year. Just maybe.
ReplyDeleteNaturally, I agree with A Prayer for Owen Meany and I love that you used another one of my favorite bloggers' review there :)...and a fellow Texan to you, to boot (pun intended ;)).
He's amazing. Do it!
DeleteLOL, re: to boot. Yes, we have great taste, what can I say? ;)
Patrick Ness is one of my favorite new authors from 2013! I can't wait to read the trilogy. Tree Grows in Brooklyn almost made my list and I loved The Ocean at the End of the Lane. 2013 was a good reading year. Happy 2014!
ReplyDeleteHe's really fantastic and I don't think he gets enough attention. I'm just always gobsmacked by this ability to complete emotionally involve me. A very good year! I'm glad it was for you, too. :)
DeleteI have all the warm and fuzzies. You had such a great reading year!!! Now, I have to go figure out my own list. Quite the daunting task.
ReplyDeleteYay! Can't wait to salivate over your list.
DeleteThe Sparrow was the book that saved my sanity. I had been very ill and thought I would never think clearly again and then suddenly a section in that novel spoke to me as nothing had for over a year and the breakthrough was made.
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing! Thank you for sharing that with me. It's an incredibly powerful story. Can't wait to read Children of God and others by Russell.
DeleteI've read 4 of your faves and 2 of them are on my all-time favorite list (Sparrow and Jane Eyre). I love looking at everyone's final lists :)
ReplyDeleteYippeee! Lists are so much fun, and they feed my TBR. lol
DeleteOf all those books, Owen Meany is the only one I've read. I read it at Vance's insistence when he was in high school and I loved it!
ReplyDeleteIt's really such a great book. I'm determined to read more Irving this year because while his books are plodding at times, it's so worth it to get to know the characters. Garp is up next for me.
DeleteI have not read any of these books, but I really hope to finally get to Jane Eyre and Rebecca in 2014! I've really been wanting to read both of these for so long!
ReplyDeleteThey were both amazing! I hope you can get around to them and that you adore them as much as I did!
DeleteLove how you did this, Andi. Style-en.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Deb! I thought it was more fun than recapping my own words. :)
DeleteThanks for mentioning me, dearie! Your list is SO. GOOD. I just bought myself Boxers and Saints so I'm glad to see it made your final cut. And I need to finish reading the Walking Chaos trilogy ASAP, obviously. Happy New Years!
ReplyDeleteYou are SO welcome! I am thrilled that you're gonna read Boxers and Saints. It's gotten so much LESS hype than it should've.
DeleteI wish I could make a pretty graphic like yours! How do you do it?
ReplyDeleteI want to read Boxers & Saints! It sounds fantastic.
Also, I too adore Francie - what a great book that was. We Have Always Lived in the Castle, too!
Welp, I already emailed you about the picmonkey graphic, so addressing your other comments here. lol Boxers and Saints is not to be missed and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and We Have Always Lived in the Castle are just so damn good.
DeleteI love your graphic! :-) I've only read one of the books you've picked. Your enthusiasm for Monsters of Men reminds me that I need to pick the series back up again. I hope 2014 is another fantastic reading year for you!
ReplyDeleteThank you! You totally do because I want to know what you think of it! lol
DeleteI have read two books these past few days that could have made my list, but I had already written up the post and no reviews to be had...yet. So, they will be featured next year.
ReplyDeleteI loved loved loved Rebecca, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Owen Meany. Such a great list.
Now I want to know what the last minute faves were! And thank you. I just hope my 2014 reading is this darn good.
DeleteI've only read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (love it!) from your list, but a bunch of them are on my TBR list. Haha I love how you added your last book. I had my best of list ready a few days before I actually posted it; I had to wait until I finished reading The Goldfinch to make it official!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean! I'd had this post drafted, but I was waiting to see if anything jumped on. This is the first year I've actually had something make the list at the very very last minute!
DeleteThree of my all time favorite books are on this list: Jane Eyre, A Prayer For Owen Meany, and Rebecca - so naturally I think you have fabulous reading taste. I can't believe I haven't picked up Gaiman's Ocean yet, for shame.
ReplyDeleteWe both do! We share a reading brain, too, apparently. I love finding "reading twins." :) I hope you love Ocean when you get to it!
DeleteAwesome list! I haven't read all but some of your books are certainly favorites of mine. Here's to a wonderful reading year in 2014!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Iliana! I hope 2014 kicks a lot of tail!
DeleteRebecca made my list too, what a wonderful book. And I really enjoyed Ocean at the End of the Lane too.
ReplyDeleteI'm halfway through Night Film - if I had managed to finish it by today, it would definitely have been a stop press situation for me too!
I'm looking forward to reading Night Film one of these days. I discovered this weekend that my library has the ebook available so I may go that route and buy it in paperback if I like it. :)
DeleteI love Owen Meany.
ReplyDeleteMe too! Such a perfect book!
DeleteThis was such a neat idea!! I blushed a little at my quote :). But there are tons of bloggers on this list that I have never heard of! So not only do I have books to add to the TBR but also new peeps to check out :)!
ReplyDeleteRebecca is on my top reads too.. reading it with you was so much fun!
Awww, thanks Chels! I thought your words summed up my feelings about Rebecca perfectly. :) Enjoy finding new bloggy peeps!
DeleteI've read and loved 3 of the books on your list, and am so intrigued by others like the Patrick Ness titles! I can't believe that you found a best book in the last hours of the year ;)
ReplyDeleteYay! Patrick Ness can do no wrong to my mind. Such a powerful, insightful writer.
DeleteOh, you read some fabulous books this year! I am kind of impressed with myself that there are only two on your list I have never read before. When does that happen! And, I loved them, too. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! We share lots of the same reading tastes, then, which is pretty awesome. :)
DeleteSince The Knife of Never Letting Go is on my list I suppose I need to make the rest of the series a priority! Happy reading in 2014.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!
DeleteAnd I have read exactly none of these! Well, I read Jane Eyre in college but really need to re-read it. One of these years I will read classics. If I say it, eventually it will happen, right?
ReplyDeleteAck! Yes ma'am. That's my philosophy...say it til it happens. lol
DeleteAdded so many of these books to my TBR thanks to you, including anything by Ness. The Sparrow is calling at me to read it soon!
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! I hope you read and love The Sparrow, and then we'll gush together!
DeleteLooking at your list, I'm realizing how many great recommendations I've gotten from you. Thanks for all the great reading experiences you've shared with me this year :)
ReplyDeleteThat makes my heart happy, Shannon! You're one of my faves, so to give you any kind of recommendation is a pleasure. :)
DeleteYou have SO many of my favorite books on your list: We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Sparrow, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I'm hoping to add Boxers & Saints to my list next year. I also LOVE the way you and River City Reading organized these posts. So awesome! Happy New Year!!
ReplyDeleteI definitely hope you read Boxers and Saints. It deserves accolades out the wahoo and lots and lots of bloggy attention. And this post was SOOOO much fun! I think I'll add more quotes from fave bloggers to future posts...reviews and whatnot. :D
DeleteVery cool method of blurbing your choices! I dig it. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think I'll do it more often now. :)
DeleteWow, that's a pretty good recommendation, to be the last book of the year and added in at last minute! Can't wait to see that review!
ReplyDeleteRight? I was shocked and thrilled!
DeleteI admire your blog and your reading choices, and guess what? I've not read any of these books!!! Well a couple from earlier years, but wow....you have great taste, and I've got books to add to my list. Like I need more books on my list!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Anita! I hope you enjoy any books you add to your TBR from this list. So many goodies.
DeleteOh my gosh--I've read and loved half half the books on your list! That never happens--I'm never so in sync with the cool kids! :D
ReplyDeleteYayyy! This cool kid is allllll about the books on my TBR and far less about what's new and swingin'. lol
DeleteAnd I'm really not very cool. lol
DeleteOh Patrick, how do you always manage to nail everything so perfectly?! I'm going to make 2014 the year for reading this trilogy. You have such an amazing list here and I love the way you have written this post.
ReplyDeleteRight??? He's just amazing. He makes me think about emotions and perception is some new and stunning ways. Thank you! This post was incredibly fun to write.
DeleteSeriously? I love this (and thank you). I JUST downloaded the audio for Ocean at the End of the Lane...just need to figure out when to listen to it. Such a great list...and so many backlist titles. #makesmehappy
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! And I'm so excited you're going to listen to Ocean! Neil is one of the few authors who can read his own stuff really well. Girl, I am ALL about backlist! I have a post coming up about that, as a matter of fact.
DeleteOh my goodness, I've been quoted! Eeep! I do want to hug Francie. And I do want to read The Sparrow. And We Have Always Lived in the Castle. And... You're constantly expanding my TBR and I love you for it.
ReplyDeleteLMAO! Yes, you have! And it probably won't be the last time. Awww, I love enabling you, dear. You do the same for me! #bookfriends #awesome
DeleteOut of the books on your list, I've only read the classics. Hopefully I'll make it to some of them next year :)
ReplyDeleteI hope so, too! Mudbound and The Sparrow really feel classic. Just timeless themes.
DeleteFour of the books on here are favorites of mine! Rebecca, Jane Eyre, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. What a fabulous year you had to put them all in one!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad, Amanda! I don't know if 2014 can live up to the awesome of 2013. We'll see!
DeleteI enjoyed Jane Eyre and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, too. Looking forward to reading Rebecca in a few months; that was the book I nominated for my book club, which is on hiatus at the moment. Great list, and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI know we both know this but I LOVE WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE. It was just so good.
ReplyDeleteYou read so many of my favorites!!! The Sparrow, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, We Have Always, Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Ocean at the End of the Lane, Owen Meany, LOVE those books.
ReplyDeleteI'm re-reading Rebecca this year, definitely! A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a must read for me this year as well.
ReplyDelete