I find this list getting harder and harder to put together each and every year. Why? Because I read so much awesome stuff that I never know where to start. Ha, not really. It’s more because I just plain can’t decide, lol.
In the order that I read them this year (clicking on the cover will take you to my review):
This was my first read of 2013 and I knew the moment I finished it that it would undoubtedly make my top reads at the end of the year. It’s actually a book that I remember quite vividly – and that is saying a lot for me. I still highly recommend this book and I am giddy with excitement that I have an e-galley of Ms. McMahon’s 2014 release, The Winter People!
I so fell in love with this book. It was just amazing. I can’t even begin to explain my feelings on this one. It’s another one that I knew once I finished it that it would be making this list (and I read it in January!). It’s just a beautifully written book and I loved it. Loved, loved, loved it.
This was one of those impulse requests on Edelweiss. I don’t know why it initially interested me, but I know that I was intrigued throughout the entire book. And two words: That. Cliffhanger! AAH! I’m bummed because I managed to score an e-galley of the second book in the trilogy on NetGalley, but I let it expire before I could get to it … oh well, guess I’ll have to buy that one in the future so I can find out what happens next! Definitely a great historical fiction that I highly recommend!
This was my first time reading an Alafair Burke book (don’t ask me why) so I was uber-excited when I was approached by TLC Book Tours to be a part of the blog tour for this book. And what a fun roller coaster ride of a book it is! The characters are so well-developed you would have thought they were part of a long-running series. It has definitely made me excited to read more from Ms. Burke in my future!
The only thing I can say about this book … READ IT! It is so powerful and engaging. It’s just amazing. It was so real and thought-provoking. Every parent should read this book. Every teenager and pre-teen should read this book. And then discuss, discuss, discuss. There is so much to this book that needs to be talked about. Highly recommended.
When I was originally pitched this book I immediately jumped on it. I liked the idea of the family secrets theme that it promised. And what family secrets they were! Wow! The book switched back and forth between Kate in the present day and Hannah some 100 years before. On the same farm. Dealing with some very similar situations. If you like deep family secrets you will probably like this book. I know I enjoyed it a lot.
I saw this book somewhere online and knew I had to read it. I was just thrilled that my library had a copy with only 1 person ahead of me on the wait list. And let me tell you, it’s a story that will suck you in and spit you back out when you finish it. It would probably be a tough read for some people, but I never felt as if the author took any over-the-top gratuitous descriptions about what the characters went through. And the way that it was so similar to what happened in Cleveland this year … just creepy!
Why did I not start this series ages ago? What is wrong with me? Well at least I’ve started it and am looking forward to seeing what happens with Sookie. My review of this one was short and sweet because I assume everyone and their brother has already read this book. If not, I definitely recommend you giving it a shot. It’s a fun read that I really enjoyed.
I was sent an invitation to download this one on NetGalley. Boy was that the best random, unsolicited e-galley I’ve been sent in a long time! (Maybe ever?!) It’s such a dark book. And the characters, you will be so intrigued by them. I think that Ms. Norton can definitely carve a nice spot in the crime genre for herself if she so chooses. Highly recommended.
Surprised to see this one here? I was a little bit, too. But honestly, I think I enjoyed the second installment of the Sookie series even more than I did the first. It was a little darker and grittier than the first book. But oh so very intriguing. And it makes me kick myself for not having the 3rd book already on my shelf! Either way, as I stated in the blurb for the first Sookie book, I’m sure everyone has already read these books, but I’m new to the party and thoroughly enjoying them! Once again, give it a shot if you haven’t already!
Tales of a Book Addict 
I read The Never List but didn’t love it quite as much as you. I have The One I Left Behind on my shelf so I’ll have to make sure to get to it this year. Love your list!
The One You Left Behind was on my top 10 reads list as well 🙂 I also enjoyed If You Were Here by Burke…it was another solid thriller for me but it didn’t quite make the list. It sounds like you had a really great year of reading. I hope that 2014 goes just as well for you!
I really really really liked The One I Left Behind. She’s got a new release next month, The Winter People that I got an egalley from edelweiss of. It was goos but not as good in my opinion. Have you read any of her previous works? I haven’t but I hope to in the future