Top Ten Favorite Reads of 2013

This year I read some pretty amazing books, and hope all of you did too. So, in this second to last countdown post for the year I thought that I'd put in my favorite overall reads of the year.

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Each of these had absolutely incredible writing, characters, story, and just something that pulled me in the entire time. I feel so lucky that I've been able to discover some truly phenomenal authors and books throughout the past few years and this year was top notch to say the least.

What was your favorite this year?

Top Ten Debuts of 2013

I've really enjoyed doing these different challenges each year, and the debut is really fun. I get to check new authors, see their writing styles and what they do with their ideas. It's fun and has introduced me to some pretty great books.

So, here are my favorite debuts for this year:

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Top Ten Covers of 2013

Here are my top ten favorite covers this year. There were quite a lot that were gorgeous, but these are my favorites:

 

   

 

 

 

And they're all beautiful in such different ways! I can't wait for next year to see what else there will be.

Top Ten Series Ends of 2013

There  were quite a few series that I've been reading that ended this year. Some were wonderful and others not so much. I wanted to mention the ones that I really enjoyed.

   

 

 

 

 

Top Ten Surprise Reads of 2013

One thing I've started noticing about the books that I read is that there are some I can tell right away I'm going to love. Others, I don't realize how much I enjoy it until I've reached the end. For whatever reason, the build-up, the overall story, there's just something there that pulls me in and I find myself falling in love with a story even more.

Those are the biggest surprises to me, and sometimes my favorites. So, to start off this years Top Ten list I have:

TOP TEN SURPRISES

10.  

This one was a big surprise to me because it took me a bit of time to get into. The premise that Lenore created sounded so interesting to me, but it just felt so slow moving in the beginning. Once I got past that though, I couldn't put this book down and loved it!

9.  

Poison sounded so cute and like a fun read, but I wasn't sure if I was really going to like it. Oh man was I wrong. Bridget created such a great story and really pulled me into this world. Little pig and all.

8.  

The Rules has a bit of a typical high school teen feel to it, but the more I read the more I realized that was a pretty important element to the story. In the end I found myself tearing up in a lot of places and really feeling for Ariane.

7.  

Again, I wasn't really sure where this story was going to go, but Sara Walsh blew me away. This story was so much more than I thought it was going to be and made me want more from this world. I'm crossing my fingers that she'll get to write more.

6.  

Writing about dance is not an easy thing to do, so I was a bit skeptical about this one. In the end though, Yelena really brought the pieces and movements described to life. I felt as though I was seeing it and experiencing it along with the characters.

5.  

I tend to like thrillers more as movies, but I found myself really like this one. Debra Driza kept Mila 2.0 fast paced, but intriguing. Plus it had sci-fi elements and a cyborg. Enough said.

4.  

Considering the fact that The Program dealt with suicide, I wasn't sure if this would be for me. But, I truly loved how Suzanne handled it. Especially when her characters went through the Program, some pretty scary stuff.

3.  

This one took me a bit to get into as well, but once I did I didn't want to stop reading. Sherry Thomas did a phenomenal job in creating this world. By the time I finished I was already looking for book 2.

2.  

I'm not really a full-out sci-fi book reader, but I'll admit this book won me over. Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner are geniuses.

1.

I just don't even have words for how absolutely amazing this book was. Elizabeth Wein weaved this together phenomenally. Brilliant!

 

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Arclight

Arclight 1

Author: Josin L. McQuein
Pages: 400 pgs
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopia
Release Date: April 23rd 2013
Review Source: Publisher

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

I was greatly intrigued about this book when I first found the description, even more so when I saw the cover. It sounds dark and mysterious, and the light refractions on the cover only add to it. And I'm glad I got to add it to my debut challenge reads.

Josin used light in a very interesting in this book. It was like its own character and helped to create some pretty interesting and intense scenes. I found myself wishing that I could watch some of the scenes up close just so I could see what she was describing.

Marina started off not knowing who she was, almost like a blank slate, and we got to follow her on her journey to find what happened. Though Marina couldn't see it, it was clear that she was different than the others, you just don't know why.

I loved the discovery and the whole new world that was opened up in this debut. I can't wait for more and find out what else is in store.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity

Author: Elizabeth Wein
Pages: 343 pgs
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Release Date: May 15th 2012
Review Source: Borrowed

Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?

A Michael L. Printz Award Honor book that was called "a fiendishly-plotted mind game of a novel" in The New York Times, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other.

For the book club meeting that I joined, my sister chose this particular book. It was one that I'd heard about, but had never really been sure I'd want to read. World War II and the Holocaust are very difficult topics, but I decided to give this one a chance.

And I am so glad that I did.

Elizabeth Wein did such an incredible job with the details and historical aspects that I knew I wanted to know more. I had been unaware of female pilots during World War II, or even their enlistments in the military, so getting to read story with two characters who'd done just that was so much fun.

The two main characters, Verity and Maddie, were probably the best part of this for me though. Verity started off the book and I loved her voice. Though she was in a horrible situation, she maintained a snarky attitude and kept me intrigued throughout. When it switched to Maddie's perspective, I wasn't too happy at first, but I quickly understood why.

I don't want to give anything away for anyone who hasn't had the chance to read this. All I will add is that Elizabeth brilliantly weaved the threads of this story together. She gave us two very strong characters, and showed the bonds of a friendship and how far they were willing to go for one another.

It was beautiful and sad and a wonderful read. One that I'm glad I gave a chance.