Year-end book review 2013

1.  Best book(s) I read in 2013: "Dust and Shadow" by Lyndsay Faye, "August Frost" by Monique Roffey, "Up and Down" by Terry Fallis, and "Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide" by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn.

2.  Most disappointing book of 2013: I would say "Vampires in the Lemon Grove" by Karen Russell except that it was so disappointing that I didn't finish it.  Of the ones I actually finished, it would be "The Museum's Secret" by Henry Chancellor.

3.  Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013: "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion...I was surprised at how funny this book was.

4.  Books I recommended most to people in 2013: "Up and Down" by Terry Fallis

5.  Best series I discovered in 2013: The Coldwater Springs series by Jenn Roseton

6.  Favourite new author(s) of 2013: Jenn Roseton

7.  Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2013: "Dust and Shadow" by Lyndsay Faye

8.  Book I most anticipated in 2013: "Tempest Reborn" by Nicole Peeler

9.  Favourite cover of a book I read in 2013: 

10. Most memorable character in 2013: It's a tie between August Frost ("August Frost") and Don Tillman ("The Rosie Project")

11. Most beautifully written book of 2013: "The Snow Child" by Eowyn Ivey

12. Best book that was out of my comfort zone or was a new genre for me in 2013: "Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide" by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn

13. Book that had the greatest impact on me in 2013: "The Unapologetic Fat Girl's Guide to Exercise and Other Incendiary Acts" by Hanne Blank

14. Book I can't believe I waited until 2013 to FINALLY read: "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

15. Book I read in 2013 that would most likely be reread in 2014: "August Frost" by Monique Roffey

16. Book that had a scene in it that had me reeling and dying to talk to someone about it? (A WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc.  No spoilers!): "Dust and Shadow" by Lyndsay Faye


Some fun stats:
Books completed: 127
Books by male authors: 34
Books by female authors: 93
Fiction: 95
Non-fiction: 32
Children's books: 11
YA books: 3
E-books: 57
Longest book title:
Longest book: "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Big fat books (more than 500 pages): None, my longest book was 496 pages long.
Shortest book: any one of the BBW romance ebooks I read
Re-reads: 2

Although I didn't fully accomplish my Goodreads Reading Challenge, 127 out of 150 isn't bad (that's 10.5 books a month).  Even though I don't like that I couldn't finish it and thought I wouldn't do the challenge again this year, I've decided to put my challenge goal lower than last year.  Knowing that I have intentions to do more adventurous stuff outside of reading, I think 100 could legitimately be a challenge.  I got an iPhone in September and so I now have the Kindle and iBooks apps to take advantage of any unplanned reading time (like waiting for cabs to arrive) and it also gives me access to more e-books than before.  Having whittled down my TBR, I have high hopes for my 2014 reading.  I hope 2014 brings you much great reading too!

Read on,
Paula