Monday 30 December 2013

Best Books of 2013: Volume Two

As a way of reflecting on my reading year, I've been picking out my favourite reads from each month. In Volume One, I highlighted my picks for the months January through July, which included a lot of classics.  On with the latter half of the year:

August:
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan


I just love a good children's series, so it's always exciting for me when I discover a new one.  Beside the obvious pick of Harry Potter, other existing favourites of mine include the Inkheart series and His Dark Materials.  I ordered myself a Percy Jackson box-set in August, and simply devoured all five books during my summer holidays.  Percy is a demi-God, the son of a Greek God, and he gets into all sorts of adventures inspired by Greek mythology.  This series is simply loads of fun, and if you like children's literature, you'll probably love it just as much as I did.


September:
Z by Therese Anne Fowler


Tender is the Night was my January pick, so it shouldn't surprise anyone to see that I read more about the Fitzgeralds. I thought Z was a sympathetic, balanced portrait of Zelda Fitzgerald and her struggle to be seen as something more than F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife.  Fowler writes Zelda as full of life and vitality, and she jumps right off the page.  This portrayal of the Fitzgerald marriage was masterfully done and the book was very touching in places.



October:
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood


I've been meaning to read Oryx and Crake for years, and this year I finally did it.  And it was even better than I hoped it would be.  Atwood's dystopian vision of the future is scarily believable and the story is gripping from the initial chapters.  I rushed through this in two days flat and can not wait to read the remaining two books in the trilogy.  



November:
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter


Another book that I've been meaning to get to for years, and another instant favourite.  Carter retells some of the most famous fairytales in a dark and more adult way, adding in-depth characterisation and suspense.  The title story is genuinely creepy and all of the stories are written in beautiful prose.  Even better, Carter manages to create the fairytale enchanted yet dark forest atmosphere perfectly.  I don't know why I waited so long to read this one.



December:
My Promised Land by Ari Shavit


December was a hard month to pick a book for, as I spent the vast majority of it reading Les Miserables, which sadly will not become a favourite.  But I did manage to squeeze in this fabulous non-fiction book about the creation of and history of Israel, told mixed with the author's personal experiences and those of his family.  It's a great example of high quality writing in a non-fiction book and does a good job at remaining balanced, something that's rare indeed in books about Israel.  The complicated issues aren't over-simplified and it left me with lots to think about.



All in all, 2013 was a good reading year.  Now that I've been blogging for a few years, I was able to take a step back from review copies and new releases and simply read what I wanted to read, when I wanted to read it.  My reading did take a nose-dive during the second half of the year, but I'm well back on reading form now and looking forward to 2014.  How was your reading year?

23 comments:

  1. I'm glad you had a good reading year, Sam. Looking back now, I started blogging on 1st of January this year (blogoversary is coming up!) and I've learnt so much and made several bookish friends (sadly none of such people exist in my "real life") and your blog has been one of my favourites from the beginning, so thank you for that! I also went through a big slump in summer, the time my grandmother died, but the second half of the year has been a lot better and I'm hoping to be even more knowledgeable and intelligent reader in 2014.

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    1. Happy 1st blogoversary for tomorrow! Blogging has really enriched my life too, I love meeting people that love books as much as I do, and I always enjoy visiting your blog :)
      I'm glad you're feeling a lot stronger now and hope you read lots of great books in 2014!

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  2. I wish I had read half as many good books as you this year! :')
    Still, I can't believe you dislike Les Misérables, especially considering yours is the most beautiful copy I've ever seen... but then I'm the girl who used to passionately hate Jane Austen, so maybe my opinion doesn't count for too much.

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    1. I didn't dislike Les Miserables, it just won't be a favourite or a book I can ever see myself reading. But it did have good points!
      And I'm so happy to see you blogging again, I was wondering where you had got to....

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  3. My approach to reading this year has been similar to yours...trying to read books that I really wanted to read rather than worrying too much about keeping up with new releases and review copies. I have a copy of The Bloody Chamber on my shelf which I was planning to read in January, so I'm excited to see that it's on your list of favourites!

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    1. Oh, you're going to love Bloody Chamber, I can't wait to read your thoughts on it!

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  4. I'm so excited by this list! I'm tickled that you enjoyed The Bloody Chamber so much (it's one of my faves), and I'm determined to try more Atwood in 2014...specifically Oryx and Crake!

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    1. I think Oryx and Crake is definitely an Andi book, I can see you loving it!

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  5. I'm enjoying everyone's else s list - so many interesting books to be picked up and read in 2014.

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    1. Me too, if only I had time to read all the books I keep seeing on other blogger's lists....

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  6. All lovely (and feminist) readings.

    To a happy 2014!

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  7. I like how you've broken out your favorites by month. I loved Oryx and Crake and can't wait to read MaddAddam. Also found Percy Jackson surprisingly good! On your other list, I also liked The People of Forever, although I struggled with it too. Still, it's really stayed in my head. Happy New Year!

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    1. Yeah, I thought Percy Jackson was going to be trashy, but it was actually very good. I like it when books surprise me like that....

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  8. Why have I never read Angela Carter or the MaddAddam trilogy? Goals for 2014!! Happy New Years!

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    1. I think you would love them both, especially Angela Carter. Hope you do get a chance to read them in 2014, and happy new year to you & your family :)

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  9. My Promised Land is on my wishlist. I don't think I've read any Atwood books yet even though I own Year of the Flood, which I found later to be book two of the trilogy.

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    1. Year of the Flood is the one book from the trilogy I don't own, between us we have a full set! Hope you enjoy My Promised Land, it's well worth picking up if you get a chance.

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  10. I have some Angela Carter on my shelf but have not read her. She intimidates me! I should get over that :-)

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    1. I was a bit intimidated by Carter too but I shouldn't have been - the stories were easy to read and very engaging.

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  11. Looking over both of your posts you have read some great books in 2013. Here's to 2014 being as good if not better.

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  12. The Bloody Chamber has been a favourite of mine for so long. Oddly though, I'm actually really intimidated by her other works!

    I'm pleased you've had a good reading year (even a nose-dive is necessary every so often!) and I hope this year is the same and filled with loads of exciting and wonderful things :)

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  13. The Atwood is one of my favorites, and I love Carter! Great picks. I really need to read that Zelda book!

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