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.

My Review

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.  

My Review

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.

My Review

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.

My Review

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?

Best Books of 2013: Volume One

It's that time of the year again, when we all start reflecting on the books that we've read over the year. This year for the first time in ages, I have read under 100 books, with my final total probably being 92, depending on whether or not I actually finish Les Miserables before the 31st.  However, I'm not someone who is particularly bothered by the amount of books I have read, as the important thing is that I've read some awesome books this year.  As per my tradition, I'm going to be highlighting my favourite book read in each month.

My best of 2011 and best of 2012 books can be found here.

January:

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Tender is the Night by F.Scott Fitzgerald

 

I'm technically cheating by picking two books for one month, but there is no way I could separate these two.  A Storm of Swords is my favourite volume from the Song of Ice and Fire series, which I devoured from late 2012 to early 2013.  It's action packed, utterly gripping and got me into fantasy in a big way, which significantly altered my reading habits for the rest of 2013.  On a more personal level, it was a great reading experience as my husband also loves the books, so it led to lots of great discussion.

I read Tender is the Night for the Classics Club readathon after being a bit underwhelmed by The Great Gatsby (sorry,Gatsby fans!).  But this tale of a marriage in decline had all the emotional punch I felt Gatsby lacked, and I found it beautiful yet utterly heart-breaking.  It's my favourite read from my classics club list so far, and now one of my all-time favourite books.

Storm of Swords Review

Tender is the Night Review

February:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I have a feeling my list is going to be classics heavy this year!  This classic was an unexpected delight as Dickens isn't exactly my best friend.  But I found this story set in the French Revolution to be tightly plotted, fast paced and full of surprising little twists.   Dickens writes about the revolution very well and makes you feel part of the anger of the citizens at one moment, and then disgusted with them the next.  And Sydney's storyline was just captivating.  I'm glad I picked this one up, it feels great to have found a Dickens book I truly love.

My Review

March:

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

I read a lot of historical fiction in 2012, but hardly any in 2013.  But the ones I did read were largely excellent; particularly this blend of historical fiction and fairytale.  Forsyth places her Rapunzel in Venice, the daughter of a maker of carnival masks.   The story is told by three women (including the witch herself) and the fairytale is broadened to a living, breathing story.  This is a chunky book, but I just raced through it, and would recommend it to anyone who loves fairytale retellings or historical fiction.  Forsyth's The Wild Girl is excellent too.

My Review

April:

The People of Forever are not Afraid by Shani Boianjiu

April is the month when I read lots of books from the long-list of the Orange Prize/Women's Prize for Fiction.  The People of Forever are Not Afraid is a debut novel about three young girls conscripted into the Israeli army, and at first I was a bit ambivalent about it.  But it's one of those books that has stuck with me throughout the year, as the writing was just so distinctive and blunt.  The book felt a bit disjointed in places but the writing is so brutal and honest, that it more than makes up for it.  I'll definitely be reading anything else that Boianjiu writes.

My Review

May:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Another book that took me by surprise.  I didn't really like Wuthering Heights as a teenager, but I loved it this time around.  I loved the examination of the darker, twisted side of love and the raw emotion that just comes spilling out of the pages.   This book is no fairytale, and the unreliable narrators keep you guessing.  I just love the Brontes.

My Review

June:

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I was pushed into reading this book by the Classics Club spin, and I'm so glad that I was! The unnamed narrator is the new wife of Max de Winter, but she feels haunted by the legacy of her predecessor, Rebecca.  This book has a lot of twists and turns, and certainly kept me guessing, glued to every page.  I liked how the low self-esteem of the narrator was used as a device to keep the reader guessing, and I loved how you're never really sure how to feel about Rebecca herself.

My Review

July:

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Adichie is one of my favourite authors, and she never disappoints.  Americanah is a love story about Ifemulu and Obinze, who meet at secondary school in Nigeria, but are then separated as Ifemulu manages to get a visa to study in America.  But it's more than that - it's a beautifully observed story about race and subtle prejudice and the experience of being a new migrant.  Ifemulu is a wonderful main character and I already can't wait for whatever Adichie publishes next.

My Review

Volume Two will contain my favourites from the months August-December.

Have you read any of these titles?  I'd love to know what you thought of them.