The Ten Best of 2013

2013!!! Am I right?!
What a great year for reading. I certainly enjoyed it.

I completed my goal of reading thirty books in 2013 and I couldn't more proud of myself! Out of all those novels here are my ten favorites in no particular order because they were all incredible.

If you read any of these books, definitely read ALL OF THEM. They're all funny, well written and you'll learn a lot after reading them.

If you've seen this post, you'll recognize some of these novels.

(Links to reviews of the novels are on my blog to the right.)

Drumroll, please, as you enter to see my favorite novels of the past year...

Books I've Read in 2013

I didn't keep track in 2012, but I feel that 2013 was a really good year for my reading habit. I set a new record for myself. I read forty book this year! I'll do better next year. I tried to determine what I read in what month based off my posts and what I remember. It only occurred to me after I was well past my goal to write down what I read in what month. I can say that before April is mostly guessing, but after April is completely accurate.

And here is it: all the books I read in 2013! 

RIP Ned Vizzini

Yesterday, we lost Ned Vizzini, a great, promising young author and television writer. I had the pleasure to read two of his many novels, It's Kind of a Funny Story and Be More Chill my freshman year of college. They brought a lot of joy, humor and reality into my unusual first year at college. I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to review them on here, but they're wonderful, funny books. I think everyone should read them, especially It's Kind of a Funny Story. I'm sorry he had to leave us so soon. My prayers to his family and friends. He will be missed, very much. 

Rest in peace, Ned Vizzini. 

Update #13: The Last Update of 2013

I know you're probably SO tired of seeing updates on my blog. I think a good majority of my posts for this year have been updates. I know it sucks and I don't like writing them over writing reviews, but I don't want it to go unexplained why I haven't been posting regularly. 

The main reason is finals have been kicking my ass. I haven't had a minute to myself since Thanksgiving weekend. I have had NO time. I've been writing papers since the first week of December. I've only been able to read on the way to school because as soon as I get home I go straight into working on papers. 

I've decided Doomed By Chuck Palahniuk will be the last book I read in 2013. It's unfortunate that I won't be completing my goal of reading fifty books this year. However, I did complete my first which was to read thirty books this year. I would've loved to read more books this year, but as soon as school started my leisure time stopped. I only read one book in November. It really sucks, but next year hopefully I'll complete my goal of reading fifty books. Maybe when finals are over and I start my Christmas break, I'll read a couple more books. For now, I just want to finish Doomed, the semester and relax. I don't think I'll want to read anything after school ends because I just feel like I'll want to give my brain a rest. If I do end up reading more books, those will be revealed in my end of the year post. So stay tuned. 

I hope your last month of 2013 has been easier than mine and I hope whatever book you're reading is enjoyable!

Reading List!: December 2013

It's the moment of truth. The last month of the year and I'm still eleven books short of my goal. This December I've got two weeks of school and the rest of the month is all mine.

The books I plan to read are: 

Avalon High by Meg Cabot 

Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk 

Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot 

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 

Jinx by Meg Cabot

The next author I've decided to marathon read is Meg Cabot, hence why three of her books are on my reading list. She's one of my favorite authors and I want to read all the novels she's written. It's even better that she has a lot of series because I love reading series. 

I know there's only five books on my list and I still have eleven more to go, but I'll find six more books to read easily. 

Wish me luck! 

naked by David Sedaris

“Welcome to the hilarious, strange, elegiac, outrageous world of David Sedaris. In Naked, Sedaris turns the current mania for the memoir on its proverbial ear, mining the exceedingly rich terrain of his life, his family, and his unique worldview-- a sensibility at once take-no-prisoners sharp and deeply charitable. A tart-tongued mother does dead-on imitations of her young son's nervous tics, to the great amusement of his teachers; a stint of Kerouackian wandering is undertaken (of course!) with a quadriplegic companion; a family gathers for wedding in the face of imminent death. Through it all is Sedaris's unmistakable voice, without doubt one of the freshest in American writing.”

I didn't get to add Naked to my post featuring Jim Gaffigan, Mike Birbiglia and Paul Feig, but I think that was OK because this novel deserves its own post.

Update #12

I thought it was frustrating (and I still am frustrated) when I couldn't find the final book of the Sophie Katz mystery series by Kyra Davis at the library, but I've found a new reason to be even more frustrated.

Last week I requested a book that claimed to have plays by Tennessee Williams. My intention was to read A Streetcar Named Desire and it was convenient to have other Tennessee Williams plays in the same books. However, I checked the book out of the library, only to discover that it only contains Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I even double checked to see if I had flipped through the pages too quickly, I didn't. Now I have to return the book because at the moment I'm not ready to read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It may seem like a trivial reason to be upset, but I never read A Streetcar Named Desire in high school and I'd like to read the play before I see the 1951 film. I'm just going to find it online; thank glob for the internet.

On the other hand, I'm really enjoying reading Naked by David Sedaris. I think that's the only book on my November reading list that I'm actually reading. (There will be a review of Naked soon.) I decided that I'm not going to finish that book I've been assigned in my class. I saw some girl brought it into class and it's a thick book; I'm not even interested in the plot. I also returned all the Sookie Stackhouse novels I checked out. I've had them for weeks and I never opened them; I just haven't had the time. I'm really not happy about that. I'm sorry that post was such a total lie. Here's an updated version:

Naked by David Sedaris

Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk 

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

I'm most excited to read Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk; it's the sequel to Damned which I absolutely love! Check out my review! If I finish these novels quickly, maybe I can fit in three extra books into the month. Here's hoping!

Anyway, wish me luck with my reading quest as I wish you luck in your reading and everything else in your life. Hopefully it's not as hectic as mine.

Just Keep Reading!!!