Telling a reader that they MUST pick their favourite book is like giving them full access to a publisher's library and saying no touching the merchandise - IMPOSSIBLE. Just because we are able to narrow the field to the ones that have left lasting impressions on us, it doesn't mean that we love the others any less, or that we wouldn't re-read them for the 20th time.
So in no particular order, here are the top 6 (because 2+0+1+3=6) that consumed my being in 2013. They might have been released earlier, but they were brand new to me this year.
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay - I still don't have anything to say that would come even close to describing the amount of adoration I have for this story. It's gorgeous, funny, poignant, sad, heart-breaking, and faith-restoring. If I wasn't worried about bending the covers, I would sleep with it under my pillow.
Shark Bait by Jenn Cooksey - I held a baby hammerhead shark so I could say that I could have been shark bait; so I could somehow have a deeper connection to this book. I'm so dedicated to the entire Grab Your Pole series that I created a head-board out of cut-out letters that said #TEAM TRISTAN. Sure the cast of characters is a bit younger than the average 'NA' read, but it's by no means YA. It's you-might-actually-pee-your-pants funny. It's standing-in-sauna-in-the-summer hot. It's E=MC2-is-easy smart.
Left Drowning by Jessica Park - That fucking 70%! This book took a spoon and carved my heart out. Then it decided that hey! she (meaning I) might be getting off easy, so let's kick her in the guts, smack her around a few times, and then for the sheer joy of killing my soul, twist that damn spoon. It finally decided to take pity on me, but not before it made sure that my outlook on the world had changed just a tad bit. That I believed in something greater...
The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher - Have you ever told someone to do something, knowing that they might hate you afterwards? This is what two of my friends did to me. After being told to read this book countless times, I finally relented. When I finished, I was stuck on an island with no wifi to download the second book. For three days, I cursed them. I hated them. I loved them because I loved this book that I hated with such passion. The ugliness of the characters was too much to bare. It was too real.
Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover - You know what ugly crying is? No? Well, read Losing Hope. I read Hopeless, and loved it beyond anything but Losing Hope kicked it's ass back to Sunday. Yeah - I did write that.
Unteachable by Leah Raeder - This book could have stopped at 17%, and I would still place it on a pedestal right until the day I stop reading. I don't know how to compliment authors, but this one wrote a beautifully descriptive story like Katja Millay and with pure human honesty like Tarryn Fisher.
Honourable mentions also go to...
Making Faces by Amy Harmon - For leaving me absolutely speechless. No words in the English language can do this story justice. If you haven't read it yet, I'll shed a few tears for you tonight.
Must Love Otters by Eliza Gordon - For including $100 dollar bills that smell like maple syrup. This hilarious story that defies book categories is an absolute must-read.
Nocturne by Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan-Miles - I would die a thousand literary deaths if I could read this story for the first time again.
Consequences by Aleatha Romig - I don't do surprises. Mostly because I can guess what the surprise is before it actually happens. But this book caught me so off guard, I had to read reviews just to make sure I read the right book.
AND NOW A VERY ELUSIVE LIST....
Only a few books made this one - BOOKS THAT I'VE READ MORE THAN 10 TIMES IN 2013.
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Slammed by Colleen Hoover
Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park
Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan
The Vincent Boys and The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines
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