Book Crushin’s Best of 2013 –
Tis the Season for Best of Lists, Part 2
Well 2013 is almost over and since we didn’t do our year-end polling and big giveaway this holiday season, We figured we at least have to sum up our best books of 2013! Don’t fret about the giveaways…we decided since there were so many blogs doing December giveaways that we would do our big splash in the New Year! So stayed tuned! We summed up our top 5 favorites that we read in 2013 & the top 5 we wished we got around to reading this year. Today, Shannon’s choices!
Shannon’s 2013 Year in Review:
It’s strange we started this blog in 2012 and it really got going in 2013 yet I’ve somehow read way less books! 50 this year compared to 65 last year. That is a steep decline I cannot abide by! I blame a cross-country move, job change and a health scare for my 2013 back-slide but my 2014 goal is to get back in top reading form. However, that did not deter me from devouring some amazing books this year. In fact 2013 found me embracing the New Adult genre with all my gusto! Picking a top 5 will not be easy but I will try so without further ado….
Top 5 Read in 2013:
1. Origin by Jennifer Armentrout – It’s no secret that I stan hardcore for the J-Arm. Pretty much anything girlfriend puts out is going to tickle my fantasy but it is her alien/human love story that plays out in the Lux series that revs this fan-girls heart. Every book in the series so far has been gold but it was the heart-stopping action, the toe curling love story and that jaw dropping ending, that keep me wanting more and more of this series.
Amazon Links: Obsidian, Onyx, Opal, Origin
2. The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead – Like Kelly, I am a huge monster fan of The Bloodlines series. In fact it may have edged out The Vampire Academy as my fave Richelle Mead series. This probably has something to do with my favorite character the incomparable Adrian Ivashkov. This series continues to get better and better and I for one cannot wait for more adventures in 2014.
Amazon Links: Bloodlines, The Golden Lily, The Indigo Spell, The Fiery Heart
3. Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker – It’s no secret what a huge fan I am of this book. You can read all my gushing here. There isn’t much more to say that I didn’t fawn over in my review suffice to say this book has a ton of heart and that it was why it is firmly in my top 5 list this year.
Amazon Link: Ten Tiny Breaths, One Tiny Lie, Four Seconds to Lose
4. Faking it (Losing It #2) by Cora Carmack – The Losing It series has emerged as one of my favorite NA series around. In fact it should be the benchmark that all other NA titles hold themselves too. While I loved Losing it 1 and 3 it was good guy Cade that really stole my heart this year. If you haven’t read these books yet, make it the top of your TBR list in 2014 you won’t be sorry.
Amazon Links: Losing It, Faking It, Finding It
5. Lovely Vicious by Sara Wolf – Never have I been so enamored with a new author’s book like I have been with the stupidly awesome Lovely Vicious by Sara Wolf. Weeks later and I am still thinking about this little gem of a book. The sharp-tongued Isis Blake has emerged as one of my favorite new YA characters. I urge you to pick up this book and see what all my fuss is about.
Amazon Link: Lovely Vicious
Top 5 Books I Wished I Read in 2013:
1) The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead – No shocker here, well if you count that fact that this is one of my favorite series and I neglected to read it in 2013! No worries though it’s cued up to be one of my first reads of 2014.
Amazon Link: The Fiery Heart
2) The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey – This is one of those books I could kick myself for not reading. It was firmly on many must read lists in 2013 but sadly I just never found the time. With over 30,000 ratings on Goodreads with a strong 4.5 star rating I plan on reading this one early in 2014.
Amazon Link: The Fifth Wave
3) World After (Penryn and the End of Days 
#2) by Susan Ee – Considering how I literally refreshed Susan Ee’s blog for any and all news on when this sequel would be released it’s shocking I never got to it in 2013. However, I will be rectifying this immediately. If you haven’t read Angelfall book 1 in this series, I implore you to do so immediately, if you need a reason why, check out my original Goodreads review.
Amazon Links: Angelfall, World After
4) The Cornerstone Series by Misty Provencher – When your best friend and fellow blogger raves about not only a series but it’s supremely cool author you think I’d make the time to get it read but sadly that was not the case. I plan on diving into not only Cornerstone but the whole series in 2014 so I can see what my dear Kelly has been raving about all year!
Amazon Links: Cornerstone
5) Sweet Peril (Sweet Trilogy #2) by Wendy Higgins – I still can’t believe I never read the sequel to Sweet Evil one of the best YA books I’ver ever read. I know, bonehead move on my part. But fear not, Kai and his unholy hotness will be burning up my iPad in 2014 you can believe it.
Amazon Link: Sweet Peril
So there you have it my Top 5’s of 2013! I’d love to read your comments and find out your top 5 read (or top 5 to read) in the comments. I certainly cannot wait to dive into 2014 and share with you all the exciting books we come across in the New Year. Happy reading 🙂
