Dec 23, 2013

Top 10 of 2013: Best Books I've Read in 2013!

 
I loved this event the last couple of years, so of course I had to participate again.
 
This event is hosted by Rachel @ Fiktshun, Jaime @ Two Chicks on Books & Mindy @ Magical Urban Fantasy Reads.
 
For more detailed info about this event & to join (you still have time to join), check out the post HERE.
 
  
Today's theme is Best Books I've Read in 2013.
 
 
I had trouble with this theme the previous 2 years, but nothing like this year. Why? Because this year I've been catching up & finishing all of those amazing series, so you can imagine how tough it is now, with all of those amazing books I've read this year, that they all deserve the recognition for their awesomeness, so even though I kept to only 10 in both 2011 & 2012, even without any honorable mentions, this year I'm totally cheating, and there will probably be more than a few honorable mentions, although of course even then, I won't mention all the books that I should.
 
    

Best Books I've Read in 2013:


#1 - The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

  
The Crimson Crown is the last book in one of the most amazing YA epic fantasy series Seven Realms, and it was the perfect finale to the series, and definitely one of the best series ending books, as well as one of the best books I've read! If you still haven't tried the Seven Realms series, you must, I can't recommend them enough!
 

#2 - The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud


Every once in a while, there's this hidden gem that you got approved on NetGalley & you almost would have missed it, because you didn't have the time to read it, and that's what almost happened to me with The Screaming Staircase, the first book in Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood & Co. series. But, I read it at the final moment before it expired, and I was totally blown away. When it comes to MG books, I expect them to be fun & to be set in an interesting world, and this book was all that, but it was also so much more. The characters were lovable, it was eerie & creepy, the story was absolutely amazing, and I was absolutely blown away by this book, and I can't wait for the next!


#3 - The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

  
If you know me, you're probably not surprised by seeing this book on my list ;) After all, it's Neil Gaiman. But, The Ocean at the End of the Lane definitely deserves the place on this top 10 as one of the best books I've read this year, because it was so lovely & amazing & brilliant & sad, even a little bit scary, and it's one of those books that stays with you long after you've read them.
 

#4 - The Creeps by John Connolly

  
The Creeps is the final book in the Samuel Johnson Tales/Samuel Johnson vs. the Devil trilogy. I adored the previous 2 books in the trilogy, but the last one The Creeps was absolutely the best one. It was amazing & hilarious & horrific, and John Connolly totally broke my heart, too, but in the end it was the perfect ending for my favorite characters, and I loved every second of it, and I can't recommend it enough!


#5 - Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

  
I actually read Cinder this year, too, and although I loved it, the book that got me totally hooked on the series was Scarlet. I loved all the characters, the story, the world, the writing style, I just loved everything about it, and it was definitely one of the best books I read this year!


#6 - Hot Blooded by Amanda Carlson

  
Even though I read the prequel novella Blooded, as well as the 3 following books Full Blooded, Hot Blooded & Cold Blooded this year, and I loved them all, the book that's my most fav in the Jessica McClain series & that just had to make it on my list is the 2nd one Hot Blooded. It was like the perfect mix of urban fantasy & epic fantasy, and it was full of twists & turns, it was action-packed, entertaining, kick-ass, intriguing, fast-paced, adventurous, suspenseful, just full of awesomeness, and I can't recommend the series enough!


#7 - John Cleaver trilogy by Dan Wells

 
I'm totally cheating on this one, but if you've read this trilogy, you'll know why I can't choose only one book. I adore John Cleaver as a character, he's definitely one of my favs & always will be, and everything he went through in I Am Not A Serial Killer, Mr. Monster & I Don't Want to Kill You, I see it as one story, his story, and I loved every second of it, and I can't recommend it enough. These books will always be on my alltime favs list, and I can't believe I've waited so long to read them!

 
#8 - The Darkest Seduction by Gena Showalter

   
If someone told me that I'll love this book so much, and that I would be blown away by it, I wouldn't have believed it. I mean, I love the Lords of the Underworld series, and I love Gena Showalter's books, she's my #1 fav author when it comes to paranormal romance, but still this book was a pleasant & mind-blowing surprise, and I loved every second of it. Paris & Sienna got the perfect story, they're perfect for each other, and I also loved where Gena took the overall storyline, I definitely wasn't expecting that, and it's one of the reasons why this book made it on my Top 10 list, and it's definitely the best LotU book so far, and I can't wait to read more :)

 
#9 - The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis

  
I finally read The Storyteller, and it was everything that everyone said it was & more. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, even though this book is contemporary, it's also quite magical. Antonia Michaelis's writing style was absolutely amazing, and she has woven a tale that will captivate you, but it will also break you heart, and it's one of those books that will stay with you long after you've finished them.


#10 - Vicious by V. E. Schwab

  
Vicious is the last addition to my top 10 list. I actually planned to put another book on this list, but while I was reading this one, I knew it will get replaced by this one, and it totally did. First of all, I have to mention, that I love Victoria Schwab's writing style & imagination. I love that all of her books so far are so different, yet amazingly imaginative, and her writing style is so beautiful, and she totally blew me away with Vicious. I'd say something I never did before, she reminds me of Neil Gaiman's writing style & imagination. Just like his stories, her stories so far are brilliant & so imaginative, yet so unique & different, and yet you know they're written by her, that's why I love her books so much, and I hope she'll decide to write a sequel to this book, because I definitely want more!


Honorable Mentions:


 
- The School for Good & Evil by Soman Chainani - beautiful & brilliant world-building, lovable characters, magical, surprising, funny, entertaining & heartbreaking, a book that every fantasy & fairy-tale-like fan would love.

 
- The Storm (The Fury #2) by Alexander Gordon Smith - awesome, suspenseful, amazing, thrilling, terrifying, horrifying, brilliant & heartbreaking, one freaktastic mind-blowing book! By the way, originally planned as duology, this year it was re-published as only The Fury, so if you have the 2013 new cover edition, that's the complete book, containing both The Fury & The Storm. I own the 2012 edition of The Fury with the different cover, so I had to get the kindle ebook of the sequel The Storm to see how it will end, but everything I said about The Storm, it pertains to The Fury, too. I technically started The Fury at the end of 2012 & finished it at the beginning of 2013, so it doesn't count for this list, but The Storm it totally does, definitely one of the best books I've read, so I can't recommend it enough.
 
 
- The Enchanter Heir (The Heir Chronicles #4) by Cinda Williams Chima - an intriguing tale of magic, mystery, music, action, suspense, heartbreak & romance, filled with amazing characters & set in an amazing world. It seems that the sequel The Sorcerer Heir is postponed to 2015, and the waiting is killing me, but I know that in the end it will be worth it, because I know that Cinda Williams Chima will do again what she did with her Seven Realms series, and give us the perfect conclusion to the series :)
 
 
- Midnight Blue-Light Special (InCryptid #2) by Seanan McGuire - Midnight Blue-Light Special was the perfect sequel to Discount Armageddon, and the perfect wrap up to Verity Price's story for now. I adore the series, and this amazing book made me fall in love with it even more! The next 2 books will feature Verity's brother Alex, and I can't wait! The world in these books is fantastic, I adore all the characters (main & secondary), and I know I'll never get enough of them all, so I can't recommend it enough!
 
 
 
- The Blood (Morpheus Road #3) by D. J. MacHale - quite an adventure-filled journey, full of action, thrills, twists & turns, fun & heartbreak, and one amazing & perfect conclusion to the trilogy, so I had to mention it.
 
 
- Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5) by Gail Carriger - another last book in the series honorable mention. Timeless is the best book in the series, and I loved every second of it, and it was the perfect conclusion to the series, too. Highly entertaining, full of twists & turns, (at one point I was both crying & laughing - something I wouldn't have thought it's possible, and I don't meant I was crying from happiness or laughing), so yeah, both heartbreaking & laugh-out-loud funny, and I can't wait for the spin-off series :)
 
 
- A Witch Alone (Winter Trilogy #3) by Ruth Warburton - and the last final-book-in-a-series honorable mention, the finale of the Winter Trilogy - A Witch Alone. It was fast-paced, exciting, with lots of twists & turns, action, mystery, thrills, danger, magic, romance & heartbreak, and you should be ready for one emotional & heartbreaking roller coaster ride. I highly recommend this lovely trilogy of magic, love, friendship & sacrifice.


Ok, so that's it. I can definitely go on & on, I have a lot of other amazing books I'd love to mention, but I'll stop myself now.

35 comments:

  1. So many people loved Scarlet and I have yet to get started on that series! Hopefully soon. Great list!

    Teresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You must try it soon, it's amazing & so addicting :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. Lovely list! I love Scarlet! Unfortunately I haven't read a lot of the other ones, but I've got Vicious lined up to read soon and I do plan on checking Gena Showalter soon too! I also need to finish Timeless, I love that series!
    Thanks for sharing, happy holiday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you'll enjoy Vicious :) as well as Gena's books, they're always entertaining, and you must finish the Parasol Protectorate, too :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. Great Top 10!! I haven't read any of these books, but I've heard great things about some of them! Thanks for stopping by my Top 10 @ Addicted Readers, and I look forward to following you through the week! :D Happy Holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I read Cinder and Scarlet this year too! I haven't been completely hooked on the series yet, but I'm hoping Cress will do that. :) I really need to read a Victoria Schwab book. I just keep hearing awesome things about her and her books, and I want to see for myself what's so great.

    Great list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope Cress will get you hooked, I've heard it's even better then Scarlet :)

      And I hope you'll enjoy Victoria Schwab's books when you get to them :)

      Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  5. HAH! Every year you make me want to read even more books than I already do. SHAME ON YOU, I can't afford that!

    I liked Paris and Sienna's books, too, but I don't think as much as you did? :'D Not sure what my favourite Showalter book even is, to be honest. o_O I'll probably spend the night pondering that, so thanks for THAT, too. LOL

    No, just kidding. LOVE your list, despite the fact that it'll bring me even more financial ruin. ;)))

    /hugs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahaha to be honest I can't afford that, too :) Half of these were galleys from NetGalley or books I've won ;)

      I can't say what's my fav Showalter book, too, this one is my most fav Lords of the Underworld book. I think it's maybe because it has been almost 2 years since I read a LotU book, and I had changed my mind about Paris so many times through the series, so I wasn't expecting to love it so much, so I got surprised by that, and by where she decided to take the series story :)

      I hope that if you read some of these books, you'll enjoy them :)

      Thanks for stopping by, Patricia ^_^

      Delete
  6. Interesting selection. I actually found that I liked Cold-Blooded more than Hot-Blooded. I have not gotten the chance to read Vicious yet. Good selection.

    Grace
    Books of Love
    http://gracebooksoflove.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved Cold Blooded, too :) but Hot Blooded is my most fav :) Probably because it reminded me on those epic quests or adventures in epic fantasy ;) I hope you'll enjoy Vicious :)

      Thanks for stopping by, Grace :)

      Delete
  7. Great List! I NEED to read Cinder an Scarlet, they soud so good!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Chloe, and yeah, they were so amazing, you must read them :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  8. I read Cinder and loved it and for some reason I haven't picked up Scarlet yet which I'm sure I'm going to love as well. Awesome list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I hope you'll get to Scarlet soon :)

      And thanks for stopping by1

      Delete
  9. Awesome list! Thanks so much for taking part in the Top 10 of 2013! Looking forward to seeing the rest of your Top 10’s :D
    Hugs,
    Jaime @ Two Chicks On Books

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jaime :) Thank you for hosting & thanks for stopping by :D

      Delete
  10. So many of those are on my TBR list, but I have yet to read any of them yet. I'm glad you enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman is a literary genius, and I desperately want to read that one! Thanks for sharing your list! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you'll enjoy them when you get to them, especially The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and I totally agree, Neil Gaiman is genius 7 almost all of his books are brilliant!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  11. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a fantastic book. I also love the Soulless series! Great picks. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I really need to read The Oceans at the End of the Lane (Kaity's been bugging me about it), The Screaming Staircase, and The School for Good and Evil. Great picks, Aleksandra!

    Ariella @ Secrets of Lost Words

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, yeah, you should listen to Kaity! I hope you'll love it as much as we both did, and I hope you'll read & enjoy The School for Good & Evil, and The Screaming Staircase.

      Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  13. Ooohhh Scarlet! I need to read that one. I just barely read Cinder which almost made my list. Sooo many good books! Thanks for stopping by My Top 10!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You definitely must read it :) It's even better than Cinder :)

      Thanks for stopping back, Jen :)

      Delete
  14. Scarlet was amazing! So freaking excited for Cress, everyone's raving about it. I haven't read any of the others on your list but some of them are on my TBR and I hope I'll get to them soon.
    Thanks for stopping by :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, I'm so excited about it, I'm dying here...

      I hope you'll get to them soon & enjoy them :)

      Thanks for stopping back!

      Delete
  15. I'm definitely planning on reading Cinda Willams Chima's work next year- and I have The School for Good and Evil and Scarlet and can't wait to read them. Thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yay, I hope you'll enjoy Chima's books, I love them so much!
    And I hope you'll enjoy Scarlet & the School for Good & Evil :)
    Thanks for visiting back!

    ReplyDelete
  17. But but I LOVED The School for Good and Evil! I definitely had a few of these I read this past year and enjoyed them as well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I know you did :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  18. The Storyteller was on my list last year. I definitely agree with your assessment. Even a year later I can't think of it without my heart breaking just a bit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, definitely one of those rare books :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete