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31 December 2013

Top Ten Tuesday #30: Best of 2013 part 2

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week the girls at B&B think up a fun theme, and participating bloggers post their favorite 10 books in that category. This week's theme is

Top Ten Books of 2013
Well, it would be way, way too hard to pick the top 10 overall in 2013 so instead, I'm just going to do a sequel post to the TTT I did earlier this year, which you can read here.

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Let's just get this one out of the way now. I actually did write and read fanfic in college so I absolutely understand and relate to Cath.

2. United We Spy by Ally Carter. I thought this was a really fitting ending to the legacy of the Gallagher Girls, an ending this wonderful series deserved.

3. Scarlet & Cress by Marissa Meyer. I enjoyed Cinder, but adding the new characters and complicating the conflict really added depth to this wonderful series. Is it time for Winter yet?!

4. Shadow & Bone and Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo. This series is incredible. I mean the Grisha Trilogy is simply the textbook definition of epic fantasy. Great character development (including bad boys, good guys, roguish pirates, badA girls, AND delicious flirty princes), fast-paced action, swoony romance, unique mythology, and amazing writing.

5. Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young. Not only does this series have one of my favorite new romances, but it also introduced me to the intriguing concept of the sliding doors device, in which there are two alternate stories being told simultaneously.

6. Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano. This is one of those novels with a really cool retro-future, and it combines that feel with a murder mystery, set against a backdrop of the sky. There's so much going on in this novel, and somehow, Lauren keeps it all straight. Not only is the story interesting, but the characters are well-developed and relatable. I am already wishing for Burning Kingdoms!

7. Pawn by Aimée Carter. Such a cool novel filled with tons of intrigue. I'm very excited by this new series!

8. One & Only by Viv Daniels. This is a superbly written new adult romance. If all romances were written like this, the genre would not receive as much criticism as it does. Well done, Viv!

9. Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris. Super adorable and fun adult romance.

10. Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols. Jenn is one of my top-five all-time favorite authors. Her 2013 ya Dirty Little Secret only misses this list because Playing Dirty is on here instead. This is an adult romance that is slightly steamier than Taste the Heat above, and it was just an absolute joy to read.

Bonus: top 2014 ARCs I've already read

I already mentioned Cress above, but I didn't want to leave out these other wonderful 2014 reads.

Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this way back in September. It's another hit for Jenn. Biggest Flirts is the perfect mix of fun shenanigans, top-notch chemistry between the main characters, and relatable life drama. I loved it!

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill. This is absolutely The Parent Trap mixed with every ice skating movie Disney and ABC Family has ever made, and I love it. It's cheesy and silly and fun and flirty. Loved it!

The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes. I love these ya novels full of hijinks and high school intrigue. It never turns out well for the characters (or at least as they intend their schemes to turn out), but it's SO entertaining to witness!

Infinite by Jodi Meadows. This is one of the most wonderful and complete series enders I've ever read. Full review coming soon, and I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. This is just a really emotional ride, and it's one that is not to be missed!

7 comments:

  1. Great List!! I read the first two books in the Gallagher Girls series this year and love them. I've already purchased the rest of the series and should finish them in 2014. Fangirl made my top ten list as well. I bought Perfect Ruin, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I'm happy to see that it made your top 10.

    Here is my TTT: http://www.jacquesbooknook.blogspot.com/2013/12/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-books-i-read-in.html

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  2. Totally agree with your list!<3 Fangirl was DEFINITELY one of my favourites! Rainbow Rowell writes such fantastic contemporaries.

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  3. Scarlet was SO good. I cannot wait to read Cress!!!

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  4. Perfect Ruin was amazing! I really enjoyed the whole setting and the characters. So much happened in the last few chapters, I can't wait for the next book!

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  5. While I own several of these I haven't read any of them yet! Don't hunt me down, I know I should read them! :)

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  6. Some of those books I still need to read. Scarlet was my favorite and I hope Cress is great too. <3

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  7. Fangirl was one of my top books of 2013, too. I can't decide if I liked it or Eleanor & Park more. Winger was also up there. I haven't read a few of these yet, so I'll have to get on that. I have Pawn all ready to go and I'm really intrigued by Being Sloane Jacobs.

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