My Favorite Favorites of 2013

All month the interwebs have been aflutter with the best books of the year list. PW has one. So does EW. And of course there was #libfaves13 on Twitter.

This got me thinking about the books I loved this year. So here goes (in no particular order)

1. Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown because sometimes we just need to shed our clothes and act out our inner tiger.

2. How to Negotiate Everything by Lisa Lutz and Jamie Temairik which is my new guide to life.

3. Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston is probably the only book in the work to make you care and root for a teenage terrorist. The tension made me ill. Excellent and haunting on audio.

4. Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner might be the only historical dystopian worth reading.

5. With or Without You by Domenica Ruta puts the fun and heartbreak in dysfunctional family.

6. Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal is as grown-up fairy tale/ thriller narrated by the ghost of Jacob Grimm.

7. Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin because there is no better book about a secret pizza party.

8. If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizen has a heartbreaking romance between two teen girls in

Tehran

9. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau is the closest read-alike to The Hunger Games that I’ve found..

10. The Tao of Martha by Jen Lancaster inspired me to be better organized and to have my own Crocktoberfest.

11. You Are One of Them by Elliott Holt turned friendship during the Cold War into something mysterious and cool.

12. Doll Bones by Holly Black reminded me of Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

13. Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin is a beautiful story of an intersex boy discovering his true identity.

14. Maya’s Notebook by Isabel Allende had me hooked into this literary mystery/ coming-of-age story from page one.

15. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan was the most beautiful and true book I have read this year. Everyone on the planet needs to read it.

16. The Universe Vs. Alex Woods by Gavin Extence was made for fans of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. 

17. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight = Gossip Girl + Gone Girl

18. Relish by Lucy Knisley wins the award for best illustrated cookbook memoir.

19. Nobody by Us by  Kristin Halbrook = Romeo and Juliet + Bonnie and Clyde

20. Ask the Passengers by A.S. King was another gem in a glorious year of gay ya. I still want Astrid as my bff.

Of course I read many more books than this, like 200 more (but 1/4 of those were picture books and 1/4 were audio books during my commute/ house cleaning times) and I could have picked more that I loved (or hated). All of these make great last minute gifts if you know a reader (young or old).

What were your favorite favorites of 2013?