Top 20 Reads of 2013

Those of us on the west coast are still waiting for 2014 to ring in. And as I wait, I will quickly finish up this post I've been meaning to put up for the past several days. Let's hope next year involves less procrastination, yeah?

If you read my very-detailed post on everything I read in 2013, then you'll remember that I read nearly 130 books. Because of this relativity large quantity, I'm allowing 20 books to be chosen in this list of Favorite Reads of 2013.

Some notes on this post before I dive in:

• only new reads of 2013 will be included (this will keep all-time favorites from reappearing on every list)
• favorites will be split into categories based on genre
• other than the genre categories, the list is completely at random (i.e. I don't want to make the difficult decision of listing in any other order)

I love making lists such as these. So I hope you enjoy.


**all book cover photos are courtesty of Goodreads

December 2013 Reading Update

I can't believe this is the last reading update for 2013.

Time flies by too quickly.

For December. I spent most of this month rereading the entire Harry Potter series, so there wasn't much in terms of other novels.

However, I was able to finish off a few new novels that I have been meaning to read for quite some time.

I'll keep this reading update short and sweet since there are a couple more book posts left to post before the year is up.

As usual, links will be provided.
All photos below are courtesy of Goodreads.

2014 Book Releases I'm Excited For

While I love reading classics alongside tried-and-true favorites, it's always enjoyable to keep up with what's new in the book world. So rather than do what I did last year and provide a dry list of books I want to read in the upcoming year, I'm going to list new 2014 book releases that I'm excited for.

Some of the following books are sequels to ones I haven't even read the first installments of. That aside, sometimes I like putting off books until the release date of its sequel is nearer so I don't have to wait. So, in my mind, it's still exciting to remember these dates.

As I'm aware I have the tendency to ramble on, I'll stop here.

Links are provided (as usual). All photos are courtesy of Goodreads. Some books I mention don't have their covers and/or titles released yet.

And finally, here is my list of most highly anticipated book releases of 2014, ordered by release dates.

November 2013 Reading Update

I love November. It's the month when the holiday season begins, families gather, and the weather (in CA) finally gets cooler.

This past month has been another decent month of reading. I don't post as often on this blog anymore, but if there are two things about me that have never and will never change it's that
1. I will always be reading, and
2. I always want to talk about what I'm reading.

So, if you enjoy these monthly updates, fear not, because they are unlikely to stop in the near future.



(This entire reading update is spoiler free and all photos below are courtesy of Goodreads.)

August & September 2013 Reading Update

Another two-month collaborative reading update!

I apologize for my lack of updates lately. I have no real excuse other than life itself. I started a new job and I find myself much more drained. I'm still adjusting. Hopefully there will be more frequent posts in the future.

For the months of August and September, much of what I read was fairly random. I read some new releases, reread some old favorites, and finished a few books that I've had lying around my room for quite some time.

Enough with the intros. Let's get into the update!

(All photos below are coutesy of Goodreads)

The Casual Vacancy: A Book Review

There will be NO SPOILERS in this review. Enjoy! (:

When I heard that JK Rowling would be releasing a new adult book I was ecstatic. It wasn't until two weeks before the release of The Casual Vacancy that the thought of disappointment even occurred to me. Until then I assumed the book would be a hit and that it would be a new love. So when I finally got the book in my hands, I was all kinds of anxious.

I finished the book a few days ago, but was finding difficulty in putting concrete words down. I still don't feel like I've reached the point that I can accurately assess what I think about every aspect of The Casual Vacancy, but I'm hoping that in forcing myself to write this book review, I can come to some sort of conclusion.

So as you can probably guess, this book review will probably be more of ramblings on my thoughts as I read The Casual Vacancy and less "review-like." If you really don't want to read through all my thoughts, sorted completely at random, than feel free to skip to the last section that's titled "Final Verdict." It'll be the quickest possible summary I can provide of my thoughts on The Casual Vacancy.

(photographed: JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy)

Despite that disclaimer, I always have to start off with the inside-cover description:

"When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations?"