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

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.

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)

Book Haul: June 2013

I love book hauls, don't you? The feeling of a new book joining the family. The crisp clean pages and fingerprint-less covers. It's a beautiful thing.

 The library has been a great resource lately,
which has fortunately been subduing my need for purchasing new books. However, if I come across a book I know I'll want to own, the book hoarder in me prefers to purchase it immediately.

As usual, this months haul is filled with books I see myself wanting to read in the future (whether near or far).

 I'll do my usual thing of stating where I bought each and why I chose to purchase these specific books.

Now let's get into the haul.

I included a cover shot of the entire haul so you could get a look at all the pretty covers.