According to Goodreads, I read 37 books in 2013. That’s a little bit of a down year for me (less than a book a week) but still pretty good. Below are some of my favorites from 2013 – Note: just because I read the book in 2013 doesn’t mean the book debuted in 2013.

Wild (From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail) by Cheryl Strayed. I read Dear Sugar in 2012 and fell in love with Cheryl Strayed’s writing. Wild reminded me how great she is. The scenery parts got a bit long but her story and memories kept it interesting. Read it immediately before the movie comes out.

The Interestings: A Novel by Meg Wolitzer. Such great characters and some twists you’re not expecting.

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Vintage) by Ayana Mathis. Heartbreakingly sad. But I’m a sucker for interweaving stories.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple. Hilarious. I laughed out loud a lot. It seems like part fantasy at times but this cute story of a family in Seattle is told in such a unique way, I couldn’t put it down and read it in one day and then was upset it was over.

We Are Water: A Novel by Wally Lamb. This book was already one of my favorites before I started it. Wally Lamb is one of my favorite authors and I re-read his book I Know This Much Is True every year. We Are Water, his latest novel out in 2013, didn’t disappoint. Complicated characters you love to hate? Check. Crazy twists? Check. Multiple story lines that all make sense at the end? Maybe.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. This isn’t a short read and it drags at time but super interesting.

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. I’ve loved all of her books – this one did not disappoint.

Some not so great books that I really wanted to like and I didn’t:
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss: Meh, just didn’t like it.
She Left Me the Gun: My Mother’s Life Before Me by Emma Brockes: Got such rave reviews and I ended up getting frustrated by the characters.