I am a total Best Books junkie. If you wait all year for the “Best of” lists, have you seen Largehearted Boy’s giant list? If not, you should totally check it out. It’s a bit of a time suck; but, well worth it.
One of my personal favorite best list is the annual Powell’s Bookstore Staff Top 5s. When I worked there, a few years ago, I participated and one of the things I really enjoyed was how seriously the staff who participated took it. We had so much fun talking about each book and debating before finally handing in our personal 5. I always come away with a couple of titles I want to read.
I haven’t posted in quite awhile because I took the summer off and then I had surgery on my right hand/wrist again; I really wanted to get another post in before the end of 2013 but it just didn’t happen. So, I thought I’d start the new year with a little look back to 2013.
5 favorite reads (books) of 2013 (not in order)
- Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
- Theory of Everything by Kari Luna {If i had to choose one favorite this one would be it. Marching band pandas!}
- Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway by Sara Gran
- Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
- Night Gwen Stacy Died by Sarah Bruni
Honorable Mention: I really loved Reality Boy by A.S. King but I think 2013 was a more whimsical year for me; so, I had a hard time including it in my fave 5. But, read it. It’s one of those brutally beautiful books.
Some Favorite reads (not books) of 2013 (not in order)
- Senseless by Bruce Barcott (June 2013 Bicycling Magazine) Fascinating article about concussions and helmet design.
- The Case Against High School Sports by Amanda Ripley (September, Atlantic Monthly)
- Home is Where the Hockey is (Grantland, December 3rd.) Katie Baker is one of my favorite sports writers.
- A Life Too Long (Fall 2013 Tricycle Magazine, paywall) A different Katy Baker writes about how we deal with death and dying and palliative care.
- Kindness Changes Everything (Shambhala Sun, September 2010 but I just read it this year) by one of my favorite Buddhist teachers, Noah Levine.
- And really there are just too many New York Times Magazine articles that I loved like this one, this one, this one, this one, this one about Stephen King’s Family business, and finally this one about the oil boom in North Dakota.
Apparently I really like sports writing.
I don’t believe in resolutions; so, I won’t be giving one here. I think most resolutions are made with a hidden intention. I think most resolutions are secretly a desire to be happier but are couched in resolutions like: I’m going to lose 20lbs or I’m going to start jogging or I’m going finish my novel or learn a foreign language. Why not just resolve to be a little bit happier and a little less stressed in 2014?
I wish you all a joyful 2014.
Civil Civil Servant 
Thanks for the list of books–the only one from your list that I have read is the Sara Gran, which I liked and which inspired me to go back and read the first one she wrote about Claire DeWitt. I’ll look forward to trying the others you mention. I now have implicit trust in you ever since you blogged about Alabama Shakes and I listened to them and was blown away by how fantastic they are. Hope your hand/wrist surgery went well and you heal up quickly. Best wishes to you in the new year.
Implicit trust? Uh oh! The list is a bit all over the place (YA, adult, sci-fi, mystery) but those are my faves of the year. Glad you love the Alabama Shakes as much as I do. Thanks for the well wishes. My wrist is healing up nicely and I’m looking forward to doing things I hadn’t been able to do and hopefully all pain free! Happy New Year. Ann