Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! This week's topic:

Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

1. These Broken Stars (Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner)
2. Transparent (Natalie Whipple)
3. Cinder (Marissa Meyer)
4. Arclight (Josin L. McQuein)
5. Curtsies & Conspiracies (Gail Carriger)
6. Pivot Point (Kasie West)
7. The Elite (Kiera Cass)
8. The Art of Wishing (Lindsay Ribar)
9. The Nightmare Affair (Mindee Arnett)
10. The False Prince (Jennifer A. Nielsen)
11. Splintered (A.G. Howard)

(Yes I know, that's 11, not 10. What can I say, I had a lot of really good reads this year!)


So what were your top ten reads of 2013? Did you read any of my picks? What did you think of them?

2013 WoWs: Worth the Wait?

The Waiting On Wednesday meme hosted by Breaking the Spine is my favorite weekly feature to post. I do it rather religiously, really, and can't recall ever missing a Wednesday since I started blogging seriously in January. For those who don't know, WoW is the chance for avid readers to spotlight yet-to-be-released titles they are really excited to read. But when those titles finally release and we finally get to read them, were they actually worth the wait? Here's how my 2013 WoW picks measured up!

WORTH THE WAIT?

YES!!!

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West (review)

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (review)

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau (Review Coming Soon)

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger (review)

Avalon by Mindee Arnett (Review Coming Soon)
The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar (Review Coming Soon)

Transparent by Natalie Whipple (review)

Blindsided by Natalie Whipple (Review Coming Soon)

IT WAS OKAY...

Insomnia by J.R. Johansson (review)

The Ward by Jordana Frankel (I actually still have yet to finish this one. :\)

Alienated by Melissa Landers

I WAITED FOR THIS?

Relic by Renee Collins (review)
Rush by Eve Silver (unfinished as well - it was just that bad) (DNF)

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike (almost didn't finish this one) (review)

Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz & Michael Johnston (a miracle I finished) (review)

Looks like most of them turned out good - woohoo! The rest of my 2013 WoW picks are mainly 2014 titles I have yet to get my hands on, or a few 2013s I just haven't been able to get to yet. Looks like I have some catching up to do in 2014...

So have you read any of these? What did you think of them? 

Thank you to Inspiring Insomnia for letting me steal the idea for this post! Check out how her 2013 WoWs measured up on her blog here.

2013 End of Year Book Survey

Although I really should be writing reviews, I couldn't help but do The Perpetual Page-Turner's End of Year Book Survey! Check out my 2013 Best in Books, and find out a little of what I'm looking forward to in 2014!

1. Best Book You Read In 2013 (by Genre)?

Contemporary YA: The Distance Between Us (Kasie West)

Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic: Cinder (Marissa Meyer)

Historical Fiction: Curtsies & Conspiracies (Gail Carriger) (Okay, it's technically alternate historical fic, but that's as close as I'm gonna get to historical fic this year)

Paranormal: Transparent (Natalie Whipple)

Science Fiction: These Broken Stars (Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner) (This probably wins Best Book as well - seriously, if you haven't read it yet, get to it pronto!)

Fantasy: Splintered (A.G. Howard)

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Frozen (Melissa de la Cruz & Michael Johnston) - OH THE DESPAIR

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 

Arclight (Josin L. McQuein) - Had zero expectations and it blew me away.

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

Curtsies & Conspiracies (Gail Carriger)

 5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer)

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

Kasie West

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Insomnia (J.R. Johansson) - Psychological thrillers are rarely my thing, but I'm glad I tried this one!

 8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

These Broken Stars (Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner)

 9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The False Prince (Jennifer A. Nielsen) - So I can binge-read the entire trilogy!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 

Cinder from Cinder (Marissa Meyer)

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

These Broken Stars (Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner)

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013? 

These Broken Stars (Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner)

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? 

Cinder (Marissa Meyer)

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

“...Oh god. I'm one of those girls."

"What girls?" he asked, perplexed.

"Those girls. The ones in all those books and TV shows. Some dumb high school girl falls in love with some supernatural guy, and he's all, 'Behold, I am five million years old!' and she's all, 'Oh my god, how can you ever love pathetic little me!' and he's like, 'Because of destiny!' or whatever. It's just so...ew. You know?”

--The Art of Wishing (Lindsay Ribar)

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

A quick guess is: 

Shortest: Pawn (Aimee Carter)

Longest: Tandem (Anna Jarzab)

 17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The climax of Splintered (A.G. Howard)

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Scarlet and Wolf from Scarlet (Marissa Meyer)

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously:

School Spirits (Rachel Hawkins)

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Cinder (Marissa Meyer)

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

YA Dystopian

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

Oliver from The Art of Wishing (Lindsay Ribar)

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

Pivot Point (Kasie West)

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

These Broken Stars (Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner)

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

Curtsies & Conspiracies (Gail Carriger)

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

These Broken Stars (Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner)

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

Transparent (Natalie Whipple) and The Art of Wishing (Lindsay Ribar) - Both are awesome stories I read twice this year. Highly recommend!!

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

Unhinged (A.G. Howard)

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

The Winner's Curse (Marie Rutkoski)

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Hungry (H.A. Swain)

4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

The Selection series: The One (Kiera Cass)

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

Read more! 100 books read in 2014, here I come!!

~          ~          ~          ~          ~

So that's my 2013 Survey! Not surprising, These Broken Stars won seven times (such a phenomenal read!). Did you read any of the books I mentioned? What did you think of them? And if you did the Survey, link up in the Comments!

Stacking the Shelves (12/28/13)

Enter to win an early copy of 

THE SCAR BOYS by Len Vlahos here!!

Time for another Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where I share the books that I've added to my shelves this week.

• Hero by Alethea Kontis (ARC - Gift) - Snagged this and the next title from the wonderful @MsAshleighPaige during an epic Twitter giveaway! I enjoyed the first book in this series, so I'm looking forward to seeing where Hero takes me.
• Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young (ARC - Gift) - I have yet to read anything by either of these authors, so it's about time I did! (And the lovely Suzanne is local!)
• Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott (ARC - From Publisher) - It came it came it came!!! *flails* I can't wait to get started! Thank you, Scholastic! <3
• Erased by Jennifer Rush (ARC - From Publisher) - Not only did Little, Brown send me an ARC, but it was accompanied by a signed Altered bookmark, and a set of ship buttons. BUTTONS. Little, Brown apparently knows the secret to winning my heart. Thank you, LB! <3

This Week on the Blog

Sunday Giveaway: FOUR ARCs - Take 2!
Monday  Today's Review: Holiday Break
Wednesday   Waiting On Wednesday: Sweet Rein Vol. 2 (Sakura Tsukuba)
Wednesday  Merry Christmas!
Friday   The Friday Reads Review (12/27/13)
Friday  Giveaway: The Scar Boys (Len Vlahos)

So what books did you add to your shelves this week?

Giveaway: The Scar Boys (Len Vlahos)

December is my Month of ARC Giveaways!! For the last giveaway, I've chosen a January release! Without further ado, the final ARC up for grabs is... 

Goodreads
(Releases January 21, 2014)

Enter below for a chance to win! Good luck! :)


RULES:

• Must Follow this blog via GFC, Bloglovin, or Email (see sidebar for buttons)
• Must be 16 years or older to enter
• US only (apologies to my International Followers!)
• Giveaway runs FIVE DAYS ONLY - 12/27 through 12/31

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Friday Reads Review (12/27/13)

Welcome to The Friday Reads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own Friday Reads Review on your blog, and then leave the link in the Comments below!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau (ARC - Releases 1/14)

Began a little slow, but I'm really enjoying it now!

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Black Butler Vol. 15 by Yana Toboso (Pbk)
This series is really creepy and dark but also funny and so good! Loving the new private school arc - can't wait to see what happens next!

>> READING NEXT <<

Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott (ARC - releases 2/14)
Super-excited to read this!! Felt like forever since I requested it, so now that it's finally here there's just no putting it off for anything else.

So what are you reading this week?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!! *HUGS*

I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends, 

and that Santa brings you lots of bookish presents!

Waiting On Wednesday: Sweet Rein Vol. 2 (Sakura Tsukuba)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Sweet Rein Vol. 2

Author: Sakura Tsukuba

Release Date: April 1, 2014

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sad at the thought of spending Christmas alone, Kurumi Sagara goes out for a walk. While she's crossing the street, a boy bumps into her, and a rein suddenly appears that binds them together. The overjoyed boy tells her she's his master and that she's a Santa Claus. Kurumi dismisses him as a crazy person, but then he transforms into a reindeer?!

Kurumi and Kaito have remained together for a year, but a Dark Santa appears, intent on breaking the two apart. Kurumi and Kaito's rein is severed, and the Dark Santa takes control of Kaito. Can Kurumi manage to get Kaito back, even when she's still unsure if he's truly happy as her servant?

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: In honor of the holiday, I've picked a Christmas-themed title - and a manga at that! I absolutely adored Volume 1 of Sweet Rein - while the premise is rather silly, the characters and story are delightful. Can't wait to see how this series continues!

So what book are you waiting on?

Today's Review: Holiday Break

Due to a ton of last-minute Christmas shopping, wrapping, and mailing, this week's review is postponed until next week, when my brain returns from holiday break.

There are still two awesome giveaways running though, so be sure to check them out!

Giveaway: 4 ARCs - Take 2!

December is my Month of ARC Giveaways!! For links to all the active giveaways this month, see the "Current Giveaways" on the sidebar. 

I've decided to give away another stack of FOUR ARCs of your choice off my Giveaway Shelf! There's still plenty of awesome titles to choose from - check it out: 

GIVEAWAY SHELF

Enter below for a chance to win, and be sure to check back all this month for more giveaways! Good luck! :)


RULES:

• Must Follow this blog via GFC, Bloglovin, or Email (see sidebar for buttons) AND leave a comment with the four titles you want to win off the Giveaway Shelf!
• Must be 13 years or older to enter
• US only (apologies to my International Followers!)
• Giveaway runs one week - 12/22 through 12/28

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves (12/21/13)

Enter to win a SIGNED copy of 

TUMBLE & FALL by Alexandra Coutts here!!

Time for another Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where I share the books that I've added to my shelves this week.

I haven't posted one of these in a while, so this is a whole month's worth of new shelf candy!

• Defy by Sara B. Larson (Hbk - Won) - Won two copies from @this_is_teen during their special Christmas giveaway! Have heard both good and bad things about it, but I'm looking forward to giving it a try.
• Unison Spark by Andy Marino (Hbk - Purchased Used) - Found this at the library Friends and thought for $1, why not?
• Inbetween by Tara Fuller (Pbk - Purchased Used) - Found this half price. Sounds pretty good, so I splurged.
• Pandora Hearts Vols. 4 & 5 by Jun Mochizuki (Pbk - Gifted) - Major thanks to the lovely Kristen Evey for sending these beauties my way! Now I can finally dive into the series - already planning a Vols. 1-18 Christmas book binge!
• Pearl Pink Vol. 4 by Meca Tanaka (Pbk - Purchased New) - The last in the series - and an out of print series, I might add. Was so happy to snag a copy and finally finish the story!
• The Parasol Protectorate Box Set by Gail Carriger (MMP - Purchased New) - Lady Gail is coming to Arizona in May, so it's time to start collecting my signing copies! First up, her adult series.
• Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway (Pbk - Purchased Used) - My first STS non-fiction book makes it debut! If you think it looks like a textbook, you're not wrong. Special news to come soon!

This Week on the Blog

Sunday Giveaway: FOUR ARCs!
Monday  YA Review: Red by Alison Cherry
Tuesday Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2013
Tuesday Cover Reveal: Relax, I'm a Ninja by Natalie Whipple
Wednesday   Waiting On Wednesday: Hungry by H.A. Swain
Thursday Giveaway: Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts (SIGNED)
Friday   The Friday Reads Review (12/20/13)

So what books did you add to your shelves this week?