What I Read in 2013 [A Link Up from Love Woke Me Up This Morning]

 

When Emily said that she would doing a book linkup to lead out the year and bring in the new, I couldn’t pass up participating.  I must say that I have slacked quite a bit on my book reading this year, especially when it comes down the reading goal I had set on Goodreads…

Regardless, I still have the urge to do the questionnaire and share my top three books of 2013.

1.      How many books have you read this year? 36 of my goal of 50.

2.      What book surprised you the most? Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  I had to read this book for my history class at the beginning of the year (before I left school).  We read the book in a week and had quizzes each class period. I had missed the whole week of this class and hadn't done the reading...I ended up reading this book in one night and scored extra credit on my quizzes.  I just kind of fell in love with the story and really enjoyed the writing style of it.  I forgot that I had read it until I went to my Goodreads account, and now I want to read it again!

3.      What book were you most disappointed in? The Executed God by Mark Lewis Taylor.  I had found this on Goodreads quite some time ago and forgot about it. My good friend Levi had to read it for class last spring and I borrowed it this fall to read.  I don't know what I was expecting but I didn't find it at all appealing to read and I think I stopped about half way in mostly because it seemed super repetitive. 

4.      Did you start any new series? I was going to say no, but I forgot that I did actually.  I started the Violet Chronicles by Makayla Yokley. I also just started the Courtship of Nellie Fisher by Beverly Lewis.

5.      Did you finish any series? No I didn't, unless you count that I already read book #3 in the Courship of Nellie Fisher, I read that one first by mistake and I liked it so much I got the first one and intend to read the second as well.

6.      What is your favorite book cover this year? I haven't gotten to read it yet, but The Mortal Instruments City of Bones by Casandra Clare cover is pretty awesome.

7.      What was the best non-fiction book you read? The Executed God by Mark Lewis Taylor.  I was disappointed in it, yes, but I have to admit that it made me think about things in a very different way.  If anything, this book opened my eyes to thinking more worldly.

8.      What are you currently reading? Current I'm reading The Parting by Beverly Lewis (the first book in the series I mentioned in answers 4 and 5) and One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury as well as rereading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling.

9.      Any reading goals for 2014? To read more books that I want to read.  I have a hard time focusing on books that I would enjoy. I tend to force myself into reading stuff that other people want me to read and I can't get into it, thus wasting time and frustrating myself.

10.  What books are you looking forward to in 2014? I'm a bad book nerd, I haven't been keeping up to date with new releases.

11.  What other books deserve a shout out? NYPD Red by James Patterson was just a fantastic read.  This book was laid on my desk after my Ma had read it.  It got shoved into the bookshelf and I forgot about for a few months.  I just loved reading it and getting to talk about the plot with my Ma afterwards. Also, The Ruby Curse by Makayla Yokley that I mentioned answer 4.  I had never read steampunk before so that was a first.  Oh, and she's a local author that lives near me who participates in NaNoWrioMo so I love supporting her and her series.  It's a great read!  It's Not Summer without You by Jenny Han is the second in the triology (not quite last this time!) and I bought it because it was cheap at Walmart.  I really enjoyed it just because it was a nice read and kept me engaged with the plot line that was just a smidgen predictable. 

12.  Top 3 books of 2013:  Longing by Karen Kingsbury, Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han.

Short and simple! Well, simple for everything except the top three, that one was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be!

I definitely encourage you to check out Emily’s blog, Love Woke Me Up ThisMorning, as well as check out her own responses to this questionnaire. And a big shout out to Emily herself for hosting such a lovely link up! I love hearing about everyone else's reads for the year!