Top 10 Books of 2013

1. Looking for Alaska: This book I loved because it was a great coming of age story with the main character Pudge going to boarding school and for the first time being part of a close friend group which he had quite a few good times with but it's also a story that becomes much darker and deeper in it's second half. There's also the character Alaska who is pretty complicated, interesting and frustrating she has a lot of problems but she doesn't think anyone else is allowed to be upset because their problems are trivial compared to hers according to her but she can also be quite fun and she seems pretty smart. Then there's the second half of the book that deals with loss and how in the end you can't fully know a person or what happened in their last moments and that sometimes in life not all your questions can be answered and you just have to on with your life. This book was both funny and sad, was well written and had great characters.
2. The Fault in Our Stars: This book was much better than I thought it would be because I thought it was going to just be depressing all the way through but it wasn't. This book had a dark sense of humor which is my favorite kind and it really did suit the characters teenagers with cancer would totally make those kind of jokes. I also loved the relationship between Hazel and Augustus they were just such wonderful characters and they fit together just perfectly in the end. The story did take a depressing turn in the end which I was okay with even though I sobbed for quite a while.
3. Tilt: This is an Ellen Hopkins book which means I loved the way it was written in beautiful but easy to understand poetry. I wasn't a huge fan of Hardly or Mikayla because they both seemed to make obvious horrible life choices repeatedly but I did feel for them and their stories were interesting. Shane story on the other hand was one that I just loved, I loved his relationship with Alex which I never expected to be a sweet romantic one, I loved his relationship with his mother who he both feels like he needs her but also that he can't go to her because she already has too much to deal with, and I love that his storyline came to be about how he couldn't get past how pointless death is and he actually has a crisis of faith. I really love this book mainly for Shane's storyline that I'm probably not explaining it's brilliance very well since I haven't read it in months.
4. It's Kind of a Funny Story: This book is one about a high school boy who got himself into when of the best schools around and just feels like he isn't smart enough to be there and he is just ends being overwhelmed by all the work which leads him to becoming depressed. One night he decides to kill himself but instead checks himself into the psych ward in the hospital and starts his recovery process. I just really loved the book I really cared for and understood the main character and I always enjoy anything dealing with mental health.
5. Cinder: This is wonderful retelling of Cinderella in a futuristic China which has terrific world building and a great plot that makes you want to know more about everything that happens in this world. The characters are also great especially Cinder and Prince Kai who also develop a friendship hopeful romance later on in the series, through out the book that is a lot more realistic than I would expect out of a book based on Cinderella. This is a terrific book and there's not a single reason I can think of to not read this book.
6. Forever: I loved the last book of The Wolves of Mercy Falls series although not as much as I loved Linger but I'm oddly obsessed with that book so that's not really a surprise. I felt like it was a good conclusion to Sam and Grace's story with Grace making peace with her parents and Sam learning and accepting a lot about Beck, also there together at last which is what they have been trying to have since the beginning. I think that Cole and Isabel's storylines were less resolved but they both seem to be going in a positive direction with Cole wanting to actually survive and caring for other people and Isabel accepting her brother's death and confronting her feelings about most things a bit better. The relationship between Cole and Isabel is still complicated and undefined but there definitely closer now. I loved this book and the series as a whole especially Linger, but what I love most is the characters.
7. Only the Good Spy Young: This was the most exciting book in the series so far with lots of logical twist and turns I never saw coming. I also continue to love the characters and their relationships with each other.
8. Perfect Scoundrels: I loved this book because there was a lot of background information on Hale that was given that I had always been interested in. I also really loved Kat and Hale's relationship with them being from different worlds being the conflict in their relationship which was much more interesting to read about than some random love triangle that I half expected to see in this book but luckily that never happened.
9. Hide and Seek: This book was one that was exciting and full of plot twists that I've come to expect and enjoy through out this series.
10. The Magician's Nephew: This story about the beginning of Narnia was sweet and very fun and interesting read for me.