2013 was the first year I set a goal for the number of books I wanted to read. My goal was 50, and I fell a little short. I found that throughout the year I gave up on more books than usual and got annoyed with the ones that seemed to drag on too long because I wanted to hit my goal. So I'm not setting a goal for 2014 -- rather, I'm just going to dedicate more reading time to topics that interest me, both fiction and nonfiction, without worrying about numbers.
There are a lot of great books on this list. I hope it's helpful to you! Happy reading!
*** = Highly recommended
x = Not recommended
YA = Young Adult
NF = Nonfiction
1. BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS by Katherine Boo (NF)
2. THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray (YA) ***
3. MIDDLESEX by Jeffrey Eugenides
4. RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles ***
5. THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS by Erica Bauermeister
6. LOVE WALKED IN by Marisa de los Santos ***
7. A CASUAL VACANCY by J.K. Rowling
8. TELL THE WOLVES I'M HOME by Carol Rifka Brunt (YA)
9. ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell (YA)
10. DRESS CODES: OF THREE GIRLHOODS - MY MOTHER'S, MY FATHER'S, AND MINE (A MEMOIR) by Noelle Howey (NF) ***
11. OUT OF THE ORDINARY: ESSAYS ON GROWING UP WITH GAY, LESBIAN, AND TRANSGENDER PARENTS by Noelle Howey & others (NF)
12. WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan (YA)
13. JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman (YA) ***
14. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green (YA)
15. FEED by M.T. Anderson (YA)
16. PAPER TOWNS by John Green (YA)
17. THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET by Sandra Cisneros
18. WILD by Cheryl Strayed (NF) ***
19. OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys (YA) x
20. CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein (YA) ***
21. KEEPING THE CASTLE by Patrice Kindl (YA)
22. SOMEDAY, SOMEDAY, MAYBE by Lauren Graham ***
23. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS by J.K. Rowling *** (duh)
24. THE AMERICAN HEIRESS by Daisy Goodwin
25. THE WINTER SEA by Susanna Kearsley ***
26. THE FIREBIRD by Susanna Kearsley
27. THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eleanor Brown ***
28. THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE by Alan Bradley ***
29. JANE AUSTEN GOES TO HOLLYWOOD by Abby McDonald (YA)
30. WINGER by Andrew Smith (YA)
31. THE ART OF HEARING HEARTBEATS by Jan-Philipp Sendker
32. BEAUTIFUL DAYS by Anna Godbersen (YA)
33. MR. PENUMBRA'S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE by Robin Sloan
34. THE LOST CROWN by Sarah Miller (YA)
35. FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell (YA)
36. JUST ONE YEAR by Gayle Forman (YA) ***
37. THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Allen
38. THE SUNDAY PHILOSOPHY CLUB by Alexander McCall Smith
39. ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES by Sonya Sones (YA) ***
40. THE BOY BOOK (RUBY OLIVER #2) by E. Lockhart (YA)
41. THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt
42. ROSE UNDER FIRE by Elizabeth Wein (YA) ***
43. WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard (YA)
