First Half of 2013 Hall of Fame!
You wanna know what makes my head hurt? Picking favorite books!
 |
| Something like this |
But I’ve done it, once again.
April (<~~See my April reads there)
Favorite Fiction: City of Thieves by David Benioff
Favorite Nonfiction: However Long the Night by Aimee Molloy
It was especially hard to pick favorites for the month of April. I read 26 books that month and narrowing it down was painful. Honorable mentions to Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, and The Interestings by Meg Woltizer.
May (<~~See my May reads there)
Favorite Fiction: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Favorite Nonfiction: Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff
June (<~~ You know the drill)
Favorite Fiction: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Favorite Nonfiction: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (Review coming soon)
You can see my 1st quarter Hall of Fame picks here!
How was the year in books been for you so far? Which books have been stand-outs? Tell me!
The Relentless Reader 
So many good books! It's so hard to pick favorites, narrowing down my faves-of-the-year list always takes SO long, lol.I probably should check out The Interestings, it's been all over the place lately.
LikeLike
I hate to narrow down my own favorites, but I love when other people do it. That way it helps me define my TBR list. 😉 The only one I've read from your list is The Snow Child. I loved it, too! Life After Life is on my Kindle. I also want to read The Interestings. My favorite fiction adult title so far this year was And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini and nonfiction was The End of Your Life Book Club. In children's books I loved Every Day After by Laura Golden. 🙂
LikeLike
Unfortunately I didn't read as many books as I wanted to this year.. I've mostly been studying, so I mostly read non-fictional books about linguistics.. I'm definitely going to check out the books you've marked as favourite, so I can put them on my TBR-list 😉
LikeLike
Looking forward to \”City of Thieves\” (got on audio for my drive to WI next week) and \”A Constellation of Vital Phenomena\”!
LikeLike
I like that City of Thieves is one of your favorite books! I've been meaning to read that for ages, but never seem to commit to it.
LikeLike
26 books in one month???? Dear Lord! I thought I was kick arse at 10 in June. lol 😉
LikeLike
City of Thieves! Good to know you enjoyed this since I own it and know nothing about it!
LikeLike
Ah, it's hard picking favourites! It was good to learn about these recommended books, though, all of which are new to me. I've had a good half a year. The Brief Conversion, a short story collection by Trinidadian writer Earl Lovelace, was pretty outstanding, as was Chess, a novella by Stefan Zweig. Also really enjoyed The Interpretations by David Shaw Mackenzie, a story about how the past gets overwritten by the present.
LikeLike
I haven't read or heard of any of these. I'm so behind…
LikeLike
Picking favorite books makes my head hurt too! That's probably why I leave it for the end of the year. I just finished Frozen In Time and I agree, it was very good. I listened to it in only a few days. I keep seeing Snow Child popping up on lists. I have a copy but haven't been able to bring myself to read a book set in (cold, snowy) Alaska!
LikeLike
You had an amazing April! I find it very very hard to pick favourites – I don't think I could name a favourite of the month every month, although I could probably choose a list of favourites for the year. I read A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS last month, and that one will definitely be on my favourites of 2013 list.
LikeLike
See? This is why I don't pick one favorite for the year. It's too difficult. Great choices though! And seriously? 26 books in one month? How did you manage that one?!?
LikeLike
If City of Thieves beat Life After Life I think it is practically essential I check it out. Also, I think you should be recognised by some bookish higher being of some sort for reading 26 books in one month. Just wow.
LikeLike
I haven't even read 26 books yet this year! So impressed that 26 is a monthly total for you! I try to keep track of what I think my top books are as I go through the year and will sometimes will know as soon as I finish that it will be a top book for me no matter what else I read that year.
LikeLike
Constellation is still one of my favorites from this year, too. I have no idea how I'm going to make a list at the end of the year, because I know there are some great ones headed our way!
LikeLike
26 books in a month?! I am so impressed! My year in reading has been so-so so far. I think it has to do with no having enough time (or energy) to read. I love the fact that you even have honorary mention for April.
LikeLike
Picking favorites is so difficult! Definitely The Humans, Life After Life, and Golden Boy. And The Clock of Life. And At Least You're in Tuscany. And… wait, some of these were just read by me this year, not released this year but… oh gosh… I'll shut up now.
LikeLike
I can't believe 2013 is half over already! It's a good plan to pick monthly favorites as you go along so later reads don't crowd out earlier ones when you compile your list of 2013 faves! The Interestings will definitely make my annual list this year, though!
LikeLike
I'm hoping that these lists of mine will make it easier to pick my ultra-favorites at the end of the year. You should check out The Interestings, definitely!
LikeLike
I'm glad to help, lol. And the Mountains Echoed is on its way to me now and I cannot wait to read it!
LikeLike
Studying takes a lot of time. Maybe you could pick your favorite text book of the year, ha ha 😉
LikeLike
City of Thieves is older, not sure on the year but wow am I glad I read it! I hope you love Constellation, it's amazing.
LikeLike
It's an excellent read, I hope you find time for it 🙂
LikeLike
That month was insane! Was that a readathon month? It must have been, lol.
LikeLike
Oh, it's sooo good Brooke! I hope you find time for it soon 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for mentioning those books Andrew, now I have more to look into 😉 Thanks for visiting me here!
LikeLike
😉 Catch up, catch up! Ha ha, I kid of course 😉
LikeLike
Save Snow Child for a day when it's 100 degrees out. It will feel so refreshing! 😉
LikeLike
I'm really hoping that by keeping track of my favorites like this I'll have an easier time when I pick my faves for the year. I have to check out Dragons!
LikeLike
I don't think I could pick just ONE book for an entire year. I might give it a whirl at the end of '13 though, we'll see.I'm pretty sure that was a readathon month, lol.
LikeLike
A bookish higher being! Ha, love that! Yes, definitely check out City of Thieves!
LikeLike
April was a freakish month. I don't think I'll ever read that many books in a month again! I know what you mean! There are certain book that you just KNOW will be on the top of your list 😉
LikeLike
I'm almost positive that Constellation will be among the cream of the crop at the end of this year. That book..whew!
LikeLike
You've had a one of those years so far haven't you? I hope the 2nd half is filled with more energy and more books 🙂
LikeLike
It's painful, I'm telling you 🙂 I have The Clock of Life on my tbr pile, I'm looking forward to it. Ah yes Golden Boy was SO good!
LikeLike
That's exactly what I'm thinking Laurie! Otherwise the December books overshadow everything I've read earlier in the year 🙂
LikeLike
Yeah I am so glad I found you via SITSsharefest! I am ALWAYS looking for suggestions for books to read! Thank you for sharing :DKeia @ ImprovingMeWithKeiaLee.blogspot.com
LikeLike
Hi Keia! Thanks a million for coming to visit 🙂 I hope you'll stick around!
LikeLike
I love that you loved The city of thieves! I read that two years ago, I think, and I just fell a little bit in love with Kolya. Oh, and the ending, so sad…so unnecessary. Kind regards,
LikeLike
I somehow missed it when it first came out. I believe Allison of The Book Wheel pointed that book out to me and I'm super glad that she did 🙂
LikeLike
I absolutely adored City of Thieves, so I'm glad that it made your hall of fame! You probably did hear about it from me because it was my World Book Night giveaway book. It was actually my third choice to give away, but I'm so glad I ended up with it because it was so good!
LikeLike
I must thank you again, that book was FAB 🙂
LikeLike
Holy moley! how did you read 26 books in one month? I am impressed.I can see how it would be difficult to pick a fave. Nice choices…I'll keep them for future reference 🙂
LikeLike
I had some sort of reading super power that month, lol. 🙂
LikeLike
Life After Life is on my must-read list!
LikeLike
It's been a great year so far for debut authors. My favorites: Golden Boy, Dear Lucy, Tomorrow There will be Apricots, and When Captain Flint was a Good Man. From established authors: The Dinner, On Sal Mal Lane, and, of course, The Woman Upstairs. So much good stuff!
LikeLike
I'm glad to hear it, it's a great read!
LikeLike
Very true Catherine! I'm always excited when a debut is so good because there's so much to look forward to from that author 🙂
LikeLike
26 books in 1 month! I haven't read like that in so long. I miss it. But it's good that you enjoyed to many of them, no?
LikeLike
It was a crazy month 😉 I enjoyed almost all of them!
LikeLike