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| With my family at the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco in August |
Here are the best books I read in 2013. Click the title to read my review. These are listed in approximate order of how much I liked them (#1 being the best). I’d love to hear what you thought of any of these books. If you’ve read any, please leave me a comment.
You can also refer to best books lists back to 2001 here. Enjoy! (This is cross-posted in Every Day Is a Miracle.)
Fiction
1. A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki: Canadian novelist finds a
diary of a Japanese girl washed up on the beach…loved this lyrical, spiritual
tale and got to see Ozeki read from the book
diary of a Japanese girl washed up on the beach…loved this lyrical, spiritual
tale and got to see Ozeki read from the book
2. The Sleeping Dictionary, Sujata Massey: Pom loses her family in a
tsunami, and her life takes many difficult courses around Indian independence (another
one of my favorite authors)
tsunami, and her life takes many difficult courses around Indian independence (another
one of my favorite authors)
3. Cinnamon and Gunpowder, Eli Brown: England, 1819…female pirate
kidnaps a male chef…great foodie adventure!
kidnaps a male chef…great foodie adventure!
4. And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini: vivid landscape and
complex, multilayered, and interesting characters
complex, multilayered, and interesting characters
5. The Street of a Thousand
Blossoms, Gail Tsukiyama: sweeping,
WWII-era story of two orphaned brothers in Japan
Blossoms, Gail Tsukiyama: sweeping,
WWII-era story of two orphaned brothers in Japan
6. The Cuckoo’s Calling, Robert Galbraith: J.K. Rowling’s new
detective novel—worth a read!
detective novel—worth a read!
7. Major Pettigrew’s Last
Stand, Helen Simonson: stiff
English major and Pakistani shop keeper fall in love
Stand, Helen Simonson: stiff
English major and Pakistani shop keeper fall in love
8. In the Woods,
Tana French: Irish literary detective novel
Tana French: Irish literary detective novel
9. Bruised, Sarah Skilton; young adult fiction
10. Cross Currents, John Shors; takes place in Thai desert
island struck by the tsunami
island struck by the tsunami
11. The Burning, Jane Casey; another Irish detective novel
12. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear: historical detective
novel
novel
13. The Little Book, Selden Edwards: time travel in Austria
14. The Chosen One, Carol Lynch Williams: young adult fiction
15. The Miracle Life of Edgar
Mint, Brady Udall: coming
of age novel of abandoned Native American boy
Mint, Brady Udall: coming
of age novel of abandoned Native American boy
Nonfiction
1. Pastrix: The Cranky,
Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint, Nadia Bolz-Weber: the title says it all—memoir of
a tattooed, alcoholic ELCA pastor with an emergent church
Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint, Nadia Bolz-Weber: the title says it all—memoir of
a tattooed, alcoholic ELCA pastor with an emergent church
2. Somewhere Inside: One
Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and the Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home, Laura and Lisa Ling: one sister
rescues the other sister in North Korea
Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and the Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home, Laura and Lisa Ling: one sister
rescues the other sister in North Korea
3. Wave, Sonali Deraniyagala: A woman loses her
entire family in the Sri Lankan tsunami and battles huge grief
entire family in the Sri Lankan tsunami and battles huge grief
4. Talking Taboo: American
Christian Women Get Frank about Faith, Erin Lane and Enuma Okoro, ed.: essays by female
Christian leaders about taboo topics
Christian Women Get Frank about Faith, Erin Lane and Enuma Okoro, ed.: essays by female
Christian leaders about taboo topics
5. The Midwife: A Memoir of
Birth, Joy, and Hard Times, Jennifer Worth: Inspired “Call the Midwife,” which I love
Birth, Joy, and Hard Times, Jennifer Worth: Inspired “Call the Midwife,” which I love
6. Orange Is the New Black:
My Year in a Women’s Prison, Piper Kerman: Inspired “Orange Is the New Black” show, even better
than the book
My Year in a Women’s Prison, Piper Kerman: Inspired “Orange Is the New Black” show, even better
than the book
7. The Year of Living
Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, A.J. Jacobs: title says it all
Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, A.J. Jacobs: title says it all
8. Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson; author returns to USA after
living in the UK
living in the UK
9. The Invisible Girls: A
Memoir, Sarah Thebarge:
cancer survivor befriends Somali refugees
Memoir, Sarah Thebarge:
cancer survivor befriends Somali refugees
10. Bruce, Peter Ames Carlin: the life of the Boss
11. Loud in the House of
Myself, Stacy Pershall:
poignant memoir of mental illness
Myself, Stacy Pershall:
poignant memoir of mental illness
12. Banished: Surviving My
Years in the Westboro Baptist Church, Lauren Drain and Lisa Pulitzer: insider account
of what makes the hateful Westboro Baptist Church function
Years in the Westboro Baptist Church, Lauren Drain and Lisa Pulitzer: insider account
of what makes the hateful Westboro Baptist Church function
13. Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir, Cyndi Lauper with Jancee Dunn: she’s
quirky, strong, and fascinating
quirky, strong, and fascinating
Every Day Is a Miracle 