The Best And The Worst of 2013

[Lip Service]

The year is over. Time to discuss what you most liked or disliked

[Mandy Muffin]

My favorite novel of the year was "Sycamore Row," as this is a classic John Grisham that is easy to read, a wonderful compliment to "A Time to Kill," and all the action and characters you need to keep the story exciting.  I believe it will make a great movie. 

I didn't like "And the Mountain's Echoed" by Kahaled Hosseini.  It just didn't grip me like the prior two novels by the author.  A lot of reviewers seem to have agreed with me, although the novel rode the best seller list for quite a while.  I originally read a library copy but when Kindle offered it for $2.99, I purchased the copy and plan to give it another try.

Here are typical complaints:

# 1

"I am giving the book two stars because I liked the beginning chapters. The other two-star reviews I have read are spot on: too many characters, too many unimportant characters, not enough character development...I didn't really grow attached to any of these characters as I did in the first two books. None of them "made my spirit soar." By the way, Pari was sold when she was three years old - she remembers nothing of the traumatic event nor the brother she adored? I, too, wanted to see more of the action unfold in Afghanistan. In retrospect, the book was just depressing...at the end most of the main characters are unhappy, old, sick, lonely or dead."

#2

"Why didn't I like this book? As I said, I loved the first 150 pages and settled in for a great read but then the rest just completely lost me as it jumped around from characters and places with no sense of flow but rather "jerky" with both setting and characters. In the beginning of the section after 150 pages, I actually checked to see if there were pages missing or another excuse for what was happening. I can't help but wonder how the author would explain his intent after the first 150 pages.

I could not in good consciousness recommend this book and 11 of my friends and others who have read it are reporting the same feelings after looking forward to the next book by Hosseini."

(Both of the complaints are from Amazon readers.)

[rapa]

As this discussion is about the best book we read in 2013 I'll have to say that although I read lots of good books the one that stands out as my best read is THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  It was published in 2008. The story, starting in 1946,  consists of a series of letters between an author, Juliet Ashton and the Citizens of Guernsey in the Channel Islands post WWII.  The island had been occupied by the Germans.  This was remarkable correspondence with the Society's members i.e. pig farmer, phrenologists, literature lovers all!!!  It was a wonderful read!

My choice for worst read is WHISKEY BEACH (2013) by Nora Roberts. .  The book didn't hold my interest. I didn't like the characters or care about any of them!

[Ursula]

Rapa, I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society when I read it several years ago.  Today it is a featured pick for Riffle Books.com.  At $1.99, I just couldn't resist having my own copy.  The offer is good through January 28, if anyone is interested.

[Ioruach]

For me, it is always tough to identify one "most liked" book of any year and nearly impossible for a "most disliked."  But the best would probably be between The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman and the two Louise Penny novels I read, A Trick of the Light and Still Life. I also loved Caught by Harlan Coben.

I don't think that I can say that I disliked a single book that I went on to finish last year. I suppose that I abandoned a  half dozen or so that I started, however. (After a minimum of 50 pages. I always give an author at least that much.) A couple that I noted were A book of God and Physics by Enrique Joven and Jerico's Fall by Stephen Carter. No one here has probably heard of either one of them.

[Carci]

Three books stand out for me this year as best:

Suspect, a stand alone by Robert Crais, was my very favorite, followed closely by How The Light Gets In by Louise Penney and Ordinary Grace, the most recent in the Cork O'Conner series, by my favorite author, William Kent Krueger. 

The one that was my worst of the year was by an author that I have always enjoyed before.  The Highway by C. J. Box was not up to his usual quality and I finished it only because I like his Joe Pickett series and I expected it to have some redeeming quality in the end... it didn't.  One reviewer described it as violent porn in a snuff book.   I wish I hadn't read this one.

[Ursula]

I found it especially hard to choose a best book for 2013 as many of my favorite authors provided me with hours of enjoyment, plus there were even a few new authors in the mix.  I have to agree with Lorouch's choice of ML Stedman's Light Between the Oceans; I did not want that book to end.  BTW, it was her debut novel; I can hardly wait to read the next.  And of course, there is the wonderful Louise Penny and How the Light Gets In.  Did you know she patterned Gamarche after her husband Michael?!

As for my worst book, that would be Junot Diaz' short story collection This Is How You Lose Her.  Well, he lost me after the third story; I just wasn't interested enough to continue.  The stories revolved around one character, the same guy in each story,but I just didn't connect with him.  This was especially disappointing as the author won a Pulitzer for his previous novel.

[Mandy Muffin]

Janus Rock, Australia

I loved "The Light Between Oceans" too, as I did some research on Janus Rock and the beautiful coast of south-western Australia.  The story was so gripping that I just wanted to be there and help out the troubled couple as they struggled with keeping their "adopted" child.  

[Carci]

I probably would have chosen The Light Between Oceans as well but I read it the previous year and listed it last year as a favorite. 

I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it this year.  Hard to find books that good which is one of the reasons I love this group.  Someone here recommended it in 2012 or I never would have found it. 

Love the picture, Mandy.  :)

[Carolyn Tewell]

Worst:

Gone Girl
Lean In...okay, maybe just disappointing
Hunger Games
Shades...read 50 pages
The Highway...quit 1/2 way thru
(C J Box...big fan)

Best
Sycamore Row
Outliers

Slammed...taxes

[Ursula]

I quit reading John Grisham years ago, but everyone keeps writing about how good his latest book is, plus there is a long wait list at the library, maybe I should add Sycamore Row to my TBR list.

I do love Malcolm Galdwell and am currently reading his latest, David and Goliath; he is one author whose books I actually buy because they should be read more than once....IMHO!!

[Lip Service]

Have read and enjoyed Sycamore Row and a few others, but my favorite this year is not a book but a web site that point to long meaty article from all over the web

http://www.longform.org

Here is a collection of articles about famous writers see if any one of these articles peaks your curiosity

http://longform.org/tags/writers-on-writing

[grammyk]

My favorites this year were  Sycamore Row, Calling Me Home, and Love Anthony.

As for worsts, I'm with lorouch - if I really disliked it I didn't finish it.  Though I have the same "50 pages" rule (or sometimes a little more).