Best of 2013: The Top Ten (Day 2 of Blog-A-Thon)

The 100% biased list of the year. Gotta have one of those at least every year.

DISCLAIMER: This is ALL based on personal preference and opinion. Please respect that and if you don't agree, why not just comment (nicely) and let me know what else you would have on your list :)

This list is complied on what I enjoyed- not so much what I rated it. How I put this list together is I scroll through all the books I've read this year and whatever stands out to me I write it down then I have an intense internal battle picking out my top ten. This list is in no particular order (because to that would be even harder and more hair ripping) but first. Honourable Mention. (Yes, I spell Honourable with an u, I'm Canadian.)

Honourable Mention

Poison Princess

Although it was a 2012 release, I didn't get to this until 2013. (SO IT COUNTS SHHH) The premise is incredibly original, and it sets up an interesting world and a fun fantasy element. It's told in a very intriguing way, a narration in a sense, and I was so captivated by the premise. My only issue with this book was the love interest and how the main character lets him push her around. However, it totally redeemed itself at the end, although not enough to make up for the WHOLE book. But it makes me hunger for the second book (which I haven't gotten to yet) and I'm just so into the whole premise of tarot card mythology. 

The Darkest Minds

I held off on putting this list together because I was like "Nope nope there's still The Darkest Minds". I heard so many raving reviews about this and I was antsy to pick it up and read it before 2013. Although I think my expectations were set a little TOO high for this, The Darkest Minds delivered a fantastic dystopian world with a sci-fi twist. I adored the characters, and although it dragged a little bit in the beginning, it brought good development to the story, setting up a base for the next books that make me excited to read it. Unfortunately there were some pretty stiff competition and this baby landed on Honourable Mention.

Oh and a cliffhanger. A horrible one that you know rips out your heart and stomps on it. No biggie.

THE TOP TEN

(Again,  in no particular order)

Clockwork Princess

This series is my life. I cannot explain my love for this series in mere words. Clockwork Princess was like the happiness and the dread of my life this year. Happiness: it ends. We finally know HOW IT ENDS. Dread: it ends. THERE WILL BE NO MORE.

The conflictions.

The end made me smile and laugh and cry, and there was no better ending. Just so many feels.

The Burning Sky

The Burning Sky brought a magical fantasy world that rivalled my love for the world of Harry Potter. Sherry Thomas creates such an amazing fantasy world, even with footnotes (are they called footnotes? My literary knowledge -.-) to give more depth. It has a fast paced plot, with a nice touch of medieval hierarchy. Although the romance is weee bit weak in this book, I'm so in love with the characters that I'm kind of beyond caring. I'm just hope their love in EACH OTHER grows in the next books and adds more depth in their relationship.

The Eternity Cure

I wished everyone read this series so they can experience the feels with me. This series embraces the vampire and dystopian genre with a fierce action packed plot,  is fast paced, and incredible kick-ass characters with strong relationships. I adore this series so much, more than Julie's Iron Fey series. And the cliffhanger they had at the end of this novel was. BRUTAL. MEAN. NOT FAIR TO MY HEART.

The Archived

Review can be seen here.

Dark and enticing, The Archived is just. *complete loss of words
So original, and Wesley just makes everyone sigh.

Hemlock

Hemlock surprised me by how much I enjoyed it. I picked it up randomly, quite late (yes again, a 2012 release don't judge me), and I wasn't expecting to much. It was werewolves and I wasn't quite expecting much, since my faith in the werewolf genre was pretty low. (aka Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater) But I was so captivated by the mystery, the chilling atmosphere, and I could not put it down. Like literally. I was reading this at my volunteering session and I kept sneaking pages in here and there. This restored my faith in the genre and it definitely became a favourite paranormal of the year.

Eleanor & Park

I usually have one major contemporary hit on my list every year- it's one of my favourite genres and there's usually that one that just hits me right in the feels.
The melancholy yet almost hopeful feeling of this novel, the beautiful budding romance, and the roaster ride of feelings, there was just so much of this novel that spoke to me. Eleanor and Park are both wonderful characters. In fact I swore that if Park was real and this wasn't set in the 80s, I would just grab him and be like "MARRY US" in front of a priest.
No joke.
It's happy, sad and just so moving. I can't even.

Just One Day

Never before has book contained so many of my favourite things. Paris, French, in-depth tried and true characters, beautiful writing, a sweeping romance of pain, a cover that I lust after, and a cliffhanger that literally has you screaming for more.

There's probably more but that's what came to me right off the top of my head.

Scarlet

Cinder was a 2012 read that I was intrigued by. I wasn't falling all over the place for it, the idea was fun and the premise was unique. Four books had me wondering how this was all going to unfold so I picked up Scarlet and OH MY GOD NEVER HAVE I MADE A BETTER CHOICE.

I was utterly in love with Scarlet and Wolf as characters and Marissa's interpretation of the story. A girl in a red hoodie carrying a gun with her. SCORE.

It's one of those books that maybe you want to re-read a quick scene of something because you have a few minutes, but you don't know what to read and you just pick up this one off your shelf and literally re-read half the scenes. The romance between Scarlet and Wolf just makes me grin.

The way the plot is unfolding in this series makes me so excited, I actually can barely contain myself. I'm going to be jumping around when Cress hits.

The Indigo Spell

2013 was the year I discovered Adrian Ivashkov and never looked back ever again. I returned to the vampire genre around this year and I REGRET SO MUCH FOR MISSING OUT ON THIS. Adrian is my (one of) new love(s).

The Indigo Spell gave me every aspect of his character I ever wanted and more, and Sydney came out absolutely badass in this novel. This series gets better and better and I'm so anxious to get my hands on The Fiery Heart. (WHY LIBRARY. WHY YOU NO GET THE BOOK FASTER.)

(If my English teacher is reading this, he's probably cringing from my grammar.)

Champion

Series review here.

Champion alone as a novel was not my favourite of the series, but it still delivered everything I wanted from it. It's a thrilling dystopian that makes you thirst for every twist and turn and the ending is beautifully bittersweet. Good job on screwing me up even more after Allegiant. On the day before my French test.

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BOW TO THE AWESOMENESS OF THESE NOVELS BEFORE YOU.

I have to give my thanks to them for my laughs and tears for 2013 and to the authors for enriching our lives with these stories. I look forward to what 2014 is going to bring- probably another boatload of tears and laughs.