Top Ten Tuesday: Best Reads of 2013

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I will be majorly cheating this week.  There's no way I can list just ten books that were my best reads of 2013.  This includes books published before 2013 but that I just read this year.  BTW, these are listed in no particular order.

  

1. United We Spy by Ally Carter

2. Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth

3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

  

4. Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

5. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

6. Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

  

7. Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

8. Relic by Heather Terrell

9. River Secrets by Shannon Hale

  

10. Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

11. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

12. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

  

13. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

14. The Selection by Kiera Cass

15. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

  

16. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

17. Heist Society by Ally Carter

18. Margot by Jillian Cantor

  

19. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

20. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

21. Belles by Jen Calonita

  

22. Golden by Jessi Kirby

23. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

24. How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

  

25. Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed
26. Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill
27. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

  

28. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
29. Pawn by Aimee Carter
30. Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

So what do you think?  Do you share any of my favorites?  Or, are you going to add any of these to your TBR lists?

Rewind & Review #2

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

Not much happened this week other than Christmas stuff.  We had this giant hassle getting a package from Amazon.  It was 10 days late and it wasn't even the right package, so they over-nighted us everything and it got here Christmas Eve.  I also bought 9 books in 2 days - that's more than I've ever bought in so short a time period before.

Books I Received

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau (Thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers!) This was my first ARC directly from a publisher.

  

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by Veronica Roth (It's signed!)

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

All Christmas presents from my parents and grandparents.  Thank you!

Books I Bought

  
  
  

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter
Just One Year by Gayle Forman
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
The Last Hope by Erin Hunter
Thunder Rising by Erin Hunter
This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Books I Read

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu (a DNF)

Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards

Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau
How to Love by Katie Cotugno
Past Perfect by Leila Sales
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Pawn by Aimee Carter
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Blog Posts You Might Have Missed

• TTT: Books I Wish Santa Would Bring
• End of Year Book Survey
• Merry Christmas to the Book Characters
• Random Friday: Bookworm Things
• I Have Officially Worked at a Bookstore

I Have Officially Worked at a Bookstore

So, since this summer, I've been reviewing ARCs for the indie bookseller in my town, Read Between the Lynes.  It's been a fantastic experience, and I'm so grateful for Arlene, the owner.  She's known me since I was 10 and definitely knows what a bookworm I am, so the fact that she graciously provided me with the ARCs means a lot.

When the holiday season was approaching this year, she asked me to work in the store as a gift-wrapper.  I agreed obviously, especially since she said she'd pay me in a giftcard to the store.  I worked the last three Saturdays for four, five, and six hours respectively.  And it's been an experience.

My wrapping skills are better now.  I still can't cut the paper very well, but that didn't matter since the paper at the store is on a giant roll that you tear it off from.  But I've gotten better at folding and tying bows.  I've also learned what the employees dread wrapping: mugs (we were asked to wrap one on the 14th), calenders (they're so flat and big!), picture books (they're great gifts, but they're very flat), and anything that's a weird shape.

I think I wrapped over 100 books in total.

Can I get a round of applause, please?

The first Saturday, there was an author event for a book about Wrigley Field.  Side note: you're either a Cubs fan, a traitorous Cardinals fan, or a sad White Sox fan up here in the Chicago area.  After the book signing, we had so many people ask for the book to be wrapped.  The store was mobbed that afternoon.

The second Saturday was much quieter, but there were several periods of about 10 minutes or so where the store would be mobbed and everyone would want their purchases wrapped.  Two authors came for signings, but they didn't make things too hectic.

The final Saturday, though... I got there at 10 and was staying until things started to quiet down.  Towards the beginning, there were a ton of lulls, but then it got crazy.  After all, it was the Saturday before Christmas.  Right up until about 2 minutes before I was supposed to leave, I was wrapping purchases.  We had new green and burgundy ribbons that are super pretty. (Something random I had to mention.)  I also now have a giftcard to Read Between the Lynes with a very large sum of money on it, the most I've ever had for books.  I can't wait to tackle my list once Christmas is past.  I promised everyone that I'd probably be back on the 26th to start spending, haha.

So, do I want to work in a bookstore in the future?  Possibly.  It's pretty exhausting and my feet really hate me right now.  Customer service isn't always my forte.  But I love being around books, and the whole Christmas season makes me happy, so I think a bookstore is probably the best place to work retail during the holidays.  My ultimate goal is to work in publishing and write, but maybe God has other plans for my future...

Random Friday: Bookworm Things

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following:

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my post.
• Blog about this week's topic.
• Add the link to your Random Friday at the bottom of this post.

It's about time I did something about being a bookworm, yes?  After all, this blog used to be named Bookworm/Future Author and bookworm is still in the URL.  So let's get started...

It's a personal library kit.  I WANT.

Anyone else get asked this all the time?  My pastor's wife asked me this a couple weeks ago, and then when I couldn't answer, she told me to name five.  That was only slightly easier.

I think I've already discussed this in, like, two posts, but it's very true.

ALL. THE. TIME.

My time fluctuates.  Some weeks, I have more time than others.

To church...to MOPS...to co-op...on trips...

Wondering if I've ever actually said that to anyone...

Well there's a reason I'm now blogging for them...

I have one purse that can fit books.  It's very sad.

I mean, there's other stuff I'd like to get, but books and giftcards to bookstores are always nice.

I'd post about a million more, but...