Here is my list of books that I read in 2013 and the top of the list are my favorites for the year. It is the usual mix of literary novels, some trashy reads, non-fiction war and science and a few biographies and memoirs. There are always some new discoveries and some going back to read something new from an old favorite. The Goldfinch was my favorite book of the year and I will read more of Donna Tartt in 2014. In 2012 I discovered and starting reading John Banville who also writes under the name Benjamin Black and that continued in 2013. I discovered Ken Kalfus and read a couple of his novels. I also went back and read some favorite authors; Richard Russo and Jonathan Lethem. I finished Margaret Atwood's trilogy and went through Neal Stephenson's new e-book trilogy in the alternate universe of the Mongol Invasions. More in that series has come out with other authors.
The new American Library issue of Philip Roth's later books gave me the opportunity to check them out. I read a couple of interesting memoirs from Neil Young and Patti Smith. There were several books at the end of the list that didn't do much for me.
- The Goldfinch, 2013 - Donna Tartt
- Motherless Brooklyn, 2000 - Jonathan Lethem
- Bridge of Sighs, 2007 - Richard Russo
- Ancient Light, 2012 - John Banville
- The Silver Swan, 2008 - Benjamin Black
- A History of the World in 100 Objects, 2011 - Neil MacGregor
- MaddAddam, 2013 - Margaret Atwood
- The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went To War in 1914, 2012 - Christopher Clark
- The End Game: The Inside Story of teh Struggle for Iraq, From George W. Bush to Barak Obama, 2012 - Michael R. Gordon
- The Commissariat of Enlightment - Ken Kalfus
- American Science Fiction: Four Classic Novels 1953-56, 2012 - Gary Wolfe, ed.
- Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream, 2012 - Neil Young
- The Infinities, 2010 - John Banville
- Christine Falls, 2006 - Benjamin Black
- The Great Indian Phone Book: How The Cheap Cell Phone Changes Business, Politics, and Daily Life, 2013 - Assa Doran
- Just Kids, 2010 - Patti Smith
- Everyman, 2007 - Phillip Roth
- Indignation, 2008 - Phillip Roth
- The Humbling, 2009 - Phillip Roth
- Nemesis, 2010 - Phillip Roth
- Equilateral, 2013 - Ken Kalfus
- The Mongoliad: Book One, 2012 - Neal Stephenson
- The Mongoliad: Book Two, 2012 - Neal Stephenson
- The Mongoliad: Book Three, 2013 - Neal Stephenson
- Shutter Island, 2004 - Dennis Lehane
- Live by Night, 2012 - Dennis Lehane
- The Value of Species, 2012 - Edward McCord
- The Forever War, 2008 - Dexter Filkins
- A Discovery of Witches, 2011 - Deborah Harkness
- The Bone Collector, 1998 - Jeffery Deaver
- Strange Bird, 2013 - Anna Jansson
- The Emperor of Ocean Park, 2003 - Stephen Carter
- You Are Not A Gadget, 2010 - Jaron Lanier
