Top Ten Books of 2013

Here are my picks for 2013:

1. We Are Water by Wally Lamb

Lamb, Wally. We Are Water. HarperCollins, 2013. Print. 

“We are water: ‘fluid, flexible when we have to be. But strong and destructive, too.’ That’s evident in this emotionally involving new novel from the author of She’s Come Undone…clear and sweetly flowing; highly recommended.” --Library Journal, starred review.

2. Stuck in the Middle with You by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Boylan, Jennifer F. Stuck in the Middle with You: Parenthood in Three Genders a Memoir. New York: Crown Publishers, 2013. Print. 

Like Wally Lamb, Jennifer Finney Boylan names her books after great song titles. Also like Wally Lamb, Jennifer Finney Boylan is an outstanding writer/teacher/social activist. If you like funny, honest, unique memoirs, you will love Stuck in the Middle with You.

3. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

Sedaris, David. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls. New York: Little, Brown, 2013. Print.

"Deeply satisfying.... Sedaris can bring to mind Anthony Trollope, P.G. Wodehouse, Alice Munro, and Woody Allen, sometimes in the same paragraph." --David Carr, New York Times Book Review.

4. The Wonder Bread Summer by Jessica Anya Blau

Blau, Jessica A. The Wonder Bread Summer: A Novel. New York: Harper Perennial, 2013. Print. 

“Raunchy, poignant, and triumphant in turn--and sometimes manages to be all three at the same time.” --Booklist

5.  Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

 Fielding, Helen. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. Print. 

“Mad About the Boy is not only sharp and humorous, despite its heroine’s aged circumstances, but also snappily written, observationally astute and at times genuinely moving." --Sarah Lyall, The New York Times Book Review.

6. Tapestry of Fortune by Elizabeth Berg

Berg, Elizabeth. Tapestry of Fortunes: A Novel. New York: Random House, 2013. Print. 

"Berg strips her writing down to what is essential and takes an unflinching look at lifelong regrets. The characters are so completely realized, even the bit players will settle in your heart." 

--Diane Holcomb, Booklist (starred review).

7. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

 Quick, Matthew. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock: A Novel. Little, Brown, 2013. Print. 

"...the novel presents a host of compelling, well-drawn, realistic characters-all of whom want Leonard to make it through the day safe and sound." --Kirkus.

8. Beyond Belief by Jenna Miscavige Hill with Lisa Pulitzer

Hill, Jenna M, and Lisa Pulitzer. Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape. HarperCollins, 2013. Print. 

"Hill’s candid memories of growing up inside the Church of Scientology are notable not just for their detail but for the light they shed on an environment that fosters isolation, powerlessness, and privacy loss." --Publisher's Weekly.

9.The Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge

Thebarge, Sarah. The Invisible Girls: A Memoir. New York: Jericho Books, 2013. Print. 

"Thebarge's writing style is clear and breezy. From the beginning, there are compelling questions on the table." --The Oregonian

10. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Simsion, Graeme. The Rosie Project. Simon & Schuster, 2013. Print. 

"If you're looking for sparkling entertainment along the lines of Where'd You Go Bernadette and When Harry Met Sally, The Rosie Project is this season's fix." --Heller Mcalpin, NPR Books.