I was going to make a best of list per genre but finally opted against that and tried to pick one or two favourite books per month. I could have included many more but I did something I haven’t done before – I tried to make the list before going through the blog, which means that all the books on my list were not only books I loved while reading them, but books I still remember.
January
Amanda Eyre Ward – How To Be Lost (2005)
February
Hjalmar Söderberg – Doctor Glas (1905)
March
Anna Raverat – Signs of Life (2012
April
Karen Thompson Walker – The Age of Miracles (2012)
May
Elizabeth Haynes – Into the Darkest Corner (2011)
June
Harriet Lane – Alys, Always (2012)
Michelle Paver – Dark Matter (2010)
July
Alexis M. Smith – Glaciers (2012)
August
J. G. Ballard – The Drwoned World (1962)
Philippe Claudel – Grey Souls (2003)
September
Jane Austen – Mansfield Park (1814)
October
S.J. Bolton – Now You See Me (2011)
November
Sarah Kirsch – Die Regenkatze (2007)
Eduard von Keyserling – Schwüle Tage (1916)
December
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
I have only read 3 of the books on your list, all of which I liked, and I loved February by Lisa Moore! I better look into some of the others.
In that case I guess there could be a few more you would like. 🙂
If all those books stuck with you, then I would say you had a really good reading year. 🙂
Funny enough I didn’t think I had. But then when I started thinking about it I noticed it wasn’t all that bad. 🙂
in MO, Amanda Eyre Ward will have a great writing career. Her novel FORGIVE ME is very good.
I need to read that. I thought this one was excellent and I wouldn’t be surprised if many more good books would follow.
Dropping in to say Happy Xmas–here’s to 2014 and (I hope) another German Lit month.
Thanks, Guy.
Happy Christmas to you as well. And a great 2014 – in books and otherwise.
Glad to see Mansfield Park on the list. Your kitty is adorable. Cats look so comfy when they sleep.
Enviably comfy. 🙂 It’s funny that they seem to like a pillow as well. He always puts the head on the rim of his basket.
I wasn’t sure at first whther I should pick Persuasion or Mansfield park but I’d say Mansfield Park made a bigger impression.
You’ve still got Emma, right? And then you’ve read them all. I think we just cross visited. 🙂
Miles loves to sleep under the bed covers with his head on a pillow. It’s so cute, but he snores! And then he kicks me in the ribs to get more room. I’m always amazed that such a small dog can take over the whole bed.
I really struggled with Persuasion. I ended up liking it, but it took me forever to get into it. In my opinion Mansfield is far superior–almost as high as P&P, but not quite. I finally finished all of them, but won’t review Persuasion until the new year.
I mixed that up. I thought you’d reviewed Persuasion but not Emma but now I remember.
My female cat is a tiny cat, half of him and she’s the one who steals 50% of the bed and gets nasty when you push her. I managed to train her a bit but it’s still a struggle. It’s funny.
Goodness I wonder who would win the battle between your female cat and Miles. There’s no budging Miles at night.
If he’d let her, she’d just sleep on him. She tries that with my male cat too, only he doesn’t like to share his basket. She also tries to crawl on my lap when he’s already on it.
That’s how I make my lists too. It’s interesting to see which ones stayed with you.
There were some I realy liked when I read them but now I’ve forgotten everything about them.
Love your cat, Caroline. I had a black cat when I was much younger.
Great list here. I read Alys, Always and liked it very much. Looking forward to reading more of your picks as I like your taste in books.
Thanks, Carole, I’ll tell him. 🙂
I guess we do have a similar taste, yes. I think there are others you’d like on the list.
I just finished Sarah Moss’ Cold Earth. Not bad at all.
Gorgeous cat pic! I have read September and October – an intriguing mix of genres there which made me smile. Have a lovely Christmas!
Thanks, Vicki. And a wonderful Christmas too you as well.
It’s a bit of a genre mix. Overall looking back, the whole year was rather diverse.
That does look like a great lst. May you read as many great books in 2014!
Thanks, Brian. I wish you the same.
Wonderful list, Caroline! I have read only one book from your list – Alexis Smith’s ‘Glaciers’ – and loved it. I want to read Philippe Claudel’s ‘Grey Souls’ sometime. Nice to see Jane Austen on your list 🙂 Love the picture of your cat too.
Thanks, Vishy. I’m sure you’d like the Claudel. It’s wonderful in a bleak melancholic kind of way. I liked Glaciers very much.
I think the books we most remember, the ones that come to mind without searching through one’s blog posts, are the ones that fully deserve a spot on such a list. I like how you organized yours by month rather than genre. I’m not sure how I’ll do mine, but probably it will be the later method. We’ll see what comes to mind before I scour my Books Read page. 😉
I’m looking foward to your list. I realize now that the way I chose isn’t very evocative. I should have added a few lines of descriptions. Yeah well…
I am embarrassed to say that I have read NONE of those books. I need to get a grip I think!
Have a great Christmas, you and yours. Tom
I’m pretty sure there are some you’d like.
A great Christmas to you as well.
I love seeing end of year lists although of course I always end up adding more books to my wishlist. I’ve only read a couple of books from your list so I’m looking forward to checking out some of these others you’ve mentioned!
I love the lists as well. I hope you will like any of the books you’ll pick. Let me know.
Beautiful photo Caroline! I enjoyed reading your list, and one of my favourite books on there too – Haynes. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 🙂
Thanks, Lindsay.
I’m llooking forwards to my next Haynes.
I wish you a great Christmas and a Happy New Year as well.
Philippe Claudel and The Age of Miracles are the two that I really must get to next year. What an intriguing list (and lovely to see how many good books we shared in 2013)! I’m glad you found so many as I remember you saying you weren’t sure how good a reading year it had been. Oh and I really enjoyed Elizabeth Haynes’ Revenge of the Tide which I read last spring, and you remind me I must read the one you have read.
I did read quite a few books I discovered on your blog and still want to read Petite Mort and The Cutting Season.
I still think it wasn’t that good a year, which seems weird now looking at the list.
I really enjoyed Hayes. I’d be interested to read what you think of Claudel and The Age of Innocence.
Love the kitty pic! Mine had circular beds like that and would sleep in just the same way! 🙂 I see several books on your list that I’ve read and liked, too (Dr Glas, Dark Matter, Grey Souls and Now You see Me–by the way I decided not to wait and have requested Lost-her newest but the US title is different than the UK–from the library). I have Someone waiting for me, but I will start it in the new year as I try and finish two other books before the end of this one. I will make my list finally on the last day of the year. Hope you are having a great holiday! 🙂
Thanks, Danielle. It’s funny, I bought that bed for him and he seems to know it. She doesn’t really use it, she has a smaller one. I think they like to feel the rim and since she’s half his size, she chooses another basket. But don’t think he’s not going to squeeze into the tiny one. Wouldn’t be such a nice picture though. 🙂
I love Dead Scared. It’s the best so far. I might try and get the next one early too.
I like the way you’ve done your list by month. I loved Doctor Gals when I read it a few years ago, and, of course, you can’t go wrong with Austen. Above all, I’m a huge fan of Philippe Claudel – glad to see someone else has read Grey Souls!
Thanks, 1streading. I was quite impressed with Claudel’s writing. I didn’t expect his writing to be that good. I’ll certainly read another one. Glad to hear you like Dr Glas as well.
I remembered the Soderberg and Modick reviews straight off – they sound great, and they obviously made a big impression on you. Pity the Modick isn’t translated, but I’ll get Doctor Glas in Feb when my new year buying embargo is lifted.
Anyway, happy new year Caroline, and thanks for all the posts and discussions in 2013!
Thank you for visting and joining the discussions. A happy new year to you as well.
I hop you’ll let me know how you liked Dr Glas. A wish they would translate Modick.
Wow…you really read a lot!
I haven’t made my favorite book/music in 2013 yet (busy with Sherlock) and I havn’t read any of your book
I’m looking forward to your list. It’s always interesting to see.
I never count how many books I read but there were quite a few. 🙂