Awesome books from 2013?
November 29, 2013 11:44 AM Subscribe
What are some well reviewed books in 2013 that blow my socks off?
Fiction or non-fiction, I'm looking for books from this last year that were well reviewed and are real page-turners, the ones that tempt you to stay up at night instead of going to sleep. I especially enjoy anything that is epic in nature, where it ends light years from where you started kind of thing. There are good book review sites, but I especially trust the opinions of my fellow mefites. Thanks!
Fiction or non-fiction, I'm looking for books from this last year that were well reviewed and are real page-turners, the ones that tempt you to stay up at night instead of going to sleep. I especially enjoy anything that is epic in nature, where it ends light years from where you started kind of thing. There are good book review sites, but I especially trust the opinions of my fellow mefites. Thanks!
Best answer: I also loved Choire Sicha's Very Recent History and Thomas Pynchon's Bleeding Edge.
Also, from earlier this year, two short story collections - Karen Russell's Vampires in the Lemon Grove and George Saunders' Tenth of December.
Nonfiction-wise, Amy Stewart's The Drunken Botanist was so much fun (and, since it's that time of year, a great gift for nerds who drink).
posted by troika at 12:25 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, from earlier this year, two short story collections - Karen Russell's Vampires in the Lemon Grove and George Saunders' Tenth of December.
Nonfiction-wise, Amy Stewart's The Drunken Botanist was so much fun (and, since it's that time of year, a great gift for nerds who drink).
posted by troika at 12:25 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Seconding The Goldfinch.
Also, Helene Wecker, The Golem and the Djinni.
posted by willbaude at 12:40 PM on November 29, 2013
Also, Helene Wecker, The Golem and the Djinni.
posted by willbaude at 12:40 PM on November 29, 2013
Best answer: nthing The Goldfinch - I savored it. I also loved the brief appearance of a Secret History character...made me giddy with glee.
It was out earlier than 2013, but I read Ready Player One in January. It was amazing.
posted by Elly Vortex at 6:06 PM on November 29, 2013
It was out earlier than 2013, but I read Ready Player One in January. It was amazing.
posted by Elly Vortex at 6:06 PM on November 29, 2013
Best answer: Nthing The Goldfinch. I'm reading it now and can barely tear myself away - I'm on metafilter now as part of an effort to pace myself!
posted by lunasol at 9:54 PM on November 29, 2013
posted by lunasol at 9:54 PM on November 29, 2013
Best answer: I really, really liked Constellation Games.
posted by kandinski at 4:41 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by kandinski at 4:41 AM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Can I recommend a book I haven't read yet? If so, Five Days at Memorial:
Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital [NYT link] looks really good and like it would meet your criteria.
posted by Asparagus at 11:53 AM on November 30, 2013
Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital [NYT link] looks really good and like it would meet your criteria.
posted by Asparagus at 11:53 AM on November 30, 2013
Best answer: This isn't much help, I guess, but I clicked on the question with the intention of suggesting The Goldfinch. Clearly, I'm late to the party. In any case: it's a wonderful book, and a true page-turner. If you live in Manhattan, it's even better.
posted by merejane at 4:59 PM on November 30, 2013
posted by merejane at 4:59 PM on November 30, 2013
Best answer: The new Tom Holland translation of Herodotus is phenomenal. Holland has a long line of books that makes history accessible and fun without diluting the facts, and this is really rip-roaring translation.
I also enjoyed Amanda Ripley's The Smartest Kids in the World, a very smart and well-structured book on school systems across the world.
Also, while his style can be grating, Evgeny Morozov's To Save Everything, Click Here is an important and timely critique of Silicon Valley and our expectations of what the "Internet" can achieve.
As far as fiction goes, I thought this was perhaps not a stellar year (though I must confess I haven't read The Goldfinch yet). Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi's Americanah was very good without being great; I was however blown away by George Saunders' short story collection Tenth of December.
posted by rahulrg at 8:22 PM on November 30, 2013
I also enjoyed Amanda Ripley's The Smartest Kids in the World, a very smart and well-structured book on school systems across the world.
Also, while his style can be grating, Evgeny Morozov's To Save Everything, Click Here is an important and timely critique of Silicon Valley and our expectations of what the "Internet" can achieve.
As far as fiction goes, I thought this was perhaps not a stellar year (though I must confess I haven't read The Goldfinch yet). Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi's Americanah was very good without being great; I was however blown away by George Saunders' short story collection Tenth of December.
posted by rahulrg at 8:22 PM on November 30, 2013
Best answer: For me, the standout novel this year was Life after Life by Kate Atkinson. Here are reviews from the Telegraph, Guardian (maybe goes a bit overboard on the detail, actually) and Independent. It's clever, engaging, enjoyable, thought-provoking and memorable, and I certainly found it hard to put down.
If we're counting books that came out in paperback this year, I've also enjoyed Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki and - less literary but great fun and certainly epic - The Falcons of Fire and Ice by Karen Maitland. Finally, I have high hopes for Tim Powers' latest, Hide Me Among the Graves, which I picked up yesterday.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 4:20 AM on December 1, 2013
If we're counting books that came out in paperback this year, I've also enjoyed Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki and - less literary but great fun and certainly epic - The Falcons of Fire and Ice by Karen Maitland. Finally, I have high hopes for Tim Powers' latest, Hide Me Among the Graves, which I picked up yesterday.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 4:20 AM on December 1, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! Lots of good stuff here. I think the obvious first one to look at will be The Goldfinch.
posted by SpacemanStix at 8:42 AM on December 2, 2013
posted by SpacemanStix at 8:42 AM on December 2, 2013
Best answer: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves is another great, page-turner book. But please please avoid reading anything about it because there are spoilers everywhere, and it really is much much better unspoiled. (I checked to make sure the page I linked is okay, and Amazon looks okay too as long as you don't click on "read more" or scroll down to any of the other reviews).
posted by likeatoaster at 10:50 AM on December 3, 2013
posted by likeatoaster at 10:50 AM on December 3, 2013
Best answer: The Goldfinch is $2.99 on Amazon's kindle store today, if that is a thing that you use.
posted by troika at 11:46 AM on December 3, 2013
posted by troika at 11:46 AM on December 3, 2013
Best answer: The only book that was released this year that I thoroughly enjoyed was John Gray's The Silence of Animals.
The Old Ways by Robert Macarlane was released in paperback, and was quite lovely, and is certainly epic.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:30 PM on December 5, 2013
The Old Ways by Robert Macarlane was released in paperback, and was quite lovely, and is certainly epic.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:30 PM on December 5, 2013
Best answer: Oh! And Schlosser's Command and Control was serious thrill-a-minute stuff.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:33 PM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:33 PM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by troika at 11:55 AM on November 29, 2013 [7 favorites]