“This year flew by” — if you’ve said these exact words over the past month, we’re right there with you. Luckily, we were able to enjoy some great books this year and the saying “out with the old and in with the new”….well, we actually don’t mind if these books stay around for a bit. They are going to be at the top of our list for quite awhile.
Stephen King (need we say more?) returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.
The Flamethrowers is an intensely engaging exploration of the mystique of the feminine, the fake, and the terrorist. At its center is Kushner’s brilliantly realized protagonist, a young woman on the verge. Thrilling and fearless, this is a major American novel from a writer of spectacular talent and imagination. Selected by the New York Times as one of the best books of 2013 and we definitely agree.
The dramatic and redemptive memoir of a woman whose curiosity led her to the world’s most beautiful and remote places, its most imperiled and perilous countries, and then into 15 months of harrowing captivity—A House in the Sky is an exquisitely written story of courage, resilience, and grace.
A beautifully written novel that doesn’t shy away from complex issues and horrifying histories, each page of the story asks tough questions: when does a moral choice become a moral imperative? And where does one draw the line between punishment and justice, forgiveness and mercy? In this searingly honest novel, Jodi Picoult gracefully explores the lengths we will go in order to protect our families and to keep the past from dictating the future.
The gap between rich and poor has never been wider…legislative stalemate paralyzes the country…corporations resist federal regulations…spectacular mergers produce giant companies…the influence of money in politics deepens…bombs explode in crowded streets…small wars proliferate far from our shores…a dizzying array of inventions speeds the pace of daily life.
These unnervingly familiar headlines serve as the backdrop for The Bully Pulpit—a dynamic history of the first decade of the Progressive era, that tumultuous time when the nation was coming unseamed and reform was in the air.
A spectacular look into the rise and fall of the high-rolling whiz kid, Daniel Tzvetkoff, who controlled online poker’s billions. From working at Pizza Hut to raking in as much as $3m a week, Tzvetkoff ended up owing millions to the poker companies and had the FBI hot on his trail. Needing to “pull an ace” from his sleeve to keep from busting out and when he did, it resulted in a day that sent a seismic shockwave through the world of online poker and saw him take the blame.
History is about so much more than memorizing facts. It is, as more than half of the word suggests, about the story. And, told in the right way, it is the greatest one ever written: Good and evil, triumph and tragedy, despicable acts of barbarism and courageous acts of heroism. Miracles and Massacres is history as you’ve never heard it told and incredible events that you never knew existed.
Tip and the Gipper is a magnificent personal history of a time when 2 great political opponents served together for the benefit of the country. Chris Matthews was an eyewitness to this story as a top aide to Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, who waged a principled war of political ideals with President Reagan from 1980 to 1986. Together, the two men forged compromises that shaped America’s future and became one of history’s most celebrated political pairings—the epitome of how ideological opposites can get things done.
These are just a few of the books we couldn’t put down this year but the list could go on and on. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2014 because free time is so 2013. We’d rather be reading, wouldn’t you? 🙂
What were your favorite books from 2013? Share with us! We love to add new titles to our Entitle queue! Happy reading!
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