2013 Reading Wrap-Up

It's that time of year again: the end of it. We're at the brink of 2014, and with it comes new surprises, new goals, new pains and sorrows - and of course, new books. My reading goal of 2013 was 210 books originally; sadly, I didn't quite make it, and I had to bump the goal down to 150 books. This year threw some surprises my way (some good, others not so much), and I just got busier than I had anticipated. Nevertheless, Hedgie and I read a lot of books; some good, some bad. And out of the 150 of books that we read, here are the best and the worst, cataloged alphabetically by Author's last name.

December 2013 Book Haul

So Stacking the Shelves is a lot like this: listing the books that are new to my shelves. But I decided that it would be fun to do an end-of-the-month book haul post, detailing only the books that I bought/was given, and mentioning why I bought it, when I intend to read it (or maybe if I have already read it), et cetera. Because this is a December book haul, it's pretty big. I was on a book-buying ban this month, and I did a good job of obeying it. . . .for about three weeks. Then it came to a sudden and very big end. Not counting my Christmas books, I bought a total of 19 books. December also equals Christmas, and while my actual Christmas haul isn't until January (and will therefore be included in January's book haul), I still got a fair number of books. But I'm going to start with the ones I bought first.

Stacking the Shelves #29

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Review: Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Series: The Reckoners #1

Genre: YA, science fiction

Published on September 23, 2013

Published by Delacorte

Pages: 384

Read From: 12.14.13 - 12.21.13

SYNOPSIS

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary people extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. 

Epics are no friends of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man, you must crush his will.  

Review: The Clockwork Scarab - Colleen Gleason

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason
Series: Stoker & Holmes #1
Genre: YA, alternate history, steampunk, Sherlockian fiction
Published on September 17, 2013
Published by Chronicle Books
Pages: 356
Read From: 12.7.13 - 12.14.13











SYNOPSIS

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you're the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood, so to speak. And when two young society girls disappear - one dead, one missing - there's

Waiting on Wednesday #29

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

Top Ten Tuesday #26

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: Top 10 Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me. This is actually harder than you would think, because I have so many books I would love to get for Christmas. My entire to-buy list, in fact. But I will be good and choose only ten of them.

Review: Curtsies & Conspiracies - Gail Carriger

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Series: Finishing School #2

Genre: YA, steampunk

Published on November 5, 2013

Published by Hatchette Little, Brown & Co.

Pages: 310

Read From: 11.30.13 - 12.7.13

SYNOPSIS

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four full grown guests? 

Stacking the Shelves #28

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Weekend Recommendations #28

This is a weekly feature, where I get to go all fannish about two randomly-picked favvies (which may not actually be favorites, but got a rating of 3 or more strawberries) that I would recommend to friends! But in honor of the Christmas season, I've invited three of my bookish friends to suggest two favorite Christmas reads that they would recommend to people!

Review: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - April Genevieve Tucholke

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
Series: Between #1
Genre: YA, paranormal, romance, thriller
Published on August 15, 2013
Published by Dial
Pages: 360
Read From: 11.29.13 - 11.30.13











SYNOPSIS

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White's sleepy seaside town. . . .until River West comes along. 

Waiting on Wednesday #28

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

Top Ten Tuesday #25

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Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic: Top 10 New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2013. These will mostly be debut authors, as this year was mostly spent on finishing series and reading debuts.

Review: Golden Girl - Sarah Zettel

Golden Girl by Sarah Zettel

Series: American Fairy Trilogy #2

Genre: YA, historical fantasy

Published on June 25, 2013

Published by Random House

Pages: 320

Read From: 11.27.13 - 11.29.13

SYNOPSIS

Callie LeRoux is not in Kansas anymore. . . . 

Stacking the Shelves #27

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Weekend Recommendations #27

This is a weekly feature, where I get to go all fannish about two randomly-picked favvies (which may not actually be favorites, but got a rating of 3 or higher) that I would recommend to friends! So, here are this week's two picks:

Review: "When Did You See Her Last?" - Lemony Snicket

"When Did You See Her Last?" by Lemony Snicket
Series: All the Wrong Questions #2
Genre: Middle Grade, mystery
Published on October 15, 2013
Published by Little Brown
Pages: 279
Read From: 11.25.13 - 11.27.13











SYNOPSIS

Before you looked any further into "When Did You See Her Last?" ask yourself these questions: 

Waiting on Wednesday #27

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

Top Ten Tuesday #24

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: Top 10 Books on My Winter TBR List. Now, I don't really do monthly or even seasonal TBR lists. I rely on the local library too heavily to be able to pre-plan what I want to read; the library isn't always good about getting in what I need on time. However, because of my newfound income and because planning would be a good idea, I am going to start adhering to a monthly TBR list. So, what's for winter? Here's a brief idea:

Review: "Who Could That Be at This Hour?" - Lemony Snicket

"Who Could That Be at This Hour?" by Lemony Snicket

Series: All the Wrong Questions #1

Genre: Middle Grade, mystery

Published on October 24, 2012

Published by Little Brown

Pages: 258

Read From: 11.25.13 - 11.25.13

SYNOPSIS

Before you consider reading "Who Could That Be at This Hour?" ask yourself these questions: 

Stacking the Shelves #26

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December Update

So you probably noticed that there wasn't a new post up yesterday. Unsurprisingly, the holidays have hit - and they've hit hard. I don't really know what leisure time is anymore; and no, I'm not exactly complaining. I like being busy! Though this week was a bit too much; hopefully next week won't be as bad.

The Book Thief

Books to Movies is a feature where I review movies based off books! These reviews are for people who have read the book, so spoilers are definitely within.

Rated: PG-13

Waiting on Wednesday #26

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

Top Ten Tuesday #23

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: Top 10 2014 Releases I'm excited about. There's so many! These are not listed from most anticipated to least; they're listed by publication date, because quite honestly, I'm excited about them all!

Review: Daughter of the Centaurs - Kate Klimo

Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo
Series: Centauriad #1
Genre: YA, fantasy
Published on January 24, 2012
Published by Random House
Pages: 362
Read From: 11.21.13 - 11.25.13











SYNOPSIS

Malora has always wanted to be a master horseman, like her father. To ride and hunt as he does, wheeling about and charging off, bow and arrows strapped to her back - she can't imagine anything better. It is no matter to her that for the People this is considered a man's job, or that she is gently discouraged by her parents at every turn. Malora feels, she knows, that this is what she was meant to do. 

Stacking the Shelves #25

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Hedgie's Must Reads: November 2013

This month has been crazy! What with being newly employed at a bookstore (a childhood dream come true!) and the Christmas season nearly upon us, I'm not sure how I found time to read! But I did. Poor Hedgie was ill the past few weeks. He had some problems with mites - nothing severe, but his skin was a little sore. So I curled up with him every moment I got to read through books while his mite medicine did its magic. That was several weeks back, though, and Hedgie is much better now - well enough to help me pick the top reads of November.

Catching Fire

Books to Movies is a feature where I review movies based off books! These reviews are for people who have read the book, so spoilers are definitely within.

Rated: PG-13

Review: The Royal Ranger - John Flanagan

The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan

Series: Ranger's Apprentice #12

Genre: YA, adventure

Published on November 5, 2013

Published by Philomel

Pages: 464

Read From: 11.18.13 - 11.22.13

SYNOPSIS

Will Treaty has come a long way from the small boy with dreams of knighthood. Life had other plans for him, and as an apprentice Ranger under Halt, he grew into a legend - the finest Ranger the kingdom has ever known. 

Waiting on Wednesday #25

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

Top Ten Tuesday #22

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: Top 10 Things I'm Thankful For. Because this is a literary blog, I'm going to stick with the top 10 literary-related things I'm thankful for.

Review: Allegiant - Veronica Roth

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent Trilogy #3
Genre: YA, dystopian
Published on October 22, 2013
Published by Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 526
Read From: 11.14.13 - 11.16.13











SYNOPSIS

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

Stacking the Shelves #24

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Weekend Recommendations #26

This is a weekly feature, where I get to go all fannish about two randomly-picked favvies (which may not actually be favorites, but got a rating of 3 or higher) that I would recommend to friends! So, here are this week's two picks:

Review: The Twistrose Key - Tone Almhjell

The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

Genre: Middle Grade, fantasy

Published on October 22, 2013

Published by Dial

Pages: 336

Read From: 11.10.13 - 11.13.13

SYNOPSIS

Something is wrong in the house that Lin's family has rented; Lin is sure of it. The clocks tick too slowly. Frost covers the flower bed, even in a rainstorm. And when a secret key marked "Twistrose" arrives for her, Lin finds a crack in the cellar, a gate to the world of Sylver. 

Review: Boy Nobody - Allen Zadoff

Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff
Series: Boy Nobody #1
Genre: YA, action
Published on June 11, 2013
Published by Little Brown
Pages: 337
Read From: 11.9.13 - 11.10.13











SYNOPSIS

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die - of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target. 

Waiting on Wednesday #24

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

Top Ten Tuesday #21

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish 

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic: Top 10 Books I'd Recommend To X Person (my choice: my friend Hazel. Because she's so easy to recommend things to!). Many of these I've already recommended to her, and hopefully she enjoyed them all. :-) Some of these I haven't recommended yet, either (keep forgetting), so Hazel - you might want to read this if you're looking for more reads!

Review: The Unnaturalists - Tiffany Trent

The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent

Series: The Unnaturalists #1

Genre: YA, alternate reality, fantasy, steampunk

Published on August 14, 2012

Published by Simon & Schuster

Pages: 308

Read From: 11.8.13 - 11.9.13

SYNOPSIS

Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend her life cataloging Unnaturals in her father's Museum of Unnatural History. There is nothing she enjoys more than studying a stuffed Sphinx, or mounting a delicate sylphid. But as she nears seventeen, the dreaded need to become respectable, find a husband, and settle down looms heavily. Just as she is resigning herself to a mundane life, a series of mysterious accidents reveals a terrifying truth: Vespa may be New London's only surviving witch. And in New London, witchcraft is the greatest imaginable heresy, punishable by death. 

Stacking the Shelves #23

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Guest Post: Bookish Pet Peeves

It's November, and therefore it's time for another guest post! This month's topic: bookish pet peeves! What are some physical things about books that irritate you? Is it a certain type of binding? Spine damage? Rough-cut pages? Whatever it is, why does it tick you off so much? Three of my good book friends agreed to join The Reading Hedgehog once again on sharing some of their bookish pet peeves!

ARC Review: Rags & Bones - Melissa Marr

A  copy was provided by the publisher

in exchange for

an honest review.

Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales by Melissa Marr & Others

Genre: YA, classic retelling

Published on October 22, 2013

Published by Little Brown

Pages: 368

Read From: 11.3.13 - 11.8.13

SYNOPSIS

Literature is filled with sexy, deadly, and downright twisted tales. In this collection, award-winning and bestselling authors reimagine their favorite

Review: City of a Thousand Dolls - Miriam Forster

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Series: Bhinian Empire #1

Genre: YA, fantasy

Published on February 5, 2013

Published by Harper Teen

Pages: 359

Read From: 11.1.13 - 11.3.13

SYNOPSIS

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a little girl. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. She makes her way as Matron's errand girl, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city's handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die. 

Waiting on Wednesday #23

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

Top Ten Tuesday #20

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish 

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic: Top 10 Covers I Wish I Could Redesign. Let's pull out the old books, shall we? Some of these may have already been redesigned and I just don't know it. But chances are, I don't like the new covers, either. :-)

Ender's Game

Books to Movies is a feature where I review movies based off books! These reviews are for people who have read the book, so spoilers are definitely within.

Rated: PG-13

Stacking the Shelves #22

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Review

Weekend Recommendations #25

This is a weekly feature, where I get to go all fannish about two randomly-picked favvies (which may not actually be favorites, but got a rating of 3 or higher) that I would recommend to friends! So, here are this week's two picks: