Krystalyn's Favorite Books of 2013

This has been a crazy year, to say the least. I haven't had nearly as much time to read as I would like, but I have managed to squeeze in a few books here and there. This year, I've decided to list one YA, one MG, and one old favorite. Of course, two of those are series, so bear with me.

My favorite YA book I read this year was The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. I'm currently in the middle of The Dream Thieves, and once again, it does not disappoint. I love how Maggie seems to paint with words. If you love lyrical writing, quirky characters, and a paranormal story that seems more like part of real life than real life often does, check out this series.

My second recommendation is See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles. This is an MG book, and since my next book is MG, I've been spending a lot of time in that area of the book store. See You At Harry's is heart wrenching, but it's told beautifully from such an innocent point of view. It shows that there are not always answers in life, but there is absolution.

My last book is the Blossom Culp series from one of my favorite authors of all time, Richard Peck. This summer, I re-read some of the Blossom Culp books. I had read them as a teenager, because I loved the paranormal aspect of them. Plus, I adored the Disney Sunday night movie, Child of Glass, which was based off of the first book, The Ghost Belonged To Me. Reading the series as an adult helped me appreciate the historical aspect of them as well. The research that must have gone into these books is incredible. Plus, the ghost story totally holds up.