What were the best books of 2013? It depends who you ask. Here are lists of books chosen as the best of the year in a variety of categories by different sources.
100 Notable Books of 2013 from The New York Times
The annual New York Times list is arguably the granddaddy of them all. These books, categories by Fiction and Poetry and Nonfiction are selected by the editors of the New York Times Book Review. Consider this your to-do list for 2014.
Cool Mom Picks’ Best Kids’ Book Roundup
Cool Mom Picks rounds up the round ups for the best kids books of 2013. Included are the 13 Best children’s Illustrated, and Picture Books from Brain Pickings , Best Picture Books of 2013 from Publisher’s Weekly, the 2013 Caldecott Award Winners, and many other inspiring lists. This is great for parents to explore if nighttime story time is getting a little stale.
Here & Now’s Favorite Cookbooks of 2013
Written by NPR’s Here & Now resident chef Kathy Gunst, this list is divided into delicious categories like “For Lovers of New Flavors,” “Inspiration” and “For Dessert Lovers.” Gunst does a great job of explaining what it is that sets each one of these titles apart, and uses her perspective as a chef to lend authority to her choices.
Best-Selling Books of 2013 from Amazon
This list is an interesting look at how the best-seller lists don’t always jive with the most critically acclaimed books. This is an interesting list that brings together the Wimpy Kid, The Great Gatsby and Sheryl Sandberg.
Entertainment Weekly’s Top 10 Picks in Fiction and Non Fiction
These two are my personal favorite lists. I find Entertainment Weekly often does a great job finding books that are both well-written and have some sort of pop culture relevance.
GoodReads’ Choice Awards 2013
More than a million votes were cast by users in this online competition by GoodReads. Included are 20 different categories—from picture books to fantasy and historical fiction. If you want to dive deeper, you can click through to see the user reviews for individual titles.
The Best Book Covers of 2013 from The New York Times
Let’s not forget the design in these round-ups. Book cover design has evolved dramatically over the years—what once had a standard formula is now a unique exploration of different ways to catch the eye of prospective readers. This list shows not only the most provocative covers, but also credits the designers responsible.
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Lisa Hazen is a Chicago-based Web Designer specializing in author sites. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, or the WWW. mailto:[email protected]
