The Class of 2013: YA Superlative Blogfest (hosted by Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller, and me) runs Monday, December 16th through Thursday, December 19th. All of our fantastic participants will highlight favorite books published in 2013 using a variety of fun superlative categories. The Class of 2013: YA Superlative Blogfest is all about promoting the extraordinary young adult books published this year, so if you haven’t already, draft a post and sign up to participate at the end of this post. We can’t wait to see your favorite reads of 2013!
My Books Pubbed in 2013 Reading List (starred books are 2013 debut novels): Shades of Earth, *The Tragedy Paper, Just One Day, *If You Find Me, *Nobody But Us, *Taken, Through the Ever Night, Eleanor & Park, Requiem, *Pretty Girl-13, *Uses For Boys, This is What Happy Looks Like, Quintana of Charyn, *The S-Word, The 5th Wave, *Nantucket Blue, *The Sea of Tranquility, Golden, *Strands of Bronze and Gold, Where the Stars Still Shine, Dare You To, All I Need, Out of the Easy, *OCD Love Story, The Dream Thieves, *Canary, The Truth About You and Me, Fangirl, *My Life After Now, September Girls, *Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Dead Silence, Invisibility, Just One Year, *Fault Line, Allegiant, *How to Love, The Beginning of Everything, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, *Unteachable, Dangerous Girls, and *Reclaimed (Covers link to Goodreads pages!)
Today’s Categories for Best in Show…
Favorite Dystopian
I couldn’t narrow this category down to one. Both Through the Ever Night and Taken have amazing worldbuilding and beautiful prose. Love them both.
Favorite Science Fiction
The end of this book almost killed me, but… phew! I thought it was a fitting and fantastic conclusion to a trilogy I’ve followed since its release.
Favorite Fantasy
I read this trilogy over the course of a few weeks last spring, and I’m still in awe. I’ve never cared so much for such a huge cast of characters. Brilliant high fantasy.
Favorite Contemporary
Because this is actually one story, right? Allyson and Willem really did give me all the feels, not to mention a wicked case of wanderlust.
Favorite Action/Adventure
This one’s sci-fi as well, and it’s intense. Expertly plotted and full of action and twists. I couldn’t put it down!
Favorite Historical Fiction
I adore this gritty but beautiful glimpse into life in a 1950s New Orleans brothel. Protagonist Josie is one of my favorites of the year.
Favorite Comedy
This is a stretch, but I don’t read traditional comedies, and Fangirl actually does have several funny moments. It’s also deep and thoughtful and romantic. Love.
Favorite Mystery
This book kept me guessing until its final pages. It’s raw and twisty and bold, a scary look at foreign legal systems and the ruthlessness of friendship and love.
Favorite Romance
I couldn’t pick just one! How to Love and Eleanor & Park are stories of challenged but genuine devotion, and they both gave me all the first love tingles.
Favorite Paranormal
This book is surreal and atmospheric and totally weird, but I dig it. The writing is lovely and the symbolism is fascinating. Plus, look at that cover!
Favorite Family Drama
Two heartbreaking but hopeful stories with similar themes of love and devotion and healing. Both protagonists have exceptional fathers, too.
Favorite Genre Bender
This book is a trip, and I could not put it down. I’m such a Gansey fan… I’d read a story about him grocery shopping if Maggie Stiefvater published it.
Tell us about your favorites, and make sure to link your post with all of the other Class of 2013: YA Superlative Blogfest posts…
katyupperman.com 
Katy, thank you so much for including Taken in this list. It means so much to me, especially seeing it right next to TtEN. I’d hug you if you didn’t live so far away. Hope the move is going well! ❤
I was thrilled to be able to include TAKEN this year, Erin! It’s definitely one of my 2013 favorites. You’ll see it mentioned here again before the week is over.
The move is… going. 😉
I’m majorly impressed at all your 2013 pubbed reads! Holy cow! We have a few in common on our lists for today 🙂 Thanks for pulling me back into blogging with this, my favorite blogfest!
I’m so glad you’re blogging with us this week, Liz! I can’t wait to check out your list for today. I’m not at all surprised that we have a few favorites in common. 🙂
Well, hello! I’m so loving The 5th Wave so far. 🙂 Some have been listing E+P as Historical Fiction, which I suppose it is!? I need to add it to my list. Also, I thought SoT was pubbed in 2012? I hadn’t considered it for any categories, although I suppose I could break the rules and it’s not like I’d get in trouble or anything. 🙂
I think it’s cool if you break the rules just a *little*. I included THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY because I refuse to by eBooks. I had to wait for the paperback release in 2013, so I’m counting it as a 2013 read. Technicality. 🙂
I haven’t heard of Quintana of Charyn, but it is now on my list. Clearly, HOW TO LOVE and TAKEN, need to be as well! Agreed on Gansey. He has my heart.
Before you read QUINTANA, definitely read FINNIKIN and FROI. The Lumatere Chronicles are a fantastic trilogy and you must read the books in order. I bet you’ll love them, Rebekah!
I’m a total Gansey fan too! And like I said in my post, I feel like the Genre Bender superlative was created for Maggie Stiefvater books. 😉 You have a few on your list that I didn’t quite get to in 2013, but I’m looking forward to finally picking them up sometime soon. (QUINTANA, SHADES OF EARTH, OUT OF THE EASY…) I even have most of them on my shelves, so it’s that much easier. This is a great list, Katy!
I agree with you on Maggie’s genre bending. Somehow, she always makes it work, too! I hope you enjoy QUINTANA, SHADES, and OUT OF THE EASY when you get to them. They’re all so different, but I thought they were all fantastic!
Oh, DANGEROUS GIRLS looks so good! Adding that to my list.
It’s awesome, Rebecca!
I totally paired Just One Day and Just One Year together, too! There’s no way I could pick between them, and they are totally the same story!
I saw that you paired them… Great minds! They are one story, told from two points of view, I think. And they’re both amazing, so I think they belong together on my list. 🙂
Great list! Gosh, I need to read TAKEN and JUST ONE DAY–they’re on a lot of lists! And yes to everything Rainbow Rowell, and also HOW TO LOVE. It’s nice to see SEPTEMBER GIRLS on here; I considered putting it under Genre Bender. And I’m hearing some awesome things about DANGEROUS GIRLS!
I liked SEPTEMBER GIRLS a lot, Rachel. It’s on odd book and it seems to be polarizing, but I thought it was beautifully done. And yes — I highly recommend TAKEN, JUST ONE DAY/YEAR, and DANGEROUS GIRLS!
You were SO much better at the DAC than I was (I totally failed it. But I did love Taken!) Good reminders of books I’ve been meaning to read (Quintana!!!) and a few new ones (Dangerous Girls, How to Love) on my list!
I hope you get to all of those, Jess! I had fun with the DAC this year, especially because a few of the books I read were written by friends — so cool!
I’ve yet to come across a negative review of Out of the Easy, so I think I’ll have to give it a go. Dangerous Girls looks really good – I’d never heard of it so thank you very much!
They’re both fantastic, Sophia! Very different, but both stand out in my mind among many of the other books I read this year. Recommend!
I can’t believe I haven’t read Revis’ series, or the Rossi series! I even have some of the books, just haven’t gotten to them or never moved to pick them up. There’s something wrong with me! 😉 Those, and THESE BROKEN STARS seem like books I will totally love, when I get to them. I love how your lists never seem redundant. I use and re-use, don’t make a single selection, etc. and you are so good!
Yes, I want to read THESE BROKEN STARS so bad — “Titanic in space” is how I’ve heard it pitched, which sounds awesome! Oh, and you’ll start to see some of the same books over and over as the blogfest goes on. I’ve got my faves!
I left off the Comedy category because I couldn’t think of one I’d read, but YES Fangirl totally qualifies. That book had me cracking up nonstop. Also, Attachments, which I think I remember you reviewing at some point. Right? If not, read it because it too is hysterical. That woman can write some dialog.
Yes, I love ATTACHMENTS! So clever and unique, and also funny. For me, Rainbow Rowell has become a must-buy author over the course of 2013.
The ending to Shades of Earth. UGH. My heart still stops thinking about it.
Right?! I read it in public (in the lobby at my girl’s guitar lesson) and I was visibly freaking out. The other moms must’ve thought I was nuts!
So many books I still need to read. *sigh* I sure hope I’m on the nice list and Santa brings me a few!
Ditto, Alison!
I still need to read Taken, but goodness does it look lovely next to Through the Ever Night (I enjoyed this one a lot)! I’m also so happy to see The Lumatere Chronicles on here. I agree completely with you, and it was fun discovering this trilogy at around the same time this year! And of course, THE DREAM THIEVES ❤ ❤ ❤
I still have so many books to read (some included here in your Superlatives), but that just means I'm going to start 2014 with a bang, right?
On a different note, good luck with your move!
Yes, it was so fun to chat about the Lumatere Chronicles with you. I absolutely adore that trilogy! Hope you get to the leftover 2013 books on your list, lady. TAKEN is fantastic!
This is embarassing but haven’t read a lot of your picks. Is it bad I am giggling at you loving Sawyer/Reena since #emailbookclub was so torn? And oh man…what I wouldn’t give to read DANGEROUS GIRLS again for the first time 🙂 I just read WE WERE LIARS by E.Lockhart and I think you’d love it (very much like DG). 🙂
Good luck with your move, K!
P.S. I finally updated my blog after approximately 300 years. Ha.
I cannot wait to read WE WERE LIARS, Rachel! I’ve heard it’s amazing from several people now. Hurry up, 2014!
Sawyer and Reena… *sigh* 🙂
Great list! Several of these are on my TBR, like THE 5TH WAVE and THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT. I also looooved TAKEN, DANGEROUS GIRLS, Rainbow Rowell’s books and JUST ONE DAY! I think I’m going to re-read JUST ONE DAY before reading JUST ONE YEAR because you’re so right that they are one story.
Thanks again for hosting this! So fun!
Ghenet, I wish I would have reread JUST ONE DAY before reading JUST ONE YEAR, but I just couldn’t help but dive into the follow-up the second it arrived on my doorstep. So good!
So many books I missed this year!
Still plenty of time in 2014. 🙂
I thought I left a comment here but now I don’t see it so maybe I am crazy?? Anyway, I loved Shades of Earth too, such a good conclusion to the trilogy! I need to pick up TAKEN, everyone seems to mention it.