2013 has been a fun year in novels. Here is my reading list, in order of preference.
Two of these novels really shine: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and The Circle by Dave Eggers. The Circle addresses a fundamental issue of its time in a way that is accessible to all ... much as would have been the case with Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984. The Goldfinch is a more traditional novel ... but a truly exceptional one. For me, it's in the same class as Prayer for Owen Meany, which is to say "at the very top" of my list of all time favorites.
Top 10 Books I read in 2013: