2013 Must-Reads

        When I read, the entire world disappears around me. The storyline and the characters, no 
matter how improbable, spring to life in my mind as the words on the page shape their very being. 
Over the year of 2013, the books that have come alive in my head have been some to the best I have read in my life. In general, every single book I read last year was powerful and every single one left its own memory in my imagination.  
            When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer was by far one of the best romantic books I have ever read. The use of feelings and emotions made the writing astounding, to say the very least. I loved the way the author made it seem like dancing, to Soledad, was just another boy that she was in love with. Ferrer described Jonathan as the one Soledad would be with forever, then introduced Taz, who abruptly changed the dynamics of the seemingly eternal couple. Overall, the way the author makes the entire book change in a just a page makes me want to read it over and over again.
            The Fault in our Stars by John Green is the best book I have had the pleasure of reading in 2013. Even though it is another sappy love story, Green manages to glue the reader to the story and understand all of the horrors and excitements that the characters face. No matter how unlikely Augustus and Hazels’ situation is, I couldn’t help but think that it was all real. The book taught me countless lessons that I plan on looking to when I need help. Hazel and Gus are the two most developed people I have been able to piece together in my mind. Every writers choice Green made about the story changed at least something in the grand scheme of things and I found that amazing.
            The last great book on my must-read list is Wonder by R. J. Palacio. Before this book, I thought is some places of my life I had it hard. Once I read this, I realized that I was lucky in those places of my life compared to August. August was born with a birth defect that affected his facial structure. The author brought us through the roller coaster ride of Augusts life through multiple points of views like through August himself or his sister or one of their friends. I found the most powerful view the book was written in was Augusts himself, but the other portrayals of his life told by different people really made the book something special.
           In conclusion, 2013 was an astounding reading year for me personally. I have grown in leaps and bounds as a reader and I am ready to take on new books and new challenges in this year of 2014. I discovered my favorite books of all time, and to me, that is a great accomplishment.