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Library Journal Best Books 2013

Library Journal Best Books 2013 names 101 books across 14 categories. 23 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Biography & Memoir

  1. Drinking with Men by Rosie Schaapsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Her by Christa Parravanisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Holding Silvan: A Brief Life by Monica Wesolowskasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Broshsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lambsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayorsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. My Foreign Cities by Elizabeth Scarborosource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Playing House: Notes of a Reluctant Mother by Lauren Slatersource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Son of a Gun by Justin St. Germainsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Unremarried Widow by Artis Hendersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Wave by Sonali Deraniyagalasource (opens in a new tab)

Business

  1. After the Music Stopped: The Financial Crisis, the Response, and the Work Ahead by Alan Blindersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Bergersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grantsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Lean In: Women, Work and the Will To Lead by Sheryl Sandbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Firm: The Story of McKinsey and Its Secret Influence on American Business by Duff McDonaldsource (opens in a new tab)

Consumer Health

  1. Food Allergies: A Complete Guide for Eating When Your Life Depends on It by Scott H. Sicherersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. How To Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind by Pema Chödrönsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Midlife Eating Disorders: Your Journey to Recovery by Cynthia M. Buliksource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi: 12 Weeks to a Healthy Body, Strong Heart, and Sharp Mind by Peter M. Wayne and Mark L. Fuerstsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 To Lose Weight and Restore Your Health…for Good by Mark Bittmansource (opens in a new tab)

Cooking

  1. Duck, Duck, Goose: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Duck and Geese, Both Wild and Domesticated by Hank Shawsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Pasta Modern: New & Inspired Recipes from Italy by Francine Segansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. River Cottage Veg: 200 Inspired Vegetable Recipes by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstallsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Grilling Book: The Definitive Guide from Bon Appétit by Adam Rapoportsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Vegetable Literacy: Exploring the Affinities and History of the Vegetable Families, with 300 Recipes by Deborah Madison and Melissa Hamiltonsource (opens in a new tab)

Crafts & DIY

  1. Freehand: Sketching Tips and Tricks Drawn from Art by Helen Birchsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. House Beautiful Color: The Perfect Shade for Every Room by Lisa Cregansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Mastering Calligraphy: The Complete Guide to Hand Lettering by Gaye Godfrey-Nichollssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design by Amanda Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Tula Pink’s City Sampler: 100 Modern Quilt Blocks by Tula Pinksource (opens in a new tab)

E-Originals

  1. Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knoxsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Anything for You by Jessica Scottsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bittersweet Blood by Nina Croftsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Black Dog Blues by Rhys Fordsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Flirting with Disaster by Ruthie Knoxsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Forged in Blood I by Lindsay Burokersource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Forged in Blood II by Lindsay Burokersource (opens in a new tab)
  8. How To Misbehave by Ruthie Knoxsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jessica Scottsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Making It Last by Ruthie Knoxsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Skies of Gold by Zoë Archersource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Take What You Want by Jeanette Greysource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Armies of Heaven by Jane Kindredsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Story Guy by Mary Ann Riverssource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Novels

  1. Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yangsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Punk Rock Jesus by Sean Murphysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation by Jonathan Hennesseysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story by Peter Baggesource (opens in a new tab)

More of the Best

  1. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseinisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Courting Greta by Ramsey Hootmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Fever by Mary Beth Keanesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Harvest by Jim Cracesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Jack London: An American Life by Earle Laborsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Latin: Story of a World Language by Jürgen Leonhardtsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Life After Life by Kate Atkinsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Owning the Earth: The Transforming History of Land Ownership by Andro Linklatersource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Submergence by J.M. Ledgardsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Bookman’s Tale: A Novel of Obsession by Charlie Lovettsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Son by Philipp Meyersource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoultsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Three Graves Full by Jamie Masonsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. Truth’s Ragged Edge: The Rise of the American Novel by Philip F. Gurasource (opens in a new tab)
  15. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowlersource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Writing the Gettysburg Address by Martin P. Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Senegal Taxi by Juan Felipe Herrerasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Stay, Illusion: Poems by Lucie Brock-Broidosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Testimony, A Tribute to Charlie Parker: With New and Selected Jazz Poems by Yusef Komunyakaasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Loving Detail of the Living & the Dead by Eleni Sikelianossource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Women’s Poetry: Poems and Advice by Daisy Friedsource (opens in a new tab)

Religion & Spirituality

  1. Coffee with Jesus by David Wilkiesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life by Henri Nouwen, Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Lairdsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Francis: A New World Pope by Michel Coolsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Gospel Writing: A Canonical Perspective by Francis Watsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Star Spangled Buddhist: Zen, Tibetan, and Soka Gakkai Buddhism and the Quest for Enlightenment in America by Jeff Ourvansource (opens in a new tab)

Science & Technology

  1. Bug Music: How Insects Gave Us Rhythm and Noise by David Rothenbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Giraffe Reflections by Dale Petersonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Devil’s Cormorant: A Natural History by Richard J. Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The World’s Rarest Birds by Erik Hirschfeldsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Wolves in the Land of Salmon by David Moskowitzsource (opens in a new tab)

Self-Help

  1. How To Age in Place: Planning for a Happy, Independent, and Financially Secure Retirement by Mary A. Languirand and Robert F. Bornsteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Modern Dating: A Field Guide by Chiara Atiksource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Good Funeral: Death, Grief, and the Community of Care by Thomas G. Long and Thomas Lynchsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Remarriage Blueprint: How Remarried Couples and Their Families Succeed or Fail by Maggie Scarfsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. When Your Adult Child Breaks Your Heart by Joel L. Young and Christine Adamecsource (opens in a new tab)

Top Ten

  1. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marrasource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticatsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Finksource (opens in a new tab)
  6. How To Create the Perfect Wife: Britain’s Most Ineligible Bachelor and His Enlightened Quest To Train the Ideal Mate by Wendy Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  7. NOS4A2 by Joe Hillsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Panopticon by Jenni Fagansource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankelsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Woman Who Lost Her Soul by Bob Shacochissource (opens in a new tab)

Women's Fiction

  1. Astor Place Vintage by Stephanie Lehmannsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Nowhere but Home by Liza Palmersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Grahamsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Mooresource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots by Jessica Soffersource (opens in a new tab)

About the Library Journal Best Books

Starts in 2010, the year LJ named its first Top Ten (its own announcement calls it the inaugural list); LJ's 2006-2009 Best Books lists are not online and no archived copy was found. Top Ten for 2010-2017; LJ dropped the Top Ten in 2018 and publishes only section lists after that. Category is LJ's section name, with spelling variants merged (Crime = Crime Fiction, Cookbooks = Cooking, Memoir = Biography & Memoir, Sci-Tech = Science & Technology). 2010 has the Top Ten only: the genre lists were not recovered. 2011-2015 come from reviews.libraryjournal.com and 2016-2017 from the lj.libraryjournal.com microsites, both read through the Wayback Machine because the originals are gone; some genre lists for those years were not archived (for example 2013 mystery, SF, and thrillers). SELF-e indie ebook picks (2016-2017), Best Media, and Best Reference are left out. 2025 has the Stellar Selections list (~790 titles); the 100 Editors' Picks are published only as prose and are left out. ISBNs are the ones LJ prints in each citation.

Organization: Library Journal. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2013