The Fourteen Best Books I Read in 2013

As we near the end of 2013, I offer a list of fourteen books that I especially admired, loved, and enjoyed over the past year. They are all beautifully written. Eleven are novels and three are short story collections. Two were written by the same gifted author: Hester Kaplan. Two have the same title (“Life after Life”) but are very different novels by very different writers. Most but not all of them were published in 2013. They are listed in the order that I read and posted about them on this blog. After each title, I list the date that I posted on the book. Perhaps you will find ideas for last minute holiday gifts here! 1. “I Knew You’d Be Lovely: Stories,” by Alethea Black (1/18/13). 2. “The Edge of Marriage: Stories,” by Hester Kaplan (2/5/13). 3. “The Priory,” by Dorothy Whipple (2/22/13). 4. “Songs for the Missing,” by Stewart O’Nan (3/14/13). 5. “Life after Life,” by Jill McCorkle (4/20/13). 6. “Last Friends,” by Jane Gardam (6/22/13). 7. “The Tell,” by Hester Kaplan (6/29/13). 8. “The Gardens of Kyoto,” by Kate Walbert (7/13/13). 9. “Shakespeare’s Kitchen,” by Lore Segal (7/22/13). 10. “Life after Life,” by Kate Atkinson (8/6/13). 11. “The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox,” by Maggie O’Farrell (8/24/13). 12. “The Home Jar: Stories,” by Nancy Zafris (9/8/13). 13. “The Lowland,” by Jhumpa Lahiri (10/26/13). 14. “Someone,” by Alice McDermott (11/27/13).