12 Lists of Christmas: Books

2013 has been a year full of wonderful events and great news, with the Internet being used more than ever. But, this doesn’t mean that we have lost all traditional values – forget the Kindle, who doesn’t love picking up a great book to read! So, here’s our roundup of this year’s top 10.

1.     Allegiant by Veronica Roth – The final installment of the Divergent series has finally arrived, and does not disappoint with its thrilling plot, new discoveries and surprising happenings. Can Tris and her companions fight this final battle?

2.     Prodigy by Marie Lu – After the first book ‘Legend’, all dystopia fans will have been desperate to get their hands on this second installment, where Day and June must survive on the run from the society that is all they have known.

3.     The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – From the author who brought the classic ‘Coralline’ comes a tale of a man returning to his hometown where a mysterious girl once lived. There is truth in the pages, and beauty, and bliss, but also a sad, sweet melancholy that moves through the book like distant thunder.

4.     Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell – The story of two star-crossed misfits, Eleanor and Park must try to find love even when they know it can’t last. Or can it? This new Young Adult novel is a moving story of two regular teens with an out of this world love.
 
5.     The 5^th wave by Rick Yancey – in this futuristic tale of a world with no hope, the characters must survive against all costs, even when the odds are completely against them. This controversial sci-fi explores a world unknown to us, a one where we aren’t the top of the food chain.

6.     And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini – By the bestselling author of ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ and ‘The Kite Runner’, Khaled comes back with this amazing novel about “how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations.”

7.     Light by Michael Grant – This book is a fantastic final instalment to the ‘Gone series’. “What happens when all adults are gone?” After experiencing so much love, horror and sacrifice and the characters must tackle this final hurdle in the battle against the grater evil.

8.     Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs  – This thrilling book has captivated many readers this year with its unique tale. When a 16-year-old boy happens to be sent to ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ after a tragic family incident, he discovers some mysterious old photographs that lead to the assumption that these children were more than ‘peculiar’.

9.     Dr Sleep by Stephen King – The second instalment to the world famous book ‘The shinning’ has finally arrived. Stephen King returns with the same characters that have aged quite a bit. If you have ever asked yourself “What happened to Dan Torrance?” then this book will certainly answer that question along with throwing you into a new thrilling battle for survival.

10.  Unsouled by Neal Shusterman – The story that began with “Unwind’ has now been continued in this next instalment. The characters must figure out how to fight this new battle now that they are closer to the unknown answers than they ever have been before. Can they bring down the ‘Proactive Citizenry’?

STEPHANIE DAVIDSON