A look back the books of 2013

[sawyl]

Since we're a couple of weeks into 2014, it's probably time to put together a few thoughts on last year's reading. I haven't run a full set of tag statistics but, as already noted, 2013 found me reading more books by women than me — a ratio of around 3:2 — bolstered in part by the new-found ability to pick up big chunks of authors' back catalogues on the kindle.

My top three books of the year were, in no particular order:

• Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. A space opera with interesting things to say about gender and theories of mind that really is as good as the hype.
• Parasite by Mira Grant. A solid thriller with some cracking science and a likeable heroine. More thoughts here
• On the Steel Breeze. A space opera with a strong thriller narrative and a clever plot device that maintains tension across the light years without abandoning verisimilitude for some sort of FTL communication method. More thoughts here

So, what are my goals for 2014? To read more literary criticism, to finish some of the series I've already started, and to make an effort to write up more of the books I've read.