Drum Roll Please …

Announcing Lizz the Librarian's Favorite Books of 2013 …

wait, before we get to the big announcement I'd like to point out that this "contest" was decided bracket style. The order of the brackets was done by taking the most recent read book with the first book I read of the year and working backwards (with the exception of two children's books, two graphic novels, and two classics, which I paired against each other). This sounds scientific, but I guarantee it was not. 

Some of these were nearly impossible decisions - like the top two choices … I LAMENTED over the decision. Okay, you've waited … my favorite book of the year is … 

Siege and Storm

by Leigh Bardugo

Now, let's go through the break down. You can see the bracket here.

#1

1. City of Bones vs. Incarnate -- no contest, City of Bones (but Incarnate is a great read).

2. Blessed vs. Scarlet -- I didn't finished Blessed, so Scarlet is the clear winner

3. Coraline vs the One and Only Ivan -- hard choice, I love them both, but Ivan stole my heart this year

4. Cardboard vs The Secret of Stone Frog -- Cardboard, because all boxes should come to life

5. Dance of Shadows vs The Sisters Red -- Dance of Shadows won, but I think I liked them equally

6. The Girl in Red vs Hildafolk -- Hilda is my new favorite Graphic Novel character

7. The Grimm Legacy or Ender's Game -- The Grimm Legacy is EXCELLENT

8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone vs Sweet Evil -- Sweet Evil was a desserty read - Daughter of Smoke and Bone is like a whole meal and thus the winner

9. The Great Gatsby vs Paradise Lost -- everyone knows how I feel about Gatsby, so Paradise Lost … won!

10. Evermore vs The City of Lost Souls -- my least favorite book of the series is still the winner here, The City of Lost Souls

11. Paradise vs Obsidian -- Obsidian was the best desserty book here and my choice out of the two

12. Siege and Storm vs Falling Under -- although I love them both, Siege and Storm is a FANTASTIC book

13. Hush, Hush vs City of Glass -- City of Glass, wowza it's a great read

14. Graceling vs City of Ashes -- Graceling is a good read, it just isn't a Cassandra Clare novel - City of Ashes wins

15. Crescendo vs Dreaming Awake -- Crescendo wins

16. The Bitter Kingdom vs The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland … - the book with the longest title wins, I love Rae Carson but this last book is a bit dull for me

#2

1. City of Bones vs Scarlet -- City of Bones, the book that started it all

2. The One and Only Ivan vs Cardboard -- Ivan is such a dear

3. Dance of Shadows vs Hildafolk -- Hildafolk, she has blue hair people, she is adorable

4. The Grimm Legacy vs Daughter of Smoke and Bone -- The Daughter of Smoke and Bone has to move forward because of that ending

5. Paradise Lost vs City of Lost Souls -- Milton just can't go on, Clare is just more fun to read than Milton

6. Obsidian vs Siege and Storm -- Siege and Storm is a whole new world that I want to go live in

7. City of Glass vs City of Ashes -- Ashes has to win because of that Fairy court scene

8. Crescendo vs The Girl Who … -- Crescendo is a great read

#3

1. City of Bones vs The One and Only Ivan -- if re-reading, I'd re-read City of Bones (in fact, this year I did)

2. Hildafolk vs. Daughter of Smoke and Bone -- if re-reading, I'd pick up Daughter of Smoke and Bone first.

3. City of Lost Souls vs Siege and Storm -- Siege and Storm is simply a better book and out of the two it is the one I'd re-read

4. City of Ashes vs Crescendo -- City of Ashes can support my re-reading based on one scene, Crescendo can't do that

#4 - this step wasn't totally fair, I mean, they were paired with re-reads so the choice seemed obvious

1. City of Bones vs Daughter of Smoke and Bone -- Daughter of Smoke and Bone was the better read this year

2. Siege and Storm vs City of Ashes -- Siege and Storm is the one I loved

#5 … the final

Daughter of Smoke and Bone vs. Siege and Storm

… what a great year of reading it has been!!