New Year's Reading Resolution Blog Hop!

 The Rules are simple:

1. Post your top 3-5 books that you loved in 2013. This can be covers only, or a short blurb about why they are important to you. Your choice.

There were so many wonderful books that I read in 2013, I can't begin to even remember them all! But maybe that's part of the point... looking back to see which ones stand out in my mind, I can picture a few stories and book covers that I need to share and recommend. Maybe you've read them, and if not, you should!

My first John Green novel, and yes, he is as good as they say. I cried all the way through and loved every minute of it.

In her debut novel, Jody Kessler created a tale of guardian angels that I absolutely adored, and am really hoping to read more from her in 2014!

Yes, I read it because the movie was coming out, but it's been my son's favorite book for years. (He's read it 7 times. Really.) So it's been in the TBR pile for a while now. Glad I read it - great messages about the nature of society and war.

Okay, I know this isn't in the same YA category as the others, but it's a slim volume of heavy reading that should be in your TBR pile.

Yes, I really never read this book before this summer. So sue me. I finally read it and enjoyed it quite a bit, as light, fast-paced fun summer reading.

2. Set your goals for 2014 in your post.

Goals? My "usual" goal is to finish a book a week, which would mean 52 books for the year. I don't always like the books, or think I can give them a good review, so I don't always blog about the disappointing ones. In 2012, there was only one book I started but didn't finish, by a famous author I just love but her latest book was completely different and somewhat disappointing. In 2013, I downloaded a slew of "free" ebooks from Book Bub and found several I just couldn't finish. You know the saying Life is too short to drink cheap wine? Well, Life is too short to read books that I don't like.

For 2014, I'd love to have a lofty goal of 100 books, which would be almost 2 per week, but I know there are some huge events coming up in my life this year - my oldest graduating from high school tops the list - so I think I'd better be realistic and stick with 52. A book a week. If I can do better than that, I will. But if I don't I'm not going to stress. Life is too short.

3. Add the New Year's Reading Resolution pic (above!) and link back to Rachel's blog so readers can find their way around the blog hop (done!)

4. Don't forget the Rafflecopter! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway