As for Room, my audio pick, boy, do the reviews for that run hot and cold! I liked it though, and enjoyed things most negative reviewers disliked, such as the child's voice, his manner of speech. I thought at first that those things would get very old, very fast, but they didn't. 

Bonnie, I listened to Room on audio too and I also disliked the child's voice.  It drove me crazy.  Overall, I thought the first half of the book was
really good, but I didn't like the last half so much.

As usual, I can't pick just one.  But, the surprise read the month of January was Go Go Girls of the Apocalypsis.  I actually stayed up to the wee hours to finish it.  An obvious ending leaving it open for a series.  We shall see if book 2 is as good.

The Carla Kelly book I listed was actually really, really interesting. And a three hanky read.   I have spent a lot of time in the Orem/Provo/Helper area and in the part of Utah that the mine in the book is located.  The background to the story is a true incident, so the book had the flavor of real life.  Carla Kelly is a great writer.  I read a lot of romance and she is one the the best.

I agree with Debra about The Garden of the Last Days.  That was an incredible book and one of my favorites from last year.  It was well written and stayed with me long after I finished it.

January - Game Of Thrones by George RR Martin Wow, what an epic. Over 800 pages and not even anywhere near a conclusion at the end. I think there's 5 books in the series so far, this is gonna take awhile. It's a pretty good story, stays interesting, but a little too much going on. I didn't find it hard to keep everything straight like a lot of people have said they did but with all the separate stories going on they were pretty far between and advanced slowly. I don't have a lot of criticism, it's a good story and very thoroughly imagined. This first book is not much in the fantasy realm, it's a pretty straight forward story, but at the end it takes a turn and it looks like it will be a lot more fantastical in the coming books.

February - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - I loved this book, thought it was excellent. It's a dark and complex story about one messed up family being told by the last person who knows what really happened. She wants the truth to be told before she dies, since it's a story no one even knows happened about people who don't all even know they were part of it.

March - Catching Fire: How cooking made us human by Richard Wrangham - I was already in the believer camp for cooking being a major evolutionary step, that's what attracted me to this book. Now I know how to prove it, lol. Very, very thorough study of how cooking food affected the development of man not only physically but socially and economically. The book finished at the 56% mark on the kindle and I was like "what?" but the rest was page after page of references and study links. Very well researched and cited.

April - Diners, Dives and Dead Ends by Terri L Austin - This was a really good one. A cozy but full of action, believable action. The heroine is a little supergirl-ish but it's believable. Might be a few too many men falling for her considering how average her looks are described, and her big butt is mentioned several times, but it wasn't a big part of the story so it was ok. Definitely getting book 2, but that seems to be all there is. Too bad.

May - A Clash Of Kings by George R R Martin - Book 2 of the Song Of Fire And Ice series. This one was a little darker than the first since the whole of the world is at war and there are like 6 people calling themselves king of their various areas. No resolution in this one, have to go on to the next, but it compels you to do so.

June - Phantom by Jo Nesbo - The 9th and last so far Harry Hole book and this one is back to form. Harry is at his best in this one, a very full story. About a drugs ring in Norway that has some seriously hidden and quite powerful people in charge. They messed up when they let Oleg be involved. Now it's personal for Harry, which is never in your best interest.

July - World War Z by Max Brooks - Audiobook, read by a full cast. Henry Rollins, Carl and Rob Reiner, Alan Alda, Martin Scorsese, Nathan Fillion, and a ton more celebrities. This is written documentary interview style, with people telling their stories making up the history of a world-wide zombie war. It's a study of the morality, the politics, the meaning, of everything that happened when the world was thrown into a crisis. It's harsh and judgemental. Most of the stories are about how people failed to retain their "humanity" and the worst that comes out when we are forced to fight for our survival. The actions of the various governments are especially disected. They don't come out well. Much more a sociological study than a horror story, but a very good one. A lot of detail is put across in these stories, and it paints a full picture. Excellent book. It was a hard choice this month, there were several worthy candidates. Bad Monkey by Carl Haisson is a close second.

August - Jeneration X by Jen Lancaster - One of her best, on top form. In this book she tries to put her selfish childhood behind and become a real grown up.

September - Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen - audio - Over 18 hours! Good book though. An old note in a bottle is picked up off the coast of Scotland but it's not written in English, and it was written in blood. Several businesses have been burnt down around Denmark, all with a dead man inside. All the men have a distinct characteristic. It's a long ride but all the factions merge together.

October - Police by Jo Nesbo - #10 in the Harry Hole series. These just get better as they go along. After so many books I usually know where Harry is going, I know Jo's tricks, but he did get me a couple times. A new reader would be totally sucked in. Good book, good writer. Not sure if there will be any more Hole books, I know his next couple scheduled releases are different MCs, if not this is a satisfactory ending place.

November - Nature Girl by Carl Hiassen - A humorous romp of a tale. One crazy woman and a colorful cast of characters make it a fun and unpredictable ride. Hiassen is really good at the mad adventure, his people do some strange stuff. He's always fun to read.

December - Reamde by Neal Stephenson - Complex fiction about a pot smuggler, a MMORPG, terrorists, and hackers. Looong book, could have been shorter, but never really lagged. Unusual story, can't really shorten it. Gotta give it a try.

For book of the year it has to be Game Of Thrones. World War Z is a close second but the sheer epicness of GOT cannot be ignored. Can't wait for the next book!

Rhonda, I read Silver Linings Playbook this month, too, and really loved it.  Saw the movie, a lot of changes were made, but I think I love the movie more. 

Wow!  It's rare to love a movie more than the book.  I can't wait to see it - maybe this weekend :)

January 2013:  Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon

February 2013:  Icebound by Dean Koontz

March 2013:  Curse of the Kings by Victoria Holt

April 2013:  Koko by Peter Straub

May 2013:  The Color of Distance by Amy Thomson

June 2013:  Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle

July 2013:  Nightseer by Laurell K. Hamilton

August 2013:  Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson        **Also enjoying Mistborn

September 2013:  Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

October 2013:  Heart Shaped Box - Hill

November 2013:  Intensity by Dean Koontz ---WOW!  Best book of the year*****I mean it!.

December 2013.  Watchers  by Dean Koontz

Good year for Koontz!  The end of 2013.

Judye / maysied

January: (23 books completed):  Science Fiction/Fantasy - Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey which deserves the rave reviews it's getting.  It's outstanding if a bit long.   Well worth the read.  

Historical Fiction/Romance - The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman, an enchanting historical love story about a couple who becomes separated when the Nazis invade Czechoslavakia.  Lyrical, poetical and just plain wonderful.  

Historical Fiction/YA - A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly  

Historical Fiction Mystery - The Snake Stone by Jason Goodwin, from a series I've been reading.  It's soo good.  It you like myteries set in exotic countries you may enjoy this one.  Nice complex plot, too.

YA - Me, the Missing and the Dead by Jenny Valentine is an excellent read about a boy whose father abandons his family.  I so enjoyed this novel that I gave it four stars.  Perhaps it should have been five.

February: (46 books completed):  The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, a five star historical fiction read that will linger in your memory for some time.  

Historical fiction mystery:  In the Shadow of Gotham and The Secret of the White Rose by Stefanie Pintoff are outstanding HF mysteries.  Gotham was most deserving of winning an Edgar Award.  I enjoyed the complexity of the plots, the characters and the tales of both very much.  Dangerous to Know by Tasha Alexander is the first I've read by this author.  Fast, well wrtitten and most interesting.  I didn't figure out who the murderer was and for me that's a very good mystery.  

Contemporary fiction:  Little Wolves by Thomas Maltman who won much praise for his first novel is a good, good read.  Now I want to read his first, The Night Birds.  

Fantasy - The Scar by China Mieville was an awesome fantasy/science fiction read that is probably the best I've read to date (2013).  The characters, the complexity, the plot are just outstanding.  I loved it.  

YA:  Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt is without a doubt a five star read.  I picked up this book for two reasons - it was a gr group read and I love the title.  What I didn't expect was a YA read about a teenager who loses her favorite uncle to AIDS.  This is a tear-jerker and I shed my share of tears.  It's a fine novel written by a first time author who can structure characters with whom readers can empathize.

March:  (61 books completed)  Classic - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, 5 stars.  How can you miss with such a talented author?

History - Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, another five star read.  TJ?  One can only admire the prodigious task of researching the life of such a man.  How I wish I had lived to know him. 

Contempory - The Secret Keeper, Kate Morton's new novel, is wonderfully well done.   And if you're up for a most unusual read do check out the contemporary and humorous Come, Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant.  Just had to read it because it was on my WL for so long.  I laughed and laughed and then the tears came.  All of that before I finished this novel by a Canadian author.   

Historical Fiction - Bound by Sally Gunning is a story about an indentured Irish girl and her experiences.  Lady of the Butterflies by Fiona Mountain is a fictionalized version about the life of Eleanor Glanville who was fascinated by butterflies.   So am I.  Eleanor studied butterflies scientifically when women who did so were thought to be insane.   

April: (86 books completed):  Contemporary:  Wow!   Found my book of the month:  Birds in Fall by Brad Kessler.  I liked it a lot.  Recommended by a friend from Washington state whose holiday letter always lists their best reads of the year.  I agree that this is excellent.  The story begins with a plane crashing into the ocean.  The rest of the tale is about the families left behind, those on the island who hosted them and their reactions.  All enfolded with the most appropriate snipets about birds.  I highly recommend this to my PBS friends.

Fantasy:  The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien.   It was time to finish the trilogy!  Ah, what a reading experience it has been.

History or HF?   Alice I have Been by Melanie Benjamin was so different from what I expected but it was a good, good read.  Life is always more fun to read than fiction.

Historical fiction:  The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani was so very good that I found myself crying toward the end.  Honestly!  Good choice for a read along or a study group.

History:   Crazy Good by Charles Leerhsen was excellent.  Loved reading about this wonderful horse.   The author did such a marvelous job of researching the animal's life.  I gave it five stars but perhaps it should have been four as I felt that the author got carried away on some of his supplementary research too many times.  Nevertheless, I fell in love with this beautiful animal called Dan Patch so I gave him five stars!

May:  Nothing like getting behind.  It's mid-October and I just realized that I have posted nothing here.  Lots of family health issues so I just read and kept track of challenges and books.  My list for the month is shorter than normal.

Mystery:  Prayer of the Dragon by Eliot Pattison who won an Edgar.  Nice complex mystery that takes place in Tibet that's gooood! 

The Cypress House by Michael Koryta was soo good.   Gave it four stars.  Mysteries never get five stars from me so four means it's outstanding.  And, it can go for HF, too.

Historical fiction:    Luncheon of the Boating Party by Judith Vreeland..  I loved it but, of course, I like HF about art so this one was perfect.  For me this was five stars. I'm certain the author must be a fan of Renoir!

The Blood Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth!  Have had this author on my TBR for some time as several of my HF friends read his work and liked his writing.  Now I see why.  It was a very good read.

The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau was a great read from a first time author.  The character experiences helped the reader understand their actions.

June:  Lots of three star reads this month.  Only one outstanding reading experience that I actually finished in July but I'll post it here as I have nothing else I wish to share for June.

Historical fiction:  Niccolo Rising by Dorothy Dunnett.  Complex and intriging.  With such complex interwoven plots set against a Renaissance background with historical figures emerging everywhere this is not a simple read.  However, it is just fascinating.

July:  Historical:  Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson, about the 1900 hurricane that devastated Galveston. This would have been a five star read except some of the background early in the novel became a bit tedious.  Nevertheless, I recommend this book highly because you can discover for yourself the power of wind and water from a hurricane.

Contemporary nonfiction:  The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean was good!  Who ever knew people could be so crazy about orchids?  I truly liked it.

Mystery:   Island of Bones by Imogen Robertson.  While I determined the murderer before the author unveiled his identity, I still enjoyed this mystery. Perhaps it is the interaction of Crowther and Mrs. Westerman with each other and the other characters. Enjoyed, too, how the author described her research and how she used it for her fictional characters. This is an author I truly enjoy. Good, good read. 

Historical fiction:  Child of the Morning by Pauline Gedge, a story about Egypt's first woman pharoah.  Hatshepsut's  tale begins with her childhood.  Truly enjoyed this one and highly recommend it.  It's so well done and Gedge stays true to what we know about Hatshepsut.  

August:  Historical fiction:  The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Laveen, a five star read about a former slave who is a spy for the north during the Civil War.

King Arthur by Frank Thompson is a most interesting read, 5 stars.  Quite different from many other reads I have completed about Arthur.  The battle against the Saxons is outstanding. 

One Thousand White Women by James Fergus contains such descriptive portions about the prairie, the Cheyenne people, and the white man's approach to the Indians as well as their feeling of superiority over another culture.

YA:  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling, was a five star plus read.

Science Fiction:  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, a first time novel.   While I am not an electronic game player I loved it.  It's complex, exciting, a love story, an adventure tale, and just plain fun to read.  If there were any errors about games I wouldn't catch them because the only one I ever played was PacMan and I have watched other family members play Dungeons and Dragons.  If anyone wants to read a futuristic novel with lots of excitement I highly recommend this one.  It's excellent. 

Fantasy:  Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews, quite good.  I am really enjoying this series.

September:  Historical Fiction:  Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy has been on my shelf so long but I just read it.  Good, good read.

Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund.  Yes, it's long but I found it an enchanting read. 

History:  The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick.  Just love the little details included to make this historicalsfascinating.  For example, Custer and his wife, Libbie, were much of the same mind in advancing his career.  He often chose his own way rather than listening to his commanding officer.   And, the photo we see so often of his long curls is not the entire story.  As he aged he began to lose his hair and had cut if off and very short before the last campaign.

Go Down Together, The True Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn, a historical, that I thought was outstanding.  So well done.  Really, really enjoyed this one! 

YA and science fiction:  Just one author:  Marissa Meyer for Cinder and Scarlet.   Liked Cinder so much that I ordered and went through Scarlet, the second in the series.  It, too, was so much fun to read and while I gave the first five stars I rated this one only 4.5 stars

October:  Not much this month but I did enjoy the historical,  Sorrow Mountain by Ani Pachen and Adelaide Donnelly, the story of a Tibetan warrior nun who finds herself leading the people of her area in a fight against the Chinese invasion.  Since I had known little about this event I found it fascinating.  Ani Pachen spent twenty-one years in captivity where she endured numerous beatings, torture, isolation and watched many of her friends and cohorts die in the struggle against the Chinese.  I highly recommend this one.  And, I must not forget the biographical, Pablo Picasso Man and His Work which was on my shelf for years before I took time to read it.  The plates showing his work are awesome.  It was a slow read since I keep checking the plates referred to by the authors.  The genius of Picasso has long fascinated me and I'm glad I finally took time to read more about him.  Good, good read.

November:  Historical mystery:  Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson is another very good mystery by a wonderful author. This is the third I've read by Robertson and I'm still with her.  Love the key characters - Mrs. Westerson and Crowley.  What a duo!

An Evil Eye by Jason Goodwin, one of my favorite authors and a very nice choice - good read.

YA Fantasy:  Allegiant by Veronica Roth.  I have enjoyed this series very much and found this one to be true to the characters and the story that Roth developed.  Well done.

December:  Historical mystery:  Finished reading a fascinating mystery called The Fourth Assassin by Matt Benyon Rees.  Just love novels that deal with other cultures because I learn so much.  This one is no exception.

Fantasy:  Finally read Storm Front by Jim Butcher, my first by this author, and I can only say it's good and merits more reading by a highly talented writer.

I didn't read anything that was outstanding for the month of January but I read quite a few "good" books. I think my favorite one of the month is Retribution (CJ Townsend, Bk #1) by Jilliane Hoffman

I read so many good books in Jan but this one got 5 stars.

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, Bk 1)
Author: Darynda Jones

It got an award and it was well deserved.  

Please PM me if you are not listed on the first post.  thanks.

I'll Add my List as well. Lets see if I remember to keep coming back to it, lol

January: Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka Beautifully written about 19th century Japan and its fist interactions with outsiders (namely American missionaries) after a two century long period of isolation.

February: So far my favorite is Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees. 18th century Vienna investigation into the death of Mozart by his estranged sister. As you can imagine the music is a big part of the story, and at times, it was so well described, I swear I could hear it, lol.

March:

April:

May:

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

January: When God Winks at You: How God Speaks Directly to You Through the Power of Coincidence by Squire Rushnell

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - Very good. Very unusual.

February: Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger - the first time I've read one of her books. A really good mystery.

January          The Ponder Heart  by Eudora Welty

February         Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

March             The Secret River  by Kate Grenville

April                Lincoln  by Gore Vidal

May                 Battle Cry of Freedom  by James McPherson

June                Lincoln  by David Donald

July                 The March  by E L Doctorow

August            The Passage of Power by Robert Caro

September      Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

October           Robert E. Lee, A Biography by Emory M Thomas

November

December  

Hmm, guess it is that time of the month to choose a favorite.

I read a few that I enjoyed this month.

Fiction:   Zoo   This is my first James Patterson book.  It grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept it throughout.  Extra points for short
                          chapters that made it easy to pick up and put down at a moment's notice.    :)

     Runner up:   A Cabinet of Wonders   A story about the members of a freak show in a travelling carnival.  It's the ups and downs of the
                      family they've become.

Nonfiction:  Framing Innocence: A Mother's Photographs, a Prosecutor's Zeal, and a Small Town's Response    It's a frightening thought that
            a person can be arrested and prosecuted for taking innocent pictures of their own children. 

My February pick was Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.  

R E K - I also LOVED Tell the Wolves I'm Home.  Excellent book

January- Rules of Civility by Amour Towle  Good book with sassy dialogue and great writing.

February- In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

March- currently reading Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay

I read some good books in FEB this one got my highest rating.

A Life of Bright Ideas: A Novel
Author: Sandra Kring

Again, I had another month of no outstanding books. I guess I will have to say the best of the ones I read was The Innocent by Harlan Coben

Found this a bit late, but I'll throw my two cents in. :)

JAN:  A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, Bk 1) :: Madeleine L'Engle.  This is one of those books that I missed as a child, which is a shame.  It is AMAZING.  I now consider it one of my top 10 favorite books of all time, and I will be gifting it to all of the children in my life.

FEB:  Saga Volume 1 TP :: Brian K Vaughan, Fiona Staples.  Sure, this is a comic trade paperback, but some of the most exciting movies in theaters come from comics (and it's listed on PBS,) so I guess it counts. This story of star crossed lovers on the run to keep their daughter alive is brutal, funny, disturbing, heart wrenching, and beautiful.

MAR:  Doomsday Book :: Connie Willis .  The concept is interesting, but the book starts to lag about 100 pages in.  I was forcing myself to read it because it won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and I became so frustrated with the book that I wanted to throw it.... Then I hit page 300 and BOOM, everything shifted.  The last 150 pages of this book are some of the most compelling I've ever read.  I was laughing and crying at the same time, racing to the end.  Doomsday Book still haunts me weeks later.

APR:  The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden :: Catherynne Valente.  The tales that the mysterious girl weaves every night for the young prince are gorgeous and convoluted.  The descriptions are flowery, especially in the first few pages, but give it a chance as it works perfectly to set the tone.  Even the shortest tales are connected to everything else, so plan to read quickly to catch all of the references (though it isn't necessary to enjoy the stories).  There are stock characters you will recognize from fairy tales, but the author goes far beyond, creating creatures and lands that tickle the imagination.

MAY:  Summoning the Night (Arcadia Bell, Bk 2) :: Jenn Bennett  I didn't read anything amazing in May, as I was crazy-busy, but this book was the best of what I got through. It's urban fantasy, and while it doesn't break any new ground, it is well written.  As others have said of this series, it's refreshing to read a book of this genre that features a caring, committed, (and steamy) adult relationship for the main character.

JUN:  An Artificial Night (October Daye, Bk 3) :: Seanan McGuire  While the first book in this series is a bit cluttered and dreary, and the second a predictable whodunit, the third book is a FANTASTIC hero-quest.  Toby's unknowing desire to save all children no matter the cost (after she failed the two that were most important to her at the beginning of book one,) makes this book moving on a level that I don't normally find in urban fantasy.  I actually teared up a number of times.  I have read 3 more books in the series, all great, and am now a fan of the author for life.

JUL:  Fruits Basket, Vol. 1 :: Natsuki Takaya  In July, I read a TON of manga scanlations and no novels.  I read the entire series of Fruits Basket (23 books in all) and it is one of the best.  Because the characters are mostly children, and the premise seems cutesy on the surface, you might mistakenly assume that the series is only for children.  Almost all of the characters are survivors of severe emotional trauma and abuse, some of it quite disturbing.  The main character, Tohru, finds the best in these damaged people and teaches them to love and respect themselves.  Quite moving and I found myself crying more than once.

AUG:  The Ocean at the End of the Lane :: Neil Gaiman  One of my favorite authors.  This seems like a swirl of Gaiman's Coraline with Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes sprinkled with autobiographical bits of Gaiman's childhood to make the magic feel real.

SEP:  Chimes at Midnight (October Daye, Bk 7) :: Seanan McGuire  As mentioned above, An Artificial Night is still my favorite in this series, but even an average book by Seanan McGuire is better than a great book by most other UF authors.

OCT:  Sad to say, but I honestly did not read anything worth posting in October. :(

NOV:  Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad, Bk 1) :: David Eddings  I had read this before as a teenager, so I thought I would re-try it as an adult.  Part 1 of 5, the Belgariad is a sweeping and engaging fantasy epic like The Lord of the Rings.  Unlike LoTR, it is a much easier read, though I still had some trouble keeping all of the names and countries straight.

DEC:  Catching Fire (Hunger Games, Bk 2) :: Suzanne Collins  Re-read after I saw the movie.  The movie does a great job of condensing complex details into imagery and smoothing out hiccups from the book.  If you are remotely interested in this, you have probably already read it by now.  :)

I just requested it from the library.

It was really funny - at the book club, one of the other members said Julie was going to be signing her book at a local mall, and that it was a big one that was being hugely promoted by the publisher.  So we were all like "Wow, that's cool!" and I pulled my phone out and looked to see if the library had it.  They did, and I requested it - then told Julie, sorry I'm cheap, I'll be getting it from the library :-b  She just laughed and said that was good too- they really needed libraries to buy the book too!

But when I did get it from the library, I had to turn it back in before I got a chance to read it.  So now I'll try it again :)