I wanted to wait until 2013 was over to put up a top 10 list.
Every year I intentionally read a mix of poetry, essays, reportage, short stories, spiritual, and self help/motivational books. “Read everything” is what Chicnao writer Jimmy Santiago Baca and Acoma writer Simon Ortiz both said to me. I listened. And I read books both new and old. Good writing is good writing no matter what genre or year.
Many books I enjoyed in 2013 did not make the list. And some of you might notice that no poetry books made the list. It’s just how it happened. Plus, every year I re-read my favourite book of poems: Not Vanishing by Chrystos.
Here is my top 10 list for 2013 with only one book published in 2013:
1. Best American Essays 2011 Edited by Edwidge Danticat
2. What Good Is God? In Search Of A Faith That Matters by Philip Yancey
3. Affliction by Russell Banks
4. Mastery by Sensei George Leonard
5. The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin
6. Nothing More Than Murder by Jim Thompson
7. Become A Better You by Joel Osteen
8. Rumble Fish by S.E Hinton
9. Best Sex Writing 2013 Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
10. The Prisoner’s Wife by Asha Bandele
Let me know if you have read any of these. And let me know what you think of the list!
See my 2013 reading lists below:
Black Coffee Poet 
The only one I’ve read is Rumble Fish, so I’m off to check out the others. The idea of Danticat having edited that collection definitely intrigues me, though I’m not normally pulled into essay collections. I’ll have a look for this one though. Thanks for sharing your list. And I’m with you on the waiting-for-the-end of year thing. So often a real gem lingers into the end of December!
Buried In Print,
Thanks for commenting.
Reading Rumble Fish has me wanting to see the film!
Yes, Danticat is an awesome editor. In 2002 she edited Beacons Best. I learned about so many writes from that collection. I totally recommend it!
If you like anthologies then do check out Best Sex Writing 2013. I did a video review of it; check it:
https://blackcoffeepoet.com/2013/12/23/video-book-review-best-sex-writing-2013/
I know you like fiction so Affliction is awesome. I was so into it. I’ll re-read it in four or five years. And I’ll be reading more of Bank’s books.
If you like memoir then do check out The Prisoner’s Wife. It’s poetic, touching, and challenging.
Stay in tough and do SHARE and Tweet this list.
Peace, Prayers, Poetry,
Jorge Antonio Vallejos
Black Coffee Poet