This week isn’t a Top 5, but a Top 10.  Last week I looked back at the last year’s reading log (what you don’t keep one….oh yeah, I’M the weird one) to see which were my favorite non-fiction books.  This week, in turning to fiction, I had to double the number and split it between prose fiction and graphic novels.I read an equal amount of both and comparing the two is troublesome at best, so I just separated them out.  These are not all 2013 books, just books I personally read in 2013.  In prose fiction, the two dominant authors are ones I discovered recently and have been working through their body of work to the point where they both belong among my favorite authors: John Green and Brandon Sanderson.  Very different styles.  Sanderson is the best young fantasy writer out there (apologies to Patrick Rothfuss, but you’ve only written two books yet and they’re both masterpieces, but Sanderson makes Stephen King look poky).  Green is not so much a YA author as he is the voice of the current young adult generation.  No other author gets them as Green does and I’m not so far out of that age range that I don’t remember.  He’s not someone to dismiss.  His books are some of the best literature being written in any genre.

Prose
1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

2. Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey

3. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

4. Looking for Alaska by John Green

5. Legion by Brandon Sanderson

6. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

7. Cold Days by Jim Butcher (A Harry Dresden Novel)

8. The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson

9. Phoenix by Chuck Palahniuk

10. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I actually probably read two graphic novels for every prose piece I read, just because I read quickly and the words are usually sparse.  I read mostly super hero stuff, but Vertigo and Image have a ton of new and relatively new series that I’m hooked on and old favorites like Fables and The Walking Dead.  Two books from the Fables-verse made the list this year.  I’m so mad the whole thing is ending next year with Willingham’s retirement.  He could have passed it off.  I had no intention of reading any of the Before Watchmen nonsense, but I gave the two series Darwyn Cooke did a try because he’s Darwyn Cooke and they do actually add something to Watchmen.  There’s a point to them and they look amazing.  Beyond doubt, the best book at either publisher now is Batman at DC and Thor God of Thunder at Marvel and both had epic stories this year.

Lots of good stuff to check out to fill those empty hours.

 Graphic Novels
1. Thor God of Thunder Volumes 1-2: Godkiller Saga by Jason Aaron

2. Batman Vol. 3: Death of The Family by Scott Snyder

3. Daredevil: End of Days By Brian Michael Bendis

4. The Fairest Vol. 2: The Hidden Kingdom by Bill Willingham

5. Hawkeye Vol. 1-2: My Life as a Weapon/Little Hits by M. Fraction

6. Fables Vol. 18: Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham

7. Before Watchmen: Minutemen/Silke Spectre by Darwyn Cooke

8. All-New X-Men Vol. 1-3: Yesterday’s X-Men by B. Bendis

9. Lazarus Volume One by Greg Rucka

10. Bedlam Volume One by Nick Spencer