I’ve entirely changed my mind about the best book of 2013. Last week, I listed my favourites as The Crooked Maid, Code Name Verity, and Packing for Mars. And those are books that greatly impressed me. But the book I enjoyed the most:

When Rachelle Delaney lent this to me, it had lost its dust jacket somewhere along the way. It sat on my end table for weeks, a plain, white, serious-looking read. And then I started the first chapter. And fell in love.

First, Where’d You Go, Bernadette is hilarious, in the most quirky of ways.

Second, Maria Semple is a voice genius. Each character is wonderfully unique. And if you happen to be involved in a school PAC, as I am, the exchanges between the parents will leave you rolling on the floor.

Add to that some great plot twists and constant small surprises, and you have what I’ve now firmly decided (really, truly) was my favourite book of 2013.

If you didn’t read it last year, you should definitely read it now.