There’s A Book for That: Friday the 13th

#FRIDAYREADS:  We’ve been waiting for you Friday the 13th! Though its origins are unclear (and could date back to biblical times), Friday the 13th is considered a day of bad luck by the superstitious in the Western Hemisphere and has entered popular culture as an auspicious date. We know the horror movie franchise it spawned, but did you know that there is a word for a fear of Friday the 13th? It is Paraskevidekatriaphobia – from the Greek words paraskeví (meaning ‘Friday’), and dekatreís (meaning ‘thirteen’). We don’t wish to make light of anybody’s anxiety, but seeing as reading is such a safe occupation here are thirteen books with only one common denominator: they all have the number 13 in the title.

13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A FAT GIRL by Mona Awad
A darkly funny, deeply resonant and exquisitely written literary debut, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl is the story of one woman’s journey from fat adolescence to an ex-fat adulthood, as she seeks love and acceptance from everyone except herself.

13 DAYS IN SEPTEMBER by Lawrence Wright
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower and Going Clear: a dramatic day-by-day account of the 1978 Camp David conference, during which President Jimmy Carter brokered a peace treaty between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat—the first treaty in the modern Middle East, and one that endures to this day.

THE THIRTEEN ARGUMENTS by Howard Fineman
Howard Fineman, one of our most trusted political journalists, shows that every debate, from our nation’s founding to the present day, is rooted in one of thirteen arguments that–thankfully–defy resolution. It is the very process of never-ending argument, Fineman explains, that defines us, inspires us, and keeps us free.

THIRTEEN MOONS by Charles Frazier
From the author of Cold Mountain this novel introduces readers to twelve-year-old Will Cooper, an orphan named who is sent on a journey through the uncharted wilderness of the Cherokee Nation. As he fulfills his lonesome duty, Will finds a father in Bear, a Cherokee chief, and is adopted by him and his people, developing relationships that ultimately forge Will’s character. All the while, his love of Claire, the enigmatic and captivating charge of volatile and powerful Featherstone, will forever rule Will’s heart.

13 STEPS DOWN by Ruth Rendell
Mix Cellini has just moved into a flat in a decaying house in Nottinghill, where he plans to pursue his two abiding passions–supermodel Nerissa Nash, whom he worships from afar, and the life of serial killer Reggie Christie, hanged fifty years earlier for murdering at least eight women. Intricately plotted and brilliantly written, 13 Steps Down enters the minds of disparate people as they move inexorably toward its breathtaking conclusion.

THE 13TH JUROR by John Lescroart
Dismas Hardy, lawyer/investigator, undertakes the defense of Jennifer Witt, accused of murdering her husband and their eight-year-old son as well as her first husband, who had died nine years earlier from an apparent drug overdose. While preparing his case, Hardy learns that both of Jennifer’s husbands had physically abused her. But Jennifer refuses to allow a defense that presumes her guilt. She is not guilty, she claims.

HISTORY OF THE THIRTEEN by Honore de Balzac
Passionate and perceptive, the three short novels that make up Balzac’s History of the Thirteen are concerned in part with the activities of a rich, powerful, sinister and unscrupulous secret society in nineteenth-century France. While the deeds of ‘The Thirteen’ remain frequently in the background, however, the individual novels are concerned with exploring various forms of desire.

THIRTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING by Column McCann
A new short story collection, his first in twelve years, from National Book Award-winning novelist Colum McCann, showcases an incomparable storyteller at work. While their circumstances vary, the characters that inhabit the pages of this collection are united in their search for meaning as their humanity is tested. This collection is a tribute to that search, and ultimately a celebration of the power of the stories we tell, both to ourselves and to others.

13 FATAL ERRORS MANAGER MAKE AND HOW YOU CAN AVOID THEM by W Steven Brown
Renowned business trainer W. Steven Brown provides managers with essential leadership tools through straightforward, insightful advice.

 

FOR YOUNG READERS

THE THIRTEEN CLOCKS by James Thurber (Marc Simont, Neil Gaiman)
Ages 8 to 12
“Rich with ogres and oligarchs, riddles and wit. What distinguishes it is not just quixotic imagination but Thurber’s inimitable delight in language. The stories beg to be read aloud…Thurber captivates the ear and captures the heart.” —Newsweek

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher
Ages 12 And Up
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice explains that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.

THIRTEEN PLUS ONE by Lauren Myracle
Ages 10 And Up
Winnie has finally gotten the hang of junior high gaining two fabulous BFFs and a perfect (OK, sometimes perfect) boyfriend in the process. And with graduation just around the corner, the countdown to high school has begun.

13 PLANETS by David Aguilar
Ages 8 to 12
The recent actions of the International Astronomical Union have put every solar system book out of date. In response, National Geographic joins forces with David Aguilar of the Harvard Smithsonian Astronomical Observatory to update young readers on the high-interest topic of space.

One comment

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  1. Diane rollins

    Looks like a great site

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