Here's my end-of-the-year roundup of the best books I read this year. They are not all 2013 books (though most of them are), but they're all books I found especially meaningful this year. They are in no particular order (other than the random pile sitting in front of me).

1. The Reason Why I Jump: The Inner Vice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism, Naoki Higashida Those of us who love someone on the autism spectrum know that sometimes we wonder, “Why do you do that?” This book drove me to tears dozens of times, as this remarkable, autistic young man answers questions such as “Why don’t you make eye contact when you’re talking?” and “Why do you ask the same questions over and over?” Beyond the helpful insider’s glance from the autistic point-of-view, there’s a larger vision here. “Us kids with autism would like you to watch out for us, meaning, ‘Please never give up on us,’” he writes. “When we sense you’ve given up on us, it makes us feel miserable. So please keep helping us, through to the end.” Man. Don’t we all need that? This book made me resolve, all the more, not to give up on someone, through to the end. Read More