Editor's Note: As 2013 approaches its close, the team behind Biographile shares some of the most important, most poignant, most profound, and most entertaining stories of the year – and as we’re all book lovers at heart, we also share our recommended reading to help you better understand the meaning behind the events.

From Marissa Mayer becoming the first woman named number one on Fortune’s Top 40 Under 40 to Malala Yousafzai being the youngest nominee for a Nobel Peace Prize, 2013 marked a significant year for women. Building on her popular TED talk, “Why we have too few women leaders” Sheryl Sandberg’s bestselling March memoir, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, describes how a larger number of women at the top of their fields will benefit society overall. In a passage from Lean In, Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, utilizes statistics to support the argument that men get promoted on potential while women get promoted on what they've already accomplished. With this past year’s accomplishments for women marking a pinnacle in women’s influence world-wide, we’re excited to see what women achieve in 2014. –Kristen Fleming

When Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope on March 13, 2013, he chose the papal name of Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, a thirteenth-century Italian known for his humility and generosity, usually depicted barefoot, in a rough robe with a rope for a belt. To better understand the inspirations and motivations of the man leading the Church into the twenty-first century, immerse yourself in the recent book Francis of Assisi: The Life by Augustine Thompson, O.P. –Cara Cannella

On April 4, 2013, the beloved American film critic and writer Roger Ebert died at the age of seventy. Celebrate his career as the first film critic ever to win a Pulitzer Prize, and his more than two decades of cohosting “Siskel & Ebert: At the Movies,” by escaping into his insightful and touching memoir, Life, Itself. –Cara Cannella

Jeff Baumen, for many, became the face of the Boston Marathon bombings. The twenty-seven-year-old stood on the sidelines on April 15, 2013, cheering his girlfriend on, when a pressurized bomb exploded nearby. Jeff lost both his legs in the blast. As the smoke cleared, a photographer captured the traumatic moment when Jeff was placed in a wheelchair and rushed to medical care. But Jeff hasn't let the effects of the bombing alter his outlook. Stronger – out in April 2014 – will be a testament not just to his strength, but to the resilience of America, undaunted by senseless terrorism. –Joe Muscolino

Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian reporter responsible for catching the NSA's hand in the surveillance cookie jar, has become something of a household name. The New York Times recently asked: "Is he the future of news?" While others accuse him of treason, a maker of mischief and nothing more, there's no doubting his enormous impact on journalism, government transparency, and the loftier notions of privacy in American politics. I'm dying to read his new NSA book, publishing in March, 2014, which promises to expose the "extraordinary cooperation of private industry" in the NSA mess. –Joe Muscolino

Based on Scott Thorson’s autobiography about his tempestuous six-year relationship with Liberace, HBO’s May 2013 movie “Behind the Candelabra” is chockablock with champagne, sequins, fur, sex, plastic surgery, and drama. Stephen Soderbergh directs Michael Douglas’ masterful Emmy Award-winning turn as the famed pianist and entertainer. Matt Damon plays Thorson in a compelling performance and Rob Lowe’s almost unrecognizable turn as the couple’s Doctor-Feelgood is a triumph of Hollywood makeup artistry. As Liberace says, "Too much of a good thing is wonderful" – and “Behind the Candelabra” absolutely delivers on that philosophy. (If you’re looking for the more sparkly side of Liberace, check out Liberace Extravaganza! by Connie Furr Soloman and Jan Jewett. With more than 260 full color photos, it’s a sequined-bejeweled-rhinestone-studded, er, Extravaganza.) –Christine McNamara

The Syrian civil war, raging since 2011, has torn Syria apart. More than 120,000 people have died so far. This year, after reaching unprecedented heights following Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons attack, the war has seemingly become hopeless. But hope is all that kept Louise Monaghan, author of June 2013’s Stolen: Escape from Syria, alive. Louise travels back to Syria where her abusive ex-husband had taken her only child. Miraculously, after enduring abuse and domestic imprisonment, Monaghan manages to escape Syria, with both her and her daughter's life intact. Hope never read sweeter. –Joe Muscolino

During the last two weeks of June 2013, flash floods and landslides in northern India’s Uttarakhand state killed more than 5,700 people and trapped tens of thousands in the country's worst natural disaster since the tsunami of 2004. As grief gets underway there, Sonali Deraniyagala's heart-wrenching memoir, Wave – the story of surviving the 2004 tsunami that killed her parents, husband, and two young sons – offers profound insight into the healing process. –Cara Cannella

Following "House of Cards" and "Hemlock Grove," "Orange Is the New Black" was among the first in a handful of original programming distributed by Netflix for instant, binge streaming, a move that suggested compelling content might someday supersede traditional delivery systems. The series, which premiered July 11, was adapted by creator Jenji Kohan ("Weeds") from Piper Kerman's memoir about her fifteen months spent in a federal correctional facility for a crime she committed a decade prior to her sentence. The series stars Taylor Schilling and Jason Biggs, and features some old favorites, including Taryn Manning, Natasha Lyonne, and Annie Golden, in a markedly ensemble piece. The show was picked up for its second season a month before the first aired. This all goes to suggest that "Orange Is the New Black" – and shows like it – will have a strong hand in changing the television landscape. –Rachel Jacobs

On July 22, the Royal Family introduced a new generation to its ranks – Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, and her husband, William, Duke of Cambridge, welcomed a son and named him George Alexander Louis. The royal couple is breathing a breath of fresh air over London, and much can be attributed to the Duchess’s royal but accessible – and stylish – air. She brings to mind the beauty and warmth of William’s mother, Diana, so it’s no wonder she’ll be the subject of many books. To get an early start on learning more about the future queen, check out Katie Nicholl’s The Making of a Royal Romance. –Kristin Fritz

On July 16, Iranian-American author and scholar Reza Aslan published his latest book, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. The book, an extensive look at biblical figure Jesus Christ, fared well on the sales front initially. Immediately following Alsan’s wildly controversial July 26 interview with Fox News’s Lauren Green, the book landed on The New York Times Bestseller list, proving that intelligence and history when coupled with controversy is enough to move the meter on a centuries old topic. The controversial part of the interview? Green’s angle for the interview, which she introduced with the near-immediate question: “You’re a Muslim, so why did you write a book about the founder of Christianity?” Aslan’s measured, logical – and factual – response set the record straight. –Kristin Fritz

Just when we thought we’d seen it all in reality television, A&E premiered “Duck Dynasty” in March of 2012. The show features a family – the Louisiana-based Robertsons – who made their wealth in the duck call business. Though the show incorporates some aspects of what’s become typical in reality TV, it’s also done something remarkably fresh – it’s stripped out the smut-slinging drama we’ve become used to, focusing instead on the strength of an extended family unit that has, at its core, high morals, integrity, and faith. This move has paid off, as this year's August 14 premiere of the fourth season broke records, drawing 11.8 million viewers, making it the “most-watched nonfiction cable telecast in history.” If you’ve seen every last episode and need just a little bit more, check out Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson or Si-Cology 1 by Si Robertson. –Kristin Fritz

After years of various lesser tabloid headline-grabbing moments, Miley Cyrus’s introduction of the concept of “twerking” at the August 25, 2013, MTV Video Music Awards to the wider world was a landmark moment in her public life. Does anyone here remember the Miley from her precocious autobiography Miles to Go? To wit: “There are multiple sides to all of us. Who we are – and who we might be if we follow our dreams.” Let’s hope 2014 shows us another, less scantily-clad side of Miley. –Christine McNamara

David Frost led a fascinating life, much of which included professionally exploring the lives of others through his various television interview programs. Frost, who passed away on August 31 at the age of seventy-four, was perhaps best known for landing the landmark interviews with Richard Nixon in 1977 in which the former President discussed the Watergate scandal. His recounting of that experience in Frost/Nixon: Behind the Scenes of the Nixon Interviews became the basis for the acclaimed play and feature film Frost/Nixon – and an opportunity for the masses to learn so much more about the events behind the national scandal. –Christine McNamara

Back in 2009, in the days leading up to the presidential election between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi, Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari was asked to be on “The Daily Show” for a segment with Jason Jones called "Behind the Veil: Minarets of Menace." Bahari, who was covering the election at the time, was asked to answer questions about the prevailing Iranian opinion on Americans. After the episode aired, Bahari was thrown in prison for three months and brutally interrogated by a man who smelled distinctly of rosewater. The man demanded answers about Bahari's connection with an American spy – Jason Jones (who, incidentally, is neither American nor a spy). In response to this, Jon Stewart spent the summer of 2013 away from his desk at “The Daily Show” and in the Middle East shooting his debut directorial effort, "Rosewater," adapted from Bahari's 2011 memoir, Then They Came for Me. Stewart returned on September 3. –Rachel Jacobs

On October 1, 2013, John Stewart did something unusual during his interview segment on “The Daily Show”: He "urged" his audience, something he "doesn't normally do," to go out and buy The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida. His audience listened. Stewart became a book media sensation. The nonfiction version of Oprah, some even ventured. Stewart's successes aside, the book is truly marvelous, and it completely shatters our understanding of what it means to live with autism. For more, visit our collection of insights into the mind of Naoki Higashida. –Joe Muscolino

When Malala Yousafzai was fifteen years old, she was shot in the head at point-blank range in an assassination attempt by the Taliban. The young girl, a known activist for education and women's rights, spoke out about the Taliban's treatment of women, specifically, their ban on education. In the years that preceded the gunshot, Yousafzai had blogged under a pseudonym for the BBC, chronicling life under Taliban rule. The shot sparked an outpouring of international attention and launched a UN petition that led to the ratification of Pakistan's first Right to Education Bill. This year, on October 8, Yousafzai released her memoir, I Am Malala, and was also nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. –Rachel Jacobs

High marks for high camp and high style for Lifetime’s “House of Versace” in early October. This TV movie chronicles Donatella Versace’s takeover of the fashion house after the murder of her renowned designer brother, Gianni. Gina Gershon shed ten-plus pounds for the role, and with the help of excellent lighting, tape, makeup, prosthetics, two blonde wigs, and one amazing speech therapist, was transformed into Donatella – the strutting, smoking, slurring, spending, hyper-demanding force of nature who ultimately succeeds in keeping the Versace brand alive. A diamond-studded addition to the over-the-top biopic canon, “House of Versace” is not to be missed for the accent, the advice – “Always lead, darling, never follow!" – and of course, the fashion. For a closer look (and decipherable language), check out Deborah Ball’s House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival. –Christine McNamara

Lewis Allan “Lou” Reed was one of the brilliant minds and huge talents behind The Velvet Underground, the groundbreaking rock music group and Andy Warhol darling. Reed’s October 27 death at the age of seventy-one marked a huge loss for American music and art – and a huge loss to anyone looking for a taste of the wild side. If you didn’t know the man or know about him then, you can still learn more about him and the crowd he ran with – and you should definitely listen to this while you do. –Christine McNamara

Books – biographies, memoirs, novels, etc. – are so often the source material for movies both great and not-so-great. On November 5, Steve McQueen’s movie adaptation of Solomon Northup’s 1853 memoir, Twelve Years a Slave, landed in theaters and was met with raves from critics and lay-viewers alike. The story is astounding: In 1841, Northup, a free man living in Saratoga, was kidnapped and sold into slavery, where he remained for twelve years. In McQueen’s movie version, brilliantly adapted for the screen by John Ridley, Chiwetel Ejiofor turns in an awe-inspiring performance – bringing to life a story more than a century old, keeping a piece of America’s past that we should never forget at the forefront of the minds of the mass public. This is definitely one that is worth both reading and seeing. –Kristin Fritz

On November 12, British artist Francis Bacon’s triptych Three Studies of Lucian Freud fetched a world record-breaking $142.4 million at a Christie’s auction in New York, breaking the $120 million record previously held by Edvard Munch’s The Scream. Though at first kept anonymous, some are claiming now that the purchase was made by Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad al-Thani of Qatar. If you heard this news and thought to yourself, “Francis who?” check out Francis Bacon: Anatomy of an Enigma by Michael Peppiatt. –Kristin Fritz

This has been a major year for Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand's 2010 account of Olympic runner, Word War II airman, and prisoner of war survivor Louis Zamperini. Hillenbrand's work, which spent more than 125 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, is now being adapted by the Coen brothers and helmed by director Angelina Jolie. The film, set to star Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund, Jai Courtney, and Jack O'Connell as Zamperini, will be released in late 2014. Zamperini is currently ninety-six years old. –Rachel Jacobs