From Miley Cyrus' twerking and Sheryl Sandberg 'leaning in' to the backlash against Miss America, there was no shortage of stories that got women talking in 2013. Click through to read about the stories that sparked some of the biggest conversations this year. Topping the list was Miley Cyrus, the former Disney star whose performance at the MTV Video Music Awards followed by her 'Wrecking Ball' video outraged women who felt her sexualized image set women and girls back. 
Another woman who set off heated debate in 2013 was Sheryl Sandberg, author of the book "Lean In." Some women accused the Facebook COO of faulting women for failing to have sky-high career aspirations, especially when they have kids. Sandberg ultimately tried to clarify her message, saying it's up to each woman to decide whether she wants to be a corporate executive or a stay-at-home mother. "'Lean In' is about believing in ourselves and reaching for any ambition," the mom of two said at BlogHer, the world's largest gathering of women bloggers. 
We didn't think Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer could get any more controversial after causing a stir with her two-week maternity leave, followed by her decision to ban employees working from home. Then, enter her decision to strike a pose in Vogue Magazine. Debate raged, with some supportive of Mayer's embracing her femininity and others lamenting what they saw as pressure on female leaders to soften their image. 
There were some stories we wished weren't true in 2013, and this was one of them: media outlets counting the days until Kendall Jenner, one of the youngest members of the Kardashian clan, turned 18 in November. "There is a countdown clock waiting for a girl to turn 18 so they can (ogle) her more inappropriately then they already do," Jodi Ferich said on CNN's Facebook page. 
When 24-year-old Nina Davuluri became the first Indian-American Miss America, many women cheered the barrier-breaking victory. But within minutes, joy turned to negativity after a flurry of racist comments surfaced on social media over her win. The University of Michigan graduate, who is making diversity her platform, told CNN, "For every negative comment or post or tweet that I received, I received hundreds and thousands of words of encouragement and support." 
Wendy Davis became a household name and a hero to supporters of abortion rights when the Texas state senator staged a dramatic 11-hour filibuster in June. The target was a Republican bill aimed to seriously roll back abortion rights in the state. Davis is now running for governor in Texas, and Democrats view the single mom who made her way from a trailer park to Harvard Law School as one of the party's best chances at the governorship, which has been in GOP hands since George W. Bush topped Democrat Ann Richards in 1994. 
Dove's ad campaign demonstrating how women are overly critical of themselves and often don't recognize just how beautiful they are struck a chord. It was the most viewed video ad campaign of the year. But it wasn't without its critics, who argued the ad featured too many white women and gave the impression beauty is defined as being thin and young. 
The stirring documentary "Blackfish," directed by filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite, set off a national debate about taking kids to SeaWorld. A number of celebrities have since canceled planned appearances at SeaWorld, and a Malibu, California, school just canceled a weeklong trip to the park. 
An empowering new ad about a girl's first period took the Internet by storm this year, earning nearly 5 million views on You Tube in one week alone, sparking conversations among moms of girls. "I wasn't setting out with this incredible feminist agenda," said Naama Bloom, the creator of the ad and founder of HelloFlo, a company offering period starter kits for young girls. "I just wanted to talk the way women talked and the way I talk." 
He does have those same blue eyes! That's what plenty of women were thinking when 25-year-old Ronan Farrow, the son of actress Mia Farrow, told Vanity Fair magazine that his mom's ex-husband Frank Sinatra could "possibly" be his father. It has long been believed that Farrow's biological father is the filmmaker Woody Allen. Farrow would later tweet, "Listen, we're all *possibly* Frank Sinatra's son." 
A few weeks after Rebecca Ann Sedwick jumped to her death in Florida, two teens were arrested and accused of cyberbullying her. The charges were later dropped but the case revealed how kids are using newer instant messaging apps like Ask.fm and Kik to terrorize other kids."The biggest part of these sites is parents don't know about them," said Sue Scheff, author of the book "Wit's End: Advice and Resources for Saving Your Out-of-control Teen." 
Women had a hard time understanding how Huma Abedin, wife of the former New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, was partially blaming herself for her husband's return to sexting, which ultimately collapsed his campaign. "What a sad thing to hear, that Huma blames herself, but it's not so unusual, is it?" Jessica Dukes, a mom of two, said at the time. "When relationships hit the rocks, doesn't everyone have those 'What did I do to deserve this?' thoughts." 
One of the most highly anticipated moments of the year for many women was the first look at Prince George and his proud parents. Kate Middleton won over even more female fans when she appeared in an outfit that did not disguise her post-baby belly. And then the advice came roaring in for the royal duchess, along with praise for her modern day hubby who fastened the car seat all by himself before driving his family home from the hospital. 
A Time Magazine cover story, "The Childfree Life," along with a CNN iReport on a 27-year-old's decision not to have kids raised the issue of how more women are choosing not to become mothers. "I have been called selfish and materialistic," one iReporter said. "But I don't believe that I am selfish by any means for making this responsible choice. It would be far more selfish to have a child for the wrong reasons." 
It was a year in which we saw even more discussion about open relationships in popular culture and in the media. Our story on polyamorous families got tremendous traction online, sparking conversations about what it means to have an open relationship. Some polyamorous families are now speaking out, trying to fight stereotypes that their lifestyle is just about a fling or kinky sex. They want to show that it is a real alternative to monogamy and that everyday families can embrace it, too. 
We're still talking about that 5-year-old leukemia patient who won the hearts of people across the country when he got his wish in November. He became Batkid for a day, fighting crime alongside Batman in a made-up Gotham City thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He even got a key to the city from the mayor, and we got a story that warms our hearts every time we think about it. 
So often we talk about all the bad things pop stars do but this year, Katy Perry showed how much celebrities can inspire. Her "Roar" video became an Internet sensation, with teenagers around the world creating their own versions, including a 16-year-old Toronto girl with an inoperable brain tumor. Two months after Olivia Wise's video made the rounds, she lost her cancer battle. Katy Perry tweeted to her 48 million followers (she pushed Justin Bieber out of the #1 Twitter slot this year) that Wise's spirit and strength have inspired her and so many others. 
Who could have predicted that Michelle Obama's bangs would become one of the most talked-about developments at the start of 2013. The first lady debuted her new look as she celebrated her 49th birthday in January and joked in a national interview that her bangs were part of a midlife crisis. In a February interview, she laughed off all the analysis surrounding her new 'do. "It's a haircut! I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you," she said. 
Many women were asking themselves if schools were going too far in enforcing their zero-tolerance policies after a 17-year-old got a yearlong suspension for sexual harassment after giving a teacher a hug. "This is crazy. Now we can't hug people anymore," said one commenter. Other women said the allegation the student kissed the teacher's neck made it a more complicated case. The student's mother has since filed an appeal with the school board. 
This was one of those stories that some women simply couldn't believe: A 6-year-old Colorado boy was suspended from school for sexual harassment for kissing a girl on the hand. "Poor child, he's (too) young to even know what sexual harassment is," Ortencia Solis wrote on Facebook. The sexual harassment note has since been removed from his record, and the boy is back at school. 
- Our list consists of stories that resonated strongly with readers on CNN.com and social media
- Miley Cyrus, Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer among women who sparked passionate debate
- Viral videos on beauty and a girl's first period also got our attention this year
- Inspiring moments include teen's version of Katy Perry's "Roar" video and BatKid
Editor's note: Kelly Wallace is CNN's digital correspondent and editor-at-large covering family, career and life. Read her other columns and follow her reports at CNN Parents and on Twitter.
(CNN) -- It's hard to believe another year is coming to end. Where on earth did 2013 go?
While we try to answer that question, we're thinking about the year that was -- and all the stories that inspired us, those that made us crazy and those we couldn't stop talking to our friends about -- on and offline.
We put our list together based on those stories that resonated the most on CNN.com and in social media -- the 20 stories that seemed to spark the biggest conversations among women this year. (Click on our gallery above to see them all!)
No surprise that Miley Cyrus tops our list. If the former Disney star's goal was to be one of the most talked about women of 2013, she arguably succeeded. Her twerking at the MTV Video Music Awards (full disclosure -- I didn't know what twerking was until the VMAs!) followed by her nearly nude performance in a video for her single "Wrecking Ball" got tongues wagging all over the country. Will Miley continue to shock in 2014? We'll be watching!
PHOTOS: 2013: The year in pictures
Other women who generated some heated debate this year include Sheryl Sandberg, the Facebook chief operating officer whose book "Lean In" became an immediate best-seller. But was Sandberg, a mom of two, accusing women of not being ambitious enough or not doing enough to put more cracks in the glass ceiling, many women asked this year?
Many women criticized Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer for banning working from home, and for donning a designer dress and stiletto heels in a sexy pose for Vogue magazine. I sided with others who asked: Why can't a woman be smart and beautiful and sexy?
Love her or hate her, folks were definitely talking about Miley Cyrus in 2013. It was her year. 
Justin Timberlake won awards, dominated the charts and had videos go viral thanks to his late-night show appearances. If only we could get 'N Sync reunited for real. 
Hit show, new marriage and a baby on the way. Oh, and Kerry Washington also managed to score major magazine covers and prove to the world that she can be funny thanks to a "Saturday Night Live" hosting gig. 
Jennifer Lawrence's adorable levels are off the charts (even her gifs are precious), and she's carving an amazing career for herself after winning the best actress Oscar for last year's "Silver Linings Playbook." This year she wowed in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and "American Hustle." 
Sandy B. stays winning. Not only is Bullock an amazing actress who can make the world laugh in a female buddy-cop movie ("The Heat") and cry in an out-of-this-world drama ("Gravity"), but she makes it all look easy. 
There is so much here to reflect on with Justin Bieber. He lost his monkey, his girlfriend (Selena Gomez) and his squeaky-clean image in 2013. Oh, Biebs. 
At first the world thought Amanda Bynes was pranking everyone, but it turned out she had some serious issues. It was a rough year for the actress and her family. 
It was supposed to be the year that put Lindsay Lohan back on top with an artsy film ("The Canyons") and a return to the focus on her career and not on past antics. We're still waiting on that. 
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West united, had a baby and got engaged. They also opened themselves up to incredible scorn -- many times for things that came out of West's mouth during interviews. 
It looked like things were turning around for Brown, who even earned Rihanna's forgiveness. Then things went left, and he is back in legal trouble again. Here's to a better 2014. Photo: Celebs who had a great 2013 and some who didn't The sexualization of girls was another big topic in 2013 illuminated not just by Cyrus but by media outlets counting the days until Kendall Jenner, one of the youngest members of the Kardashian clan, turned 18.
"There is a countdown clock waiting for a girl to turn 18 so they can (ogle) her more inappropriately then they already do," reader Jodi Ferich said on CNN's Facebook page. "I think it's a valid question about the appropriateness of waiting for a young lady to age so you can objectify her as a sex object."
There were many inspiring moments this year for women, too, such as that Dove ad campaign, which went viral, showcasing our inability as women to see just how beautiful we are.
One of our favorite ads ever, about a fictional place called 'Camp Gyno,' took the Internet by storm. In the ad, a tween is the first girl to get her period at camp, what she calls her "red badge of courage," and proudly sets out to teach her pals about this milestone.
We were inspired by celebrities too, such as Katy Perry whose "Roar" video motivated a 16-year-old Toronto girl named Olivia Wise with an inoperable brain tumor to do her own version.
Two months after Wise recorded her "Roar" video, which brings me to tears every single time I watch it, she died. Perry took to Twitter, telling her 48 million followers (she bumped Justin Bieber from the top spot on Twitter this year) that Wise's strength and spirit inspired her and so many others.
And how could we not mention Batkid, the 5-year-old leukemia patient from San Francisco? He won the hearts of people around the world when he joined Batman fighting crime in a made-up Gotham city as part of a wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
PHOTOS: The year in entertainment
There were big debates among parents, too. The documentary "Blackfish," showcased on CNN, prompted families to discuss whether to take their kids to SeaWorld. The question of whether schools go too far in enforcing zero tolerance policies also came up after a 17-year-old who hugged a teacher and a 6-year-old who kissed a fellow first grader were suspended for sexual harassment.
Some relatively unknown women were thrust into the national spotlight this year. Wendy Davis, a Texas state senator, became a hero to women abortion rights supporters when she staged a dramatic 11-hour filibuster. Huma Abedin, the wife of the former New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, also got women talking for her decision to stick with her husband after his second bout with sexting and reports that she blamed herself for his indiscretions.
And there were definitely some lighter moments that we women loved to dish about, from Michelle Obama's bangs (yes, they really generated a ton of conversation!) to the arrival of Prince George with Kate Middleton showing the world that contrary to what you see in Hollywood, women do actually have a post-baby belly right after giving birth.
I always love these opportunities to look back and showcase the issues and stories that really struck a chord with us. We just must might be talking about them again next year.
Until then, can we go back to that question from the top -- where did 2013 go?
Follow Kelly Wallace on Twitter and like CNN Living on Facebook.
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