Best Books of 2018

Note: Not all the books I read have been published this year. When I say "best books" I purely mean what I bought, old or new books, and completely enjoyed reading this year.

2018 has been a weird year for me. I worked for most of it but through that I found myself not enjoying life. A new manager took over in my workplace and messed up my working life to the point of me leaving. Now, looking for a new job, I feel like this year hasn't quite existed. I look back, appalled at myself when I count the months it's been since I last saw a particular friend, or went to this place or that place. This year has flown by in a blink, filled by working days, sad days, happy moments and overall, a very externally unexciting 2018.

But my solace will always be books, and I read some incredible ones this past year.

I started my year off reading IF BIRDS FLY BACK, by Carlie Sorosiak, and my soul absolutely sang with it. I've never felt so seen by a book before I read this. I have such love for Carlie's writing style, the amazing characters I read about, and their hardships. Linny, the female protagonist, was a character I related to so much with her desire for films, scripts, and finding herself as well as her sister.

ALEX, APPROXIMATELY, by Jenn Bennett. If you know me, you know I will not shut up about Jenn Bennett's writing. I've read three of her YA contemporaries now, and ALEX, APPROXIMATELY, was just another addition to the love I have for her books. It's such a fun, exciting read, with fresh plot-lines and characters. If you're a fan of a contemporary centered around the protagonist moving towns and finding a new life, love, and goals, this is for you! (Bonus: film-fanatic characters!)

SONG OF THE CURRENT, by Sarah Tolcser. As far as debut novels go, this was incredible. A novel set on a river? With a whole community of river-people? And sailors? With a headstrong female protagonist at it's helm? And a stowaway character who becomes her love interest? I was SOLD. Sarah Tolcser's descriptions of the rivers, boats, and how Caro's world revolves around the river-folk is wonderfully done. I was so hooked!

LETTERS TO THE LOST, by Brigid Kemmerer. I read this in June; at this point, I'd read extremely disappointing contemporary reads. I hadn't a read a good one since Alex, Approximately, in January. This is a book where the main connection is virtual communication. It's the classic trope of "we talk through screens but oh no, you're the school's bad boy in real life and you'd never look twice at me--but oh, you have" and I'm a massive sucker for that. I was completely invested in this novel and even though a lot of people have reasons to dislike this trope, it's done so well. There are amazing heartwarming moments in this, as well as shocking plot twists!

THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN, by Roshani Chokski. This is the Hades/Persephone/legendary story I've been waiting for! It has riddles, magic, portals, plot-twists, myths and culture - what more could you want in a fantasy book? This story pulled me in from it's first word, and I found myself hating myself for not reading it sooner.

TO KILL A KINGDOM, by Alexandra Christo. Again, another watery debut that I absolutely dived right into. This is The Little Mermaid with a better twist. The main protagonist, Lira, is a siren, tasked with taking a prince's heart--but she ends up falling for that heart instead. And the prince is also a pirate with a brilliant crew and determination to better himself. Deadly, dangerous, and magical, this is definitely a debut from an author I look forward to reading more from.

THE HATE U GIVE, by Angie Thomas. I was slow getting to this. I knew how emotionally-fuelled it was, how big a deal it was, and I had to be mentally prepared to read that. But once I read it, I devoured it, and then never shut up about it. Every day, I updated my mum on the story even as she got lost in my terrible verbal explanations (because we all know I can't speak), and happily sat for hours on my days off work just taking everything in. This is a hard, honest, raw book to read--one I think everyone of any age, genre-preference, or mentality should read.

ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART, by Katherine Webber. Katherine is another contemporary author whose book I would buy in a heartbeat. I would read her shopping list. Reading Wing Jones last year felt like a breath of fresh air. All Katherine's books have this sense of self to it, like the book whispers find yourself, know who you are. Indeed, every time I finish her books, whether it's a reread or new story, I assess myself and find something a little brighter each time. I try to look for the positive things in me rather than dwell on the negatives. But even when I find the negatives, somehow they seem a little less potent. My heart sings for Katherine Webber's words.

UNDER ROSE-TAINTED SKIES, by Louise Gornall. HI, ALL, THIS WAS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK I READ THIS YEAR. When I say important, I mean in a very personal way. This was a book my mental health needed to know existed, a book I read more as a guide than a story, and felt more confident for it. A Young Adult contemporary about a protagonist suffering with agoraphobia to the point of never leaving her house is something I related to. This year, I could count on only one lot of two hands how many times I left my house for social plans. Every other time was for work, and even then, I wanted to curl up and never leave my room. This book felt like a hand to hold, a murmur in my ear that I was okay, that recovery is out there; support is out there.

STATE OF SORROW, by Melinda Salisbury. Politics! Lost siblings! Courts! Warring countries! This is a beautiful read, full of colour, education, intrigue, and the politics behind a country. So different to her Sin-Eater's Daughter trilogy, Melinda Salisbury brought a new angle to Young Adult with this amazing book.

STARRY EYES, by Jenn Bennett. My year was blessed to read TWO novels by her this year. This story completely took my breath away. It made me think a little deeper, want to explore a little further (when I can), and know that not all is at it seems. Set on a camping trip that goes wrong, the two love interests (formerly best friends) are forced to reconsider their past and wonder why they never worked out.

KINGDOM OF ASH, by Sarah J. Maas. My brain is still broken from reading this back in October. This book was Big for me. It was what I labelled as a Life Checkpoint (an entirely different mental health story) and I was blown away by the conclusion SJM gave. It did not disappoint, and when I finished that last page, the end to a series I've been with for five years, I sobbed for a good hour and more. I will forever be thankful for what Sarah J. Maas has given me through her books.

LEGENDARY, by Stephanie Garber. I cannot hype this book up enough! It's a fresh take on YA fantasy. Playing cards, a maze, a game, old gods, MAGIC. I adored Tella and Scarlett and how different they are. Scarlett, the level-headed thinker; Tella, the head-strong player. In the end, both sisters end up playing games of their own, tailored to them. Legendary is the second installment in a trilogy that ends next year, and I'M NOT READY.

_____

To name a few! And most importantly, I hit my Goodreads Reading Challenge for the first time! I'm looking forward to reading so many more uplifting, inspiring books in 2019!