I recently saw a different blogger who posted what she’d read in 2018. I read her post thinking to myself that I couldn’t post like that, because I didn’t have enough books that I actually read in 2018. I work full time, parent three little monsters, transport them all over, etc, etc. Surely, I haven’t read. Right?
That same day, my bestie and I were traveling north in separate cars. She texted me, “What have you read lately?” And I threw out my favorite from the year, and then a couple more, and then a couple more after that. Out of curiosity, I wrote down my list of books I read and thoroughly enjoyed in 2018. Turns out I DID read quite a bit.
Before I go any further, can I just give a shout out to my little, local, rural library? My husband goes stark raving mad over the money we have spent on custom made bookshelves in our house. I LOVE books. He does support my habit of taking long luxurious baths, my nose in a book, but he doesn’t really like me BUYING the books. “Do you really need to own a copy of everything you ever read?” he asks.
“Yes,” I think to myself. Would that not be one amazing collection? I grew up in a house with LOTS of bookshelves and books. I like the way it looks. He thinks it’s cluttered. We agree to disagree but every time I mention adding a bookshelf here or there, he just leaves the room.
Aren’t bookshelves loaded with books lovely?
Anyway, in the interest of keeping a happy household, most of the books I read came right from my local library, because I believe there is no substitute for holding the real deal in your hands. (My kindle app is only for the free downloads from BookBub and when I am in a place where I can’t carry my book.) My husband is thankful for the library so I can borrow a book and then have to give it back. If I don’t, they will charge me ten cents a week. Now, that is a fine I can get behind!
For your reading pleasure, I am including the beautiful book covers. If you are anything like me, the images of books I want to read are lodged somewhere next to my grocery list and what size shoes my kids are currently wearing. When I am at the library or my mother’s house, I can conjure up my mental list and pluck the perfect book for my perusal. Side note: this also works well when I am at the airport. My FAVORITE thing to do is pick a book from the airport gift shop when we are on a vacation. Luckily, the husband lifts the book buying ban and looks the other way because he knows how ridiculously happy it makes me.
So what were my favorites from 2018?
12. The Interesting’s” by Meg Wolitzer
I admit, I borrowed this from my Mother a long time ago. It took me a while to get into it. When I finally did, it was a pleasant experience. The story follows a group of 6 kids who meet at artist camp and dub themselves, “the interestings”. The story was a little slow and the characters were fair, I felt like some storylines were longer than I liked and because of that, it is last on my list.
11. “Sheltering Rain” by Jojo Moyes
A fun little read about a girl who goes to live in the country with her grandparents on their horse ranch. I enjoyed it a lot. So why is it so far down on the list? Because when I finish a great book, I am usually forlorn and feel like the main characters left with a piece of my heart. This one was a tidy ending and I left it fairly easily.
10. “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance
This is a memoir about a kid who grew up poor, yet went on to study law at Yale. His Grandparents moved their family from Appalachia to Ohio for job opportunities, but the family could never quite escape their chaotic lifestyles, except for J.D
9. “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng
I have heard great things about this author. I liked this story quite a bit and the plot wasn’t easy to predict. This book had me questioning my ethical code and what path to take, when both paths are equally awful. I know not all books can be tied up in a neat little bow. But if your book doesn’t occasionally give you the urge to chuck it, what are you even reading?
8. “The Wife Between Us” by Greer Hendricks
This is another book where you can assume nothing, I thought I was reading about a jealous ex-wife who watches her replacement. I was wrong. Great thriller!
7. “Bear Town” by Frederik Backman
This novel settles on a tiny town, whose claim to fame is their hockey league teams. The town is hockey crazy and the pressure to win is high. The heat intensifies when one of the players is accused of an awful crime. If you can get past the first couple of chapters explaining about hockey, its a great read.
6. “The Collapse of Parenting: How we hurt our kids by treating them like adults” by Leonard Sax, MD.
This was an eye-opener. I think I shared it on my Facebook and said all parents should read it. Immediately. Dr. Sax thinks parents are giving kids too much freedom and often including them in adult conversations and situations that they are not equipped to handle. We aren’t giving them enough responsibility but instead giving them everything they desire while also making life TOO easy for them. The number of kids diagnosed with anxiety and have really poor coping skills in elementary school in recent years are STAGGERING. I enjoyed it and this book helped me realize that my parenting style may need a tune-up.
5. “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah
After loving “The Nightingale” I wanted to read this one. This book is about a girl and her parents who move to Alaska to live off the grid with no money and no homesteading skills. Survival is key, both in the tough climate and terrain and also with her violent Father. I really enjoyed reading about Alaska and the story kept me entertained!
4. TIE: “Educated: A Memoir” by Tara Westover
This book is a completely mesmerizing account of a girl growing up in Idaho with parents who are super religious and thought public school would brainwash their kids. Her story is about surviving her bipolar Dad, erratic brothers, and her quest to attend college even though she had no formal education. I was captivated by her family situation and what she was willing to give up to realize her dream of going to college.
3. TIE: “The Woman In the Window” by A.J. Finn.
Since “The Woman on The Train,” which was my first experience of a narrator who distrusts herself, I have read a number of thrillers that keep you guessing because the main character is at odds with what she knows. Or thinks she knows. I loved this one. I was on the edge of my seat and was floored when I found out what was happening!
2. “I’ll Give you the Sun” by Jandy Nelson
This was a gift from one of my besties. It was beautiful. I devoured it while not feeling well on New Years Day. It is a tale about twins and who are inseparable until they aren’t. Such a different kind of book and I loved it.
1. “The Nightingale.” Kristin Hannah.
Maybe I am behind and maybe this was a hit for a while. I don’t care. This one was the best for me in a while. It was so.well.done. My bestie read it while we were traveling and she texted me, asking why I didn’t tell her it was so sad. It is sad and redeeming at the same time. It is a book that rakes you over the coals emotionally. If you can’t handle that, then why even read?
What did you read in 2018 that I should have? Did I miss something that should make 2019’s list? I would love to hear what you read and loved in 2018.
Love, Stef