This year, I challenged myself to read 300 books. I am pleased to note that I exceeded this amount by 58 books for a total of 358 novels! I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of my favorite books of the year! So let’s go!
- A God in the Shed by J. F. Dubeau. This was hands-down one of my favorite horror stories of the year! There was so much suspense and mystery to the story, and I was genuinely scared out of my wits! Anyone who loves horror would enjoy this novel!
- The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. While this novel may have targeted young adults, I found the story would work for adults as well. With a mesmerizing story of strength and a Russian folklore background, this novel really delivers a punch. It was one of my favorite fantasies of the year!
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This as such a powerful story about race and gun violence! The author took the difficult subject matter and portrayed it in an impactful way. It really made me shift my own views on the Black Lives Matter movement as well as the issues of police brutality and accountability. Especially given the way society is like today, I think this is a very relevant novel that everyone should read.
- Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig. This novel tugged at my heart strings. It has such a wonderful innocence to it, and it is heartbreaking. Readers cannot help but connect with Ginny Moon and root for her. This is a book that is not easy to dismiss or forget!
- The Ghsotwriter by Alessandra Torre. I absolutely loved this mystery/thriller. I loved the premise and the style of the writing. The plot had me hooked and I could not put this book down for a minute! If you are looking for a thriller like no other, then this is one you should definitely check out!
- Radium Girls by Kate Moore. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction but this was worth it! It broke my heart to read about the poor working conditions that the women in this novel faced and how hard it was for them to get the medical care and fair treatment that they deserved. But their struggle and determination were so inspirational to read about and it made me feel proud to be a woman. This is definitely a novel to read if you want to feel empowered and proud of how far we have come in terms of workplace safety and equality.
- Bright Air Black by David Vann. Having never read the story of Medea and Jason and the Argonauts, I thought this was a fantastic read that featured an amazing female character. I was entranced by the story, and by the sheer ruthlessness of Medea. Definitely a novel I will be recommending to people for years to come!
- Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. My first time reading a book by this author and I absolutely loved it! It was funny and engaging and mysterious! It was so hard to put down and I loved the different female characters who got their chance to shine in the story.
- Monstress by Marjorie Liu. This was such a wonderful graphic novel! It had beautiful artwork and an amazing story to boot! It’s got steampunk and fantasy and mystery and politics so what’s not to love? If you like graphic novels, then this is one you should definitely be reading!
- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. This was just such a funny and exciting novel to read! It was completely out of my comfort zone but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I loved the whole video game story line, and I loved all of the references to pop culture, which I myself was not familiar with. It may not have been the most deep story but it was definitely entertaining and well worth the read!
So there you have it! These are the top 10 books of 2017 for me! Of course, there were a lot of other books I loved reading and gave very high ratings for, but these ones really stuck out for me! I can’t wait for the new year and all of the books that it will bring with it! But for now, I hope you all have a happy new year, surrounded by family and friends! See you in 2018!
Happy reading ~