5 books to pick up in 2018
How is everyone’s week going? Wednesdays are hard, but you’re halfway through the week. My first week of school last week was pretty good, but I can already feel that things are ramping up.
Last week, I shared my goals for 2018. My friends always tell me they want to read more, but a lot of the time, they don’t know where to start or don’t have time. I wanted to round up my top five favorite reads of 2017; even though I’ve never read so little in a year (a meager 20 books in 2017, nine of which were completed over winter break, ha), 2017 was my most diverse reading year yet. If you need a great read to help kick off the year, I hope y’all pick up one of these!
ADULT FICTION: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
I’ve mentioned this one a few times on my blog already, but I have to mention it again. The Hating Game was undoubtedly my favorite read of 2017. I devoured this one and literally couldn’t put it down (I read it on my flight to Greece!). It’s about these two co-workers at a publishing company who absolutely despise each other to no end. This book definitely has a lot of romance if you need your fix, but I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. Sally Thorne captured their relationship perfectly.
ADULT FICTION: The Martian by Andy Weir
Most of you have probably already heard of this one (it’s a movie starring Matt Damon), but I finally got around to it in 2017 and highly, highly enjoyed it. I don’t naturally gravitate toward science fiction, but this one was immensely engaging and Andy Weir’s writing style is probably one of the most distinct and hilarious. Un-put-downable and incredibly detailed, The Martian is not only thrilling but also impressive.
ADULT NON-FICTION: Quiet by Susan Cain
As an introvert myself, I knew I had to pick up Quiet. Funnily enough, I used some research that was in this book as part of my English paper freshman year, and after reading a few excerpts, I knew I needed to read the entire thing. I related to this book so well and it helped explain a lot of my tendencies and what I can do in the future as an introvert, and why it’s not bad to be introverted.
ADULT NON-FICTION: Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr
I actually listened to this one on audio in preparation for my trip to Rome last year and thought it was the perfect introduction/way to get a little taste of what Rome is like from someone who lived there for a full year (my my, that would be a dream!). Doerr’s other work, All the Light We Cannot See, is one of my favorite books of all time, so you can imagine how much I loved his autobiography about all things Italian.
YOUNG ADULT FICTION: Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson
I loved Morgan Matson’s debut novel, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour and her writing style ever since I was introduced in 2011 (gulp, that was like six years ago!!). I don’t know why it took so long for me to pick this one up! It’s about a girl whose best friend suddenly disappears but leaves a bucket list for her to complete. It’s not a mystery – far from it, actually – but a cute, summer-y contemporary story with tons of character growth and self-discovery. It put me in the best mood – highly recommend.
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There you have it! My favorite books of 2017 and ones that I think you need to pick up. Thanks for reading!
Jen xx