5 Books I’ve Loved This Year

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At the beginning of the year, I made a lofty reading goal. I made it public on Goodreads and included it in my annual goals blog post to help hold myself accountable.

I want to read 50 books in 2018… and so far, I’ve only read 12.

Disappointing? Yes. Discouraging? On the contrary. You see, I’ve read some pretty fantastic books this year despite the fact that I’m more books behind than I’ve actually read. (Something Goodreads likes to remind me of each time I log in.)

So instead of despairing, I’m diving into reading this month, but not until I share with you the 5 books I’ve loved this year!

All the Light We Cannot See

By Anthony Doerr
★★★★★

You should read this book if… you enjoy historical fiction told from multiple perspectives with a bit of whimsy and human emotion that shines through each chapter.

All the Light We Cannot See tells the story of World War II from two separate perspectives: Marie-Laure, a blind French girl who lives in Paris with her father, and Werner Pfennig, a German orphan who loves science and is eventually recruited by the Nazis. The way the author weaves their lives together throughout the story is truly masterful, and I cannot recommend this novel more!

A Conjuring of Light

By V.E. Schwab
★★★★☆

You should read this book if… you’re into unique worlds of magic with diverse, complex characters, including a badass pirate queen and a moody magician.

The third book in the Shades of Magic series, A Conjuring of Light is the culmination of a fantastical, phenomenal literary journey. The magic in Schwab’s novels is so unique, and I absolutely adore her prose. If you are even remotely inclined toward fantasy, you should read this right now. I’m usually not one for novels told from multiple perspectives, but I suppose when they’re done right, they’re among my favorites.

Pride

By Ibi Zoboi
★★★☆☆

You should read this book if… you’re a fan of Pride and Prejudice adaptations and also like young adult literature with an emphasis on culture and race.

I’ve read a good number of Austen adaptations this year (full blog post of my official rankings forthcoming), but Pride was easily my favorite of the bunch. Our heroine is Zuri Benitez, a girl from Brooklyn who is not pleased with the rapid gentrification of her neighborhood. And who should move across the street (into a newly built, beautiful mansion) but Darius Darcy? Pride used the structure of Austen’s original novel skillfully but revamped it with a modern take that worked really well.

In Paris With You

By Clémentine Beauvais
★★★★☆

You should read this book if… you prefer poignant love stories and also have a penchant for poetry tucked within your prose.

In Paris With You is unlike anything else I’ve ever read. It’s an English translation from an originally French book, and the way it played with time and genre within the story was so compelling. It kept me flipping to the next page to see how everything would turn out between the two main characters, Tatiana and Eugene. My favorite character, though, might just be the narrator; they were witty and relatable and kept the story on course, almost like an Austen narrator.

Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet

By Ashlee Piper
★★★★★

You should read this book if… you want to save the planet and are looking for actionable tips about a variety of different eco-friendly topics.

Yes, yes. I already included this in June’s Friday Finale, but I enjoyed it enough to want to add it here, too. Give a Sh*t is the perfect beginner’s guide to becoming more sustainable in your everyday life, mostly because Piper walks the walk. And it’s not judgy or preachy like these things tend to be. The author constantly celebrates every little step you can take to becoming more eco-friendly, from your diet to your fashion choices to the way you get rid of your waste. I’m a big fan and will be implementing her wisdom throughout the year!

And those are the 5 books I’ve loved this year. What have you read lately that totally knocked your socks off? I want to add it to my Goodreads list.

P.S. You can find even more books to add to your list in my literature archives!

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