The Top Ten Books I Read in 2018

I have always been an avid reader, and this year, I am happy to report that I surpassed my reading goal. I am even more proud of the fact that I branched out of my typical reading "comfort zone" and tried some new genres and formats this year. I hit a huge reading slump after the passing of my dad, and listening to books on Audible saved my reading life. My favorite reads (whether I read them with my eyes or my ears) are listed below, alphabetically by the author's last name.

Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove is definitely one of my top two favorite books this year. Ove is a grumpy old man (some may even call him a "curmudgeon"), intent on ending his life. The problem is that his neighbors and a homeless cat seem to keep getting in his way. I listened to the Audible version of the book, and the narration was superb. I loved this book because it was funny, sad, nostalgic, and hopeful. I have recommended this book to many people.

They say that some books come along right when you need them. I didn't realize I needed Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Date until I had finished reading it. After reading so many psychological thrillers, I need something with a little less murder. This fun and lighthearted romance begins when the two main characters find themselves stuck in a hotel elevator. Drew asks Alexa to be his pretend girlfriend and accompany him to a wedding in which he is a groomsman. The interracial couple then wonders if there could be more to this arrangement than what they had originally planned. I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Guillory's second novel, The Proposal, in 2019.

My first foray into audio books began on a road trip to a conference in Galveston, and that first  book that I listened to was Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale. It had been a few years since I had read any books by Hannah, and I am so glad that I went back to her and read (listened to) this one. This book tells the story of two very different sisters doing what they must to survive in German-occupied France during the second World War.

The title character in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine has a penchant for saying exactly what's on her mind, despite the not-so-obvious-to-her social cues. Eleanor lives a lonely, vodka-fueled existence when she's not at her office job until she meets Raymond, the company's friendly IT guy. I listened to this book on Audible and loved the narrator's various accents, especially Raymond's Scottish brogue. This book will hit all of your emotions--I was laughing out loud in my car within the first five minutes of the book.

Georgia Hunter gives an account of her family's story in We Were The Lucky Ones. The book tells the true story of how the Jewish Kurc family becomes scattered across the globe while trying to survive the horrors of World War II. I listened to this extraordinary book on Audible, and feel like I am a better person for doing so. I can see myself recommending this book to others for many years to come.

One of my favorite books of 2017 was B.A. Paris's Behind Closed Doors. But, I must say that I liked her book, The Breakdown, even more so. Cass does not realize it at the time, but she is one of the last people to see a murdered woman alive. Then, more strange things begin to happen, and she wonders if it is the beginnings of early-onset dementia or if someone is trying to end her life. This is one of the smartest psychological thrillers I have read.

I love everything British, so it did not take much convincing for me to add Josie Silver's One Day in December to my Audible queue. Laurie sees the man of her dreams through the bus window and spends the next year dreaming of and searching for him in the faces of all men she encounters. This story takes place over the course of a decade, and it explores many facets of love: love-at-first-sight, falling in and out of love, the love between friends, and family love. This book made me laugh, and it made me cry. I recently recommended this book to a friend, and offered that there truly are no "bad" characters in this book.

The only non-fiction selection on this list is Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. As a lawyer in the Deep South, Stevenson tells the stories of the people he defends through his Equal Justice Initiative. One of the main stories in the book is that of Walter McMillian, unjustly accused of murdering a white woman in Monroeville, Alabama. The parallels between this story and To Kill a Mockingbird (both of which take place in Monroeville, the home of Harper Lee) are striking. It took me quite awhile to read this book because of the harrowing content. I do not know if I would have read this book on my own, but we had to read it for a discussion a work, and it was life changing for me.

I was in the middle of reading The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson when it was time for me to take yet another road trip to yet another conference. The book was so good that I could not wait the few hours until I got to my destination to find out what happened. So, I downloaded the book on Audible and listened to it during my drive. (This book has several different narrators, which is so fascinating while listening!) This book was recommended to me by my pastor (which feels weird to admit!), who described it as "strangers on a train, but on a plane." This page-turner is tied as one of my top two reads of the year!                                                        

        

There are two main reasons why I feel that Angie Thomas's The Hate You Give was such a phenomenal read. First, the story of how Starr witnesses the shooting of her unarmed friend by a police officer was powerful, and unfortunately, all too relatable. Second, the Audible version of the book was superb! Bahni Turpin narrates the book masterfully, using such unique voices for each of the different characters. (How can she do such a great job of sounding like a teenage girl one second and like an old man the next?)

I would love to hear what your top reads were in 2018! Also, if my list inspires you to read any of these books, please let me know what you chose and your thoughts after reading. Happy reading!