2018 hasn't been the best for me reading wise but, as a year in general, it's been great. I had my son in September this year and in August we moved house into what will hopefully be our forever home. These are the reasons I haven't read as much as normal but that's okay because I now have some wonderful things in my life that I wouldn't change for the world.
I set my Goodreads reading goal at the beginning of this year to 75 but as we made our way through the year I knew I wasn't going to reach this so I reduced it to 50 which is my usual. I haven't quite made this either and, as I type this, I am currently at 39 books but as I said before that's okay.
I also started to do the diversity bingo challenge at the beginning of this year and I kind of gave up with that very quickly. I've found out this year that set TBRs do not work for me so next year I'm looking into challenges that don't require that.
Even though I didn't do as well as I originally planned with my reading and challenges I still managed to read some fantastic books. So, that's enough of my rambling, here's what your here to see. My top 10 books of 2018.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Star Rating - *****
I'm pretty sure Holly Black is now one of my favourite authors. I read this right back in January and it's stuck with me for the whole year so definitely worthy of a space on this list.
"I really enjoyed this book, I was completely captivated throughout the story. It was dark with a twisty, turny plot that kept you on your toes until the very end. Full of a complete cast of morally grey characters that you just can't help loving. I cannot wait for the next one!"
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Star Rating - *****
This was a fairly recent read. I've had it on my TBR for a while and I'd heard nothing but good things and I was not disappointed. The thing that particularly appealed to me about this one was the unique way the story was told. I'll definitely be picking up the sequels in 2019.
"I loved everything about this book I thought it was fantastic. It was compelling and fast paced. I didn't want to put it down."
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Star Rating - *****
This was one of a few books that I picked up this year that were outside of my comfort zone and I'm so pleased I chose to do that this year because I enjoyed them all. This one in particular was one of my favourites. It's told in verse and covers some difficult topics in a fantastic way.
" I thought this was a fantastically thought provoking and emotional read. The story flowed really well and it covered a lot of important topics. This is one I would recommend to everyone, even if it is outside of your comfort zone."
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Star Rating - ****.5
One of the first retellings I read this year that carried on from my love of retellings from last year. This one was a retelling of The Little Mermaid and it was super addictive. It was also a standalone which was great as often fantasy novels are part of series.
"Overall this was a really enjoyable story with great world building and great characters. I don't know what more to say other than I highly recommend you go out and buy it. I know I will be!"
Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp
Star Rating - ****
Another one I read right back at the beginning of the year that has stuck with me. For me, it was the writing that stood out in this book. It was so atmospheric and emotional that I don't think I've ever read anything like it before and haven't really read anything since.
"Overall I really enjoyed this book. I loved the writing style, I don't think I've ever read anything like it. It made me feel all sorts of emotions and I admire the author for being able to do that. It was a highly compelling and extremely atmospheric read that I would recommend."
The Golden Child by Wendy James
Star Rating - ****
This is the only adult novel on this list as well as the only book I managed to read in one day. This book was really suspenseful and also covered a lot of themes that are really relevant in today's society and this meant I could relate to the story.
"I really enjoyed this novel and I feel it's a very important read that should be read by everyone. It really showed us, as readers, just what devastating consequences cyber bulling can have and how social media and the internet has become highly influential in everyone's lives today. I would definitely recommend this one."
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Star Rating - ****
The first book in one of many new series I started this year that was a really clever read. Told in duel POVs, the author does a great job of intertwining the two main characters stories. Our main characters were also great, strong and fearsome females are the best.
"Overall I really enjoyed this one. It's been a while since I got stuck in to a really good YA fantasy story, especially one that's part of a series. I will definitely be picking up the next installment as soon as I can."
Ascension by Victor Dixen
Star Rating - ****
Another one that was really out of my comfort zone but that surprised me. If you ask me to tell you one thing I don't like to read that's romance and this one was described as Love Island in space, really not my sort of thing. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. There was more of a focus on the development of relationships as opposed to the romance which is why I think I enjoyed it.
"I was really pleasantly surprised by this one. I made a conscious decision to step outside of my comfort zone when I requested a copy of this book and it has definitely made me want to do that more often. I loved the exploration of the characters and their relationships and that ending has really made me want more of the story. I cannot wait to dive into the next in the series."
A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Star Rating - ****
Review
This is the only book on this list that is a 2019 release so my review isn't actually live on my blog yet, although I have written it. This is another retelling, this time Beauty and the Beast, and it was a great one. An interesting plot and great characters made this a really fun read.
"It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and as I've already said I love a good retelling. In my opinion this was a good example of a retelling as there were clear nods to the original story and key plot points but enough individuality to the story to keep it interesting."
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Star Rating - ****
This book has had nothing but praise over the past year and I finally managed to get my hands on it recently and I dived in straight away. I can see why everyone loved it. It's full of great characters and great representation and the 'adventure' aspect of the plot made it a really fun read.
"I did enjoy this one quite a lot, especially the second half. I loved the characters and the diversity and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one which is all about Felicity."
Honorable Mention
The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge
Star Rating - *****
Review
I finished this a couple of days before this post went live and I loved it so I knew I had to add it to my list. I loved how creepy and atmospheric it was with great characters, it's one everyone needs to read.
"Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was deliciously dark and creepy. I loved the atmospheric writing style and setting and the well developed characters. I would definitely recommend picking this one up. One of my favourite books of 2018."
So there we have it, my top 10 books of 2018. As I said before, even though it's not been my best reading year, I'm really pleased with all that I have achieved and a lot of the books I have read.
I'd love to hear all about your favourite books of this year and hopefully find more to add to my ever growing TBR.
