At the end of 2016, I realized I had actually read ONE book from beginning to end - and that’s just wrong! As someone who read at least 2 books a week in high school, to read one in an entire year, was shameful. I decided 2017 would be the year I rediscovered reading and set the goal to read 24 books this year - 2 a month. With the awesomeness of audiobooks and an hour spent in the car every day traveling to and from work I was able to far surpass that goal of 24 books. Plus I managed to read some really awesome ones along the way. In no particular order…
My 10 Favorite Books from 2017:
#1:: Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde - fiction
This book took me by surprise because it isn’t part of my usual reading preferences. It’s the story of an unlikely relationship between a down-and-out 70-year-old living in her van and a teenager who’s also hit rock bottom. It’s fun and adventurous and totally unbelievable but I loved their relationship as it developed throughout the book. (I also read When I Found You by the same author and enjoyed it.) If you have Kindle Unlimited you can read or listen to this book for free!
#2:: The Zookeepers Wife by Diane Ackerman - nonfiction
Yes, I know I’m behind in only getting around to it now after the movie is out and everything! While the book was different than what I expected it to be, I really enjoyed the quirky reality of the situation. It was also an interesting take of a time period that often is written about in tragic-filled pages. While this does justice to the horrific reality of war and Nazi Germany, it is offered a different perspective that isn’t often talked about.
#3:: The Gender Game Series by Bella Forest - young adult fiction
I’m a sucker for YA stories similar to the Hunger Games. This one is about two different civilizations - one predominantly of men and the other of women. The two sides are in conflict but there is more to both places than what meets the eye, and one girl is bold enough to defy both in search of something better.
#4:: Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan - fiction based on real people and events
This might be my favorite read of the entire year. There was just something about it that drew me in and held me for the entire book. While it is fiction because the author wasn’t able to piece together every event, the book is based on a real Italian spy and his harrowing adventures to defy his country and the Nazi regime. Every chapter was one narrow escape or exciting adventure after another. I couldn’t put it down. This one you can also read and listen to for free if you have Kindle Unlimited.
#5:: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - fiction
I’m a big fan of suspense and thrillers, especially if I’m not able to predict what’s going to happen. Usually I have the book figured out in the first few chapters but honestly this one left me guessing until the end. Basically a drunk divorcee witnesses something from the train window which jump starts a series of events to figure out the crime and whodunit.
#6:: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - nonfiction
This one is tied for favorite of the year! And yes, I know most people read it like 10 years ago. Like I said, I haven’t been reading much in the last few years. This true story of a running sensation who survives unbearable torture during World War II was a page-turned and a book that had me talking, thinking and quoting it long after I finished the last words. So good and so inspiring.
#7:: American Sniper by Chris Kyle - autobiography
The story of America’s most prolific sniper. This book is funny, it had me literally laughing out loud at certain points, but it is also super real! I loved it! The book also inspired some great conversations with my brother who is a former Marine. It also seemed more poignant knowing how he died and that the book was published just before that time.
#8:: Room by Emma Donoghue - fiction
A 5-year-old boy and his mother live in an 11-by-11 foot cell, held there by the mother’s abductor. This book was SO interesting to read. It is told from the perspective of the little boy, who has never known anything other than the room he inhabits. It’s so creatively put together and such an interesting read. Apparently this too is being made into a movie. I’m always behind the times. (Obviously this has some heavy subject matter but nothing graphic.)
#9:: Branded by Abi Ketner - YA fiction
Another dystopian novel, because I LOVE this genre. The Sinners are taken to the hole, branded and made to live a life of misery. When a young woman is accused of a crime she didn’t commit and sent to live in the hole, she has to struggle with her new life and her dad’s vision for the future of the country. I haven’t read the rest of the series, but they are on my list to read.
#10:: The Selection Series by Kiera Cass - YA fiction
Okay, honestly I just really like the YA genre. This series is cute and a lot of fun to read. Think of it like a version of the Bachelor but the guy looking for love is a crowned prince and the ladies are all his subjects. There are three books in that series, as well as 2 more that follow the next generation, the soon-to-be queen. (I liked the first 3 books and their love story, much more than I liked books 4 and 5.
Bonus:: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch - fiction
Two young sisters are found alone in the woods, fending for themselves. They need to adjust to life outside of the primitive compound they’ve lived in for years and learn to trust again. I thought this was beautifully written, and apparently I had a thing this year abduction-style stories. (Obviously this has some heavy subject matter but nothing graphic.)
What did you read this year that you loved?? Any suggestions for my 2018 reading list?
I’m thinking for this coming year I’ll give each month a different theme in order to diversify my reading. Something like biographies in January and classics in February. Or maybe I’ll just make a list of two books to read in a variety of genres and try and work through them as the year progresses.
