TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2018!

It’s here, it’s here! The list is here! And let me tell you – this list was NOT easy to narrow down to just 10! I read so many amazing books this year and ended up with a list 20 books long that I needed to weed through. I ended up with a top 10 and two honourable mentions. The list is in order (starting from 10, and ending with my number 1), and there may be more than one picture if it was a part of a series. So here we go!!

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

THE LONELIEST GIRL IN THE UNIVERSE by Lauren James <—– click for full review
This one makes the list because it was probably the biggest shocker of the year! I went into this expecting a science fiction story of a girl on a ship, who meets a boy, and falls in love……. NOT THE CASE! This ended up being a thrilling story that completely caught me off guard and had my head spinning! I started and finished it within a few hours if that tells you anything!

OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon
The only reason that this one makes the honourable mentions list is because I haven’t finished it yet lol! I’m part way through right now and loving it as much as I thought I would. The characters are so involved, the story and plot is sucking me in completely, and the setting is absolutely amazing! I’m sure that if I had finished this before writing this list, it would have made it on the top 10, but for now it’s an honourable mention.

TOP 10 OF 2018!!

#10 – KINGDOM OF ASH by Sarah J Maas <—– click for full review

This book was hands down one of the best series finale’s i’ve ever read! The way that she was able to wrap up the plot and bring such a large cast of characters together was just stunning! And since there were so many characters, it was amazing that she wrote them in such a way that I didn’t forget any of them. I enjoyed the hell out of this book!

#9 – MY PLAIN JANE by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows <—– click for full review

Yes, I realize that this wasn’t released in 2018, but I only just read it this year. And that’s because I refused to read it in the beginning! The idea of a historical fiction/retelling that had a dude that turned into a horse just sounded too strange for me. I am SO glad that I listened to all of you and read it anyways because it was INCREDIBLE! The characters were great, plot was great, but it was the humour throughout that had me hook line and sinker. My Plain Jane could have easily made this list as well 🙂

#8 – CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi <—– click for full review

I have a feeling that this one will end up on almost every top 10 list this year! As it should be! The fact that this was a fantasy novel was absolutely outstanding! The characters and the setting were so well written. I was able to picture everything in my mind so vividly! Also the plot and the magic – SO GOOD! I have a feeling though, that when book 2 comes out, I’m going to love it even more.

#7 – HOUNDED by Kevin Hearne <—– click for full review

This is now one of my all time favourite fantasy series ever! I expected it to be generic by looking at the cover – but this is a book that you can’t judge by the cover – it’s just amazing! There are so many amazing characters, paranormal beings, gods, and the greatest talking dog ever written! I love the talking dog! This book is just a great adventure. A pace that never slows down and always keeps you on your toes. I can’t speak highly enough about this series!!

#6 – EVERY HEART A DOORWAY by Seanan McGuire#6 – EVERY HEART A DOORWAY by Seanan McGuire <—– click for full review

If you would have told me last year that this book would make it onto a top 10 list, I would have called you clinically insane. I heard that this was a mystery novel with magical realism elements – basically 2 things I hate. Well, I was wrong! SO wrong! This book (and the 2 sequels/companions) were SO FREAKING GOOD! It was so well written, so intriguing, and so interesting. The books that come after this one just continue further into this insane world of doorways and I NEED MORE NOW!

#5 – MISTBORN by Brandon Sanderson <—– click for full review

I FINALLY read this book this year and it was everything that I expected it to be and more! The magic system is hands down the best I’ve ever read! It was so involved and complex, and it explained every little detail. Some might have felt bogged down with the detail of it all, but knowing the inner workings of it all made me more obsessed! Not to mention the characters were fantastic!

#4 – MUSE OF NIGHTMARES by Laini Taylor <—– click for full review

This book was absolutely STUNNING and BEAUTIFUL! The words that Laini Taylor weaved throughout this book was just mind blowing. I fell in love with the first book Strange The Dreamer, but was nervous to see how this duology would conclude. I had tears in my eyes quite often and was invested in this world more than I thought I was. This book had my heart and threatened it many times.

#3 – LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff <—– click for full review

Of course a Jay Kristoff makes the list! This was just the science fiction adventure that I needed! It was entertaining as hell and I LOVED the characters. I also loved that it was a loose retelling and set up so many theories for book 2. I just caught the cover for the second book and I am in LOVE!

#2 – THE CITY OF BRASS by S.A. Chakraborty <—– click for full review

This was probably the biggest surprise of 2018. I had heard so many mixed reviews about it and kept putting off the purchase because of it. Some people commented on the writing style and that it took a while for the story to pick up. That wasn’t the case for me AT ALL! Within the first chapter I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t wait to finish it. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about the world and the characters. I couldn’t get this book out of my mind no matter how hard I tried!

#1 – THE HEARTS INVISIBLE FURIES by John Boyne <—– click for full review

This book………. THIS BOOK!! It’s huge and intimidating, but as soon as I started reading it I literally couldn’t put it down. I started it and finished it within 24 hours and I felt so emotionally drained afterwards. This book pulled on every single emotion, even ones I didn’t know I had. It infiltrated every single thought, even months after finishing it. It’s not the most plot driven story. We follow the life of a boy from a young age up until his death. But the character development within these pages was so extraordinary it still hasn’t left my heart. I laughed, I cried (and cried some more), I smiled, I gripped the pages with anticipating – basically every reaction you could have while reading happened. This book will end up on my all time favourites list for sure. I want so badly to reread it – it was just that good!

There are the top 10 books of 2018! As I was writing this post, I realized that there’s really no way to fully explain my love of these books in just a few words. These books captivated my soul, brought me on a grand adventure, and spoke to my heart. I’m so thankful for all the books I read this year, but these are the ones that stick with me the most. What were your top reads of the year? I would love to know!

Until next time, happy reading!