My Favorite Reads of 2018

So long, 2018! You were my worst year of reading and blogging to date. I managed to read only 54 books, and I've reviewed almost none of them, but I have the urge to start fresh in 2019, so today I'm sharing with you my favorites and clearing my LibraryThing To Be Reviewed shelf. I hope I've (finally) found my reading and blogging momentum again, but I've learned not to make promises I hope to keep. Despite my disappointment in the amount of reading and blogging I did, I read some great books, and I'm excited to share them with you.

Best Comic

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
I devoured this delightful young adult comic in a single sitting, and it was a delightful, heartwarming tale. It's the kind of book I'm so glad exists for those growing up as it addresses gender identity in great ways without it being a book that's about gender identity; it's simply part of a wonderful story, as it is in real life. Jen Wang is one to watch.

Best Essay Collection

The Wrong Way to Save Your Life by Megan Stielstra
I picked up a galley of this essay collection on a whim at a library conference a few years. I picked it up on a whim last January as a good print book to bring for reading on the beach in Thailand. What a wonderful whims I had. As I sat reading, underlining and making comments like mad, I couldn't stop thinking, "why are we not all talking about how brilliant Megan Stielstra is?!' "Why have I never heard of her before? I must tell everyone!" This collection is brilliant and vulnerable and amazing. It's one I will return to again and again, and I'll keep talking about it so Stielstra becomes better known.

Runner-up: Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan

Best Memoir 

Becoming by Michelle Obama
This book consistently moved me to tears: tears of joy, tears of pride, tears of wonder, and tears of gratitude. I listened to the audiobook, which the author reads, and I'm so glad I did. In a particularly lucky moment of fate, I found myself driving across Iowa while listening to the section about campaigning in Iowa. But I loved each part of this beautifully written memoir. Michelle's story is remarkable, but this book is remarkable because of her wisdom, grace, vulnerability, and writing.

Runner-up: I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson

Best Mystery (standalone)

The Wife by Alafair Burke (my review)

I'm a huge fan of Alafair Burke, and I've read all of her books (even the ones she co-writes with Mary Higgins Clark). The Wife is her best. Ever. I've recommended to pretty much everyone this year, even people who aren't looking for a mystery. It's a brilliant social commentary perfectly timed for the #metoo movement. It's a stunning thriller. It's well-written. It's characters are fully formed and beautifully flawed.

Runners-up: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn and The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor (my review)

Best Mystery (part of a series)

This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong

I've loved the Rockton series since the beginning, and this third entry is the best yet. The fourth one, Watcher in the Woods, comes out next month, and there's a tv show in the works. Start reading this amazing, almost-dystopian mystery series now!

Runners-up: Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly and Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge

Biggest Surprise

Marriage Vacation by Pauline Turner Brooks

Younger is one of my favorite tv shows. It's centered around a publishing house, but that's not why I love it. In season four, a major storyline involves an autobiographical novel from the publisher's estranged wife. I wanted to read it because I love the show, but I didn't expect it to be good. If you would have told me it would make my top five fiction reads of 2018, I would have been shocked. But it's really good. I laughed. I cried. I highlighted. Is it as great if you don't watch the show and know the two characters? Maybe not. But it's certainly more than tv tie-in novel.

Best Novel with the most disappointing ending

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I really enjoyed Ng's first novel, Everything I Never Told You. Little Fires Everywhere is better. As I read, I was convinced I was reading a 5-star novel. I loved the characters, the story, and the writing. Ultimately, I was disappointed in the ending. I wanted something more or something different. (Highlight to read spoiler): for a novel that begins with the end, I wanted the ending to feel different at the end. I wanted to have new insight that made me look at that scene completely differently. That didn't happen, and I was a bit let down. Still, this novel is extraordinary, and I can't wait for the tv series.

The Runners-Up

The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling and The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (my review)

I love both of these novels so much. Both authors cemented a place on my Read Every Word list.

My Favorite Read of 2018

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

It's a special thing for me to rate a book 6 stars out of 5, so it's no surprise The Immortalists, the only book to earn that distinction this year, is still my favorite, twelve months later. I wrote Chloe Benjamin a love letter about how much I adored this book. I've consistently recommended it to pretty much everyone all year, so if you haven't read it, take the time. It's out in paperback next month.

Now tell me: what was your favorite read of 2018?

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