I know, I know – I’m a bit late posting this, since it’s already the middle of February…. I’ve been so busy studying for psychology lately that I didn’t get around to writing anything, but better late than never, right?
I read a lot of books I really liked in 2018, so narrowing this down was actually really hard. When I started making this list, there were over 20 books on it, but I decided that was a bit much to go on a favorites list. Plus, I’m extremely behind on blog posts thanks to all that psychology I’ve been studying, and I’d be here forever if I went into detail about 20 books… So, although it was extremely difficult, I narrowed it down to 15. And I even put them in order this time!
However, since, unlike last year, I already reviewed all of these in my monthly wrap-ups, I won’t be going into a ton of detail about them here. If you’d like more extensive thoughts, check out the reviews in my wrap-ups – I’ve linked them for you! Anyway, here are my favorites of last year, ranked from best to really-good-but-not-best:
🦉 My Favorite Books of 2018 🦉
#1 The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
(read in March)
This is the perfect book for booknerds: The protagonist is an introverted bookstore owner whose life changes forever when a baby is left at his shop. And gosh, this certainly made me feel all the feels – I laughed, I smiled, and I even cried. I loved the story and all the literary references in it, and it’s definitely a new all-time favorite!
#2 If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
(read in August)
A dark book set at a prestigious acting college, with a complex friend group, lots of Shakespeare, and murder – what could I possibly not like about this?
#3 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
(read in December)
Trust me, the hype this is getting is completely justified! I was skeptical at first, too. I’m not that into Hollywood and fame, so a fictional biography about a famous actress being married to tons of different people didn’t quite sound like my thing. But it absolutely was! This book is great, tackles so many important issues, and I couldn’t put it down. These are some of the most realistic characters I’ve ever read about, and I’m sure they’ll stick with me for a long time.
#4 Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
(read in December)
This is yet another very character driven story, following a Chinese-American family in 1970s Ohio as they struggle to deal with the death of their middle daughter. Gradually, more and more family secrets come to light, and the Lees realize that they might never really have known each other at all. This is a family story full of heart and sadness, and one that will really make you think. Obviously, I loved it!
#5 The City of Brass (Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty
(read in March)
This is a very convincing start to an adult fantasy series filled with djinn, politics, intrigues and romance. It’s inspired by Middle Eastern, Egyptian and Asian mythology, and if the rest of this trilogy is anything like this first book, I’m in for a great ride!
#6 Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) by Neil Shusterman
(read in January)
This is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite dystopian series! Scythe was one of my favorite books last year, and the sequel is just as great. These books take place in the future, when humanity has found a way to conquer death. So, to keep the population under control, so-called scythes have been tasked with killing… I love how fleshed out this world is, how much philosophy is hidden in the story, and adore the main characters. Pick it up if you haven’t already!
#7 Assassin’s Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy #1) by Robin Hobb
(read in September)
This is one of the older fantasy series out there, and I’m so glad I finally picked it up! It follows the bastard son of the kingdom’s crown prince – how he grows up, how he struggles to find a place at court, and how, at night, he trains to be the next Royal Assassin. It’s slow moving, rich in detail, has a really intriguing magic system, and lots of politics. This is exactly the kind of fantasy story I like!
#8 Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon
(read in August)
It’s true, I did commit the sin of watching the TV series first. However, after having read this, I must say that the show is extremely faithful to the book (though, of course, the book is still better). For those of you who’ve lived under a rock, this is a historical fiction story about former World War II nurse Claire, who inadvertently travels back in time to 18th century Scotland, where she meets the Highlander Jamie. It has everything one could possible want: a compelling plot, good writing, interesting historical facts, and, what this book is probably best known for, a really great romance!
#9 Tempests and Slaughter (Numair Chronicles #1) by Tamora Pierce
(read in February)
Tamora Pierce’s Tortall series are a childhood favorite of mine, so obviously I was beyond excited when I heard there was a new book coming out. And I really loved this! It expanded so much on the world and characters, but also managed to stand on its own as a story. Plus, the magic boarding school setting is something that never fails to get me… I do recommend you read the other Tortall books before this one, though – otherwise, you will get spoiled at least a little bit, you’ll miss out on a bunch of connections, and you might be confused as to the backstory of the world. If you really want to, you probably can read this first, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
#10 Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor
(read in October)
I just love the way Laini Taylor writes. The lyricalness alone is enough to pull me in, and add a great fantasy story to that – well, I’m pretty much sold. Though I do think the ending could have been a little darker, this was a solid conclusion to the series, and I absolutely loved it!
#11 Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood
(read in January)
From the queen of fiction comes a very loose retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in which The Tempest is actually staged – in jail. The English literature nerd in me loved everything about this, although you can totally enjoy it without any knowledge of Shakespeare, too!
#12 Godsgrave (Nevernight #2) by Jay Kristoff
(read in January)
I didn’t love this one quite as much as Nevernight – nothing can top a dark assassin school setting – but it was still really awesome. If you want a very dark, smutty, fast-paced fantasy story full of revenge and mysterious magical shadows, check this one out!
#13 To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
(read in October)
I read this purely because I wanted to watch the movie on Netflix but wanted to go into it having formed my own picture of the book first. And I’m glad I did! This is a really cute contemporary novel about a girl whose old private love letters accidentally get sent to the boys she wrote them to. However, what I liked most about this was the family aspect. This has great sibling relationships and family traditions, in addition to a cute romance, and it’s a great book to turn to when you need something light and fluffy to cheer you up!
#14 Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
(read in March)
This had so many things I loved – it’s about a boy trying to write a novel, about two boys falling in love, and about religion. It was nuanced, cute, exasperating, sad, and funny. I highly recommend this to people looking for a good YA contemporary!
#15 The Shadow of the Wind (Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
(read in March)
This is a beautifully written book about a boy picking out a mysterious book at a secret library and becoming obsessed with it. As he grows older, he tries to track down more of the author’s novels, not knowing that he is on the trail of a mystery more dangerous than he could ever have imagined… For those of you who want a good atmospheric read – try this one.
So yeah – those were my 2018 favorites! 🙂 Have you read any of these? Did you love them as much as I do? Or were you disappointed? I’d love to know!
A Book Owl's Corner 
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