I read 27 books in 2018. For some people, this is probably impressive to some people and insignificant to others, but it’s the reality. I’m proud of myself, because it was more than I read in 2017, and that’s always a goal of mine–to read more than last year. To be fair, quitting my retail job and spending most of the year freelancing helped bump that number up. I found myself with a little more time on my hands.
I post a ‘Books Read‘ every year, and I love doing it! But when I thought about how I wanted to approach that list this year, I had trouble deciding. I didn’t want to just post a list — because that’s boring. I also don’t want to list reviews of each, because this post would be as long as one of the novels. So I came up with ranking them by genre.
I broke it down by general category, but if asked I’d probably say the best books I read in 2018 were We Have Always Lived in The Castle by Shirley Jackson, Dream Hoarders by Richard Reeves, and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee was also pretty good.
Breaking my list down this way will also help me with one of my goals for 2019. I want to be more intentional with the content I consumer in the new year. I’m always going to love watching makeup videos on Youtube and reading frivolous YA, but I really want to consume more productive content in the new year to better develop skills and mindset.
In 2018, I read 12 mystery/thrillers, 1 children’s, 7 general fiction, 4 fantasy, but only 3 self-improvement books. I’ll always love my easy reads, but I need to work on some smarter books too.
The Best Mystery/Thrillers I Read This Year.
The mystery/thriller genre is my jam. I love being kept up, wondering whodunit or trying to guess the twist. I love playing detective and being kept at the edge of my seat.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle was one of those books for me that stuck with me the second I closed it. I still think about it, and I read it toward the beginning of the year. Sharp Objects and Emma in the Night had plot twists that even had me shocked.
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
- Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
- Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker
- The Diviners by Libba Bray
- Garden of Shadows by VC Andrews
- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
- Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
- Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray
- 666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce
- Last Girl Gone by JG Heatherton
- The Dark Glamour by Gabriella Pierce
- The Lost Soul by Gabriella Pierce
The Best Fantasy Books I Read This Year.
- Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
- Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
- The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
- The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton
The Best Children’s Books I Read This Year.
I usually don’t count children’s books I flip through because they take me so little time and energy. But this time I had to write it down because one of my best friends published a book!
- Penelope’s Petition by Hilary Kinney
The Best Fiction I Read This Year.
This was a pretty general category, because the stories are all so different. Some of these are YA like The Gentleman’s Guide, some were a little more serious in nature like The Secret History or The Handmaid’s Tale.
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
- The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
The Best Self-Improvement I Read This Year.
I’d say business and self-improvement books are some of my favorite, so it was shocking that I read so few this year. The best by a landslide was Dream Hoarders. I really suggest everyone read it if they’re interested in economics in the slightest.
- Dream Hoarders by Richard Reeves
- The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking
- The Financial Diet by Chelsea Fagan
Have you read anything good lately?
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