The Best Books I Read In 2018

28 Dec 2018

The Best Books I Read In 2018

Hope you had a lovely Christmas, dear reader. I am home after a festive week spent around the country with family, and yes I am approximately 90% cheese. I got a delicious looking pile of books for Christmas and it made me realise that it’s been over a year since I’ve mentioned books on this blog, and I’m not sure how or why that happened.

So here are my favourite books from 2018. Books I read stuck on a hot commuter train, on a beach in Croatia, in the depths of the Scottish highlands and everywhere else in between:

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend 

Would highly recommend if you’re a Harry Potter fan. I was almost immediately hooked by the Nevermoor world; it was barmy, magical and really witty. I raced through it and went out to grab the squeal straight away. I also genuinely had post-book blues upon finishing and can’t wait for the next in the series. A real joy to read.

Dietland by Sarai Walker 

I’ve raved about this book before; it’s life changing. A feminist revenge fantasy novel about one fat woman’s fight against the diet industry and sexism. The message is unapologetically loud and clear, and it’s wickedly funny. I forced a lot of people to read this after I’d finished, to delve into Plum Kettle’s story and come out a changed woman. I will be reading again and again.

Still Me by Jojo Moyes 

The third novel in the Me Before You series. I really enjoyed this, and thought it was better than the second one. I particularly loved how well it captured New York and the lovely ending to Lou’s story.

Hold Back the Stars by Katie Khan 

This story starts at the end. When we first meet the two main characters, they are floating in space with ninety minutes of air left. The entire novel flashes between these ninety minutes and the love story of the couple. The writing was really visual – you could just imagine it as a film – and the ending was very unusual; the reader is presented with three possible endings, left to decide for themselves what happened.

Places I stopped on the way home by Meg Fee 

Another one I imagine I will pick up to thumb through time and time again. I love Meg’s way with words. A beautiful collection of essays based on the author’s twenties spent living in New York.

How To Stop Time by Matt Haig 

The concept is a guy who ages incredibly slowly and uh it was beautiful. It’s about the main characters adventures through time but also what it means to be alive and how important people are.

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

I thought this book went off a bit towards the end but I was a big fan of the concept and the way the story was told. Tom, who lives in an alternate 2016 where all the sci-fi fantasies of the 1950s are a reality, suddenly finds himself stranded in our 2016. Our world is backward compared to his but in our world, the love of his life is still alive and his family are very different.

The Chemist by Stephanie Meyer 

I do love a Stephanie Meyer story and this one races along. A thriller about a government agent on the run, who falls in love with the very man she is supposed to kill.

Departures by Anna Hart 

A light-hearted travel memoir of Anna’s adventures growing up in far-flung places. Full of great stories and lessons on travel from an expert, it’s hard not to immediately start looking up flights after reading.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed 

I raced through this memoir, and couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards. When she was 26, Cheryl Strayed decided to walk part of the Pacific Crest Trial, the 2,653 mile route that starts on the Mexican boarder and finishes at the Canadian boarder, in response to a series of traumatic events in her early twenties. I found her story really moving, as well as the actual realities of walking such a long way really fascinating.

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith 

I love the Strike series and so had my paws on this the day it came out. As with all of JK's books, it was a long one but I’d finished within a couple of days because I struggle to put down the stories of Robin and Strike. I adore their relationship and the way the mystery is always so detailed.

The Tyranny of Lost Things by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett 

Set during a long hot summer in London, this was a perfect one to read during the 2018 heatwave. Harmony has dropped out of university and returns back to the urban commune where she lived as a child, now divided into flats. She wants to uncover the source of her nightmares about a redheaded woman and her obsession with lost objects from her childhood. I found the setting and the characters really vivid, and thought it was quite an unusual book.

Life Honestly by The Pool 

I click onto The Pool every day so it was somewhat inevitable that I was going to buy their book. Full of articles written by women about everything from age milestones, friendships and weddings to parenting, sexism and fashion. A complete modern guide for women and can be read all in one go or picked up for a few minutes when you fancy.

Into Thin Air by John Krakauer 

A personal account of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster. The author is a journalist who was sent to join an expedition to climb Everest by a magazine. Despite the climbing expertise of the guides, eight people would die in one day after three expeditions were caught in a storm and faced a battle against hurricane-force winds and the effects of altitude. It was the worst single-season death toll in the peak’s history and made headlines around the world (and has since been turned into a major film). I read this after seeing the film Everest and found it a really, really fascinating read. You really felt like you are on the mountain with the author, and his own anguish over what happened.

This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay 

There was hype around this book for a reason; it’s brilliantly funny and yet incredibly sad. Based on his diaries as a junior doctor, it’s a don’t-hold-back look at the realities of working as a doctor in the NHS. I laughed aloud a lot but was also really moved by the ending.

Eat Up by Ruby Tandoh 

What a lovely little book. It’s all about celebrating the joy and pleasure of food, arming the reader against fad diets and bad science that can make eating guilt-laden, and encouraging you to fall in love with all types of food and the lovely rituals that come with eating.

Happy reading folks x 

Comments

  1. I really want to read this is going to hurt, sounds brilliant!

    Lucy | Forever September

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  2. I am so pleased to discover your blog. I love reading and it is great to see what other people suggest.

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    1. Aw thanks for stopping by! Me too, always great to get recommendations :)

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  3. I loved Still Me. I thought it was a great way to end and I likes it more than the second book.

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  4. Nevermoor, Eat Up and Dietland are all on my favourites lists as well. Did you read the sequel to Nevermoor yet? It's soooo good! xx

    rhymeandribbons.com

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    1. Yes! I loved it! Cannot wait for the next in the series :) xx

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