Hi everyone!
2018 is fast approaching, and what better way for me to make my first post than to look back at some of my favourite books I’ve read this year!
Middlemarch by George Eliot
I know Middlemarch might be a daunting start to this list, given that it’s over 800 pages of Victorian realism, but don’t let that put you off! I wouldn’t have read it if it hadn’t been on my uni reading list, but it was and I truly loved it. The language is quite simple and easy to read once you get into it, and the characters feel so real. It’s a tale of loveless marriage, complex relationships, politics and betrayal: what more could you want in a novel?
My rating: 4.5 stars
Howards End by E. M. Forster
Another classic I read for uni, but nowhere near as long as Middlemarch, I promise! Howards End follows three families in London from different social classes whose lives intertwine. It’s clever and witty and a great commentary on early 20th-century England. Technically I reread it this year and read it for the first time last year, but that counts, right?
My rating: 5 stars
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
This is the first Patrick Ness book I’ve read, and I loved how different it was. It takes the idea of the “chosen one” (you know, Buffy Summers, Harry Potter etc.) and looks past that at the normal people trying to live their lives despite the chaos. I loved how it juxtaposed Mikey dealing with his own mental health and social life with the “chosen one” story playing out in a summary at the beginning of each chapter.
My rating: 4 stars
Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
I don’t read a lot of fantasy and I hadn’t really heard anything about Snow Like Ashes, but I thought I’d give it a chance and I wasn’t disappointed. Meira is one of a handful of survivors from the fallen kingdom of Winter, desperate to help restore her home. I loved the story-telling, and even though I saw the plot twist coming quite far in advance, it didn’t spoil the book for me.
My rating: 4.5 stars
The Hate U Give by Angie Thompson
I felt like I had to read The Hate U Give as soon as possible; it must be one of the most talked-about books of the year, if not the most, and for good reason. It follows Starr, who sees her unarmed friend shot and killed by a white police officer, and it explores the racial tensions and issues of police brutality in the United States. I thought this story was incredibly told and definitely worthy of the praise it’s getting.
Rating: 4.5 stars
So those are my top five books read this year! Have you read any of them? What did you think? What were your favourites from the last twelve months? Let me know in the comments, thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!
