My 10 Favorite Books of 2018

Okay, I’m a tad too late on the reading reflections of 2018 theme I’ve been seeing on blogs lately but felt inspired after cleaning up my Goodreads want-to-read list. 2018 was a mixed bag for me in terms of reading. I read a lot of books to review while I still managed to fit in books of my choice. A mix of the two ended up on my list. Here are my favorites of the year:

1) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Goodreads)

Okay so I know this is totally commercial fiction, but I had been wanting to read this one. In 2018, I read the series. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series but thought the final book fell apart completely. I also admit that I couldn’t help but see Jennifer Lawrence in the book all over the place.

2) The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau (Goodreads)

This is the fourth book in the City of Ember series that I read this year. I LOVED this series (confession – I skipped the prequel book three as I’m not a fan of prequels in the middle of a series). Even though this is elementary-middle grade fiction, I loved it and I am so glad I read it.

3) The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright (Goodreads)

This is about a dollhouse coming to life! I read it when I watched a TV movie version of the book and decided I wanted to see what the book was like. I’m glad I did. It was a very fast read and I enjoyed it.

4) The Prize by Geoffrey M. Cooper (Goodreads)

Oh this book was so good! It took me by total surprise and I forgot I had read it until I was going over my Goodreads reading list. It’s about scientists battling over a new discovery and basically, this one scientist wants to take credit. It isn’t one I thought I would enjoy but I’m glad I found it and glad I read it. It’s a science-y thriller that someone non-science-y like me could enjoy.

5) The Girl on Camera by Morgan Dun-Campbell (Goodreads)

I thought this book was so good. It’s about a reality show that goes VERY wrong and while I had mixed feelings about the ending, it was still an exciting, thrilling read. I would absolutely recommend it.

6) The Fat Lady’s Low Sad song by Brian Kaufman (Goodreads)

Another book that took me by surprise this year. It’s about a struggling baseball team and this book just warms the heart (and I’m not even of sports). I was so happy I read it and so glad I enjoyed it. A great indie book I would recommend!

7) Lies by Michael Grant (Goodreads)

This is book three in the series Gone by Michael Grant and actually I read three books in that series this year. I sort of needed a break after book three because book four has similar predicaments. It was a struggle to jump right into book four, so we’ll see if I get to book four this year. The first three were good though and VERY different.

8) Lies by T.M. Logan (Goodreads)

I totally forgot I read this! I forgot to put my review up on Goodreads actually (which is why that site isn’t always the best showcase of how many books I read each year). Anyways, so this book had a weird plot twist at the end and it was so good. There were a few character issues but overall, I enjoyed it. My review here.

9) The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain (Goodreads)

This book was also another gem I read this year. If you love time travel then you must read this book. It’s beautiful, touching, and captivating. Check out my review of it here.

10) The Bishop Burned the Lady by Bill Percy (Goodreads)

Another indie gem I discovered this year. This was a vivid thriller and I loved the characters. It captivated me the entire way. It’s a murder mystery with a town hiding big secrets. A definite must-read I promise!

It’s amazing that I know I could’ve added more to the list, but I wanted to restrict it to 10. I signed up for a couple of reading challenges that I hope I stick to in 2019, but overall, I’m looking forward to another year of reading! Happy New Year everyone!

What books did you enjoy the most in 2018? Have you read any on my list? Let me know in the comments!