2018 Book Year in Review

I didn’t get time to compile my 2018 book count and top selections before year-end, but here it is now!

2018 Fiction Top 10:

1. The Power – Naomi Alderman Of the few dystopias I read in 2018, this is the one I’m still thinking about. In it, women all over the world suddenly gain the power of electrical shock, making them basically impervious to physical harm. Womankind rises up and deals out reparations and it’s all very empowering… until things start to spin a leeeetle out of control.

2. Far from the Tree – Robin Benway Three biological siblings in their late teens – two adopted by different families, one still in foster care – find each other. A realistic but heartwarming story about the many shapes of family.

3. The Address – Fiona Davis A historical novel that flashes back and forth between two women, one in 1884 and one in 1985, at The Dakota apartments in NYC.

4. Leia: Princess of Alderaan – Claudia Gray Honestly, I did NOT expect to be blown away by a YA Star Wars novel, but this look at Teen Leia was excellent as well as relevant to our current political moment.

5. Always and Forever, Lara Jean – Jenny Han The satisfying conclusion to the Lara Jean trilogy. (If you have Netflix and haven’t seen To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, get comfy and watch it this weekend. Best new romcom in years.)

6. Not If I See You First – Eric Lindstrom A strong, independent blind girl grieves the loss of her dad and starts taking risks and healing old wounds.

7. Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged – Ayisha Malik This book’s billing as the “Muslim Bridget Jones” is pretty accurate, and like many reviewers, I was iffy about some plot choices here and in the sequel. But it definitely sucked me in and is a good choice if you’re wanting to diversify/inclusify (?) your bookshelf.

8. The House of Bradbury – Nicole Meier A struggling novelist moves into Ray Bradbury’s former home in the SoCal hills. I think I discovered this through Amazon First Reads.

9. The Fates Divide – Veronica Roth The sequel to Carve the Mark, in which Cyra and Akos confront the truth about their fates. I rarely start sci-fi/fantasy series anymore, so I appreciated that this was a duology!

10. The Shark Club – Ann Kidd Taylor A marine biologist, staying at her family’s Florida hotel in between research trips, uncovers lots of surprises when she reconnects with her ex-fiancé and investigates illegal shark fishing in the area. This book has a similar vibe to the Magical Cats cozy mysteries I love, except set in the South Florida environment that my heart knows so well.

Other Fiction

11. Garden Spells – Sarah Addison Allen
12. Friday Black – Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
13. Swear on This Life – Renee Carlino
14. Sea Creatures – Susanna Daniel
15. Future Home of the Living God – Louise Erdich
16. Paws and Effect – Sofie Kelly
17. Faux Paw – Sofie Kelly
18. A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle (reread)
19. In Real Life – Jessica Love
20. The Other Half of Happiness – Ayisha Malik
21. Hey Ladies!: The Story of 8 Best Friends, 1 Year, and Way, Way Too Many Emails – Michelle Markowitz
22. The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine – Alexander McCall Smith
23. After the Gold – Erin McRae
24. The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror – Daniel Mallory Ortberg
25. 180 Seconds – Jessica Park
26. Wild Swans – Jessica Spottswood
27. The President’s Daughter – Ellen Emerson White

2018 Nonfiction Top 10:

1. Consider the Birds: A Provocative Guide to the Birds of the Bible – Debbie Blue This exploration of birds mentioned in the Bible is as dense and rich as a good cheesecake. I know it sounds like an odd topic, but trust me. Especially if you’re an Anne Lamott fan.

2. The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth – Christopher L. Heuertz I really delved into the Enneagram this year. My church hosted a daylong workshop with Chris, after which I read his book. It’s a nice comprehensive intro to the Enneagram, including an appendix that compares every type to every other type individually. I’ve used it to help a lot of friends who felt torn between two types.

3. Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House – Alyssa Mastromonaco A fun and informative memoir by President Obama’s deputy chief of staff. (While I enjoyed it all, for some reason my favorite part was about her wedding, performed by Supreme Court Justice Kagan.)

4. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less – Greg McKeown Read on Laura Tremaine’s recommendation. I was already working on applying Essentialist principles to my life, and can see myself revisiting this book to stay on track.

5. This Is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today – Chrissy Metz The actress shares encouragement and wisdom from her life and her journey to becoming Kate Pearson. Loved it.

6. Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of ’80s and ’90s Teen Fiction – Gabrielle Moss Exactly what the title suggests. Pure Brenda Crack. Like I ordered it myself.

7. Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World – Aja Raden A deep dive into the history of gemstones and specific famous jewels.

8. Why Have Kids?: A New Mom Explores the Truth About Parenting and Happiness – Jessica Valenti Interesting, frustrating, and relevant to me at this point in my life. Spoiler alert: there are no real actionable solutions to the problems making parenting in modern America very difficult, but it’s somehow validating to review them anyway.

9. Educated: A Memoir – Tara Westover After seeing this on a million best-of lists, I picked it up expecting some kind of prim academic reflection. Instead, it was a raw, disturbing, bonkers story. I couldn’t put it down and it’s a miracle Tara Westover is even alive to tell the tale.

10. The Very Worst Missionary: A Memoir or Whatever – Jamie Wright I was a reader of the Very Worst Missionary blog, and I’d put this in my top five faith memoirs, which says a lot considering I had to create a new Goodreads shelf for those.

Other Nonfiction

11. MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend – Rachel Bertsche
12. Romance Is My Day Job: A Memoir of Finding Love at Last – Patience Bloom
13. Come Matter Here: Your Invitation to Be Here in a Getting There World – Hannah Brencher
14. Act Normal: Memoir of a Stumbling Block – Kristy Burmeister
15. Spiritual Sobriety: Stumbling Back to Faith When Good Religion Goes Bad – Elizabeth Esther
16. The Princess Diarist – Carrie Fisher
17. In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist’s Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector – Jessica Hische
18. Permission to Speak Freely: Essays and Art on Fear, Confession, and Grace – Anne Jackson
19. How to Survive the Apocalypse: Zombies, Cylons, Faith, and Politics at the End of the World – Robert J. Joustra and Alissa Wilkinson
20. Friendkeeping: A Field Guide to the People You Love, Hate, and Can’t Live Without – Julie Klam
21. Looking Back: A Book of Memories – Lois Lowry
22. Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning – Leslie Odom, Jr.
23. Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome: A Memoir of Humor and Healing – Reba Riley
24. The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective – Richard Rohr
25. Approval Junkie: My Heartfelt (and Occasionally Inappropriate) Quest to Please Just about Everyone, and Ultimately Myself – Faith Salie
26. Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff – Myquillyn Smith
27. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century – Timothy Snyder
28. Hindsight: And All the Things I Can’t See in Front of Me – Justin Timberlake
29. We’re Going To Need More Wine – Gabrielle Union
30. Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life – Tish Harrison Warren
31. The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World’s Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley – Eric Weiner
32. Diet Right for Your Personality Type: The Revolutionary 4-Week Weight-Loss Plan That Works for You – Jen Widerstrom
33. Where Am I Now? – Mara Wilson

Book Total for 2018:   60 books