My Favorite Book of 2018

My favorite read of last year was Lisa Wingate’s “Before We Were Yours”. I often browse the Costco book section with my library app pulled up on my phone and then request whatever they have displayed from my library instead of purchasing anything. I always have a long hold list on Overdrive so that I usually am never lacking a free library read on my Kindle.

By the time this book became available, I didn’t remember the synopsis and started it blind. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I just had to keep reading. Many say if you like “The Nightingale” or “Orphan Train”, this novel is for you. It is! I love reading a book about a time, place or event in history I wasn’t aware of and the TN orphanages and adoptions were not something I had come across before. This book was sad, heart-wrenching, joyous, infuriating, happy, bittersweet, etc. Very emotional. It shifts between decades and storytellers which I always enjoy. It does not disappoint.

My Other Top 4 Favorite Books of 2018

My four favorite books that followed “Before We Were Yours” would have to be:

1. “The Secrets She Keeps” by Michael Robotham – 5 Stars. A great psychological thriller. Goes back and forth between two pregnant women and makes you think how far one will go to have a baby. A great beach read. One of those books I stayed up way too late reading because it was a page turner and I couldn’t put it down.
2. “Shelter in Place” by Nora Roberts – 5 Stars. Hard topic with it being about a mass shooting at a shopping mall, but great story of the characters affected and their lives for years after. The book sucked me in from the beginning and was a definite page turner until the end. Some of it was predictable but still entertaining. Romance, mystery, thrills and all the feels.
3. “Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes – 5 Stars! I loved the first book (Me Before You). The follow-up (After You) wasn’t as good, but still enjoyable. So I didn’t expect much out of this third book. However, I was delightfully surprised. If you’ve enjoyed Louisa’s trip through life, then you must continue the journey and read this. It follows what happens once she arrives in New York. The book is filled with lots of emotions – I laughed and cried. It’s a bit predictable, but still a fantastic (and quick) summer read.
4. “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls – 5 Stars. Shocking, but yes, I had not read this yet. If you are in the same scenario…don’t wait any longer. You’ve been missing out on a great book. It is a quick read and page after page you are just left in shock that children survived the situations she describes growing up with an alcoholic father and a mentally unstable mother. I can’t wait to watch the movie.

My Top 3 Audio Books of 2018

2018 was the year of audio books for me. I wanted to read more nonfiction, but lose interest in an actual book no matter the subject. Therefore, I joined Audible because I was picky about what I wanted to listen to. I know there are many free audio options, but the books I wanted, weren’t available. My three favorites from 2018 were:

1. “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah – 5 Stars. Absolutely magnificent. I highly recommend the audio book so you can hear his voice and how he speaks his native languages, tells his stories, etc. I knew nothing about Trevor Noah before this book and still don’t know much about his last decade or so (apparently I go to bed too early and need to stay up and watch his show…he’s on late night TV!?) This book focuses on his childhood and experiences growing up in South Africa. It is fascinating, appalling, sad, joyous, depressing, and hopeful. Full of emotions. Gives a great perspective on another part of the world at another time in history. Highly recommend.
2. “Evicted” by Matthew Desmond – 5 Stars. Another great audio book. This book follows 8 families in Milwaukee through the cycle of not only poverty and eviction but how landlords play into it as well. So many things I never realized. I recommend this book to all. The last chapter is particularly fascinating hearing how the author collected his data.
3. “French Kids Eat Everything” by Karen Le Billon – 5 Stars. Opposite of most of the reviews, I LOVED listening to this book. My only regret is not doing it over a decade ago when I was just having my first baby. Yes, most of it is common sense and some of it will not work for my family here in a North American suburb because I’m not that dedicated. However, I have a real appreciation for the French culture of how they teach their kids to eat. And to eat everything. The rules make sense and our family follows some of them already. I love uncovering the list of rules and then her tips to make it work. Her family’s story along the way makes the book work for me. I enjoyed every page of this book. Now I am off to type up a list of a few habits we will be posting in our kitchen for a daily reminder!

My Favorite Young Adult Books of 2018

I often forget to tap into YA books and need to look there more for great reads. My top two this year were:

1. “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas – 5 Stars. A must read in today’s world. This book is about a black teenager killed by a cop and told from the girl who was with him. The perspective is extremely eye-opening. It goes deep without getting preachy. All about the power of using your voice. It is easy to read and is actually in the YA section. I would not recommend for younger tweens unless reading together. Some of the topics are heavy. Cannot wait to see the movie. Watch the trailer if you don’t like jumping into a book blindly…but then pick up the book. It’s worth the time to read it.
2. “Refugee” by Alan Gratz – 5 Stars. This is a powerful YA book following the stories of 3 preteen refugees and their families at different historical time periods. I wanted to read it before handing it over to my 6th grader. Now I can’t wait for her to read it next. It’s a quick 300-page read. Every person should read it to learn more about the refugee experience and perspective. So.many.emotions.

What should be on my reading list for 2019?

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