Top 10 Books I’ve Read in 2018

I can’t believe we are already past the halfway point for 2018! This year has gone crazy fast, you guys. It has been a year full of some fantastic releases and some great re-reads too, though, so here are my top 10 favorite reads of 2018. Top 10 Tuesdays are hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

 

1. The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin

This was a crazy fast read for me, and is a great book for almost everyone. It is a medical drama about two friends who find themselves facing the lies they told years ago in medical school. I love this book especially for more casual readers.

2. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

I am pretty sure this is going to be one of my favorite fantasy novels of all time. Tess is a young woman scarred by her past, who decides to reject her family’s expectations and set out on a road trip with one of her childhood friends. Tess’s world is incredibly vivid and imaginative – full of dragons and magic and old legends – and despite the dark subject matter, this novel left me feeling inspired and hopeful for our own world.

3. Shadows Cast by Stars by Catherine Knuttson

I love love love this book so much, and it was written by and about a Metis woman so bonus points for diversity. This is set in a futuristic society that has been destroyed by a pandemic, and the only cure lies in the blood of those with native ancestry. Native Americans, therefore, are hunted down and killed for their healing qualities. It turns out to be less of an action and more of a fantasy/drama. The writing and imagery is beautiful, and the premise was interesting.

4. Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

I’ve already written a gigantic article on why I love this book so much (follow the link), but Louise Erdrich’s writing is incredible, the world-building was interesting, and the characters were well-developed, interesting, and realistic.

5. Eternal Life by Dara Horn

I always get nervous reading books purely based off of their premise, but this one had an interesting one: the main characters were cursed to live immortal lives, so they live and die and are reborn again and again. I loved the sense of timelessness in this novel.

6. Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

This book was an incredibly hard read, but the writing was beautiful, and it touched on some difficult yet important topics of homosexuality, racism, and our nation’s violent history.

7. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

You might be able to tell by now – I’m generally not a huge action fan, but I love dystopias and the thought experiments they provide. Station Eleven was perfect on this front. This novel takes place after a severe flu epidemic wipes out most of the world’s population, and follows the lives of several people before and after the epidemic. It focuses a good deal on the things we think we can’t live without (phones, internet, electricity) and what happens when those things are lost. There was some incredible character development in this book.

8. Circe by Madeline Miller

I am a huge Greek mythology geek, so I loved this book from that perspective. I also just loved the characters and the girl power present in this book. Circe was inspiring and sympathetic, and she grows a lot from start to finish.

9. Waypoint Kangaroo by Curtis C. Chen

Of course this is one of my top favorite books of all time, and I recently had the chance to interview the author Curtis C. Chen (follow the link for the interview). Kangaroo is a special agent in the future who also has a cool superpower: he can open up a portal to space. Waypoint Kangaroo is fast-paced and hilarious. There’s a second book out too called Kangaroo Too.

10. Witchmark by C.L. Polk

This book totally caught me by surprise. It is set in a fantasy version of post-WWI England, and has some great world-building and really meaningful relationships between characters. The romance in this book is beautiful, and the mystery is equally compelling.