Thoughtful Thursdays: Top Books of 2018!

We’re here people. I repeat: THIS IS NOT A DRILL, WE ARE HERE. Within a week of the best time of the year – Christmas!!! I have an endless number of things to be thankful for and while 2018 maybe wasn’t my favorite year with it’s stresses and changes it was certainly one for the books (get it, BOOKS). I started my blog, challenged myself to expanding my reading, changed jobs, moved into our first actual house, got to the other side of the anxiety mountain that was the transplant surgery and I’m all the better for having lived it. Another thing I’m always grateful for: books. I wanted to take today to highlight the best books I read this year, so – off we go!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Ah Evelyn Hugo, what can I say about you? FREAKING. AMAZEBALLS is what I can say. I absolutely adored this book and it sky rocketed itself onto my favorites shelf. This one changed my entire perception of historical fiction (a genre I had previously not really been interested in) and blew me completely away. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo tells the story of a glamorous sex symbol during Hollywood’s golden age and the struggles and triumphs of one woman’s ascent into fame and fortune. The prose are romantic, vivid, bright and beautiful. The story is even more so, I still feel the loss of not being able to read this book for the first time again.

You can find my review and a recipe for Caldo Gallego soup here! 

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 

My go-to recommendation for readers and non-readers alike is Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. I read in a review before reading the book that this one is like watching the Sixth Sense without knowing the twist about Brucey in the end and that is super accurate. This is a twisty, incredibly unique and fast paced novel that once you start you wont be able to put down. It brought my mom out of a years long reading slump, I made my husband and my sister read it and I’m currently waiting for both my brother and father-in-law to read it as well. I don’t want to give anything away, but seriously if you haven’t picked it up – DO. IT.

I reviewed this prior to my blog, it can be found here on Goodreads!

Arc of a Sctyhe (Books 1 and 2) by Neal Shusterman

Pure, unadulterated magnificence lies within the pages of these books. Whether your a fantasy reader or not, these are so unique and well written I have a hard time believing that anyone wouldn’t enjoy this. Shusterman’s world building is top notch, the development into the plot and it’s characters are superb and I left these books with not one complaint. A world in which death has been eradicated gives way to the Scythedom – individuals trained and tasked with checking the worlds population by way of “gleaning” (killing). This story follows two Scythe apprentices Citra and Rowan on a journey into the bowels of a seemingly perfect world – only what happens, when things start to fall apart?

My reviews for Scythe (book 1) and Thunderhead (book 2) can be found here!

Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood

A bit heavier than the others listed here, I read Rust & Stardust with the ever magnificent Traveling Sisters and if you haven’t checked out their review for this one I can’t suggest it enough! This is based on the real story of Sally Horner’s abduction by Frank LaSalle and it is a very sad story. There are moments and gems of light within these pages that show beauty can be found in any circumstance. This is another one that changed my views of historical fiction and the character development and prose were so lovely that once I picked it up I couldn’t step away.

My very first Recipe & a Read was done on this book and can be found here!

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein 

THIS BOOK IS SO CUTE YOU SHOULD READ IT RIGHT NOW! I was absolutely taken with Enzo the philosopher dog that narrates The Art of Racing in the Rain. This one just made my heart happy and warm, it was charming and funny and for the most part a light and joyful read. There were a few tears in there for me but they were happy, touched tears instead of sad and depressing ones. This is the story of Enzo, who knows he’ll be a human in his next life and has an obsession with thumbs, racing and his owner Denny. If you love animals, you’ll love this I promise.

Another one I reviewed before my blog – review can be found on my Goodreads here! 

So there you have it! The top books of my 2018 year all in one neat little list. I’m still finishing up quite a few books this year and I’m even more excited for more reads in 2019. I’m not sure what my reading related resolution is going to be just yet but setting my sights on diversifying in 2018 was such a wonderful experience for me that I want to continue on trying to broaden my reading scope in the New Year.

NBD, just my casual Christmas *lewk*

---

Have you read any of these titles? If so, what did you think? What are some of your favorite reads from the year? Drop me a note in the comments and let me know!