Best Books Read in 2018

So one of my last post was my general stats for 2018 reading. I was going to write a little something about the best books I read last year as well but as the post was getting a bit long, I figured it would make more sense to split this into two posts. Plus then I get two posts out of this so wins all around.

Since I did a LOT of rereading this year (42%), I'll split the best reads into rereads and new rereads. Because obviously if I'm going to reread something, it's a book I love. Why would I spend my time rereading a book I was lukewarm about? That'd be dumb. Don't do that.

Also I suppose this will end up being more mini-reviews? Except I think even shorter cos there are a lot of great books I read last year. Mini mini-reviews. At this rate I'm going to get to posts where my book reviews are a single word. Not a helpful word like "Good" or "No" but something that does not tell you anything about whether you should read the book or not. "Effervescent". "Lilac".

Anyway, hey here are some good books

Fav reads of 2018 (new to me books)

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
This was so good and/but also made me cry several times in public. Excellent

Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen
Hilarious webcomic about awkwardly adulting. Yes plz

Texts from Jane Eyre by Daniel Ortberg
Also hilarious but instead of webcomic it is famous literary people/characters texting each other nonsense and the Hamlet chapters(?) are the best because 100% what he would be like (i.e., a pain the ass)

Relish by Lucy Knisley
You know, I said I do not care for graphic novels or graphic memoirs and such, and yet here is a second one on this list. I don't know what I'm talking about, is what I'm getting at. ANYWAY, Knisley's stuff is great and this is about food so doubly great.

Becoming by Michelle Obama
This made me sad to listen to, given the current political climate, BUT when not making me sad, it was a wonderful memoir.

Fav reads of 2018 (rereads)

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
I should really, read more mysteries. Or maybe more specifically, more Christie cos I have basically just read this one but it's so so good.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (which I reread TWICE in 2018 alone)
I just love this book so much. It's so funny and it is as much about female friendship as it is a rom com and I want to hug it.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
It's ridiculous and absurd and hey, this is the second Hamlet-referenced thing on this list, so that's fun.

World War Z by Max Brooks
I've already re-listened to this in 2019 because it's that good, always.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
I think...I think the movie might be better than the book. BUT the book is still excellent, it's just that the movie is soooo good. I read this in anticipation of the movie, mostly while sitting by a pool in Hawaii, which enhanced the re-read experience that much.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
You know, I don't think of myself as a rom com fan, and yet here is a third one that is funny and sweet.

Notes from a Small Island / Neither Here Nor There / I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson
This is technically 3 books, except I got an audiobook copy of all of them together as one, but they were abridged versions so. Bryson is great, love his travel experiences and his curmudgeonness

My Fav Reads of 2016

In the spirit of looking back on the past year (and in putting off writing reviews a bit longer), as well as on the suggestion of a friend, I've decided to put together a BEST BOOKS of 2016 post.

These are the best books I read in 2016. I thought about looking through my spreadsheet (NERD!) and thinking long and hard about each of the books I read and what they mean to me at the end of the year and determined what are the best books.

Then I remembered that Goodreads does that for me, and shows me which books I marked as 5 stars and I am lazy so let's look at those! In order of when I read them, here are the 5 star books

1. Hamilton by Ron Chernow
I read this with a group at the beginning of the year when a bunch of us realized we all got it. This is a big book and had the possibility of being a very dry read so we needed the moral support. Luckily, Chernow has written an engaging biography, even if he lets his fanboyness come through a few times.

2. Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter
Let's keep the Hamilton good times rolling. Because really, the whole reason I read the first book is because of this show. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise that this book, which is a history of the play, annotated lyrics, and beautiful photos, would also be a favorite.

3. My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
This book was so much fun. It's campy and scary and ALL ABOUT female friendship. There are high school insecurities and class insecurities and it's all bundled up in a neon '80s package. Thinking about the book makes me smile.

4. Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach
I love me some pop science, especially when it's a topic that maybe we don't think too much about and it's explained by an amateur whose enthusiasm is infectious. If anyone's going to make me want to learn more about spit, it's Roach. I feel like I should give an honorable mention to Grunt her book about military technologies, which I gave 4 stars yet loved as much and should perhaps re-evaluate the rating. This is why I hate rating systems.

5. Difficult Women by Roxane Gay
This book. I was blown away by Gay's take on so many different women, focusing on themes of sex and race and assault and family and love. These were difficult women, because they were complex, because they dealt with difficult situations.

6. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Family and secrets and the things we don't tell each other. It's excellent and you should read it.

7. Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran
This was just a great book for the end of the year. The end of this year. It's a collection of her columns, some light hearted and ridiculous, the sort of thing that is great when you just want to escape. And then others are serious and make you realize some things are shit and you better get off your ass and do something to make it right.

Here's to even more 5 star reads in 2017.

Best books of 2014

That is, the best books I read in 2014. Not necessarily ones that came out in 2014. ANYWAY.

I see a lot of people putting together their lists of the best things they read this past year and yes, I would like to jump on this bandwagon. These are the books that I have been trying to shove into people's hands all year. In some cases I have even been successful. People should always listen to me.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Romantic comedies usually aren't my thing, just, in general. But this one? This one is EXCELLENT. It's funny and the characters don't do things that make me cringe and wonder how they can possibly function.

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore
It's Christopher Moore. It's Shakespeare. It's hilarious. LOVE IT.

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
This one caught me off guard. I expected to like it and thought sure, this is probably going to be a good scary story. I didn't expect it to be SO good, not just for a scary story but for just a story, in general.

The Martian by Andy Weir
This was another book I didn't expect to looooooove so much. I'm sure Tom didn't expect me to spend so much of our transcontinental flight smacking him on the arm and making him read bits. I'm currently making him read the whole book, BECAUSE I CARE.

Maus I&II by Art Spiegelman
This is a hard book to shove into people's hands because 1) it's a graphic novel, so it can be difficult to get people to give it a try and 2) it's about the holocaust so it's hard to be too effusive about it. It's a seriously depressing, beautiful, very good graphic novel.

Here's to 2015 reading