My Favorite Books of 2018
I know this is a little late in the new year to be talking about my favorite reads of 2018, but I didn't get the chance earlier so I'm doing it now. Sue me!
*click on the cover photos at any time to be transported to the book's Goodreads page!
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
This was my first venture into VE Schwab novels and so far it has remained my favorite. Luckily, since I jumped on the "Vicious" bandwagon so late I didn't have to wait much for the sequel, which was AH-MAY-ZING (though in my opinion, not quite as good as the first one). If you like X-Men, super-heroes, anti-heroes, or friends-turned-enemies tropes then you will probably love this book as much as I did.
Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune...
I wanted to read these a LONG time ago when I was in elementary school but I wasn't given the opportunity. Fast-forward to 2018 and I finished the whole series in a few months while collecting copies from various thrift store locations. Though I enjoyed the original movie when I was younger, I got really hooked on the TV show the last couple years and of course I needed to read the books. They are definitely, definitely worth it and I will be recommending them for the rest of my life.
Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.
Last year was dominated by a lot of VE Schwab (and I still have more to read, go figure). While Vicious is my favorite of hers, I also really liked her fantasy creation. She creates amazing characters, imagery, and suspense. Also, her worldbuilding is awesome too. You should check it out rather than listening to me gush. :DD
The first book written by C. S. Lewis after his conversion, The Pilgrim's Regress is, in a sense, the record of Lewis s own search for meaning and spiritual satisfaction—a search that eventually led him to Christianity.
I found a CS Lewis book that I hadn't yet read - which in itself was miraculous. But this book, guys. This book. I dunno, maybe it's just cause I'm a huge nerd for anything CS Lewis, Tolkien, George MacDonald, but honestly, their work is just like light and air to me. So inspiring, convicting, and eye-opening spiritually. Not to mention just excellent prose, imagery, and world-creating in general. I never liked Pilgrim's Progress (the original), I actually kind of hated it, lol. But this book takes everything that could have been really cool about Pilgrim's Progress and makes it ten times more interesting. Probably cause it's CS Lewis. Anyways, if you're a Lewis nerd like myself, I recommend.
The lives of six female superheroes and the girlfriends of superheroes. A ferocious riff on women in superhero comics.
A series of linked stories from the points of view of the wives and girlfriends of superheroes, female heroes, and anyone who’s ever been “refrigerated”: comic book women who are killed, raped, brainwashed, driven mad, disabled, or had their powers taken so that a male superhero’s storyline will progress.
A piece of feminist-type literature with a very intriguing and powerful concept showing how women in fiction (particularly comic book fiction) have been "fridged" (killed off/assaulted) in order for the storyline of the man to progress. Valente (quickly becoming among my favorite authors), parodies real comic book characters to tell the stories of their deaths and how they were shoved aside. Maybe not for everyone, but I found it really interesting. If you like comics, female solidarity, or the critical analysis of fictional tropes, this would definitely be one worth checking out.
Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden...
A classic in the vein of 1984 and Brave New World, I really enjoyed this book and the future it painted without literature. It really got you inside the main characters head and transported you into the darkness and the danger and the confusion. If you like classic dystopias, you'll like this.
Ian McEwan has caught with understanding and compassion the innocence of Edward and Florence at a time when marriage was presumed to be the outward sign of maturity and independence. On Chesil Beach is another masterwork from McEwan—a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.
This short novella is the story of a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, and how one moment of bad decision completely changed the course of their lives. I think the book speaks a lot to the culture of sexual intimacy being secret and shameful and how damaging that can be. Not a book for everyone but it's beautifully written and tells a sad and thought-provoking story.
Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
I started the first book of Harry Potter last year and am now on book 3. It's taken me a long time to decide to read them, but I'm really enjoying it now that I have. I really enjoy the writing style and am pleasantly surprised to see how many possible spoilers I've avoided so that I'm actually getting surprised by the plot twists still.
His father is the world’s greatest detective. His grandfather is the world’s deadliest terrorist. He is Damian Wayne, a.k.a. Robin, Son of Batman-and he now commands the Teen Titans.
Whether they like it or not.
My new comic series of choice, maybe not every comic fan's cup of tea, but I'm really digging the art style in this particular series as well as the whole teenage superheroes thing. There are only 3 graphic novel issues so far, which is disappointing, but it means I can follow along I guess? Recommended if you like snarky friendships, overpowered awkward teenagers, cool art, or comics in general.
War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does.
His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighbouring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya's throne?
I finally finished the last book in The Ascendance trilogy early last year, and it did not disappoint. While the second installment is by far my favorite, I really enjoyed the twists and turns that this one took me on, and am glad I was finally able to take the time to finish it up. Recommended if you like sass, middle-grade fantasy, child-kings, and underdog storylines.
Well, there you have it! Some of my favorite books from 2018! Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts on them? And what were some of your favorite books from last year? Let me know in the comments below!
*click on the cover photos at any time to be transported to the book's Goodreads page!
1. VICIOUS AND VENGEFUL by VE SCHWAB
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
This was my first venture into VE Schwab novels and so far it has remained my favorite. Luckily, since I jumped on the "Vicious" bandwagon so late I didn't have to wait much for the sequel, which was AH-MAY-ZING (though in my opinion, not quite as good as the first one). If you like X-Men, super-heroes, anti-heroes, or friends-turned-enemies tropes then you will probably love this book as much as I did.
2. A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS by LEMONY SNICKET
Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune...
I wanted to read these a LONG time ago when I was in elementary school but I wasn't given the opportunity. Fast-forward to 2018 and I finished the whole series in a few months while collecting copies from various thrift store locations. Though I enjoyed the original movie when I was younger, I got really hooked on the TV show the last couple years and of course I needed to read the books. They are definitely, definitely worth it and I will be recommending them for the rest of my life.
3. A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC (and sequels) by VE SCHWAB
Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.
Last year was dominated by a lot of VE Schwab (and I still have more to read, go figure). While Vicious is my favorite of hers, I also really liked her fantasy creation. She creates amazing characters, imagery, and suspense. Also, her worldbuilding is awesome too. You should check it out rather than listening to me gush. :DD
4. THE PILGRIM'S REGRESS by CS LEWIS
The first book written by C. S. Lewis after his conversion, The Pilgrim's Regress is, in a sense, the record of Lewis s own search for meaning and spiritual satisfaction—a search that eventually led him to Christianity.
I found a CS Lewis book that I hadn't yet read - which in itself was miraculous. But this book, guys. This book. I dunno, maybe it's just cause I'm a huge nerd for anything CS Lewis, Tolkien, George MacDonald, but honestly, their work is just like light and air to me. So inspiring, convicting, and eye-opening spiritually. Not to mention just excellent prose, imagery, and world-creating in general. I never liked Pilgrim's Progress (the original), I actually kind of hated it, lol. But this book takes everything that could have been really cool about Pilgrim's Progress and makes it ten times more interesting. Probably cause it's CS Lewis. Anyways, if you're a Lewis nerd like myself, I recommend.
5. THE REFRIGERATOR MONOLOGUES by CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE
A series of linked stories from the points of view of the wives and girlfriends of superheroes, female heroes, and anyone who’s ever been “refrigerated”: comic book women who are killed, raped, brainwashed, driven mad, disabled, or had their powers taken so that a male superhero’s storyline will progress.
A piece of feminist-type literature with a very intriguing and powerful concept showing how women in fiction (particularly comic book fiction) have been "fridged" (killed off/assaulted) in order for the storyline of the man to progress. Valente (quickly becoming among my favorite authors), parodies real comic book characters to tell the stories of their deaths and how they were shoved aside. Maybe not for everyone, but I found it really interesting. If you like comics, female solidarity, or the critical analysis of fictional tropes, this would definitely be one worth checking out.
6. FAHRENHEIT 451 by RAY BRADBURY
Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden...
A classic in the vein of 1984 and Brave New World, I really enjoyed this book and the future it painted without literature. It really got you inside the main characters head and transported you into the darkness and the danger and the confusion. If you like classic dystopias, you'll like this.
7. ON CHESIL BEACH by Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan has caught with understanding and compassion the innocence of Edward and Florence at a time when marriage was presumed to be the outward sign of maturity and independence. On Chesil Beach is another masterwork from McEwan—a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.
This short novella is the story of a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, and how one moment of bad decision completely changed the course of their lives. I think the book speaks a lot to the culture of sexual intimacy being secret and shameful and how damaging that can be. Not a book for everyone but it's beautifully written and tells a sad and thought-provoking story.
8. HARRY POTTER by JK Rowling
Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
I started the first book of Harry Potter last year and am now on book 3. It's taken me a long time to decide to read them, but I'm really enjoying it now that I have. I really enjoy the writing style and am pleasantly surprised to see how many possible spoilers I've avoided so that I'm actually getting surprised by the plot twists still.
9. TEEN TITANS
His father is the world’s greatest detective. His grandfather is the world’s deadliest terrorist. He is Damian Wayne, a.k.a. Robin, Son of Batman-and he now commands the Teen Titans.
Whether they like it or not.
My new comic series of choice, maybe not every comic fan's cup of tea, but I'm really digging the art style in this particular series as well as the whole teenage superheroes thing. There are only 3 graphic novel issues so far, which is disappointing, but it means I can follow along I guess? Recommended if you like snarky friendships, overpowered awkward teenagers, cool art, or comics in general.
10. THE SHADOW THRONE by Jennifer A. Nielsen
War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does.
His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighbouring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya's throne?
I finally finished the last book in The Ascendance trilogy early last year, and it did not disappoint. While the second installment is by far my favorite, I really enjoyed the twists and turns that this one took me on, and am glad I was finally able to take the time to finish it up. Recommended if you like sass, middle-grade fantasy, child-kings, and underdog storylines.
Well, there you have it! Some of my favorite books from 2018! Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts on them? And what were some of your favorite books from last year? Let me know in the comments below!
Fahrenheit 451 and Harry Potter are both so amazing. <3
ReplyDeleteI need to read all of these books, some of these have been on my TBR for way too long.
I agree! I'm so enjoying Harry Potter!
DeleteDo it. They were all awesome. :DD
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