First things first, Happy New Year! My Christmas decorations are still up and I have yet to fully unpack from a trip we took over break so… I did what any normal person would do when there are millions mature/responsible things to be done and set up a Goodreads account. Naturally. đ
Anyway, I mostly did it so I’d have this cute little graphic of my 2018 Year in Books —
It was totally worth the 2+ hours I devoted to adding and rating all the books I’ve read in the last three years (they were all on a very informal Google Keep document), don’t you think? Ha!
< P.S. Follow me on Goodreads if you use it too!! I’ll follow back! >
I’ve already written about 41 of the 43 books I read in 2018 (here, here, and here), but, just to round things out, here are the final two I read in December:
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
This one was… fine. I’d describe it as a hybrid of Gone Girl and The Perfect Mother, but I honestly just wasn’t that invested in the characters, and I found the “twist” fairly predictable. I gave it three stars on Goodreads.
and
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris
I really loved Behind Closed Doors by this author, but this one didn’t do the same for me… I don’t know if it was just my mood (maybe the holidays aren’t the best time for a missing person mystery/thriller??) or what, but I just didn’t care much about this story either. It did keep my attention while I wrapped, cleaned, etc. though, so I gave it three stars as well.
Moving on… Of the 43 books I read in 2018, I gave seven of them FIVE STAR ratings, so I’m going to consider those my “favorites.” So…
My Favorite Books of 2018:
Girl, Wash Your Face  by Rachel Hollis
Dopesick  by Beth Macy
Educated by Tara Westover
Only Child by Rhiannon Navin
Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan
The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Anyway… my reading doubled in 2018 – in large part because of my ScribD subscription (*mostly* unlimited audiobooks – see review here) & my return to the public library – as you can see from my 2017 Year in Books below:
I LOVE reading and am super excited to continue the trend moving into 2019. (My goal is 50 books this time – NOT trying to double again. Haha!)
And, last but not least, I absolutely love the end/start of the year for book recommendation articles, blog posts, etc. and my “Want to Read” list is HUGE right now. I just finished  Exit West for Book Club on Thursday (more on that soon), but here are some of the books I’m most excited to read this year —
Ten Fiction Books I Can’t Wait to Read in 2019:
The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani — I started this this weekend and can tell it will be a quick read. I really like the style, and I’m (appropriately) creeped out by the content.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens — This has been on SO many 2018 book lists and everyone seems to LOVE it.
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai– Laura Tremaine said this was her favorite book of the year “by far,” so… duh.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah — I don’t usually care for historical fiction, but this one has gotten so many great reviews from online and IRL friends, I can’t resist.
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult — I’ve not heard great things about this one, but I love JP, so I’m still excited about it.
Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino — Shay sold me on this title! It sounds SO good.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones — Basically, everyone I respect says this is phenmonenal and important
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (due out January 15, 2019) — Modern Mrs. Darcy mentioned this in a recent post, and I think it sounds fascinating… I’ve heard it called a “modern Midsummer Night’s Dream” which is fun too.
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emich
Ten Non-Fiction Books I Can’t Wait to Read in 2019:
Becoming by Michelle Obama — I just started on audio and am LOVING it. Of course.
Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin (due out March 5, 2019) — I’m here for anything Gretchen Rubin does, and *this* is right up my alley!
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijemoa Oluo — Laura said she wants “every single well-meaning white person” to read this, so… done.
Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution & Triumph of Modern Female Friendship by Kayleen Schaefer — one of my former students recommended this, and I love the subject matter! #girlfriends
Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis (due out March 12, 2019)
Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls by Lisa Damour (due out February 12, 2019) — I just feel like I HAVE to read this as a mom and a teacher. Right? This is a subject I’m so passionate about… We’ve needed this book for a LONG time.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean — This is Reese’s Book Club book for January, and it sounds fascinating.
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land (due out January 22, 2019)
Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward by Gemma Hartley
Whew. There you go. Who knew there was SO much I could write about books (two back-to-back whoppers). If you’re still here, thanks for sticking around. I promise I’ll write about something else one of these days… Until then… I’ll be reading!
XO,
E
I really enjoyed The Great Alone, but am kind of surprised itâs being categorized as historical fiction? To me, historical fiction is a story that is greatly impacted by a time period; the story couldnât happen without that era and its characteristics. This story takes place in the past but is more impacted by setting than time, in my opinion. I didnât even really remember off the bat that it took place in the 70s.