Somehow, despite moving at the speed of light this year, I did manage to stop and read 153 books. That’s a total of 54,959 pages! So, along with the rest of the bookish internet, I thought it would be fun to look back over the last twelve months of reading and chat you through some of the highs and lows.
Best book of 2018
This is super easy. My most anticipated release of the year, Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas came into my life and broke my heart. I read all 1000 pages in a few days and cried pretty much the whole time. It was a spectacular ending to one of my favourite series and perfectly rounded off a story that I had been following for a few years. Even the acknowledgments section got me teary eyed!
I was also lucky enough to get tickets to see Sarah in London in November – and let’s just say, it was one of the most amazing evenings of my life. I didn’t even take any photos because I was so caught up in the moment. That’s a good thing, right?
Worst book of 2018
This was slightly trickier as I had a relatively good reading year. My average star rating was actually 3.8! However, the only one-star rating I gave out was to Vox by Christina Dalcher. This is a feminist dystopia that is based in a world where females can only say 100 words a day and if they speak any more than that they are electrocuted.
Now, this plot seemed very Margaret Atwood and super interesting. Unfortunately, it was so poorly executed and gave me major anxiety. The author writes in a tone that can only be described as utter hopelessness. Even after I (reluctantly) finished it I just kept feeling negative. I really really really didn’t like this one and do not recommend it. Just read The Handmaid’s Tale instead.
Shortest read of 2018:
My shortest read, coming in at a tiny 32 pages, was Fantastically Great Women Who Made History by Kate Pankhurst. This book was a wonderful celebration of a diverse group of women who all did very cool things. It really motivated me and filled me with girl power so please do share with the females in your life!
Longest read of 2018:
I read IT by Stephen King and this was a massive achievement for me. I’m not sure what came over me, but I just really wanted to tick this off of my list this year. It took me a little while to read, but I ended up giving it a strong four stars!
The story was confusing at first but it did come together brilliantly. If you ignore the strange sex scene near the end (if you know, you know) it is a fantastic read and I would recommend you check it out. This book has inspired me to try and read longer books in 2019! (More to come in my bookish resolutions post.)
Surprising read of 2018:
Earlier this year, Lauren from LaurenAndTheBooks, who is not usually a contemporary reader, raved about a contemporary novel all about food. For some reason the review stuck with me and I decided to pick it up and oh my gosh, Big Bones by Laura Dockrill is BLOODY BRILLIANT.
Instead of trying to re-type the whole synopsis I am just going to say that Bluebell, at only 16, champions a healthy relationship between eating, exercise and self-esteem and it is so refreshing. This one completely surprised me and I would 100% recommend it.
Disappointing read(s) of 2018:
To be honest, I did have a couple of disappointing reads this year, but instead of listing all of the things wrong with them I’m just going to list a few titles that generally let me down.
- The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill
- Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman
- Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
- Solitaire by Alice Oseman
These were all disappointing for one reason or another. It’s probably because they are by a favourite author and I expect SO much more from them?
There we have it. My 2018 year in review(s). If you want to see more about the books I read this year then do check out my Goodreads page as I have a favourites shelf that you may find useful!
What was your favourite book of 2018?
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