Big Book Review of 2018
Big Book Review of 2018
Guys! I have been out of the blogging scene since April because other things took over and I simply wasn’t able to sit down as much as I wanted. Today though, I’m back and blogging before the year is over with a post for my fellow readers. My most favorite posts to read from other bloggers are about books and I love to share what I read and what I think you should read. So, I’m ending 2018 with this Big Book Review!
While I didn’t blog after April, I didn’t stop reading. I read 60 books this year and there were some incredible ones. To see my complete list of books that I read in 2018, click here. It’s a great list, promise. The titles in bold were my favorites those month, and when I look at those, I get all nostalgic for those book picks. I loved them all. Honestly, if you’re a fiction reader, you can’t go wrong with any of my favorites. If you’re into personal development, then I would say two of these are must reads (Girl Wash Your Face and Thirst).
Here are my favorite picks (one from each month of 2018) in one easy list:
The Waiting by Cathy LaGrow (5 stars)
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (5 stars)
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate (5 stars)
Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis (5 stars)
The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain (5 stars)
I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi (5 stars)
The Rent Collector by Camron Wright (5 stars)
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (4.5 stars)
After Anna by Lisa Scottoline (4 stars)
Thirst by Scott Harrison (5 stars)
Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino (4.5 stars)
Instead of reviewing every single one of the books here though, I’m letting you in on my top 5 books of 2018. It was so hard to narrow them down to 5. What a great problem, right?
Here’s more about my top 5. I’m so excited about these books:
Favorite #5: The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain (5 stars)
This thriller had me rushing to get back to it each time I had to put it down. I had to figure out the mystery. Chamberlain’s writing is engrossing so it’s an easy page turner. You really can’t wait to turn to the next page because this book was full of secrets to uncover, with several twists I didn’t see coming. Love when that happens! If you like a good suspense/mystery, definitely pick up this book.
Favorite #4: The Rent Collector by Camron Wright (5 stars)
When I think back to reading this book, I remember crying at the end. Books that bring me to tears will always stand out to me. The characters were endearing, and you can’t read about them without feeling so much hope for them. The main female characters are so strong with their commitments to family, to learning, and to teaching. I was so attached to them. Then, there was a unique reason I fell for this book. It’s set in a garbage dump in Cambodia where the characters were living. And guys, that’s a real place! In fact, the author’s son wrote a documentary about it and there are pictures of the actual dump in the book. So, the book is a mix of fact and fiction. The whole time I was reading, I was so drawn to the situations and then I would cry because they were based on actual hardships people experience in this place I had never heard of before this book. I learned so much, and my heartstrings were pulled over and over. How can you turn down a book that has that to offer?
Favorite #3: Thirst by Scott Harrison (5 stars)
I loved this story of redemption. I’ve thought about this book every day since I’ve read it. It’s written by the CEO of a charity based in New York, helping bring clean water to millions around the world called charity: water. My fellow social workers and human service colleagues, you cannot miss this book. Even if you’re not in the field, you will love it because Harrison is a wonderful story teller. His story of turning his life around to help others, in such a transparent and impactful way, will move you. No question. I cried several times not only at the true stories of people who were sick because they were drinking dirty water, but also of the celebration stories when a village first experienced clean water. I also cried several times at the risks Harrison took for the cause he believed in so much. I absolutely can’t resist an account of strong leadership and this is certainly one! I have taken so many lessons from this book that I can apply to my own leadership of a non-profit organization and that excites me. Also, you will not put the book down without wanting to help too, and that’s something we should all want to do.
Hannah’s writing in The Great Alone is her usual beautiful and captivating style. This book is so full of description that I think it should be made into a movie. I could picture the scenery in Alaska (although I’ve never been) and felt like I had already met the characters (although I don’t know anyone named Large Marge). I loved the way the people and setting came to life in this book! The story lines were complex – covering everything from a veteran’s Post Traumatic Stress after serving in Vietnam, a couple’s domestic violence and connected secrets, a mother and daughter bond, the loyalty of community, and the depth of friendship and love through grief and pain. When I wasn’t reading it, I was still thinking about the characters. The most beautiful fiction novel I read all year - you have to see for yourself.
Favorite #1: The Waiting by Cathy LaGrow (5 stars)
I read this way back in January and when I did, I instantly knew it was going to be a contender for my favorite book of the year. Sixty books later, I was right. This is the one I still come back to when having to pick my absolute favorite this year. This is a true story written with so much love. It’s an adoption story, and a memoir about a beautiful family and an incredible mother. Their story spanning decades of longing for the child she gave up at a young age, and how else her life was shaped in that time, is so beautifully written. Tears streamed down my face at so many words of this memoir. A quote from the author’s note, “May we each live a tale that needs to be told. May we never stop with the telling.” I’m so grateful this family told their story. Oh, my heart! For my fellow foster mamas, or for anyone touched by adoption, you have to read this. Even without a connection to adoption, you will love this memoir if you just love a feel good, captivating story.
So that’s it, you’ve got a list of all 60 books that I finished this year. You’ve got my favorite 12. And you’ve got my top 5. What a year of great reads! Reading remains my favorite hobby. I had lots of ups and downs in 2018, and reading was my way to escape them all to learn new things, dream of new places, and “meet” new people. I painted this quote on a canvas in my reading room at home, “Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are.” Isn’t that the truth?
Looking forward to 2019 and starting a fresh new list of books to see where they take me next!
Happy Reading to all!
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