2017 in books
I have a bunch of end-of-the-year/beginning-of-the-year posts brewing, but we've been hit with a nasty stomach bug and work is crazy for me right now so I haven't gotten them all out as I wanted to. I planned to spend break blogging and reading but actually very little of those got done, so I'm playing catch up.
I absolutely love seeing what everyone has read over the span of a year, and looking at my own read list reminds me to be a little more deliberate about what I pick up. I only have a certain amount of years to read and time to read in those years, so I like to pretend to be more cultured by assessing how and what I've read and trying to put some educational/classics in there instead of just what's hot at the moment.
Let's be honest, if I could quit my job and just read 24/7, I would 100% do that. Reading is my favorite past-time. This year I read 34 books when my goal was 30, which is just a little over 2 books a month although that's not how my reading patterns go. Usually, I'll read 4 books in the span of 2 weeks and then take some time off, rinse and repeat.
This year my goal is 50 books, and I think without the newborn fog of last year, I can do it. I wish I had time to read more than that but bills gotta get paid and children have to eat, so some things fall by the wayside.
Anyway, onto the books!
No, you can't click the images to link to each book because I am L-A-Z-Y and also I don't know how to do that.
BUT
I do have my top 5 books for you, which I know you're dying to hear!
Affiliate Amazon links included below. See my sidebar for details.
Here we gooooo!!!
f i v e
Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
Guys, this sci-fi series has stayed with me for a long time after reading it, and even as someone obsessed with space, that doesn't happen with sci-fi for me very often. This book (and its successors) is incredible. Full of action, realistic space travel, human stories, emotional tugs -- you name it and it's got it. Seriously crazy good. I read the next one in the series soon after, and have been purposely putting off getting the third because I just can't imagine them staying amazing (but book 2 was awesome, so I have no reason to doubt!).
f o u r
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
I saw this YA series talked about on a couple Tumblrs I follow, and I thought everyone was exaggerating with how much they liked it. (I'm a realist when it comes to book expectations.) But I say this with full honesty: this series has the best developed and most compelling character development I've ever read in anything, ever. I picked the first one in the series to place here because you can't read them out of order, but I think book 3 is my favorite. ANYWAY. Read them. Now.
t h r e e
Girls on the Edge by Dr. Leonard Sax
I'm placing this one high on the list because of how much it has made me think throughout the year, how much it makes me intentionally parent our two girls. I plan to reread it plenty of times throughout my parenting career because it felt so relevant, if that gives you any indication. Smart, thought-provoking, with actual tips on how to do things instead of just lofty goals with no direction. If you have girls, or teach girls, or are involved with teens in any regard I definitely would put this at the top of my to-read list.
t w o
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
I rented this on a whim on my Kindle back in the spring and finished it in about 24 hours, and have thought about it almost every week since then - no exaggeration. It's about death and how our culture handles it, but isn't as depressing as that blurb makes it sound. Just a solid, emotional, though-provoking book that I think everyone should read. (Also who am I, two non-fiction books in my top 5?)
And finally...
o n e
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
My all-time favorite book of the year award goes to this stunning masterpiece of a book. I'm convinced it will go down in history as a classic, and if you jump on the train and read it now you'll be way ahead. It's a fantasy series (sort of? I mean, fantasy is so wide-ranging of a category that it's a little unfair to classify it in one thing but I digress) but it's got the best storytelling I've encountered in a very, very long while. I felt as immersed in it as I did when reading the Harry Potters for the first time. Dramatic and great world-building and you won't want to put it down, trust me. (Also, too big of a book to buy the mass market paperback. Your hands will hurt. Splurge and get the regular paperback.)
Okay tell me! What are your top books for this year? Did you read any of the ones I did? Dish, please!
HG
I absolutely love seeing what everyone has read over the span of a year, and looking at my own read list reminds me to be a little more deliberate about what I pick up. I only have a certain amount of years to read and time to read in those years, so I like to pretend to be more cultured by assessing how and what I've read and trying to put some educational/classics in there instead of just what's hot at the moment.
Let's be honest, if I could quit my job and just read 24/7, I would 100% do that. Reading is my favorite past-time. This year I read 34 books when my goal was 30, which is just a little over 2 books a month although that's not how my reading patterns go. Usually, I'll read 4 books in the span of 2 weeks and then take some time off, rinse and repeat.
This year my goal is 50 books, and I think without the newborn fog of last year, I can do it. I wish I had time to read more than that but bills gotta get paid and children have to eat, so some things fall by the wayside.
Anyway, onto the books!
No, you can't click the images to link to each book because I am L-A-Z-Y and also I don't know how to do that.
BUT
I do have my top 5 books for you, which I know you're dying to hear!
Affiliate Amazon links included below. See my sidebar for details.
Here we gooooo!!!
f i v e
Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
Guys, this sci-fi series has stayed with me for a long time after reading it, and even as someone obsessed with space, that doesn't happen with sci-fi for me very often. This book (and its successors) is incredible. Full of action, realistic space travel, human stories, emotional tugs -- you name it and it's got it. Seriously crazy good. I read the next one in the series soon after, and have been purposely putting off getting the third because I just can't imagine them staying amazing (but book 2 was awesome, so I have no reason to doubt!).
f o u r
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
I saw this YA series talked about on a couple Tumblrs I follow, and I thought everyone was exaggerating with how much they liked it. (I'm a realist when it comes to book expectations.) But I say this with full honesty: this series has the best developed and most compelling character development I've ever read in anything, ever. I picked the first one in the series to place here because you can't read them out of order, but I think book 3 is my favorite. ANYWAY. Read them. Now.
t h r e e
Girls on the Edge by Dr. Leonard Sax
I'm placing this one high on the list because of how much it has made me think throughout the year, how much it makes me intentionally parent our two girls. I plan to reread it plenty of times throughout my parenting career because it felt so relevant, if that gives you any indication. Smart, thought-provoking, with actual tips on how to do things instead of just lofty goals with no direction. If you have girls, or teach girls, or are involved with teens in any regard I definitely would put this at the top of my to-read list.
t w o
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
I rented this on a whim on my Kindle back in the spring and finished it in about 24 hours, and have thought about it almost every week since then - no exaggeration. It's about death and how our culture handles it, but isn't as depressing as that blurb makes it sound. Just a solid, emotional, though-provoking book that I think everyone should read. (Also who am I, two non-fiction books in my top 5?)
And finally...
o n e
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
My all-time favorite book of the year award goes to this stunning masterpiece of a book. I'm convinced it will go down in history as a classic, and if you jump on the train and read it now you'll be way ahead. It's a fantasy series (sort of? I mean, fantasy is so wide-ranging of a category that it's a little unfair to classify it in one thing but I digress) but it's got the best storytelling I've encountered in a very, very long while. I felt as immersed in it as I did when reading the Harry Potters for the first time. Dramatic and great world-building and you won't want to put it down, trust me. (Also, too big of a book to buy the mass market paperback. Your hands will hurt. Splurge and get the regular paperback.)
Okay tell me! What are your top books for this year? Did you read any of the ones I did? Dish, please!
HG
Ooh so excited to check some of these out! Brede was one of my favorites, and A Lantern in Her Hand. An Everlasting Meal was EXCELLENT, and I really liked Julia Child's My Life in France as well.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, these sound so good! I've tentatively decided to only read books from my to-read list on Goodreads (I have over 400!) but may have to cheat and add a few of these. 'Cuz really, what's a few more at this point, haha!
ReplyDeleteSo funny how we're opposites - you read mostly fiction and I read mostly nonfiction. I was definitely surprised like you to see a fiction on my top books 😂 Being Mortal really was such a great book, I'm so glad you recommended it! How did you get all the book covers together like that? So neat. (Also, note to self, wait to make my reading list until AFTER I read everyone else's top books! Ha)
ReplyDelete