I’ve already covered the high points of the last year when it comes to writing (there were a few) so it’s only natural that I move on to…reading.
At the start of 2017, I set myself the goal of reading 100 books, which I knew at the time was ridiculous, but hey, it was more wishful thinking than anything. I started the year well, but things tailed off over the summer when I got a new job and then when I began the crowdfunding campaign for my own novel, which has taken up a lot of time and energy. As such, I’ve only managed two or three books a month over the last half of the year.
But despite this, it’s been a really successful reading year. The last couple of years I’ve found myself slogging through numerous mediocre novels – especially crime fiction books, which I somehow always expect to be page-turners – but this year I’ve made a particular effort to broaden my reading material.
So here’s a recap of the books I’ve been reading this year. If you’d like to see the full list, check out my books of the year tag.
My top ten books of the year (in no particular order)
- Small Great Things, by Jodi Picoult (read my review)
- The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas (read my review)
- The Power, by Naomi Alderman (read my review)
- Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon
- How to Stop Time, by Matt Haig
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman
- The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead
- The Dry, by Jane Harper
- Orbiting Jupiter, by Gary D Schmidt (read my review)
- After the Fire, by Will Hill
Books I didn’t finish
- Resistance, by Anita Shreve
Non-fiction books
- The Good Immigrant, by Nikesh Shukla
- The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion
- HHhH, by Laurent Binet
- Quiet, by Susan Cain
- Nasty Women, by 404ink
- The Lonely City, by Olivia Laing
- The Crossroads of Should and Must, by Elle Luna
- Mad Girl, by Bryony Gordon
Books I re-read
- The Crow Road, by Iain Banks
- Dead Ever After, by Charlaine Harris
- Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel
- Career of Evil, by Robert Galbraith
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling
- Harry and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling
- Apples, by Richard Milward
Classics
I’m not sure if this technically counts, but…
- Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie
Translated books
None.
What were the best books you read this year?