It is almost the end of the year, which means it’s time to share my favorite 2018 releases! I feel like I should preface this post by saying I did not read all of the 2018 releases I wanted to. Not even close. But I did read some truly great new releases. Here are my favorite 2018 releases (in the order I read them):

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. I almost forgot to include this one, because I read it last December. But I am still in love with this book. It made me an instant fan of Chloe Benjamin (she’s actually the reason I got back into knitting this year). This book was heartbreaking, but absolutely wonderful. One I’ll keep recommending to everyone.

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. This book is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed it so much. It is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. I think almost anyone could identify with it in some way. It made me think about the world differently, and I do think it changed my perspective in a lot of ways. Which is great for a weird fictional story.

Circe by Madeline Miller. I absolutely loved The Song of Achilles when I read it last year, and this book was just as incredible. I have always been a fan of mythology or mythology-inspired stories, and I really enjoyed learning more about Circe. Loved the story and the characters. Plus, the book itself is absolutely beautiful.

Educated by Tara Westover. I read a fair number of memoirs, and this is easily one of my favorites. It reminded me a lot of The Glass Castle, though it is definitely it’s own story. I just loved the story of how Westover went from living off the grid to getting her PhD from Cambridge. I’m passionate about education, so I appreciated her story a lot.

The Philosopher’s Flight by Tom Miller. This was an unexpected favorite. I picked it up on a whim, and ended up discovering a really great fantasy novel. I loved the magic system and the feminist message. I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.

Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir. It is not at all surprising this book made my favorites list, because I have loved every single book in this series. I particularly enjoyed this one, because I already knew quite a bit about Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, but not much about Jane Seymour. I’m a huge fan of this series, and can’t wait for more.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Here’s another author I’ve loved in the past. To be honest, I wasn’t completely sold on this one in the beginning. But the story grew on me, and I loved how magical it is. Naomi Novik writes stories that feel really special, and this one was no exception.

The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang. This was a brilliant, interesting, and diverse historical fiction novel. I hadn’t read any of Lydia Kang’s books before this, but I absolutely want to now. I enjoyed her writing a lot, and I truly loved this story. It’s extremely rare that I become so immersed in a story that I don’t feel like I’m even putting in the work to read, but it happened with this book. Just so good.

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That’s it for my favorite 2018 releases! 2018 was a great year for books, and I loved all of these. I still get warm and fuzzy feelings when I think of them. They’re books I will be recommending for a long time.

What’s your favorite 2018 release?