It’s finally time for my favorite books of 2018! Despite the fact that I went through a few epic slumps this year, I had an absolutely great reading year. I read some incredible books, and discovered several new favorite authors. Books were a major highlight of 2018 for me, and I’m really happy with the reading I was able to accomplish in 2018.

Here are the top ten books I read in 2018:

Factfulness by Hans Rosling

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. But it is truly amazing (as evidenced by the fact that it was recommended by Bill Gates and made it on Barack Obama’s favorites list this year). It completely changed my perspective on the world for the better. If you read one nonfiction book, make it this one.

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

There are so many reasons to love this book. Not least of which is the fact that Okorafor managed to write an epic science fiction novel in less than a hundred pages. It was a quick read, but it absolutely blew me away. I loved the diversity. And I really loved that the story was about being tolerant and accepting of other cultures.

The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang

You all know I love books that are a little bit weird, and this one fit the bill. It’s such an interesting story about a female resurrectionist in a time where anatomists seek out interesting specimens. Including our resurrectionist: the girl with two hearts. I loved that it was a diverse historical fiction novel, I thought the story was incredibly interesting, and the love story made me feel all warm and fuzzy. It’s been months, and I still think of this book fondly.

The Green Mile by Stephen King

I never would have thought that a horror novel would make me cry (twice). But this one did. I knew going into this one I would love it, because I love the movie, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so engaging. I’m a huge Stephen King fan, and I think this one is definitely my favorite.

Educated by Tara Westover

I’ve talked about this a lot this year, so I’ll keep it short. This is an incredible memoir that speaks to the value of education. I highly recommend it!

Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir

I first read Alison Weir about ten years ago, and just recently rediscovered her through her Six Tudor Queens series. I have loved every single book in this series so far, and this one is no exception. I love historical fiction and the Tudors, and this series is just so well done. I particularly love how Weir makes each queen the hero of her own story, especially because several of them actively hated each other. I particularly enjoyed this one because I was relatively unfamiliar with Jane Seymour, and I really enjoyed learning more about her.

Circe by Madeline Miller

This is another book I loved because it familiarized me with a famous figure (in this case, from mythology) who I didn’t know much about. I love Madeline Miller’s writing, I love mythology, and I really loved this story in particular. It was engrossing and beautiful and an absolutely incredible novel.

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

I haven’t read a ton of biographies, but I have read some great ones. And this one has become my favorite. I loved getting to know da Vinci and learn more about his art, life, and inventions. He was absolutely brilliant, and so is this biography. I thought I was well written, organized, and researched. I’m an even bigger fan of da Vinci than I was going in, and I am excited to read more of Walter Isaacson’s books.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

I can’t believe it took me so long to read this book. I actually attempted to read it two years ago, but couldn’t get into it. I am so, so glad I gave this one a second chance, because I absolutely loved it! It is epic and brilliant and I am not going to stop talking about it.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book completely surprised me. I mistakenly thought this would be a fun semi-historical novel. But it’s actually an incredibly impactful an moving novel. I could not put it down, and I still think about it all the time.

Those are my favorite books of 2018! I really truly love each and every one of these books. I think there’s a great mix of backlist books and new releases, fiction and nonfiction, and plenty of wonderfully diverse books.

What are the best books you read in 2018?

28 thoughts

  1. I loved Circe too! So many of the books on your list are ones that are going straight to my to-read list. I’m especially interested in Factfulness and The Impossible Girl. Both sound like books I absolutely need in my life, though for very different reasons.

    I hope you’ll have an amazing (reading) year in 2019 too!

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  3. I’m seeing The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in almost everyone’s list of favourites of 2018. Really regret not reading it soon but I’m sure it’s gonna be one of the very first books I read next year.

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  4. I can’t wait to read Circe! I’ve only read a few of Stephen King’s books, but I’m looking forward to reading more! A book I enjoyed this year was A Life Like Other People’s by Alan Bennett.

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    1. I always do that! I started with about fifteen books on this list, and managed to narrow it down to ten. I just went with the books I’m still thinking about months later.

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