We are finally coming to the end of another year, 2017. I’ve gotten a considerable amount of reading done and just barely missed my goal of 50 books. I’m at 47 š¦ However, I am determined to celebrate my favorite 10 books from this year all together! These books all made me cry, yell, squeal and smile so I hope you enjoy my list just as much as I enjoyed the books!
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- Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare: Did you really expect this to not make the top of my list? This was the easiest decision by far for the entire list. Lord of Shadows is one of Cassie’s best works and it really only gets better the more she writes. Not only is it an amazing book, but it also includes so much representation and diversity. Cassie Clare never ceases to amaze me when she releases a book and this was no exception. You already know that A Queen of Air & Darkness is my most anticipated book of 2018 (I mean that cliffhanger, though – why Cassie, why?).
- Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu: Choosing what book came in at second place was a hard choice but I eventually decided on Moxie. I choose this mainly because, well, GIRL POWER. Everything about this book just exudes girl power, and more importantly, learning how to find your voice. I feel like this book is especially relevant these days because it is important that everybody can find their voice and speak up against the things that are happening in the world.
- Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: Laini Taylor has always been one of my favorite authors. She creates beautifully diverse worlds that are such a pleasure to read – not necessarily be part of, if you know what I mean. Strange the Dreamer was no exception. Her story building and world building was as beautiful as ever and the characters were so precious. This book is an amazing piece of art and it really teaches you that it is okay to be a dreamer, a reader, or literally anything else you would want to be in the world.
- A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas: I was deeply considering if I was going to include this on my list or not. I do realize and recognize all of the problematic content within this book, wether it be the relationships or the mainly white and straight cast of characters. However, I do applaud Sarah for trying. She included more POC in this book and even made one of our favorite main characters (I don’t want to specify because of spoilers) LGBTQ+. (Sidenote: I do see some people who are angry about the inclusion of this LGBTQ+ character, saying it is forced or not well done. Don’t you think that that is a little belittling to a person going through the same thing as that character? No matter how or why it got written into the book – that is still a character that many people could identify with and saying these thing could be very hurtful to those identifying with that character. Let me know your thoughts and we can discuss though!). This series has helped many people overcome struggles and issues and I think it’s still important to give it the recognition that it deserves because it was one of my favorite books. Ā Even though it wasn’t as good as I had hoped, I still enjoyed seeing these characters together again.
- Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett: This book was fantastic. Hands down. It made me laugh and cry and squeal so much and I just felt all the ~feels~ while reading this book. The main characters were sweet and refreshing while being funny and relatable and everything about the book was just fun. I definitely recommend this for some cutesy romance!
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli: Whoooooh okay so this book is fantastic. Like, literally it is an amazing piece of art that should be cherished forever. The only reason it isn’t higher on my list is because I ended up reading it over a course of like two months on my phone so I didn’t get the whole reading ~experience~ ya know? I am so! excited! for! the! movie! Okay I’m done fangirling now.
- Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas: Once again, I was hesitant to include this. I completely understand and recognize all of the problematic content and relationships (see @paperbackdreams on instagram for more info). However! I really do appreciate the story and characters in the novel and they really do help me get through tough times which is why I am including this book. Some of my favorite characters are in this book, the plot twists were crazy amazing and the story arch is just my cup of tea. So that being said, I did include this on my list (obviously) in the end.
- Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate: The main thing I loved about this book is thE IDEA BEHIND THE CHARACTERS. The seven deadly sins representing seven main characters as they all face problems that they have to overcome in the book? That’s a hell yes from me. Ā The idea was so original and executed really well in the book. You could clearly see each character being represented by a sin and it was really just beautiful.
- Turtles all the Way Down by John Green: I was skeptical going into this book at first because of the kind of “downfall” of John Green’s books. However, this book completely redeemed John Green in my eyes. The plot was a little shaky but the message and characters he was trying to convey was brilliant and I really do think this book is a winner. Turtles all the Way Down is such an eyeopening book and I hope it gets recognized for its portrayal of mental health in the future.
- Far From the Tree by Robin Benway: This book was so good. It was real, honest, and brought to light the harsh realities of the adoption system. I loved all of the characters and it was just amazing. If you want more info I have a spoiler-free review here:Ā Far from the tree review!
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Honorary Mention: Gemina by Jay Kristof and Amy Kaufman takes the cake for this one. Basically, I was shocked while reading this book. The twists and turns were amazing and the platform is beautiful. However the characters and plot didn’t stay with me long enough for me to recognize this as one of my top ten books of 2017.
So there you have it! 10 of my favorite books of the year. Let me know what your favorites were or if you shared any of mine!
Katie
my life with books 