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It’s been an entire year since I decided to read a book for every week of the year and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I read so many more books than I have in years past and I really expanded the types of books I was reading. I voluntarily picked up nonfiction (whoa), I started listening to audiobooks, and I even read a few new-to-me classic novels.
I knew that I wanted to share a yearly recap, but I doubted anybody wanted a list of all 52 books I tackled. I decided, instead, to mirror the format of one of my favorite podcasts: What Should I Read Next? If you’re a reader and not already reading Anne’s blog, you are missing out! She has wonderful instincts when it comes to books and she regularly shares all manner of new things I probably wouldn’t find on my own. I can’t count the number of books I read last year that came directly from her blog or podcast, but the percentage is huge. For those of you who aren’t familiar, each week Anne invites a new guest onto her show to talk books. The guest shares three books they love, one book they hate and what they are currently reading. From there, Anne recommends three books she thinks they will love, based on their previous conversations. I learn so much in every single episode — it is one of my favorite ways to pass the time in my car.
Three Books I Love(d this year)
1. Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner: I read this historical fiction way back in March and I’m still thinking about it. I told you then that it was my favorite book of the year and not a thing has changed. Set during the London Blitz of 1940 and follows the lives of two sisters, Emmy and Julia. Emmy is fifteen and loves to draw wedding dresses. She has her heart set on an apprenticeship and dreams of dressing brides one day. Because of her fierce determination and some pretty crazy circumstances, she and her seven year old sister are separated after being evacuated to the English countryside. If you can swing it, I highly recommend listening to this one. The narrator was so perfect and I found myself completely entranced until the very end. I have recommended this book to everyone, all year long. Please, go read it for yourself.
2. All the Ugly & Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood: I had a lot to say when I reviewed this back in August and I meant every single word of it. I’m not even sure how to describe this book, so if you need a synopsis, go back to my full review. It’s the very complicated and unlikely love story of two very different people. It was hard to read, as a mother of daughters, but I could not put it down. I gave a five star rating to thirteen books this year and this one was unlike anything else in that category. The writing is beautiful, the story hypnotic and the characters are so real. This book is equal parts amazing and terrifying — read at your own risk.
3. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman: I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t have loved this book as much if I hadn’t listened to it, but the narrator could not have been better for this book. His accent was exquisite (yes, I just used that word) and the only word I can think to describe the way he read, is melodic. This is the bittersweet story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife, who struggle to start a family. After a baby washes up on their shore, they do everything they can to adopt it as their own. This book is beautiful and heartbreaking and ends in the best possible way.
While none of these books are romance novels necessarily, they all tell the stories of people in love. This does not surprise me at all — I love reading about the intricacies of relationships. All three novels are bittersweet. While I love a happy ending, I don’t mind a difficult path to get there. Life is rarely perfect, so I much prefer bittersweet to tying everything up with a bow. If you had asked me last January how I felt about historical fiction, I would have told you I wasn’t a big fan. After journaling my books for an entire year, I realize just how wrong I was. Two of these three fall into that category and I had several other five stars to choose from! There is something about having an author describe a different time and place in detail that makes them feel so much more real for me. Contemporary fiction rarely has to set up intricate settings in the same way, so I don’t find them nearly as engaging.
Other five star historical fiction from this year: The Lake House by Kate Morton | Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen | The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
One Book I Hate(d This Year)
The Siren by Kiera Cass: Hate is a strong word, but this book got the lowest rating of everything I read this year. I chose it because I loved the Selection Series, also by Cass, and assumed it would be just as strong. I learned later that this was actually a re-release of her first novel and I could tell. It is a love story, which I’m not necessarily opposed to (see above), but it was silly, sugary sweet and far fetched that I couldn’t ever get comfortable with the story line. More than anything, I felt like this was written for a child. I often like young adult fiction, but this felt more like middle school material. What I learned is that there is no guarantee you’ll like every novel written by a given author. I sometimes feel like I love every book I read and rate them higher than they deserve, but this one confirmed that I’m still pretty picky.
Better options in YA this year: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan | Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum | Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
What I’m Reading Now
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon | Columbine by Dave Cullen | Mothers by Brit Bennett
Have you read any of these? Did you love them or hate them? Let’s play a game… List three of your favorite reads from last year in the comments below and I’ll commit to adding a few to my reading list this year. Don’t forget, we’ll be linking up for Collaboreads on January 24th and I’ll be back with my first book review post of 2017, the first week of February. Need more books now? Try subscribing to the Book of the Month Club or read previous month’s book reviews below.
