Sarah’s Favourite Books of 2018 (Blogmas)

Last year i was an extremely bad blogger and missed out on the whole ‘my favourite books of the year’ in December thing. It’s something that i still think about missing a lot, so i wanted to make sure that i did on this year to share the best books that i read in 2018.

Luckily for me, 2018 has been my best reading year to date. I’ve read the most books i ever have and i’ve actually read some really incredible books that have become some of my absolute favourites. It started to feel so rare that i would find a five star book, then all of a sudden in 2018 i became much more picky about what i read, and here we are with all the books that i absolutely adored this year.

I’ve spent a lot of time reading contemporary this year (as usual) so a lot of the books in this list will be contemporary books. There have been some outstanding releases in 2018 that i’m so happy to have read, and some that i’ve just caught up with from previous years! These are in no particular order because i truly cannot pick a favourite book of the year this year.

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman
I Was Born For This was my first taste of Alice Oseman’s writing, and i fell completely in love with it. The story was insane and outrageous, but i loved it, along with the characters, representation and everything else. I could not have thought of a more perfect book for me to read about fandom. It took me right back to being sixteen.

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Because i met Alice and Akemi for the same event and interviewed them together, i always associate Starfish and I Was Born For This as a team now. Starfish is an absolutely stunning debut from Akemi Dawn Bowman, and i still feel lucky to have met this wonderful woman. The story has some pretty deep and dark themes, which makes it hard to read at times, but it truly hits you like any good book should. I loved it.

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
This book came to me at a time when i really needed it. I had become nervous online and hated being on Facebook and Instagram. Not great when you’re a blogger! But this book really did help me. It’s full of life stories and helpful tips on how to cut down on your social media intake, how to distance yourself from online and how the world looks when you lift your head up. Some of the tips i have successfully used in my own life, and i’ve spent a lot more time looking around the world since reading this. Definitely pick this book up!

Clean by Juno Dawson
Clean was one of my most anticipated books of 2018, and i was thrilled to get a review copy from the publisher. I love Juno’s writing style and this was set to be her biggest book yet. I loved the story of it and the glam of celebrity life (even though it wasn’t very glamorous at all in the end). I also thought there was great diversity and some wonderful characters to this story. It dealt with addiction really well i thought, it definitely was one of the best books i’ve read this year, and one that i enjoyed the most.

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman
We read Call Me By Your Name for book club this year, and it had very mixed reviews understandably. I was one of the few people who actually really enjoyed this book. Admittedly it has a slow start and there are some questionable scenes, however i appreciated the story of it a lot, the unhappy ending and most of all, the bisexuality representation. I thought it was a really well told and well rounded novel.

My Heart Goes Bang by Keris Stainton
My Heart Goes Bang was definitely an unexpected love for me. I’d never read a Keris Stainton before, and honestly i picked this up because it was short and she’d been announced for YALC this year. But i read it and loved it. The story follows a group of girls in their second year of Uni. They all live together in the same house and are exploring their lives as they’re growing in to ‘proper’ adults. I loved the sexuality representation and just how fun and lovely this book was. I sped through it and still think about it now. Without a doubt, pick this book up if you have chance.

The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
I haven’t had the chance to get stuck in to a lot of series this year, but the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness has been a great read for me! I’ve read the first two and am partway through the third, and i cannot believe i’ve put off reading them for so long! I love the characters and the story-line is wonderfully different from anything i’ve ever read before. I adore this series a lot.

This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay
I very recently listened to This Is Going To Hurt on audiobook and i’m really glad that i went down this route with it! Adam Kay narrates it himself, and there’s something about someone telling their own stories which makes it even more amusing. This is a very serious book with a humorous undertone which is lovely. I’ve always had a big interest in the NHS and doctors (a stand back approach i must add) and this book really was ideal for me. It’s one of the most enjoyable and eye opening reading experiences i’ve had this year.

These are the collection of books that i’ve absolutely adored this year. There are a few honorable mentions, such as What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera, obviously They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera i absolutely adored as well. A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood was also another favourite of this year. I’ve been really lucky with loving most of what i’ve read in 2018, and i didn’t really want to just list everything i’ve read again for you!

What’re some of your favourite reads for 2018? Leave them in the comments below!