Favourite books of 2018

I make a yearly goal for myself to read lots of books. I love books and the stories i read are slowly becoming more and more real in my head. I know I should probably get my head out of a book and back into reality, but i'll try to manage both. This year i'm honestly quite shocked with some of the stuff I chose to read - cause to be frank it wasn't my ideal choices. Going into 2019, I aim to read more books that I am actually interested in - rather than just reading them for the sake of ticking a box.

In 2018, I read 25 books. I would say for a year of graduating college, starting university and working abroad for two months - that's actually an achievement. 


The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

"Can you plan happiness?

It's been a year since Paige's first boyfriend died in a swimming accident and it's time she rejoined the real world. 

So she makes a plan:

1. Date a boy (long-standing crush Ryan Chase seems like the perfect choice)

2. Attend parties (with best friends by your side: doable)

3. Join a club (simple enough, right?)

4. Travel (might as well dream big)

5. Swim (terrifying. Impossible)

But when she meets Ryan's sweet but so nerdy cousin, Max, he opens up her world and Paige's plans start to change. 

Is it too late for a second chance at life? "

Rating: ★★★★★

This was one of the first books I read back in January of 2018. I picked it up on a whim, not knowing much about it and having never have read any of Lord's other books. I was completely hooked and to this day I couldn't tell you why. I remember slowly getting into this book, and then reading more and more, until I sat down one night and read more than half of it in one sitting. It was about 2am when I sat gathering my thoughts over how incredible this book was. The characters were super well developed and I related a lot to Paige and her personality. As well as that, I completely fell in love with Max as he sounds like my ideal man. 

Simon VS The HomoSapiens Agenda by Becky Allbertalli

"Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met."

Rating: ★★★★

This book was on everyones to be read list ... about 3 years ago. I admit I am very behind the times with books, but I have finally been attempting to catch up. I heard this book was going to be adapted into a movie and so decided it was finally time - and yes i did finish it while on the way to the movie theatre. Overall it's definitely another LGBT uplifting novel that I think young adults and teenagers should read to understand what life is like for some people who are within the LGBTQ+ community. I loved the character of Simon and I thought his friends and Blue were really well written as well. Side note: Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford were amazing in this movie and really did the book proud in my opinion. 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

"Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life."

Rating: ★★★★★

Again, this is another book that everyone read about 3 years before I did. (I'm very behind with the times okay..) But finally, 2018 was the year I read this book. This book is so powerful and so culturally relative I honestly feel like it should be studied and introduced into schools. It's so important, especially for Americans to be educated on the issues within this book like repressed minorities and teenage shootings. Without getting too political though, I loved the pace of this book and the overall storyline as well as characters like Seven and Star. Also the movie was also incredible.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

"My name is Amanda. I’m 18. When you look at me, you might see that I’m pretty and popular; you might think my life is easy. But being me has never been easy. Because I haven’t always been Amanda. When I was born, I was named Andrew. Now, at my new school, I finally feel like myself. But do I owe my new friends the truth about my past?"

Rating: ★★★★

After multiple recommendations, I decided to finally pick up this book. I started reading it while working in America and I made myself stop so I could actually focus on it when I wasn't busy. I then read it on my plane home from America and because obsessed. This was such a wholesome story which is what I love from YA books - and it reminded me a lot of The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson. It's so heartbreaking but so joyful at the same time.

Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven

"Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed 'America's Fattest Teen'. But no one's taken the time to look past her weight to get to see who she really is. Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin too. Yes, he's got swagger, but he's also mastered the art of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a secret: he can't recognize faces.  The more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world - theirs and yours."

Rating: ★★★★

Un-problematic characters are overrated and I love characters that you can relate to in some way. Jack and Libby were both very unique characters in their own ways, and it made me interested in their stories and how the tackled the problems in their lives. I was also a complete sucker for the love story overall. It's not a book I planned to read in 2018 but i'm really glad I did.

Favourite books of 2017

At the beginning of 2017, i set a goal this year to read 50 books. I will save you the despair and admit I didn't reach this goal and knew I was not going to reach this goal in about September. But that is okay because I knew this was going to be a busy year and I was right. I got the majority of my reading done at the beginning of the year, and when I started college again in August the time for reading became the time for studying. That is unfortunately the harsh reality.But this year did teach me something, and that is that I was happier reading only a few books because they were on my to-be-read shelf for years, rather than reading books for  the sake for a challenge. That is something I will take into 2018 as I know 2018 will be even busier than 2017.

When picking my top 5 books of the year, i realised that it is all authors I have perviously loved and wanted to read their new work. They are also all YA romance type novels which I think shows what I love to read.

It Only Happens In The Movies by Holly Bourne

"Bad boys turned good, kisses in the rain, climbing through bedroom windows... It only happens in the movies. When Audrey meets Harry, it’s the start of a truly cinematic romance – or is it? Audrey knows that Harry is every movie cliché rolled into one. But she still chooses to let him into her heart..."

Rating: ★★★★★

This was probably my most highly anticipated book of the year and I had even pre-ordered it on my kindle, as I was in Paris on the day of it's release. I had planned to download it on the hotel and start it on the plane home. This was an incredible book witch such a relatable and amazing main character Aubrey and the boy she works with at a small cinema named Harry. Overall the story was so reminiscent of high school days and what I always thought love would be like. 

A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard

"Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. "

Rating: ★★★★★

Another very highly anticipated book of the year. I had previously read Sara Barnard's debut novel 'Beautiful Broken Things' and had completely fallen in love with her writing and her characters. This story follows Steffi and Rhys and their coming of age love story with both characters falling out of the social norms as one is a selective mute and one is deaf. This book made me really think about the other forms of language within the world.

All About Mia by Lisa Williamson

"Mia is wild and daring, great with hair and selfies, and the undisputed leader of her friends – not attributes appreciated by her parents or teachers. When Grace makes a shock announcement, Mia hopes that her now-not-so-perfect sister will get into the trouble she deserves. 
But instead, it is Mia whose life spirals out of control – boozing, boys and bad behaviour – and she starts to realise that her attempts to make it All About Mia might put at risk the very things she loves the most."

 

Rating: ★★★★★

I won't lie and say it took me quite a while after the books initial release date to get round to it and I regret it so much. I completely devoured this in only a few sittings. Including her flaws, I relate to Mia so much with her worries about being compared to others, especially her sisters, and I just thought the story was written amazingly.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

"Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart. "

Rating: ★★★★★

The cover of this book is what first attracted me to it as it is absolutely stunning. I ended up purchasing a hardcover from America just to have this beautiful book. The story was heart-wrenching and the ending definitely made me cry. Marin and Mabel were so well written and this was just a fantastic well rounded book.

The Upside of Unrequitted by Becky Albertelli 

"What does a sixteen-year-old girl have to do to kiss a boy? Molly Peskin-Suso wishes she knew. Her twin sister Cassie’s advice to “just go for it” and “take a risk” isn’t that helpful. Then Cassie meets Mina, and while Molly is happy for her twin, she can’t help but feel lonelier than ever. But Cassie and Mina are determined to end Molly’s string of unrequited crushes once and for all. They decide to set her up with Will, who is ridiculously good-looking and seems to be into Molly. But as Molly spends more time with Reid, her cute, nerdy co-worker, her feelings get all kinds of complicated. Now she has to decide whether to follow everyone’s advice…or follow her own heart."

Rating: ★★★★★

I received an ARC of this book through Net Galley and I am so thankful I got to absolutely devour this book. The characters were so diverse and authentic and the story fit them very well. The writing was hilarious and I loved every aspect of this book.

Secrets for the Mad by Dodie Clark

*Disclaimer*
I received an 'advanced readers copy' of this book in exchange for an honest review from Net Galley. All opinions of this book are my own.

About The Author

Dodie Clark is a 22 year old musician, youtuber and now author who is known for her quirky style and openness about her personal life. She has released two EP's, 'Intertwined' in 2016 and 'YOU' in 2017 whilst also touring around the UK and United States. Dodie has recently written her debut novel, 'Secrets for the Mad; Obsessions, Confessions and Life Lessons.' and within this discusses her life events dealing with anxiety, eating disorders, relationships, depression and depersonalisation disorder. 

" You inspire me. You make me want to write like you, to be colourful like you. To dance and twirl and radiate like you. "

Going into this book, I did know who the author was. I've seen Dodie's YouTube videos and watched them for several years now. Her music is absolutely breath-taking and I actually have the opportunity to go see her in concert on the 21st of October (woo)

Dodie's book looks into depth of issues and life lessons she has face such as mental health, love and family. Similar to her YouTube videos, Dodie's style of language and communication are clearly emphasised through this book, and it is almost like you can hear her clicking away at her keyboard. It was almost like having a conversation with her in real life in that it was so pure and so real. Nothing felt over-dramatic or over told - it all felt like the real diary entries and experiences of a young adult.

I had known through some videos that Dodie suffers with DPD but I hadn't quite paid attention to what that entailed. I didn't understand the effects on someone's day to day life and what that meant for their experiences. There isn't a way to turn it off and say, 'well I have to enjoy today as it's a special day' - it can't be controlled or manipulated like that. I can relate in a small sense to Dodie's thoughts throughout the book.  It was touching to hear Dodie's personal stories and how she coped with this.

The heartbreak section got to me, and again, as a reader I could relate all too well with the similarities and feelings of having your heart broken. Sometimes I find it nice to hear other's stories and how they cope with it. Within the book, Dodie talks about it using the metaphor of a tunnel. That going through the break-up is like going through a cold dark tunnel, but on the other side are your friends waiting for you in the light. She also explains that somedays you feel further from the end and want to turn back, but one day you'll be out the tunnel and not even realise.

The section about Dodie's family and home life allows the reader to understand Dodie's personal life a bit more and get a grasp on her childhood and influences. Within the books, there are letters and notes about each family member such as her grandma and little sister Hedy which adds a very personal touch in the book.

Overall, I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was great to read more into Dodie's life experiences and struggles but most of all her coping mechanisms and how she keeps herself happy. On a personal note, this has made me very excited to see her live now!

Secrets for the Mad; Obsessions, Confessions and Life Lessons is now available for pre-order on Amazon and other book sellers. Click the image above to be taken to the pre-order page. It will be released on the 2nd of November 2017.