What 'Cha Readin'?: Best Books of 2018

What 'Cha Readin'?'s Best of 2018

For me 2018 was full of ups and down both in my reading life and my personal life. My Goodreads Reading Challenge was to read 85 books. I didn't quite make it to my goal, I read 81 out of the 85. Even though I didn't reach my goal, I've set my goal for 2019 to 100 books. I think I can do it. For my reading this year I had 13 five star books, 38 four star, 28 three star, and 2 two star. I was able to finish all of the books I started this year, except for The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer, but I plan to come back and read that one, when my mind is ready for it. Below I will give you my top 10 for 2018. Click on the book covers to buy the book and the title for my full review. Share with me your favorites of 2018 and what you are looking forward to in 2019.

2018 Top Ten

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Roy and Celestial have been married for almost two years when their relationship takes a hit no one could ever anticipate. As they are in rural Louisiana visiting Roy's family, he is wrongly accused of a crime he didn't commit. Sentenced to twelve years in a Louisiana prison, the time they have spent married will be much shorter than the time they are about to spend apart. Will they both be able to survive the predicament they are in? With Celestial in Atlanta trying to continue to live her life and Roy in Louisiana, writing letters back and forth and having sporadic visits, will their marriage survive?

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
Fifteen years ago, Emma Davis attended Camp Nightingale for the first time. She shared a cabin with three older girls, Vivian, Allison and Natalie and one night they snuck out of the cabin and never came back. This is something that has haunted Emma all this time. So much so that she has included these girls in all of her paintings since that time, hidden in the woods they disappeared into. Now, Emma has been invited back to camp which is reopening after fifteen years. She is determined to find out what happened to the girls so that she can move on with life. But will she be able to do that? Will the people who are responsible for the girls disappearance and maybe death, try to stop her?

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Ten years ago, Ellie Mack went missing. The police think she is just another teenage runaway, but her mother, Laurel, doesn't believe that for a second. Ellie's disappearance destroyed the family and now that her remains have been found, Laurel will finally have some closure. When she meets Floyd, it's like she's getting a second chance at life. But when she meets his daughter, Poppy, life comes to an alarming halt. Poppy looks so much like Ellie, but why? Of course people look like other people all the time, but there is just something about this child that keeps Ellie at the forefront. When Laurel discovers a connection between Floyd and her family, she embarks on a journey to find out exactly what happened to her daughter and who did it.

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris
Ten years ago, Finn's wife, Layla disappeared. They were on their way home from a holiday in France, when they stopped at a rest area for a bathroom break. When Finn returned from the restroom, Layla was gone. He tried to find her right away and contacted the police and told them everything that happened from the time they pulled in until he walked out of the bathroom and his wife was gone. But he left out one detail. Now Finn is dating Layla's sister, Ellen, and things keep popping up to bring Layla back to the forefront. Is Layla alive or is someone playing a twisted game to stop Finn and Ellen from being together?

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Starr Carter lives in Garden Heights, which is the ghetto. She goes to the predominately white private school, Williamson, where she has to pretend to be someone she is not. When she witnesses the murder of one of her closest friends, Khalil, from the neighborhood, by the hand of a white police officer, she has to take a closer look at herself, her neighborhood, and the friends she chooses to hang with.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Dr. Anna Fox has been in her house for the past ten months. After an accident involving her husband, daughter and herself, she became agoraphobic. She now spends her days staring out of her windows, spying on her neighbors and keeping up with all the comings and goings of the neighborhood. When a new family moves in across the park from her, she is immediately drawn to the mother and the son, a single child family like her own. They come over to introduce themselves and she feels an instant connection. But then Anna thinks she sees a crime being committed at the neighbors house. Did she really see something or is the combination of medications and alcohol blurring the lines of reality and fantasy? Will the authorities believe her or will they believe the family and the rest of the neighborhood that Dr. Fox is just a crazy, drunk, cooped up lady.

Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh
It is the one year anniversary of the death of Anna Johnson's mother when she receives an anonymous note that makes her question everything about her parents deaths. The previous year both her parents had taken their lives within months of each other, but did they really? When Anna goes to the police with her note, more disturbing events take place and she doesn't know what to do. Full of twists and turns you won't see coming, this book is definitely one to read.

Dares, Lies & Geminis by Kat Alexander
Tristana and Peter live as roommates in a boarding house in Virginia. When they first meet, there is an instant connection between the two. Tristana, though, is too involved in her work and Peter is still working out issues of his own after the death of his brother. Seraphina is a club girl who likes going out and finding the bad boys. Men that are willing to cheat to have a piece of her. Nathan stand on the sideline and watches her, trying to figure out why she is doing this to herself. But he is always there to step in in case there is a problem. Will these couples ever get their lives together in order to be much happier as partners instead of singles? Will Tristana be able to break out of her shell around Peter? Will Nathan ever reveal himself to Seraphina and tell her his true feelings?

Never Be Alone by Paige Dearth
Joon is eight years old when her parents are killed and she is put into the foster care system. For 4 years, she is with the same family, but the way they treat her is worse than you would an enemy. When Joon has her chance, she runs away an tried to make a life for herself on the streets. She sees more in her short life than many people experience in an entire lifetime. Will Joon be able to survive on the streets or will she succumb to the pressures of drugs and prostitution?

The Bulletproof Proposal by Rebekah Louise
After five years of dating Lisa is anticipating that all-important question, will you marry me? Impatient, Lisa decides to take matters into her own hands and propose to Matt, after all it is the 21st Century. Only she takes it one step further and with the help of her best friend Mandy, she prepares the ultimate proposal. What she doesn’t know is whether this will be the beginning of her happily-ever- after or the beginning of the end.

These are my top 10 of 2018.

2019 READING PLANS

I'm really excited about the books on my reading list for this year. I'm starting the year off with An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Other books I'm looking forward to this year:

Kissing Princeton Charming by Frankie Love & C.M. Seabrook

The Birds, The Bees and You and Me by Olivia Hinebaugh

Girls Night Out by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib

Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

Swing by Kwame Alexander

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

Under My Skin by Lisa Unger

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Well Read Black Girl by Glory Edim

I hope you will come with me on my reading journey this year. I would love to hear about yours as well. Tell me what you are reading and what you are looking forward to this year.