I’m happy to report that 2018 has been my best reading year in a while. I don’t mean in terms of the number of books. I’m a little behind there as I’m in the middle of book #26 and should be further along towards my annual goal of 50. I mean that I’ve had a good run of excellent books, ones that made me think and/or kept me up at night. (Those two qualities are not always one in the same.)
So here is my list of favorite books so far in 2018. They’re in no particular order! To see all 26 books, you can always look on my constantly updated reading list.
*Affiliate links are to Indiebound (which links to your local book store) or to Book of the Month.
You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories by Curtis Sittenfeld
I have loved everything Curtis Sittenfeld has ever written. Well, I liked the book about sisters, but I LOVED everything else. Her writing is strong, solid, and straight-forward while showing the depths of human emotions like shame and hope. I love that she manages all that without taking her settings and subjects too seriously. By that I mean, in these stories she chooses seemingly less serious topics while still conveying how people really feel and act. Her work is so refreshingly unpretentious and relevant.
The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie
I loved this book! So many good characters and everything about it feels original from the setting (Iowa) to the plot and every character. It’s a meaty story told through the sweet point-of-view of precocious, smart ten-year-old, Guinevere. I interviewed Makechnie about her writing process on my blog. As a fellow mom of four, I am clinging to her tips.
Calypso by David Sedaris
I read a few essays a week to savor them. Mostly this was a rereading as I’ve seen many in The New Yorker and elsewhere, but I still love the experience of reading Sedaris. He’s manages to be hyper-observant, funny, and poignant in each one. You can also get Calypso as a free extra book at Book of the Month.
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An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Really liked it and feel there’s lots to discuss. I picked this one for the June session of the book club I lead at ModernWell in Minneapolis.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Reading now and loving it so far. This was one of my Book of the Month picks.
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The Immoralists by Chloe Benjamin
I really liked this book despite some of the sadder story lines. It was a great premise about what we might do if we knew the day we would die. Would we live large and race towards it, or be more careful and try to outsmart fate? I liked the use of four narrators and the structure Benjamin chose.
Eternal Life by Dara Horn
This is one of my favorite books of the year so far. I loved the concept of a woman who saves her son’s life by giving up her own death, making her life eternal. It ends up being a blessing and a curse. Watching the story play out, some of it in ancient Jerusalem and some in modern American and many places in the middle, was really fascinating. I was captivated by Rachel and her love story with Elazar until the last page.
Educated by Tara Westover
I did the audio for this one and it was SO good. I cannot believe the childhood Westover experienced and the life she created both despite it and because of it. Really interesting story and extremely well told.
I’d love to hear about your favorites!
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15 Responses
We share a few favorites, and I’m queueing Educated on my Audible right now! Eternal Life is one I’m excited to read too. Always love your book recs, Nina – we have similar taste but not identical, and that means you expose me to books I may not try. So thank you!
I feel the exact same about your lists! I always get good ideas there. I may have found The Great Alone from your blog.
I love this post every year! American Marriage is the only one on your list I have read so far but many of the others are on my TBR.
Thanks, Stacey! I’m always following along with your picks, too.
There are a lot on your list I haven’t read and need to!!! Love this list every year. xo
Thanks Lindsey! So many on your list I want to read, too!
Great list, Nina! As you might expect, I loved Calypso also. (A more introspective Sedaris this time.)
I just finished Less, by Andrew Sean Greer. So, so good.
P.S. Per your rec, I have the audiobook of Sloane Crosley’s Look Alive Out There up next.
Ooh, I bet Sloane’s is great as an audiobook. (Said as if she’s a friend of mine. Ha!)
Just purchased Educated on Audible. Putting several of these books on my TBR pile. I always love your roundups.
I think you will find it so interesting!
Great list, Nina. Tayari Jones never disappoints. I really enjoyed Silver Sparrow. I also recently finally read, and loved, News of the World by Paullette Jiles. A slim and suprisingly detailed novel. Fell in love with the main characters.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I’ve read the Sittenfeld book, as well as Calypso. It was my first time reading Sedaris and I loved it!
I always look forward to your lists- thank you!
I need to read The Immortalists! I also love everything Curtis Sittenfeld wrote – even Sisterland, which I get is a little out there compared to her others, but the sense of irony in it really got me.
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