Best Of... the top 18 of 2018!

It's that time -- to look back on my favorite books of the past year. At the beginning of 2018, I set my goal on the site, Goodreads, to read 90 books this year. It was a busy year, but I still surpassed the goal, ultimately reading 98 (& counting!) books. While I read less books this year than some years, there were a lot of good books, and it was very difficult to narrow down the top 18 of 2018! If you follow this link, you can take a look at all the books I read in 2018 and my ratings. As always, note that not all books might not be published in 2018, of course, they just happened to be books I picked up over the year.


You can find reviews of any of these via my Goodreads site, or simply follow the link in each entry to the in-depth review in this blog. Happy reading in 2019 and beyond!!

So, in no particular order, the top eighteen books of 2018...

1. SAINTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS by J. Courtney Sullivan. This was an amazing book - just beautiful, heartbreaking, and lovely. Sullivan captured the essence of each of her characters so perfectly. I could picture every one, and each was so realistic, with their own background, mannerisms, and details. I became attached to each character in their own way thanks to the strong writing and characterization. I don't always enjoy books with shifts between time periods, but all flowed seamlessly here. There's an underlying thread that ties everything together, just adding to the brilliance of the novel. While it's really a story of a family, there's still a bit of suspense, as you try to fit some pieces together. Overall, I just loved this beautiful story of parenthood, immigration, siblings, religion, and so much more. It's achingly well-written, and while it ended just right, I was still sad to see the characters go.


2. IF I DIE TONIGHT by Alison Gaylin. This book sucks you in immediately via its format--short snippets of narrative from a varied cast of characters--and its excellent, well-drawn characters. These characters are complex, as are the relationships between everyone in the novel. Nothing is as it seems, and everyone is hiding more beneath their surface (and the past). I was shocked at how well-done these interconnected relationships were and how much I wanted to keep reading. I felt such allegiances to particular characters and such distaste for others. Gaylin did a wonderful job of portraying how small towns deal with tragedy and how social media can influence opinion--and how it can affect teens. It was really powerful. As the novel wears on, you're not exactly sure who to trust--or exactly what happened--and I couldn't stop myself from obsessively turning the pages, trying to figure out what happened. Even though the novel is very character-focused, it's suspenseful too. Overall, this was great and such a pleasant surprise. I love requesting an ARC of an author I've never read before and discovering such a great story. This was a suspenseful read, with an excellent, well-written cast. I'm looking forward to reading more of Gaylin's work.


3. THEN SHE WAS GONE by Lisa Jewell. This was a great one. It drew me in immediately and then just kept going. Jewell slowly doles out these tantalizing, fun snippets and clues that you have to carefully piece together. The novel is composed of interesting, suspicious, and strange pieces of information; as it progresses, it's wonderfully creepy and menacing. The result is an incredibly well-done novel that has you frantically turning the pages. In fact, I had worked some of the plot out and still found myself willing the book forward, wanting the main character to do the same. It was compulsively readable, and I read the entire second half in one sitting, staying up late to finish it (and this is saying a lot, because sleep is a precious commodity in my life). The book is divided into three parts, each with some varying narrators. This works really well at building suspense. It's also heartbreaking at times. Overall, this is an excellent psychological thriller. It's incredibly easy to get absorbed into its well-written plot and strong characters. It also has a tender side, as well. Even when you might see where (some) things are going, it's completely impossible to put down, as it rushes toward a crazy and exciting conclusion. Definitely a great read!


4. WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE by Kristen Lepionka. Lepionka's first Roxane Weary novel showed up on my 2017 Best of list and the second book was just as amazing. I loved this book. I love the first person aspect. The Roxane Weary series is straight-up great mystery writing. No unreliable narrator, no chapters that alternate POV or time periods, no gimmicks--just an excellent protagonist and a strong plot. It makes you long for mysteries of old (think Kinsey Millhone). The ways I love Roxane cannot truly be enumerated--she's a female lead in a mystery series, for one. She's smart, witty, and sarcastic. She's bisexual, but this characteristic is just who she is, not her main defining element or the entire defining point of the novel. As a bisexual female, I cannot stress how amazing this is in literature. To have bisexual representation (and have that representation be intelligent, funny, and not portrayed as evil and deviant), well, it's wonderful. She has relationships of all kinds and works on figuring out herself, just like any other person. Gasp! Imagine that. I couldn't love Roxane more (or Kristen Lepionka for creating this character). Also, Roxane calls waffles "golden beauty" and well, what more do you need in your PI? She's the Leslie Knope of private investigators. I was worried that the second Roxane Weary novel wouldn't stand up to the first, but I was anxious for no reason. The case is a great one--it had me frantically reading and totally shocked me at the end, which I love. So rarely can a detective novel keep me guessing to the anymore. Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this book. Maybe that it's over, and I have to wait now for a (hopeful!!) book three? I love Roxane. I feel kinship toward her for sure, this sarcastic, bisexual PI whose still navigating the world around her. The mystery in this book won't disappoint, nor will the characters. If you haven't read the first Roxane Weary novel, I do recommend reading it first (mostly because it's also so good), but this will stand on its own.

5. THE DARK ANGEL by Elly Griffiths. It's no secret that I love Ruth and Elly Griffiths' series of novels featuring our intelligent, plucky heroine. Despite the fact that I know absolutely nothing about bones, I identify with her. Ruth's wit, sarcasm, and sense of humor are always absolutely spot-on, and it's wonderful being back with her and her circle of pals, especially the grumpy yet protective Nelson. As mentioned, these books are always just lovely and humorous. The narration style is impeccable and works flawlessly. Each character is so perfectly "them," and I enjoyed that we heard from a lot of characters this time around, even Nelson's elder daughter. Oh, and yes, there's also a great mystery plot thrown in, involving an Italian town, some bones (of course), and a variety of deeply buried secrets. Griffiths introduced us to some new characters with the new locale, and I found the mystery to be interesting and engaging. It was front and center enough to keep us interested, but refreshing to get a little more movement on the characters' personal lives, too. Overall, another winner from Griffiths. As always, I cannot wait for the next Ruth novel (especially because there is some serious unresolved business by the end of this one!). I think of Ruth, Harry, Kate, and the entire cast as dear friends by now. You can read this as a stand-alone, but as always, I recommend reading the whole series, because it's just so darn good.


6. THE GIRL MADE OF STARS by Ashley Herring Blake. This novel. Oh my goodness. It will break your heart and yet leave you speechless with wonder. It's so beautiful. The book is so achingly gorgeous and real, with its realistic look at high school. It portrays how both amazing and awful kids can be at this age. It may not always be easy to read, but it's so well-done. I mean, really, this book is just heartbreaking at times. And yet I was riveted. These kids, with their big problems, so many of them living other people's dreams. It was so poignant, so true to so many of my own experiences. And the relationships here--well, wow. I mean, for one thing, we get a truly bisexual character in Mara, which is so refreshing. And then Charlie is genderqueer/nonbinary. It was so wonderful to have these characters in this novel, as a positive representation for teens--living real lives, with real problems, but in no way serving as the villain or maligned character. I was incredibly impressed. I wish this novel was on the shelf of every high school (well, on the shelves everywhere, honestly). The girls in this book are in a group called Empower, which stands up for females--how they are portrayed, the double standards they face, and more. They are so strong, despite all the hurdles they face on a daily basis. Honestly, despite so much sadness in this novel, there is so much hope. So much strength. I adored Mara. She is wonderful -- such a strong, amazing, and lovely character. I found myself rooting for her as if she was my own kid. I loved this one. I don't even remember how or why I stumbled across it and requested it, but I'm so glad I did. This is a beautiful, powerful book about the strength of human existence. The girls in this novel will make you cry, make you laugh, and make you both despair for and have faith in humanity. I will be tracking down the rest of Herring Blake's books for sure.


7. IN HER BONES by Kate Moretti. This book just kept getting better with every page. I absolutely loved Kate Moretti's THE BLACKBIRD SEASON--which made the Best of 2017 list--and was worried this one might not live up to it. I shouldn't have worried. This is just an excellent, fascinating novel. The way the novel explores looking at serial killers from the perspective of their family is just amazing and interesting. You get this really in-depth look at how Lilith was both an awful mother, a regular mother, and influenced by mental illness. The book does a great job of providing a portrait of mental illness as well. I thought its look at Lilith as a serial killer was just so well-done. One of the best things about this book is that despite its serious and sometimes even gruesome subject matter, it can be funny sometimes. It's definitely heartbreaking and real. It's powerfully written, and Edie becomes this wonderfully great main character. She's so very smart and so very real. Moretti gives such a personality to everyone through her excellent detail; you're just able to visualize each character so well. I really love how you can get lost in her books. Overall, this is just a wonderful book. The characters are amazing and detailed, the plot is excellent, and I was just drawn in from the beginning. This goes deeper than your usual mystery or thriller, and I was so impressed and touched by this novel.


8. SUMMER OF SALT by Katrina Leno. I picked up this book thanks to a Goodreads friend, and this was totally worth it. This is a beautiful book--it's well-written, lyrical, and a magical read, both in content and writing. The storyline on this one is amazing--I have a soft spot for tales about twins. The characters are well-developed, and I fell for Georgina immediately. There's also a wonderful lesbian storyline, which is always a plus. The book weaves a mystical, magical tale--if you can't suspend disbelief easily, it might not be for you. But it's so easy to get caught up in the plot, and at its core, it's a story about families and love. There's also some serious parts to this book and some just freaking amazing quotes related to sexual assault and rape that I wanted to blow up and put on the walls of every high school everywhere. This is a powerful, powerful novel that had me pumping my fist and cheering for the characters. There's some real strength here and a message everyone should read, especially in our current times. Overall, this was a great book. It's beautifully well-written with excellent characters and a powerful message. This is one where I would love a second book to follow these characters.


9. PULP by Robin Talley. I loved this book so incredibly much that I can't even really explain it. It was captivating and beautiful and tragic and just appealed to me on so many levels. I have always been interested in lesbian pulp fiction since doing a project on it for a Queer Studies class in college, so it was so fascinating to read about Abby's research within the pages of this novel. Talley effortlessly weaves so many narratives within this one that it sort of leaves you breathless at times. Even more, we see how much things have changed between the 1950s and 2017. While I knew bits and pieces about the Lavender Scare, its ties to our actual characters here really brings it home. I just really really loved this book. It has so much of what I love--lesbians, diverse characters, passionate and realistic storylines, well-done research, literary references and ties. Reading Janet and Abby's stories took me back to a time when I wasn't yet out and when I had first come out--when the world wasn't yet so forgiving (not that it always is, but things were pretty different even 15+ years ago). I remember how much comfort books provided me, how wonderful it was to realize I wasn't alone in the world. I love how well this book shows that fact, and how the books-within-the book are almost their own characters. Overall, I can't recommend this one enough. It's just a beautiful, well-written story, and, to top it off, it's informative to boot. The characters are lovely, the story is amazing, and it really leaves you feeling a bit awed.


10. DARK SACRED NIGHT by Michael Connelly. I was a little leery when I learned that Connelly was going to combine Renee Ballard's story with my beloved Harry Bosch's (let's just say I love Bosch too much to share him), but this book was really excellent, and I found myself enjoying the two of them together. The narrative switches between Ballard and Bosch, so we still get to hear from each character separately: it's just their stories and lives that start to overlap. This overlap happened pretty naturally, and honestly, their burgeoning partnership/friendship was fun to see. I love Harry Bosch. I've loved him for about seven years now, since I discovered this series, and I will always adore him. Reading his sections was like being back with an old friend. Connelly has Bosch's character and voice so perfected by now. I really tried to read this one slowly and savor it, as Connelly books (especially with Bosch) just don't come along every day. I love how Connelly seems to know so much (e.g., police procedures, gang wars and rituals, even about surfing), but it never feels like he's over explaining anything. Even better, you always get such a good story. I enjoy how he ties so many of his disparate plot pieces together, or comes back to something you think is totally unrelated. There's a lot going on this book--after all, we get cases from both Bosch and Ballard, but it all works in Connelly's deft hands. He is the master of interlocking stories. Overall, I really enjoyed this one.


11. INTO THE NIGHT by Sarah Bailey. This novel picks up a few years after the first Gemma book, which also made my Best of 2017 list. We find her lost and floundering. This serves a dual-purpose for us, the reader. We get to read a novel with a complicated, realistic character in Gemma. She's true to herself. On the other hand, she's not always the easiest to like or even empathize with. This is a woman who has left her child behind, after all. I have to congratulate Bailey on having Gemma not make the easy/safe choices in life, or the ones you typically see in detective novels. Not only do we get a strong yet vulnerable female character, we get one who is flawed, real, and struggling to find her way in the world. I certainly didn't always agree with her choices, but I do enjoy reading about them. Even better, Gemma features in an excellent complicated and captivating mystery, with several cases that keep you guessing. There's a lot going on, but Bailey handles it all quite deftly. The excellent writing I enjoyed so much in her first novel is on display again here; you'll be impressed at the way she can pull together her story and bring out her characters. Overall, I found this book intriguing and refreshing. Those who enjoy a character-driven mystery will be drawn to Gemma's prickly exterior, while those who simply enjoy a hard-to-solve case will find plenty to like here as well.


12. BECOMING by Michelle Obama. This is a really beautiful book, and it's also really informative. I learned so much about Mrs. Obama and her life, which I very much enjoyed. First of all, she's a great storyteller. This is a big book, and it's a bit of an undertaking, but it's an easy read, and a really interesting one. I found myself completely immersed--I really loved learning about her childhood and her family. And, of course, it's fun to hear about how she met Barack (his marriage proposal is pretty amazing). Mrs. Obama does a wonderful job of weaving her themes throughout her story--the power of education, of having an advocate, the importance of diversity and women's rights, and how vital children are in her life. She is honest about the realities of working motherhood: both for her life and for those of working Americans. She also talks about serious matters: race, education, and her reluctance about getting her family into politics. We see how important her daughters are to her and how hard it was, knowing what they were sacrificing when her husband ran for President. We hear about her struggles being the first African American First Lady--the stings she felt from the racial insults aimed at both her and her husband, the fear she felt for her family's safety, and the attempts she made to find her place in Washington. I found myself copying quotes right and left, because she is so intelligent and profound and because, truly, as we all learned over eight years, she's such a relatable person. Overall, this was a great memoir. It made me miss the Obama family all over again and appreciate so much their time in the Oval Office.


13. THE BANKER'S WIFE by Cristina Alger. This turned out to be a gem of a novel. When I first started reading it, I was a little worried that I wouldn't see what the fuss was all about, but things quickly picked up, and I was hooked. One of the best things about this novel is that it's an old-style thriller--it reminded me of old-school Grisham or Stieg Larsson. This is a mystery for folks who love real stories without any fuss or distraction and with strong characters--all of which combine to leave you befuddled and anxious as everything slowly unfurls. Alger takes us into the complicated and dark world of Swiss banking, where we are introduced to a lot of real bad guys who have no morals. You can't trust them, you know they are bad, and you know your heroes and heroines are in true danger. It's a wonderful novel. The best is not knowing who to trust, what to believe, or how things went down. There's that Girl with a Dragon Tattoo-reporting vibe that I love: the pleasure of solving a case. The story is set in 2015 but is completely timely, yet utterly timeless in its essence of greed, money, and fear--and what people do in the name of all three. I just loved the old-fashioned thrill of it, the long list of suspects, the excitement of trying to work out who did what. Overall, this is just a great novel. The plot is excellent--tense, exciting, and expertly woven together. The characters are strong, but it's really the story that's the standout here. It truly reminds you of mysteries and thrillers of old (I sound ancient here, but whatever). Don't let the banking theme scare you off: this is a fabulous read, and if you're a mystery or thriller fan, I think you'll really enjoy this one.


14. JAR OF HEARTS by Jennifer Hillier. This was just a great thriller. It alternates its viewpoints and changes between the past and the present. The result is completely captivating. I was mesmerized by this compelling and well-executed novel, which draws you in from the start. The characters in this one are excellent; rarely do you get two such strong vivid main characters, but I felt drawn to both Kai and Geo. Hillier unravels things so adeptly that I was kept guessing for quite some time, meticulously starting to work out pieces of the plot, feeling quite triumphant when I was proved right. This novel is just so intricately plotted and incredibly creepy at times--it's simply a pleasure to read. It's deep and dark, propelled by its wonderfully written characters. Honestly, I can't rave enough about both the plot and the characters. Overall, you can't go wrong with this one. It features compelling characters and a twisted, dark story that will keep you reading until the very end.


15. TRULY DEVIOUS by Maureen Johnson. This was a really fun, fascinating book featuring a great, feisty heroine in Stevie Bell. I fell for Stevie immediately, with her awkward demeanor and allegiance to old-school detective novels. Johnson has done a great job in creating a well-rounded character in Stevie, who really shines in this novel. The intersecting mysteries will suck you in immediately. I basically wanted to ignore work and responsibilities and keep reading this one. The novel tells the book mainly from Steve's point of view, but we also get bits and pieces from the past--various narrators, case notes, etc. It's quite effective. This book will definitely keep you guessing, that's for sure. The cliffhanger ending is crazy--be prepared that this is a trilogy and that everything isn't wrapped up tidily! Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this one, and I cannot wait to read the next book (out very soon)! I love Stevie--I felt such a pull to this plucky detective, who owns no jewelry, wears a lot of black, and can't dance. The book also treats mental illness in a great, matter-of-fact way, with its honest portrayal of Stevie's anxiety and panic attacks. Everything combines into a fun, interesting, suspenseful, page-turner that will leave you wanting more.

16. THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager. Well, this was just a fun thriller and a completely engaging read. I'm so glad I gave it a chance, as--unlike most of the reading population, I actually wasn't a huge fan of Sager's FINAL GIRLS and I wasn't entirely sure I was going to read this one. But it was definitely worth the read! This is a quick read and really enjoyable. Sager populates the novel with a bunch of mysterious pieces that begin to add up across the story--clues, if you will--but you are left constantly wondering as you read. I personally was guessing up until the end, which I really liked. I am always a fan of a thriller that isn't utterly predictable. The novel flips between the present and the past. This turns out to be an amazingly effective and compelling storytelling format: I read the entire book in about 24 hours and the first half in one setting. You can't quite pinpoint what draws you in, but you find yourself compulsively turning the pages. The scene setting in this one is great; while I've never actually been to camp, Sager sets the stage so perfectly: you can just picture everything. The entire novel has this wonderful layer of creepy and mysterious on top of it all. So much of it seems foreboding, which adds to the suspense. And, as many have mentioned, there is a great twist to the ending, which I personally liked. Overall, I really enjoyed this thriller. It's foreboding, quite readable, and features a main character who draws you in. Between not enjoying FINAL GIRLS and then seeing so much hype for this one, I was ready to be disappointed, but THE LAST TIME I LIED proved me wrong: it was a really engaging and suspenseful read.


17. THE LAST SUMMER OF THE GARRETT GIRLS by Jessica Spotswood. Jessica Spotswood said that she pitched this novel as "Little Women meets Gilmore Girls by way of Sarah Dessen," and I couldn't agree more. I didn't read this until her epilogue, and both the Little Women and Gilmore Girls pieces had already crossed my mind. This is such a lovely, charming, and touching book--I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Garrett sisters were so wonderful and engaging that as the book ended, I immediately found myself wishing there was a sequel, because I was completely immersed in their lives. Spotswood creates some excellent, different, and completely captivating characters in these sisters. Each is unique in their own way--their own person. I loved the wonderful diverse representation in this one: "there aren't many YA books about girls falling in love," Vi Garrett says. It's so true, and how nice it is to have a well-written book where that storyline is just one of the many plots. I also loved how books played a such a strong role in the story--between the girls' family owning a bookstore and all of them loving books and stories in some way. The novel itself is really about the universal themes of growing up, finding your way, and friendship and sisterhood. And love. It's so well-done and really sweet and fun. The girls seem so real, and it was quite easy to get caught up in their lives and problems. I found it quite enjoyable, even if I could guess how most things would resolve themselves. Overall, this was a delightful novel about sisterhood and growing up. I truly wish I could have spent more time with the Garrett sisters.


18. I'LL BE YOUR BLUE SKY by Marisa de los Santos. I absolutely adore Marisa de los Santos and was really excited to see she had written another book picking up on the characters first introduced in Love Walked In: A Novel and Belong to Me. Both still hold a place of honor on the bookshelves of my home. Still, Goodreads told me it was nearly ten years since I'd read those gems. Considering I can forget a lot of what I've read a few months ago, it took a little remembering and time to get back into the characters. There's a lot to keep track of in the beginning. Still, once I got into the groove, it was like being back with old friends. Getting to know more about Clare--all grown up now--is lovely. The book generally alternates chapters between Clare and the story of Edith, the woman she meets at her wedding venue. I found the book surprisingly suspenseful, with several unexpected twists and turns thrown in along the way. Indeed, I was never really sure where this one was going. It meanders a bit and kept surprising me as it did. There are points where the sadness can be really hard and heartbreaking (in a wow, this novel is incredibly well-written and I feel as if these characters are real way). All the characters fit together so well and come to life before you--no surprise to anyone who has read a Marisa de los Santos novel before. It's so easy to get lost in the world she creates for us. In the end, I just wound up really loving this one. I was along for the ride wherever Clare and her gang were going to take me. I loved her, I loved Edith, and now I'd wait ten years for another book without any issue whatsoever. It's a lovely book about connections and about the family we have and the family we make. Thanks for revisiting these characters, Ms. de los Santos. I didn't know I needed them again, but I'm glad you did.