MY FAVORITE READS OF 2017

 

What an amazing and fun filled reading year this has been for me! This has been my first full year of blogging and I truly didn’t realize how much it has transformed my reading life until I sat down to compile my best of 2017 list. Last year my top 10 consisted of the ONLY books I had given 5 stars to for the whole year. Only 10 books for the whole year, that seems crazy to me now. This year, I had so many more 5 star reads that I had to really narrow down my choices and I even had a tie that made me decide to go beyond 10 books this year because I just HAD to include all of the following books! The reason these are my very favorites even though I had other 5 star reads is because these are the ones that completely blew me away, that moved me in ways that either shocked me or made me cry, and that I found myself still thinking about weeks and months later.  With that being said,  here they are in no particular order except yes I do have my number 1 pick for the year at the end!! **These are all books I’ve read in 2017, but may have been published earlier

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo gets the award for the best book I didn’t think I wanted to read. This was my biggest surprise hit of the year not only because it was SO much more than I expected but also it made me cry which I really didn’t expect!

 

The Force  was the book I initially thought would take my top spot of the year! I consider this book the best in drama, dialogue, scandal, betrayal, lies, corruption…all things juicy and morally corrupt

 

BearTown was another book I resisted reading but ah the drama, suspense, and layered characters were amazing. So reminiscent of my fav tv show Friday Night Lights. I’d call this the best sports book not really about sports

 

The Nightingale gets the award for the best historical fiction I’ve read in years. I was completely lost in this story and mesmerized by the way Hannah weaved such an intricate tale. Another one I should’ve read sooner!

 

Castle of Water was a book I discovered on #bookstagram and if it wasn’t for all the love it was getting there I don’t think it would’ve crossed my radar. The writing was gorgeous, the story an adventure tied up with love and tragedy.  I literally read this in an evening, I couldn’t put it down! And it made me cry so there’s that:)

 

I Liked My Life gets the award for more than meets the eye. This fantastic novel had humor, drama, mystery, all wrapped up in a heartfelt, ultimately uplifting story. I laughed, I cried, I tried to figure out the mystery, and in the end I realized this was one of the best debuts I’ve ever read.

 

Sirens is one of the best mysteries I’ve read in years! Actually, it has 2 mysteries which was double the fun as I couldn’t figure out either. The main character, Aidan, was one of the most well developed, flawed characters I’ve read in a long time. I read this last Jan and I still think about it…and impatiently wait for the sequel!!

 

A Brilliant Death knocked me off my feet in so many ways. I loved the layers of the characters, the storytelling, and the fact that it was so unexpected in terms of plot and emotion. Another mystery that was so much more!

 

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley was such an intricate read. It was literary yet a thriller yet also a coming of age. I thought the author pulled all together brilliantly with characters that I grew attached to and an ending that made me think which I always appreciate.

 

Dead Woman Walking may just be my favorite Sharon Bolton book ever! This story hit the ground running with one of the best opening murder/witness scenes I’ve read in years. Every time I see a hot air balloon now I think of this story…and I’m thankful I’m not in it! I especially loved the nuns and of course the puzzle of a mystery that only Sharon Bolton can write.

 

AND DRUM ROLL PLEASE FOR MY TOP BOOK OF THE YEAR……

The Heart’s Invisible Furies  is perfection for me! I loved the fact that this is a pull at your heartstrings saga, yet it’s also funny, witty, dramatic, and sad…in a nutshell, it’s everything and I don’t usually reread books but I can’t wait to open this one up again and revisit with Cyril!

I hope some of these have made your top reads of 2017 lists also or maybe your tbr’s for 2018! I’d love to hear what book tops your list this year so feel free to leave me a comment…