I read 114 books in 2018, more than doubling my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 52. This marks the best year I’ve had since I first started participating in the challenge back in 2015, and I was very pleased to do so well. I chose a lot of great books, and my rating average for the year was 4.3 stars. I read a variety of fictional genres, including historical fiction, dystopia, fantasy, and crime/psychological thrillers. My nonfiction reading focused heavily on history, current events, social issues, and memoirs. I was entertained by the stories, and I gained a great deal of knowledge on various topics, as well. 2018 was definitely a great year for reading!
But which books were the best?
It’s impossible for me to pick a certain number this year, so I’m going to do something a little different and choose selections based on select genres, with no more than three choices per category. You can click on the book cover to be taken to my review. (Some books have not been reviewed yet.)
Best Historical Fiction
Best Memoir
Best Crime Thriller
Best Horror
Best Dystopia/Post-Apocalyptic
Best Young Adult Fantasy
Favorite Series of 2018
Best Psychological Thriller
Best Suspense/Thriller
Best Contemporary Fiction/Women’s Fiction
Best Nonfiction
Well, there you have it… my top reads of 2018. (Phew! Even doing it by genre, this was a tough list to make.)
Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments!
Here’s hoping that 2019 will be another great year of reading for all of us!
Fab list loved the way you did it with genre!
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Thanks, Nicki! I was going to do a top ten list, but it was impossible to narrow it down. So I cheated. Haha
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I haven’t managed to do a list at all for the very same reason 😀
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I was tempted not to do one at all, because it takes forever for me to decide which books make the cut!
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A good mix of books on your list Betty. I have added a couple to my Januray/February TBR/ I have enjoyed seeing what others loved.
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Thanks, Carla! Now I’m curious… which books did you add to your TBR?
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I added all three of the crime thrillers, and The Secret Child. I had some of the other ones already.
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Wonderful! All of those books were so much fun to read. I look forward to seeing what you thought of each of them!
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I love your lists! Some I have read, some I will be reading, and too many are on my TBR! Year One made my Top 10 list! I got Dread Nation for Christmas. You find out about some of the most interesting books.
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Thanks, Jessica! It’s always easy for me to come up with list ideas, but it’s so hard for me to figure out which books to list that I usually don’t do them. LOL The top reads list is a hard one to ignore, though. 😉
I’m thrilled that you’ll be reading Dread Nation! I loved that one so much, and I can’t wait to read the next book! Year One was a fantastic read, as well. Have you read Of Blood and Bone yet?
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Not yet- I have requested Of Blood and Bone on audio from the library0 so Ill getot it relatively soon.
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Oh, I bet this will be great in audiobook form. Do let me know what you think of the narrator once you’re able to get it. And I hope you won’t have to wait too long!
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I will! The wait shouldn’t be too long- I’m just #5!
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Awesome!
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I’m just about to start Maid so I’m thrilled to see it featured!
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That’s awesome, Janel! I liked it a lot, and especially loved the way she didn’t shy away from sharing things she did that (in hindsight) turned out to be unwise decisions. Her honestly was refreshing, and I think many people will be able to relate to her life’s story.
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COngrats on your reading ❤ And great titles, I’ve read some of them, a fave for me is Karin’s one!
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Thanks, Annie! 🙂 Pieces of Her was a great book!
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Wow, congrats on a fab reading year. I love how you read so many different genres. I think I read just 3 at most though mainly thrillers. I can’t wait to read Mother In Law especially after seeing it on your list of faves.
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Thanks, Diana! Years ago, I read historical romance almost exclusively… which is strange to think about now because I haven’t read one of those in years. LOL I just love a good story, and I don’t care what genre a book is as long as it sounds good. Book blogging has definitely expanded my reading horizons in a good way. 🙂
The Mother-in-Law was SO good! It was even better than I’d hoped it would be, and I can’t wait to share my review. I think you’ll love it, too!
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