I began 2018 as a newly retired teacher. However, I did not start my habit of reading until March. I was looking for a book club when I heard about #spiveysclub. It is an online book club that now has over 11,000 members. Usually the moderator of the club, Ashley Spivey, selects one book of the month to read, and the members vote on the second book. The club already has its selections through February, 2019. Then there is a date set aside each month to discuss the books. The club has a Facebook page. It is an extremely active page and members are always giving great book recommendations.
In April, I joined the Barnes & Noble Book Club. We met in May, August, and October. I liked the books that were chosen, the Barnes & Noble moderators, and the people in the club. We were also given beverages and snacks from the cafe. Barnes & Noble also offered a special edition of the book for the club at a reduced price. I haven't heard anything about book selections for 2019, but I keep checking their website for information.
I also joined the Book of the Month Club in September. They have excellent selections of books that are just being published. You also have the option of purchasing add-on books at a reasonable price.
Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Book Club also makes excellent monthly selections.
One Day in December was her December pick and it was also a Book of the Month Club selection.
When I started reading, I began using the Goodreads app. I already had it on my phone, and had used it sparingly. I could never get into the habit of reading during the school year; I only read on vacations. I decided in March to do a Reading Challenge on the app. So, I made my goal 12 books. I thought I could read one book a month. Remember, I started reading in March, so I was already two books behind. Well, something miraculous happened! I had to keep increasing my goal because I kept reading more and more! I ended up reading 70 books this year and meeting my goal. Click on the link below to see some of the statistics that Goodreads keeps on what you read. It has been a great motivator for me. All of the books I read this year are also included in the link below.
Goodreads 2018 Challenge
So, now to my Top Ten Books! This was tougher than I thought it was going to be. I read every book that I started this year, even if some books were slower than others. In the end, I am glad that I persevered though the books, because it helped me to stretch as a person and a reader. I tried not to have preconceived ideas about the books. I treated them as a fun assignment for myself.
Not all of the books on my list were published in 2018. Some are older, but I purposely did not include any books from
Harry Potter or the classics I read (
Pride and Prejudice and
To Kill a Mockingbird) on my list. However, those books would be classified as "must reads" on practically anyone's list!
I also read two full series of books, which I rated separately from the Top Ten. I did this because I loved all of the books in both series, and that would have accounted for 5 books!
Top Books in a Series
1.
Beartown and
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
2.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before,
P.S. I Still Love You,
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
Top Ten Books (Not in a Series)
1.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
2.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
3.
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
4.
The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
5.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
6.
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
7.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
8.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
9.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
10.
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Runners Up
1.
All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
2.
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
3.
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
4.
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
5.
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
6.
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
Now, I better get started on my new goal of 72 books for 2019! Happy reading, everyone!
