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Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Show Us Your Books: Favorites of 2018


Life According to Steph


Today, Steph and Jana are hosting a special edition of Show Us Your Books to feature our favorite reads of the year. It was fun going back through my books from 2018 and remembering which ones I liked the best.



It's really hard for me to read about people who are wrongfully incarcerated. But I think they're important stories to read. They remind us that we need to continue to work to make our justice system better and more fair. It was both fascinating and heartbreaking to read about how Roy's incarceration affected his marriage to Celestial and his life as a whole. The characters were well-written and imperfect. I didn't always like them, but I found myself rooting for them regardless.




A serial killer was caught, in part, due to this book. While reading about the crimes was interesting, I was most enthralled by the snippets about Michelle's life and her research methods as she wrote the book. It's crazy to think how much time and energy she devoted to this case. I hope wherever she is in the afterlife, she's pleased to see the guilty party has been caught.




This story was so heartbreaking. I got teary-eyed more than once as I read the tale of siblings who were taken from their parents and put in an orphanage and then eventually separated through adoptions. It was a tragic tale and one that I'm sure really happened to some children during a period of time. It's probably still happening today.



The main character in this book is braver than I could ever be. And also a bit reckless. I almost called her foolish, but I don't think her mission (getting revenge for her sister's death) is stupid. I just couldn't believe the danger she put herself in to achieve it. I plowed through this book quickly, anxious to see if she was successful.


Whew. My favorite reads were all pretty heavy. In my next year of reading, I'm hoping to dive into some equally poignant reads but also balance it with some entertaining ones. I think both are important for me.


9 comments:

  1. I am SO SO glad you loved Sadie. It's on my list this year, too. See also: An American Marriage and I'll Be Gone in the Dark.

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  2. I have all of these on my list. Sadie is the only one I've read, but I loved it. And i'm no one for thrillers/mysteries normally. :) Glad you loved it! XO - ALexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

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  3. I absolutely loved Before We Were Yours! Happy New Year!

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  4. Before We Were Yours, Gone in the Dark, and Sadie are all on my TBR, so its great to see more positive reviews of them! I actually have Sadie on my bookshelf, I’ll have to read it when I’m off of my “holiday fiction” reads!

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  5. I really loved I'll Be Gone in the Dark, and I NEED to read An American Marriage and Sadie. I'm glad to see those on your list!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  6. I also loved an American Marriage. So relevant. Ill be reading Sadie soon since Ive seen so many good reviews.

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  7. I need to read Sadie - so many people are recommending it!

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  8. I'm happy to see An American Marriage on so many lists because the execution and writing were amazing but also for the reasons you listed about justice for all.

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  9. An American Marriage will be my first read for 2019!

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