Top 5 Books I Read in 2018

Books at the Stadsbiblioteket in Stockholm. Well worth a visit, even though all the books are in Swedish.

I’m so chuffed that I met my reading goal of 20 books in 2018!!! (And chuffed to have found an opportunity to credibly use the word “chuffed” for this post).

How I did it:

Life didn’t get any less busy this year, but I found other ways and moments to read.

The key to my success: I downloaded the Overdrive, Libby, and Kindle apps to my phone, so that I could rent books from the library and could read or listen to audiobooks in any spare moment — whether on the train, a long walk with Rocket the dog, in the car on the way to visit family, these became moments where I chipped away at my reading list.

These are some of the books I loved in 2018 (in no particular order)

• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid – A heartbreaking and beautiful story about love through hardship, the end of a relationship, and a story of immigration.

• Snobs by Julian Fellowes – If you love The Great Gatsby and Downton Abbey, you should give this one a try! Julian Fellowes (who wrote Downton Abbey), tells a story of a woman pursuing class and wealth, and love, in English high society. I was surprised to learn that the “landed gentry” class still exists in England and now I have new #lifegoals. Loved this as an audiobook!

• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – I’d been meaning to read this novel for a while, and it was beautiful, though very sad. I read it and was tearing up on Caltrain on the way to work reading this.

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson- Disturbing, mysterious, but fascinating and a total page-turner. I read this on planes and trains during our trip to Scandinavia this summer, as the book is set in Sweden. Definitely contains triggers for sexual violence, so read with caution.

• Severance by Ling Ma – A wonderful suggestion coming in close — I read it over the last 2 days of the year. This is a beautifully written apocalyptic novel that reflects on the experience of being an immigrant, the dream and reality of living in New York City, and survival and strength in the face of opposition. Highly reminded me of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, which is a huge favorite of mine!

Honorable Mentions: Finally read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

What were some of your favorite 2018 books that should be on my 2019 list? (Comment below!)

All the links in this post go to IndieBound, an online shop that benefits independent bookstores and I do get a tiiiiiny commission for sending you there.