2018 Reading

Well, well, well. Happy end of April to you; a fitting time to finally post my 2018 reading list! (You can find my lists for previous years here: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012. ) Not that anyone except my sister has been waiting for it, but I've been surprised by how much I like having a record of what I've read over the years so I wanted to make sure I finished this before the year is over.

Top Seven Recommendations

• Educated, by Tara Westover
• The Terrible Two, by Mac Barnett & Jory John
• Britt-Marie Was Here, by Fredrik Backman
• The Wild Robot Returns, by Peter Brown
• The Secret Keepers, by Trenton Lee Stewart
• Saints: The Standard of Truth 1815-1846
• The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

Fiction

• Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple (It has been a while, but I think I liked this one but didn't love it.)
• With Love From the Inside, by Angela Pisel (It has unfortunately been too long since I read this to say much, but I'm pretty sure it was really great.)
• A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman (At first I wasn't sure what all the hype was about, because I found it very slow-paced and a little difficult to get into. And then I really liked it.)
• My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, by Fredrik Backman (Good read.)
• Britt-Marie Was Here, by Fredrik Backman (This is a sequel to Grandmother and narrows in on one character, and I completely loved this one. I think you have to read the other one first to fully appreciate it though.)
• Beartown, by Fredrik Backman (Fair warning that this has a lot of bad language, but WOW.)
• Caroline: Little House, Revisited, by Sarah Miller (This is fiction, but based on Little House on the Prairie and told from the mother's perspective. I liked it a lot.)
• September 11: An Oral History, by Dean E. Murphy (So sad but so interesting. I was really glad I read it.)
• The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein (Maybe a little boring? I was sick; I can't say for sure.)
• Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie (Exactly what you would expect from an Agatha Christie novel.)
• To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (I absolutely LOVED reading this one again as an adult. If you only read it in a class years ago, it's worth reading with a new perspective. So good.)
• Jacob T. Marley, by R. William Bennett (Fun twist on A Christmas Carol. Really enjoyed.)
• The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood (This is really, really rough stuff. Important but I wouldn't recommend it unilaterally. Not sure if I'm glad I read it.)
• Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins (Absolutely HATED this book. Don't bother.)
• What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty (Okay, this isn't for everyone, but I liked it! It had a surprisingly profound impact on me and the way I view my relationships with others.)
• The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn (WWII fiction. This was good but also gritty.)
• The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson (If you really like fantasy, this book is amazing. The world-building is absolutely incredible. It took a bit for my brain to get into that world, but once I did, I really loved it. Sequels are also wonderful. If you don't like fantasy, well, this book is obviously not for you.)
• Words of Radiance, by Brandon Sanderson (Sequel to previous book.)
• Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson (Sequel to previous book.)
• Edgedancer, by Brandon Sanderson (Companion novella to previous books.)
• Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson (A different series that is also awesome if you like fantasy.) 
• A Dangerous Place, by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series; I enjoy these. If you read the first couple you'll know if it's your thing to get this deep into the series; ha.)
• Journey to Munich, by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series)
• To Die but Once, by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series)
• The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, by Alan Bradley (Part of the Flavia de Luce books--you've got to read the others first, but I love them. The series has nice development, so although there's always a crime to solve, there's a lot of other stuff going on as well.)

Nonfiction

• Educated, by Tara Westover (Absolutely loved this one. Read it! So much to discuss.)
• Saints: The Standard of Truth 1815-1846 (A new narrative history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--this is so, so, so good. Meticulously researched, written, and edited and absolutely engaging. You can find it for free to read online here or for free as a PDF or e-book download here.)
• Without You, There Is No Us, by Suki Kim (Another book about North Korea. This one didn't grab me as much as others, but it was still an interesting slice of North Korean life. I liked it.)
• The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide, by Jenna Fischer (I have no acting aspirations, but it was still super interesting to read all this behind-the-scenes stuff! Well written and fun.)
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, by Mindy Kaling (This was an enjoyable read, but I read it in the hospital and honestly don't remember much.) 
• A Lion and a Lamb, by Rand H. Packer (About a missionary couple called to re-establish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Palmyra, New York, in the early 1900s. Not the best writing, but wow, what an interesting aspect of Church history that I didn't know anything about!)
• One Light Still Shines, by Marie Monville (Written by the widow of the Amish school shooter from several years ago. Not sure if I would recommend it. Very interesting; I just honestly got tired of the narrator and the writing by the middle of the book.)

Middle Grade

• The Terrible Two, by Mac Barnett & Jory John (READ IT! It's brilliant and funny and by the time you get through with the whole series, also an incredible story about friendship.)
• The Wild Robot Returns, by Peter Brown (So, so, good! Oh, it's good. It's a sequel so read the other one first!)
• The Dark Deep, by Ally Condie & Brendan Reichs (Really great book!)
• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin (Beautiful book! Loved it.)
• Where the Watermelons Grow, by Cindy Baldwin (Also a wonderful book!)
• Five Kingdoms: Time Jumpers, by Brandon Mull (Last in a series--I like this one!)
• Dragonwatch, by Brandon Mull (A new series but a follow-up to Fablehaven--if you like that series you'll love this one too.)
• Beyonders: A World Without Heroes, by Brandon Mull (Fabulous!)
• Beyonders 2: Seeds of Rebellion, by Brandon Mull (Same.)
• Beyonders 3: Chasing the Prophecy, by Brandon Mull (Same.)
• The Candy Shop War, by Brandon Mull (You can tell I'm a mom because I wanted to shake the kids in this book. Ha. It's a really fun read. Not as high quality as other series but fun.) 
• The Candy Shop War: Arcade Catastrophe, Brandon Mull (Same.)
• Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarian, by Brandon Sanderson (I loved Sanderson's books for adults, but this was sort of meh for me. But Madeline loved it and read the whole series, so there's that.)
• The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart (This whole series is so, so great! Love it!)
• The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, by Trenton Lee Stewart (Love!)
• The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, by Trenton Lee Stewart (Love!)
• The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, by Trenton Lee Stewart (This one is a prequel to the others and also really great.)
• The Secret Keepers, by Trenton Lee Stewart (This book is awesome! It's a stand-alone novel, not at all related to the Benedict books, and it was simply wonderful.)

YA

• The Unexpected Everything, by Morgan Matson (Loved this one!)
• Since You've Been Gone, by Morgan Matson (Loved this one too.)
• The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas (This book is incredible and also super important given the race issues going on these days. The language is so so bad that I couldn't read parts of it though. I am bummed about that because otherwise I would say everyone should read it.)
• Once and For All, by Sarah Dessen (I liked this one.)
• The Seventh Most Important Thing, by Shelley Pearsall (Really good.)