July 10, 2018
Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Favorite Books So Far in 2018
Linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday.
It’s the midway point of the year and time for me to start evaluating my most loved reads of the year so far. For me, these are the books that give me a “book hangover” …. meaning I think about them long after I’ve read the last page. Not all these books will make it onto my 2018 Top Ten Reads of the Year List, but I’ll definitely pull from this list.
If you find yourself looking for a great summer read, consider one of these titles.
The first book in the list below is my favorite read of the year so far with the others arranged in descending order. Titles are Amazon affiliate links, and I’ve included links to my full reviews.
A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
(contemporary fiction)
This shattered my 5 star meter and is my favorite read of the year. I became totally immersed in this family story of faith, parenthood, and sibling relationships. Full Review Here 5+ Stars.
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
(historical fiction, fictionalized biography)
For fans of Alexander Hamilton: The Musical, a comprehensive and fictionalized biography of his wife, Eliza. 5 Stars. This was my favorite read of the year until I read A Place For Us. Full Review Here.
From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon
(historical fiction, WW11)
Ranking near the top of my favorite list is this memorable and intriguing story of WW11, a Catholic priest, and a Jewish girl. 5 Stars. Full Review Here.
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
(historical fiction, WW11)
What makes this story extra compelling is that it’s based on the real WW11 experiences of the author’s family and I appreciated its strong themes of faith and family. 5 Stars. Full Review Here.
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
(YA historical fiction, WW11)
This is an engaging, page turning, and unique story of a brave teenage girl’s daring determination to help run a secret school and underground library in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. 4.5 Stars. Full Review Here.
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
(fiction…with qualities of fable)
A touch of magical realism and romance as readers learn about the life of Frankie Presto and his special music gift. 5 Stars. Full Review Here.
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
(contemporary fiction, London)
Readers who adore quirky characters will enjoy meeting Frank, owner of an eccentric music shop in a run down suburb of London, as he faces his relationship fears and does his part to preserve the vinyl record industry. 5 Stars. Full Review Here.
Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor
(light historical fiction, WW1, England)
Readers who love the epistolary format and the easy reading quality of Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, will adore this WW1 story which also includes a bit of romance through letter writing. 5 Stars. Full Review Here.
The Way of Beauty by Camille Di Maio
(light historical fiction, New York City)
New York City lovers will especially appreciate this story set in NYC with its themes of the Suffragette Movement and historic Penn Station. 4.5 Stars. Full Review Here.
As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meissner
(light historical fiction, Spanish Flu, Philadelphia)
Readers who are looking for an interesting and easy reading light histfic story about the Spanish Flu in Philadelphia might enjoy this heartfelt family story. 4 Stars. Full Review Here.
Happy Reading Bookworms!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection!
Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
My Summer TBR
I’ll be updating my Summer TBR list as I complete each read, so check this link often!
(So far I’ve read a handful, and I’ve only abandoned one)
Links I Love:
Save the date: August 10! Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society movie is coming to Netflix! (trailer here)
Tips for parents about reading with children: Read Brightly: 15 Tips For Starting a Lifelong Conversation About Books
Looking Ahead:
Friday I’m excited to bring you a review of the best book I’ve read so far this year: A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza.
.
Sharing is Caring
Thank you for reading today! I’d be honored and thrilled if you choose to enjoy and follow along, promote, and/or share my blog. Every share helps us grow.
Let’s Discuss!
Have you read any of these titles? What are your favorite reads of the year so far?
What are you reading this week?
***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price. This money will be used to offset the costs of running a blog and to sponsor giveaways, etc.
Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.
Book Cover and author photos are credited to Amazon or an author’s website.
So glad to hear The librarian of Auswitts ( can’t spell that word) is amazing!
It’s a remarkable story! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping in and commenting Tiana!
Ooh I will have to check out the Hamilton one!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/07/10/top-ten-tuesday-167/
It was fascinating! It does include a fair amount of history also. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping in and commenting and leaving your link! https://readingladies.com/2018/07/10/10-favorite-books-so-far-in-2018/
Ah that’s great to hear, I love history-I’m a history student! No problem 🙂
In that light, I think you’ll love it!
I’m sure I will!
My Dear Hamilton sounds like a good read.
This is our Top Ten Tuesday.
It was fascinating! It does include a fair amount of history also. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping in and commenting and leaving your link! https://readingladies.com/2018/07/10/10-favorite-books-so-far-in-2018/
These all look great! I really want to read The Librarian of Auschwitz 😊
My TTT: https://lifewithallthebooks.com/2018/07/10/top-ten-tuesday-best-books-ive-read-in-2018-so-far/
It’s an engaging unforgettable story of a daring and brave girl! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping in and commenting and leaving your link!
I haven’t read any of the books featured in your post. But the covers look cool!!
I selected the freebie topic and chose the top ten book festivals I’d love to attend here in the USA. Here’s a link to my TTT post for this week: https://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2018/07/top-ten-tueday-ttt-throwback-freebie.html?showComment=1531236356028#c2173527157270187754
Cool covers and excellent reading! We probably read in different genres!
Your list of book festivals is a fun goal! Love it!
Thanks for stopping in and commenting! Happy reading!
I’m glad you liked A Place for Us. I’m curious about that book, but I haven’t picked it up yet.
I loved all the themes! Check back on Friday for my full review! Thanks for stopping in and commenting!
I really want to read A Place for Us.
I hope you’ll love it as much as I did! Thanks for stopping in and commenting!
We Were the Lucky Ones has been on my list for some time; I just love books like that.
It’s a great story! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Thanks for commenting!
So many good titles Carol!! I’ve only read a couple of these. Love having recommendations I can trust. Know what I mean?? thanks! xox
Thanks for your kind words! I loved all of these….. let me know if you decide to read something from this list! Happy reading!
I will Carol! thanks for the suggestions! xo
My pleasure!
Fantastic post 🙂
Thanks for stopping in and commenting!
Thanks for reading!