We're already getting well into 2019 now so before we're too far in I wanted to recap some of my favourite books of last year. I ended up with around 10 books that I rated 5 stars on Goodreads throughout the year but I managed to narrow it down to my top 5. If you listened to our last episode of Rants and Reviews you would've heard what I chose but I'm still convinced that these may not actually be my top 5, I just can't choose!
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
This has been a big one of the year, everyone seems to have read it and everyone seems to have really liked it. I really enjoyed the way the story was told, through the eyes of Starr because it really gets you involved and tangles your feelings in a knot. Some stories are told in a way where you feel like a fly on the wall but this one you're Starr, you feel everything she feels and yes I even cried. It's so realistic even to the point of the family dynamics and everyday life which makes it incredibly believable and it's such an important topic which very much relates to what's happening at the current time. Full review here
What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Honestly, I began this book feeling a little awkward. It seemed a bit cliché and over the top in some sense with the boys meeting and then basically falling in love at first sight. That added to the fact that they only had a summer, everything felt rushed. I didn’t think I was going to like this book because of all that, but I continued and thankfully I did because it was excellent! Clichés and real life aside, I did enjoy it. I can’t really remember the last time I spent half a novel with a big cheesy smile on my face because of all the cuteness and relatable dorkiness. Full review here
The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan
I'm slightly cheating with this one as technically the series is five books, but I rated all of them highly and they do sort of go together. Plus I haven't actually finished the series so I don't know if I can get away with this. Either way, I feel like I've spent the past year raving about Rick Riordan and his books so of course, I had to include them in here. Anything greek mythology goes straight to the top of my list and the thing I love about Rick Riordan books because they're aimed at kids/teens, is the stories make the sometimes hard to understand greek myths easy to follow and remember. Plus the adventure and drama added to it all is excellent!
Ready Player One
I just loved the story so much; the competition, the friendship, the idea of 'internet friends' and the normalised internet space/way of living. While you could predict the ending you were thrown many curveballs that made you reconsider your decision again and again. I really enjoyed how normal it was to have friends who you didn't know who they were in real life, you knew their online personality and didn't bat an eyelid when they looked different to their avatar when you finally met. That I enjoyed. Full review here
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
I freaking loved this book so much and I knew I would after Anjali, Ria, and Erin all loved it and forced me to bump it up my TBR pile. I'm so glad I did as it was just great, and fulfilled that Dystopian need I had in me. There's a lot of futuristic dystopian stories around so it's hard to come up with something new but this is new and refreshing and a truly great read that makes you think a fair bit. I really enjoyed Citra's character (yes I was rooting for her the entire time) and the character relationship between Citra and Scythe Faraday, it was just a really great read and out of all of the books here the one I'd recommend to you first. Plus the sequel Thunderhead is also great!
