Top Reads Of 2018

Here we have it folks!

My best reads of 2018.  I’m aware that we all do these posts differently.  Some of use only include books that have already been published in 2018, some of us include any book we’ve read in 2018 regardless of whether it has been published yet.  Some of us do top 5, some of us do Top 10, some of us do as many as we chuffin’ well like!

So what i’m going to do is my Top 10 Books  of 2018 which have already been published and include a bonus 2 which will be published in 2019, something to look forward to eh?

For clarification I’m not doing a rundown of 10-1.  They are all amazing books and I cannot spend the time agonising over which one deserves which spot.  Just take it as read that all of the books mentioned are awesome!

I thought it might me an arduous task to select these 10 books but as it turns out it was quite easy.  I scrolled through my Goodreads and knew instantly which ones I should pick……the ones that give you ‘the feeling’ when you see their title or cover.  You know what I mean, I know you do.

So without any further ado (I’m sure we’ve all still got copious amounts of cheese and crackers to polish off right?!), lets get into the books….

Bitter by Francesca Jakobi – W&N

Aside from having a beautiful cover this book is amazing. My review is Here. Bitter is a book that I have recommended to so many other people and is a book I will continue to recommend. In fact I’ve never seen a negative review or even an ambivalent review. Only ever good things. It also helps that the author Francesca Jakobi is lovely. When an author is appreciative of what us book bloggers do that goes a long way.

Call Of The Curlew by Elizabeth Brooks – Doubleday

I was on the blog tour for this book and I am so glad I was! It may have passed me by otherwise and that would have been a travesty. My review is here. If you want an atmospheric dual timeline narrative then you need this book in your life. I believe it’s being republished by Tim House Books in January as The Orphan Of Salt Winds.

The Weaning by Hannah Vincent – Salt

I love Salt Publishing books and I went online to browse what books they had for their #justonebook campaign. I bought The Weaning based on the synopsis alone, I’d not heard anyone talking about it. It BLEW ME AWAY. Honestly I raced through it. My review is here.

Everything Under by Daisy Johnson – Jonathan Cape

This is a book I made no secret of adoring. I waxed lyrical allllll over Twitter and to be honest I was a little disappointed that Daisy Johnson didn’t win the Manbooker. I say ‘a little disappointed’ I think I threatened to flip tables if she didn’t win…..my review is here

Help The Witch by Tom Cox – Unbound

I credit this book with sparking my recent love of short story collections. Creepy, insidious, dark and gothic…..BUT also humorous and quirky. It was a perfect autumn/winter read and my review is here.

 

 Eggshells by Catriona Lally – The Borough Press

This book was an absolute treat. Vivian is probably one of my favourite ever characters in a book. Quirky, humorous but also heartbreaking. Everyone needs to let Vivian into their hearts. My review is here.

The Corset by Laura Purcell – Raven Books

This book is a perfect specimen of dark and gothic historical fiction. That’s it. End of story. Review here

Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller – Fig Tree

Just including this book in this post makes me want to go back and re-read it. Another book I would comfortably recommend to anyone. My review is here.

Little by Edward Carey – Gallic Belgravia

This book is like nothing I’ve ever read before. An absolute treat. I fell in love with Little and her bravery. The writing paired with the stunning illustrations make this book and absolute gem of literature. My review is here

Swan song by Kelleigh Greenberg Jephcott – Hutchinson

Not only is this book stunningly beautiful it’s an amazing tale. Charting the relationships between Truman Capote and his ‘Swans’. It’s glamourous, delicious and tantalising. My review is here.

Melmoth by Sarah Perry – Serpents Tail

I was so excited about this book and I was right to be. A dark, chilling, insidiously creepy triumph. My review is here.

I cannot end this post without a couple of ‘honourable mentions’ of sorts. There are 2 books which have not yet been published which blew me away and I feel I have to mention them here so that you can have them on your radar for next year.

Adéle by Leila Slimani – Faber & Faber

This darkly sexual novel had me gripped. I adored Lullaby and Adèle is just as compelling. I’m excited for the buzz that will surely surround this book. It’s due to be published in February 2019.

Things In Jars by Jess Kidd – Canongate

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you’ll know already that I have NOT SHUT UP about this book. It is just perfect! It’s published in April 2019 and I will champion it and recommend it and ADORE it always.

So there we have it!

Let me know if you’ve read and loved these books too.

What a year eh?!

See you all soon!

Bookish Chat xx