Over the course of 2018, I consumed books in a way that has sort of become habit, but has also become refuge. Here are some of my favorites.

Over the course of last year, I consumed books in a way that has sort of become habit, but has also become refuge. I’ve seen updates from so many people talking about how hard 2018 was personally, socially and politically. I empathize and, in many ways, agree. That said, when things got tough for me, I stuck my face between the pages of a book or popped in my ear buds and got lost in a story. Does that mean I missed out on what happened in 2018? I wish. But books were my safe place. And I share that despite the fact that in 2018, I explored some really tough topics via books. Two that stand out, and which also include some books worth recommending:

  • Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking: I assisted the Diverse Books Club in their book selection process for December, which focused on modern day slavery and human trafficking. Participating mean that I read a bunch of books to help narrow down contenders and then read the final selections. These were, as you might expect, among the hardest books I’ve ever read. They took me places emotionally and psychologically that I wouldn’t ever choose to go again. They also opened my eyes to things that are happening all around us and gave me ideas for how I might help prevent, or be less complicit in, these activities. (Buying chocolate is quite fraught.) Of the books I read about modern day slavery and human trafficking, the ones I’d most recommend are The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan, Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed and Sold by Patricia McCormick.
  • Refugees and Immigration: My ideas about immigration are informed by my politics, which are informed by my ideas of what is right and wrong. Books helps me expand my thoughts by challenging my assumptions, giving my insight into other perspectives and reinforcing some of my assumptions. The books I most loved were The Boat People by Sharon Bala and The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes Next by Clemantine Wamariya.

While these more serious topics peppered my 2018 in books, I also read about awesome young adults (check out Ahisma by Supriya Kelkar), explored magic (courtesy of Niel Gaiman and books like A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab and The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert), enjoyed an awful lot of mysteries (via Agatha Christie and the indomitable Phyrne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood) and found treasures that I will be recommending for a long time (like Less by Andrew Sean Greer and the adorable The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce).

Throughout 2018 I consumed 145 books. Some I listened to, and thank goodness because I don’t think I could have conquered Anna Kerenina otherwise, and because Alan Bradley’S Flavia de Luce novels, as read by Jayne Entwhistle, are pure delight. Others I read in physical form, borrowing heavily from the library or through the Book of the Month club. You can find my full list of books on Goodreads, but I’ve listed out some of my favorites below.

Four- and Five-Star Books from 2018:* **

  1. Ahisma by Supriya Kelkar
  2. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
  3. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
  4. Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
  5. American Gods by Niel Gaiman
  6. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
  7. Brass by Xhenet Aliu
  8. Breakout by Kate Messner
  9. Caleb and Kit by Beth Vrabel
  10. Calypso by David Sedaris
  11. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
  12. Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough
  13. The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie
  14. The Astonish Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
  15. The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard
  16. The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King
  17. The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
  18. The Boat People by Sharon Bala
  19. The Convenience Story Woman by Sayaka Murata
  20. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
  21. Dear Martin by Nic Stone
  22. Far From the Tree by Robin Benway
  23. The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
  24. The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya
  25. The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
  26. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Therouz
  27. The Guns of Navarone by Alistair MacLean
  28. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
  29. Heart Berries: A Memoir by  Teresa Marie Mailhot
  30. In One Person by John Irving
  31. Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
  32. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
  33. Less by Andrea Sean Greer
  34. The Library Book by Susan Orlean
  35. The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk
  36. The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
  37. The Night Diary by Verra Hiranandani
  38. The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
  39. The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain
  40. The Right Hook of Devin Velma
  41. Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
  42. Sparrow by Sarah Moon
  43. This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
  44. Three Daughters of Mafam Liang by Peral S. Buck
  45. The Train of Lost Things by Ammi-Joan Paquette
  46. The Ultimatum by Dick Wolf
  47. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
  48. The Vanderbeekers of 171st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
  49. The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
  50. The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
  51. Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott
  52. Sold by Patricia McCormick

* In the past I’ve been critiqued for being too stingy with my stars, so I tried to be a little kinder this past year. I think it worked!

** My hope for 2019 is that we end the trend of having Girls in titles. If they’re adults, they’re women. No matter what an uplifting, empowering story you might tell, calling the heroines girls in the titles lessons the story you’re sharing.