Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Best Books I Read in 2018



When you have read 415 books in a year, it's difficult to come up with a list of your top ten favorite books. You end up coming up with lots of little lists. 

Here, then, are my ten lists of my favorite reads of 2018.




 BEST PARIS BOOKS
The Paris Wedding
Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles
Spectacular Paris
Paris in the Present Tense
When Paris Sizzled



BEST PHILOSOPHY BOOKS
Sufi Book of Life
Almost Everything by Anne Lamott



BEST CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS AND BOARD BOOKS
(These will be announced on January 1, 2019.)




BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS 
(Excluding Children's Picture Books and Board Books)
Escape from Aleppo by N. H. Senzai
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Peanut Butter and Jelly by Ben Clanton
The Royal Rabbits of London
A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919
Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World
Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner
Apollo 8: The Mission that Changed Everything
The Little Barbarian by Renato Moriconi
Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows




BEST NONFICTION
American Wolf
God Save Texas
Tribe of Mentors
Italian Days by Barbara Grizzoli Harrison
Zen Camera
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness




BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black




BEST CLASSICS
Frankenstein
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
Their Eyes Were Watching God
My Friend Flicka
A Little Princess
Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino




BEST NEW FICTION
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
The Key to Treehouse Living
Laura & Emma
The Female Persuasion




BEST BOOKS-ABOUT-BOOKS
Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany
1000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustache




BEST COOKBOOKS
The Cook's Atelier
How to Bake by Paul Hollywood
Muffins & Biscuits: 50 Ways to Start Your Day With a Smile
The Essentials of Italian Classic Cooking 
Cooking with Nonna: More Than 100 Classic Family Recipes for Your Italian Table




And, finally, after much thought, my list of the best books I read in 2018:

#10 Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson


#9 The Cook's Atelier: Recipes, Techniques, and Stories from Our French Cooking School 
by Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini


#8 Unsheltered: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver


#7 The Library Book by Susan Orlean


#6 Italian Folktales selected by Italo Calvino


#5 The Sufi Book of Life: 99 Pathways of the Heart for the Modern Dervish


#4 God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State by Lawrence Wright


#3 Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount


#2 American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee


#1 Excellent Women by Barbara Pym




Have you read any of these?
What do you think of my choices?
What were your favorites of 2018? 
Please share your favorites with me.





Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.

16 comments:

  1. Glad to see you enjoyed Calvino's Italian Folk Tales. I've only read If on a Winter's Night...but look forward to getting to Folktales soon.

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  2. You had a great year in books! I have Leonardo da Vinci on audio am intimidated by its length. Happy New Year!

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  3. I'm going to be discussing God Save Texas with a book group later in the spring. Looking forward to it. I also want to read The Library Book. Happy New Year, Deb!

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  4. 415 books - I think I've just passed out! :)
    There are several of your favorites that are on my TBR list. Looks like I'll have some great books to look forward to. Wishing you a Happy New Year!

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  5. The one on your top 10 list that I most want to read is The Library Book. Happy New Year!

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  6. Every book you read, I want to read. Unsheltered is on my list, but now I have nine new books to add! My 2018 Favs Happy New Year!

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  7. Wow, 415 books is amazing! The Cruel Prince is on my top 10 books for the year. These look like great books!

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  8. Wow! 415 books!! Amazing!!! I really want to read the Cruel prince!

    Here’s my Top Ten Tuesday!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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  9. I’m still impressed that you read so much. I’m happy that a few books from my TBR are on your list. I’m especially excited for both of those scifi/fantasy books. Happy 2019!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  10. Oooh I love Calvino, but I haven't read his folktales. Interesting best-of list.

    Just posted my best of list here if you're interested: http://www.bookpunks.com/ten-great-books-read-2018/

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  11. Ooh, there are so many new-to-me books on your list and I'm definitely adding a few new layers to my TBR in terms of genres for 2019 based on some of your picks. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. This is quite an accomplishment.

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  13. This was such a fun post to read. So many good books! I am really hoping to get to The Library Book this year. I didn't get to Frankenstein as I hoped this past year, but maybe this time I will.

    I hope you have a wonderful 2019 in books, Deb!

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  14. Wow, what a reading year you had. I have been wanting to read more Barbara Pym for some time. Excellent Women as your book of the year.... I will look to getting to that one very soon. But I have quite the book hangover after Ghost Wall.

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