My 2018 Book Review

In 2018, I have read 42 books. I like to read fiction but there were also some autobiographies, Christmas books, and quite a few historical fiction books. Of these 42 books: 

• 8 were audio books
• 3 were read-aloud to the children (of course there were many more books were read to them but these are longer chapter books): The Wizard of Oz; Pippi Longstocking; The One and Only Ivan
• 8 were historical fiction: Orphan Train; Winter Garden; The Zookeeper's Wife; I was Anastasia; Yellow Crocus; The Book Thief; All The Light We Cannot See; Als wir unsterblich waren
• 5 were autobiographies: Sister's First, Confessions of a domestic failure, Three Cups of Tea, Lion: A long way home, Hourglass
• 6 were Christmas stories : Winter Stroll/ Storms/ Solstice; Christmas Masquerade; Winter in Paradise, Catching Christmas
• 7 were psychological thrillers/ suspense: Not that I could tell; Behind closed doors; An unwanted guest; The Chemist; The Couple Next Door; Nine Perfect Strangers; The Girl Before
• 12 novels/ fiction: After You; Still Me; A Man Called Ove; Britt-Marie was here; Us Against You; The Alchemist; The Great Alone; The Next Person You Meet in Heaven; The Good House; Uncommon Things (by Tom Hanks); Little Fires Everywhere; And Every Morning...
• 1 Teen Novel: 13 Reasons Why 

From the following authors, I read multiple books this year and often, I have read them in the past years as well: 

• Fredrik Backman (fiction)
• Elin Hildebrand (Winter Stroll Series)
• Jojo Meyers (romance novels)
• Shari Lapena (psychological thriller)

My top reads of the year 2018 are as follows. As you can tell, I like to read historical fiction, mostly about WW II and women who gave their all for their loved ones. 

• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - Ove: a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Death is the storyteller, which is quite a different viewpoit to get used to. But since it is 1939 and Nazi Germany, Death is very occupied until he meets Liesel Meminger. 
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - The story of a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II
• The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight novels, which I do not care for) - A gripping page-turner about an ex agent on the run from her former employers, who must take on one more case to clear her name and save her own life.
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate - Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this novel is told from the point of view of Ivan himself and how he became friends with an elephant, a dog, and a little girl.
• Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - Heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. 
• Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim - The story of Lisbeth and her enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. 
• Als Wir Unsterblich Waren by Charlotte Roth (German author) - The great German family saga: brilliantly researched, perceptibly authentic and full of passion. The story of the clever and brave Paula, who fights for women's and workers' rights in the 1920s - and falls in love with an immortal "comrade" from an upscale family. Many decades later, her granddaughter unravels the secret of her grandmother's story. 
• The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman - A true story in which the keepers, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, of the Warsaw Zoo managed to save over three hundred people from the Nazis by hiding refugees in the empty animal cages. 

Honestly, I really enjoyed the following books as well and often times, thoughts about these books still linger many months after I read them:

• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
• Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng 
• Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Sequel to Beartown)
• Britt-Marie was here by Fredrik Backman
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
• Sisters First by Jenna and Barbara Busch
• The Girl Before by JP Delaney
• I was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhorn

I also read/ listened to a couple of books that were not horrible but scored the lowest on my chart: 

• Lion: A long way home by Saroo  Brierley - it was too slow moving for my taste and the book started with the ending, so what is the point of reading it???
• Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro - autobiography that jumped everywhere and was repetitive in a lot of ways

I also have an ever-growing list of books to read and I hope that this year, I will be able to finish at least 40 books. For some this does not seem a lot but given that I had a couple of months were I only finished one book, this goal is achievable for me. Reading is a pleasure and should never become a must-do thing. This also does not include any children's book we read-alouds around the breakfast table. If you have any great book recommendations for me; please let me know. 

HAPPY READING, EVERYONE!