If you drew a picture of me–I would be holding a book.
I’m always reading a book or talking about a book or asking my friends if they’ve read any good books recently.
Sometimes?
I even have two or three books going at the exact same time.
Like right now, for example, I’m in the middle of Hillbilly Elegy and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
I can’t help it.
Someone recommends a book and it sounds so good and I have to start it right away.
How about you?
Are you a one book reader start to finish?
A two book reader?
Do you have to finish a book once you start or will you leave it unfinished if you don’t like it?
Inquiring book minds want to know.
So if you are a reader like me? Here are 10 books I LOVED this year (and a few honorable mentions, too).
1. The Gown
I put this book first because it gets a 10 out of 10 for me.
It’s the story of the construction of the gown for Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
It’s told from three different perspectives (two of the seamstresses). One is a refugee from World War II and one is a local seamstress from England and the third is one of the seamstress’s granddaughter. There’s a love story and a mystery. I don’t want to share much more because I don’t want to give any of the story away—but trust me—it’s SO GOOD.
You can see The Gown here.
2. Symphony of Secrets
This book is fascinating. I thought it was a true story and had to research it.
It’s actually a fictional story about a famous composer who is world-renown.
Decades after his death a professor discovers that might have not been the actual composer of his music. He sets out to determine (much to his peril) who the true composer is. It’s not really a mystery (you’ll figure it out it really quickly) but the tale is so fascinating and I couldn’t put it down.
You can see it here.
3. The Paris Apartment
I was surprised how much I like this book.
It kind of kicked off a little mystery book binge for me. It keeps you guessing and there’s a major twist at the end that I figured out right before it happened.
It’s about a girl named Jess who heads to Paris to stay with her brother to escape her challenges at home, but he’s not there when she gets there and then she’s trying to unravel the mystery of what’s going on with him and the apartment. (total aside: I feel like I didn’t do the description justice—it’s so much better than I’m making it sound.)
You can see The Paris Aparment here. 
4. The Second Life of Mirielle West
TWENTY of out 10 stars for this book.
One of you recommended it and it was SO GOOD.
It’s about the wife of a movie star who comes down with leprosy in the 1920s and she’s sent to live in a leper colony in Louisiana. Her personal journey is amazing and is so fascinating to glimpse inside the colony and learn more about that time period. It is such a good read.
You can see The Second Life of Mirielle West here.
5. Never Lie
See what I mean about a mystery kick?
Here’s another one. This book is from a new author to me, Freida McFadden.
I read another book by her that was good, but this is my favorites list and this one was my favorite.
A newlywed couple Ethan and Tricia go to look at a new house and discover a mystery when they arrive.
It has a GIANT twist at the end that literally made me GASP out loud.
You can see Never Lie here.
6. The Women
I read this way back at the beginning of the year when it first came out, but it’s stuck with me. It’s a gritty novel about nurses during the Vietnam War.
I didn’t really know much about the Vietnam War so I found it fascinating. It centers around a main character named Frankie who joins the Vietnam War as a nurse in the middle of Vietnam where some of the hardest fighting took place and it follows her journey with two different love stories and her experience both during the war and when she came home.
It’s so powerful and I couldn’t put it down.
Nine out of ten stars for me.
You can see it here.
7. Remarkably Bright Creatures
You are going to have to trust me on this one. I went outside of my comfort zone on this book because Remarkably Bright Creatures is about an octopus named Marcellus.
Someone recommended it to me and I’m so happy they did because the book is amazing. A woman named Tova who works the night shift at a local aquarium. She has suffered so much sadness and loss and is at a crossroads in her life and the octopus is instrumental in helping her heal. It’s kind of a mystery and a love story and a heartfelt story all rolled into one.
It’s such an amazing read and you can see it here.
8. A Dress of Violet Taffeta
I am about two chapters away from finishing this book.
It’s SO GOOD and I’d never heard of the author before.
I think it would make such a fun book club book because it’s a rags-to-riches story that takes place at the turn of the century and features the Titanic.
It has an amazing love story, too.
You can see A Dress of Violet Taffeta here.
9. The Midnight Library
Fun fact. My mother didn’t like this book. But I LOVED IT.
I love a story where you aren’t sure of the ending.
It’s a story about choices. Somewhere on the edge of the galaxy, there’s a library. The library is full of books that tell the stories of people’s lives—with different endings. Some are stories of their life as they know it. Some are stories of their life that could have been.
Nora Seed is faced with which story to choose.
And what makes life worth the living after all.
You can see The Midnight Library here.
10. First Lie Wins
Hands down my favorite book of the year.
I love a book that TOTALLY surprises me. I read this for book club (somewhat reluctantly) and I couldn’t put it down.
It’s a mystery within a mystery.
Evie Porter takes on the lives of other people because she works for a man called “Mr. Smith” who has a multitude of assignments for her.
The ending was so surprising that I had no idea and I LOVED it so MUCH.
You can see First Lie Wins here.
Here are a few honorable mentions:
- The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhorn (good but the main character seemed so self-righteous)
- The Silent Patient (so highly recommended but I was disappointed with the ending)
- Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand (so sweet—loved this one)
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (so good, but a hard read)
And there you have it.
All my favorites from the year that was.
Let’s keep it going. Let me know if you’ve read any of these and what you think or if you have a book I need to read.
I added all the books to a list on my Amazon storefront with some other books I really liked.
You can see it here.
PS How do you read books? Do you order them online? Check them out from the library? Go to the bookstore? I do all of the above. But lately, I’ve been using Cloud Library from my local library as well as Audible (if I can’t find the book at the library or if it’s on hold for a zillion months). Audible is really good if you go for a walk or are doing chores around the house. You can actually try it for FREE for 30 days. Here’s the sign-up if you are interested.
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