Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a different question for book bloggers to ponder over.
This week's topic:
BEST BOOKS I READ IN 2018
I am going to feature the best books/book series that I read in 2018. I actually had quite an incredible reading year. I had a ton of 5-Star reads! I think that the reason behind this is because I stopped forcing myself to read and started reading what my mood dictated. I went through a paranormal romance phase and stuck to those kinds of books. I ventured into reverse harem books and read those for a while. I also went through a reread phase this year which was awesome! I got to reread some of my favorite book series. So instead of signing up for blog tours and requesting ARCs I focused on reading for my own enjoyment. I also let go of the guilt when I failed to read what I had planned. I always make a TBR before the start of a new month and I would always have severe guilt about not sticking to it. At the end of 2018 I let go of that guilt and made my TBR more fluid and changeable. If I didn't get to a book on it then it was cool. If I read a book that wasn't on it then I would just add it to my list. The bottom line is that when I read what I want and what I am feeling then I tend to enjoy more books!
Here is the list of my top ten favorite books and book series. (Because I am a serial series reader.) Click the book cover to get to the book on Goodreads.
1.
The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1)
by Holly Black
This book is the one that was stuck in my head ALL YEAR LONG. I could not get it out of my head. It bordered on obsession really. I am sure that I am not the only one though. :P
2.
Darkness Series, Collector Series, & the Lightness Saga
by Stacey Marie Brown
These three book series are almost indescribable. Each series is a different part of a larger story. (So I'm counting them as one series, ha!) Kind of like the Shadowhunter books by Cassandra Clare, but these are more chronological. All of the characters across all of the series come together in the last book of the third series. All of these books were 5-Star reads for me. Enough said.
3.
The Royals Series
by Erin Watt
This book series was so addicting! I read the entire series TWICE in one month! SO GOOD!
4.
Shattered Love Series
by Stacey Marie Brown
After reading the Darkness series, the Collector series, and the Lightness Saga by Stacey Marie Brown I knew that I would be reading her catalog. This series was a contemporary book series which isn't one of my go-to genres. With this book series and a few others that I read in 2018, I discovered a love for a certain kind of contemporary book when I didn't care for it before. So yay for new discoveries! I am excited for the third book to come out which will feature one of the side characters from the first two books.
5.
Lux Series
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pretty much everyone that reads YA fantasy or paranormal books has read this series. I was the last one on the boat with this one, but I am glad that I finally read it! This was my first experience with this author and I am now a huge fan!
6.
The Messenger Chronicles Series
by Pippa DaCosta
This series is the perfect example of what I enjoy about reverse harem books. It has a slow-burn romance and complex characters that have a good backstory. It has a BELIEVABLE romantic angle instead of just, "Oh, you're hot so let's add you to my humping rotation". This is a series that I will definitely want to reread. I can't wait for the final book in April!
7.
The Guild Codex: Spellbound Series
by Annette Marie
I will read ANYTHING this woman writes! She leaves fairy dust on every story that she creates. This series was different from the books that she has previously released, but I didn't love it any less. She released two books in this series in 2018 and I read them both twice and skimmed them both a third time.
8.
Spell Weaver Series
by Annette Marie
Yes, another series by Annette Marie. She's that damn awesome. I held off on reading this until all three books were released. This series is a prequel series to her Steel & Stone series. (Which is one of my all-time favorite series and I also reread the entire series after reading this one!)
9.
Seven Realms Series
by Cinda Williams Chima
I very much enjoyed this series. These books definitely stayed on my mind throughout the year.
10.
The Infernal Devices Series
by Cassandra Clare
I finally got around to reading this series and it blew me away!
And there you have it! My favorite reads from 2018. Have you read any of the titles listed above? Feel free to leave the link to your Top Ten Tuesday post!
My name is Vanessa a.k.a. Queen Alchemy. I am a 30-something-year-old mother of four nerdy, fantastic children. We live in the Midwest. I have a reading addiction, and I hope that I never recover! I'm the hugest nerd you can find with interests not limited to the following: comics (Batman and Captain America for the win!), science, computers, zombies, unicorns, Harry Potter, cartoons from the 80's & 90's, Frankenstein, history, crafting, cooking & baking, Star Wars, digital scrapbooking, D&D, Minecraft, Hello Kitty, horror, metalcore, royalty, tattoos & piercings, bright colors, and so much more!
