8 Best Books of 2018

I know we’re not quite halfway through December and there’s still plenty of reading time left. Still, I thought I’d share my best of the year list today.

I haven’t divided my selections into audiobooks and print or into genres. And what’s more, I have only 8 titles on my 2018 list. Although I read plenty of books I liked and many I’d recommend, when I went through my reviews, these are the books that really jumped out and made me say, "Oh, yeah—that was a great book."

So here, in alphabetical order, are my top 8 reads of the year. The links lead to my reviews/thoughts.

• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s Press): a novel set in Alaska in the 1970s. I liked the difficult themes (PTSD, domestic violence) and the tribute to the stark and beautiful Alaskan landscape.
• Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books): a novel about a group of special-needs sixth graders, set in New York. Through the voices of the children we learn how many of the larger contemporary social issues affect even the most innocent.
• The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara (Ecco): a novel set in New York at the start of the AIDS epidemic (based on true events). A heartbreaking story of the Latino ball scene and the boys and men who were rejected by their families and society, left resource-less with few options for survival.
• How Long ’Til Black Future Month? by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit): a collection of short stories; speculative fiction. The powerful and fully realized pieces in this book explore feminism, fertility, being different, motherhood, and other themes universal to Jemisin’s work.

• I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara (Harper Books): investigative journalism; true crime. An engaging yet graphic account of the search for the Golden State Killer; includes details on the crimes, victims, and suspects.
• Look Alive Out There by Sloan Crosley (Macmillan): a collection of personal essays. Through sharp observations and a dose of humor, Crosley explores adulting in contemporary New York.
• Only Killers and Thieves by Paul Howarth (Harper Books): a novel set in the Australian outback in the late 19th century. A coming-of-age story of two very different brothers finding their place in a harsh world in the aftermath of a family tragedy.
• Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison (Viking): a novel set in Rocky Mountains in the 1880s. The story of survival, choices, and consequences as a young woman searches for her brother, an outlaw with a bounty on his head. A fresh look at the lawless American west.