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So far this year, I’ve read one hundred and one books. I know- it’s crazy. It’s more exciting because my goal was 52. For the past two years, I’ve set a 100 books goal and made it, but just. After last year, I was TIRED, so tired, I considered not setting a goal at all, but I decided to set a goal for 52- one book every week, easy peasy. It’s true what they say- small goals work. Anyway, it’s a bit premature, but I thought I’d do my top books of the year, for people looking to buy books as gifts or whatever. If I read another amazing book, I’ll update this list at the end of the year.
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The Farm- Joanna Ramos
Synopsis- Ambitious businesswoman Mae Yu runs Golden Oaks - a luxury retreat transforming the fertility industry. There, women get the very best of everything: organic meals, fitness trainers, daily massages and big money. Provided they dedicate themselves to producing the perfect baby. For someone else.
Jane is a young immigrant in search of a better future. Stuck living in a cramped dorm with her baby daughter and her shrewd aunt Ate, she sees an unmissable chance to change her life. But at what cost?
My thoughts- I loved this book so much, I dropped it occasionally to run round the room in excitement because the author is just so good with words. I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) and was dying for it to come out so everyone could read it. The book is diverse and the characters and their motivations are complex, but the complexity isn’t forced down your throat. Definitely one of my top reads this year.
Where to buy- Amazon UK
Her Royal Highness - Rachel Hawkins
Synopsis- Millie Quint is devastated when she discovers that her sort-of-best friend/sort-of-girlfriend has been kissing someone else. Heartbroken and ready for a change of pace, Millie decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools . . . the farther from Houston the better. Soon, Millie is accepted into one of the world's most exclusive schools, located in the rolling highlands of Scotland. Here, the country is dreamy and green; the school is covered in ivy, and the students think her American-ness is adorable. The only problem: Mille's roommate Flora is a total princess. She's also an actual princess. Of Scotland. At first, the girls can't stand each other, but before Millie knows it, she has another sort-of-best-friend/sort-of-girlfriend. Princess Flora could be a new chapter in her love life, but Millie knows the chances of happily-ever-afters are slim . . . after all, real life isn't a fairy tale . . . or is it?
My thoughts- This book took me out of a reading slump. It was so easy to read and the plot was fresh (I know it sounds like the most cliché plot ever but somehow the author managed to make it fresh). It’s one of my favourite reads this year for enjoyability alone!
Where to buy- amazon
More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say)- Elaine Welteroth
Blurb- In this part-manifesto, part-memoir, the revolutionary editor who infused social consciousness into the pages of Teen Vogue explores what it means to come into your own – on your own terms.
My thoughts- I have to say, I had never followed Elaine Welteroth’s career, I found out about her from Project Runway. When her book was released, I realised I hadn’t picked up enough non-fiction, so I decided to read it and I was really pleased. Her trajectory is very interesting, becoming the youngest editor in chief at Conde Nast by the time she was 30 and for once, she actually detailed how she got there. In these memoirs, people often gloss over their path to success by Elaine does not, including lucky breaks, her hard work and people that helped along the way. It’s not all work though, she also talks about romantic relationships (past and present), family and friendship. Very easy and enjoyable read.
Where to buy- amazon
Big Magic- Elizabeth Gilbert
Synopsis-Whether you long to write a book, create art, cope with challenges at work, embark on a long-held dream, or simply to make your everyday life more vivid and rewarding, Big Magic will take you on a journey of exploration filled with wonder and unexpected joys. Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now, this beloved author shares her wisdom and unique understanding of creativity, shattering the perceptions of mystery and suffering that surround the process – and showing us all just how easy it can be.
My thoughts- I’m a fan of books that just give you a boost of inspiration and that’s why I like this. Elizabeth Gilbert talks about overcoming fear in the creative process and actually doing your work- a struggle that at least 80 percent of creative people face! In fact, she might be part of the reason why this post is written and published right now! It’s a short book, under 200 pages, so it’s the perfect length to read quickly and get to work.
Where to buy- amazon
Technically, You started It- Lana Wood Johnson
Blurb-A hilarious, snarky, and utterly addicting #ownvoices debut that explores friendship, sexual orientation, mental health, and falling in love (even if things might be falling apart around you).
My thoughts- I really loved this book. Part of it was the epistolary format (the entire book is in text messages) and the rest of it is just enjoying the characters and their relationship. It was all just very enjoyable.
Where to buy- amazon
Love Double Dutch- Doreen Spicer-Dannelly
Synopsis-Brooklyn middle-schooler MaKayla can only think about one thing--taking her double Dutch team all the way to the National Jump-off at Madison Square Garden. That is, until her mother breaks the news. Kayla has to spend the summer at her aunt's house in North Carolina while her parents work out their problems . . . or decide to call it quits.
Kayla does not feel at home in the South, and she certainly doesn't get along with her snooty cousin Sally. It looks like her Jump-off dreams are over.
Hold the phone! Turns out, double Dutch is huge in the South. She and Sally just need to find two more kids for a team. And a routine. And the confidence to stand up to the double Dutch divas who used to be Sally's BFFs. Time to show those Southern belles some Brooklyn attitude!
My thoughts- another middle grade book on my list of faves. Middle grade books are aimed at 8-12 year olds and I must be 10 in my heart, because I really fell in love with them this year. You know those movies that were all the rage in the noughties where there would be come kind of competition- cheerleading, dancing, jump rope, spelling, whatever and then the main character would have to overcome obstacles to get to the finish line, this was exactly like that, and it was a very fun journey.
Where to buy-amazon
For Black Girls like me- Cariama J. Lockington
Synopsis-Makeda June Kirkland is eleven years old, adopted, and black. Her parents and big sister are white, and even though she loves her family very much, Makeda often feels left out. When Makeda's family moves from Maryland to New Mexico, she leaves behind her best friend, Lena— the only other adopted black girl she knows— for a new life. In New Mexico, everything is different. At home, Makeda’s sister is too cool to hang out with her anymore and at school, she can’t seem to find one real friend.
Through it all, Makeda can’t help but wonder: What would it feel like to grow up with a family that looks like me?
My thoughts- the fact that this book was based a bit on the author’s actual life made it that much more deep. I have never read a story with this specific plot before and it really made me think of things I hadn’t thought of before. There are a lot of stories about not fitting into your family, but the idea of literally, obviously standing out in this way was an interesting subject to explore.
Where to buy- amazon
The Revolution of Birdie Randolph- Brandy Colbert
Synopsis- Dove "Birdie" Randolph works hard to be the perfect daughter and follow the path her parents have laid out for her: She quit playing her beloved soccer, she keeps her nose buried in textbooks, and she's on track to finish high school at the top of her class. But then Birdie falls hard for Booker, a sweet boy with a troubled past...whom she knows her parents will never approve of.
When her estranged aunt Carlene returns to Chicago and moves into the family's apartment above their hair salon, Birdie notices the tension building at home. Carlene is sweet, friendly, and open-minded--she's also spent decades in and out of treatment facilities for addiction. As Birdie becomes closer to both Booker and Carlene, she yearns to spread her wings. But when long-buried secrets rise to the surface, everything she's known to be true is turned upside down.
My thoughts- this had all the things I loved about young adult fiction. True growth and kind of that first step that makes you glimpse what adult life will truly be like. I loved the imperfect characters and the way the story broke the mould of the typical girl meets boy falls in love and nothing else important happens.
Where to buy- amazon
Frankly in Love- David Yoon
Synopsis- Frank Li is caught between his parents' expectations and his own California life. Frank's parents emigrated from Korea, and have pretty much one big rule for Frank - he must only date Korean girls. But Frank has fallen for Brit, who is smart, beautiful and white. His friend Joy Song is in the same boat and so they make a pact: they'll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks fake-dating is the perfect plan, but it leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love - or himself - at all.
My thoughts- when I say I came for one story and left with something completely different! This book is so much deeper, more thoughtful and way more interesting than the blurb suggests. The story speaks on the American immigrant experience, not fitting in, complex family dynamics, sexuality and taking responsibility for your choices on the way into adulthood.
Where to buy- amazon
The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney- Okechukwu Nzelu
Synopsis-As Nnenna Maloney approaches womanhood she longs to connect with her Igbo-Nigerian culture. Her once close and tender relationship with her mother, Joanie, becomes strained as Nnenna begins to ask probing questions about her father, who Joanie refuses to discuss.
Nnenna is asking big questions of how to 'be' when she doesn't know the whole of who she is. Meanwhile, Joanie wonders how to love when she has never truly been loved. Their lives are filled with a cast of characters asking similar questions about identity and belonging whilst grappling with the often hilarious encounters of everyday Manchester.
My thoughts- what a delightful read. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I pre-ordered this because it was by a Nigerian (duh). The story I got was so much more layered than I expected. It’s really a story on identity, a struggle that all the characters share. Even though Nnenna is trying to connect to a Nigerian identity, this book is not a Nigerian story. It is far more accurate to think of it as a British story. Very very very good book.
Where to buy- amazon
In Five Years- Rebecca Serle
Synopsis-Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Kohan has been in possession of her meticulously crafted answer since she understood the question. On the day that she nails the most important job interview of her career and gets engaged to the perfect man, she's well on her way to fulfilling her life goals.
That night Dannie falls asleep only to wake up in a different apartment with a different ring on her finger, and in the company of a very different man. The TV is on in the background, and she can just make out the date. It's the same night - December 15th - but 2025, five years in the future.
It was just a dream, she tells herself when she wakes, but it felt so real... Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.
That is, until four and a half years later, when Dannie turns down a street and there, standing on the corner, is the man from her dream...
My thoughts- again, this is one that has a misleading synopsis - when I requested this ARC, I really thought it would be this time travel love story. It turned out to actually mostly be a story about friendship and relationships - I was completely surprised but in a good way.
Where to buy- amazon (to be released March 2020)
We Used to be Friends- Amy Spalding
Synopsis-Told in dual timelines half of the chapters moving forward in time and half moving backward We Used to Be Friends explores the most traumatic breakup of all: that of childhood besties. At the start of their senior year in high school, James (a girl with a boy's name) and Kat are inseparable, but by graduation, they re no longer friends. James prepares to head off to college as she reflects on the dissolution of her friendship with Kat while, in alternating chapters, Kat thinks about being newly in love with her first girlfriend and having a future that feels wide open. Over the course of senior year, Kat wants nothing more than James to continue to be her steady rock, as James worries that everything she believes about love and her future is a lie when her high-school sweetheart parents announce they re getting a divorce. Funny, honest, and full of heart, We Used to Be Friends tells of the pains of growing up and growing apart.
My thoughts- I requested this ARC because I am a sucker for a book about friendship and this book over delivered, wow! It explored the complexity of how friendships fall apart and how one day, your best friend could be the closest person to you and the next, they could be a complete stranger. Loved loved loved and I hope for more books about friendship.
Where to buy-amazon (to be released Feb, 2020)
My Top Books of 2018
Since I didn’t get round to reviewing books in 2018, I thought I’d throw in some books I loved from last year as well.
Except you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of My Sister the Serial Killer and it absolutely lives up to the hype. Don’t expect complex writing, all the joy is in the easy to read prose. Buy here.
An American Marriage is so popular that the author’s previous book is having a wave of popularity. This book is so well written, it’s unbelievable. The plot is deep and layered, but I think the strength of the book is really in the writing. Buy here.
Turtles All the Way Down is the first book I read about anxiety after I realised I had anxiety and it perfectly captured so many of the complex mental battles of anxiety. I was really happy to just feel seen. Buy here.
I don’t know what I expected from Gabrielle Union’s memoir but I didn’t expect to just want more! I was gutted when it finished, I wanted to rewind and read it again, but this time, read something that was magically twice the length. She surprised me. Buy here.