Books I’ve Read in 2018 + GIVEAWAY*

So I typically create a post at the beginning of each year listing the books I read the previous year. Since I started doing this, I’ve realized this is probably one of the most boring posts I write so I’ve added a few things to ‘spice up’ this year’s list. I won’t stop writing out the list though, I enjoy that part too much.

Looking back on last year’s list, I kept my expectations quite low because I assumed I wouldn’t have much time to read, giving birth to my second child and all. But I was pleasantly surprised when he finally did arrive and he was a wonderful sleeper, so I took advantage of that and dug my nose into a book whenever I had the chance. I’ve started waking up at 6am to get in some reading before the rest of my typically family awaken for the day AND
I’ve significantly reduced the amount of time I watch Netflix, sometimes I’ll go weeks without watching a single thing. These factors allowed me to read a total of 77 books in 2018, not including the short story advent calendar, parenting books, and picture books I read with my kids. That’s 3 more books than I read in 2017-not bad.

Despite some health challenges for the first few months after my son’s birth (I’m totally fine now!), I was also able to conduct some memorable author interviews, and even made my first television appearance to discuss books, so all in all it was a pretty fabulous year. Not including the loss of our beloved Pearl, that still smarts a bit, although Smokey seems pretty over it (the monster). I’m looking forward to what 2019 has in store for my bookshelves.

I didn’t get around to writing a review of every single book I read, but that’s just because I had a few busy weeks where I couldn’t get to them. As a rule, if more than a few weeks pass since I read a book I give up on writing the review because I’m worried it won’t be fresh in my mind.

I wanted to celebrate this new year with a special giveaway too! Comment below with the name of the best book you read in 2018 to enter. This is open to everyone, regardless of location, I will mail this sucker anywhere. The prize is my copy of the 2018 Short Story Advent Calendar-a $70 value, and if you followed along on my youtube channel, you will know this was a great year to be a part of #SSAC2018.

My Favourite Book of the Year: Calypso by David Sedaris (stories)

My Least Favourite Book of the Year (it wasn’t terrible, just ok) : The Only Cafe by Linden MacIntyre

The Book I Recommended Most: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

*Giveaway is now closed, thanks to everyone who entered, and congratulations Dustin!!!

1. The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
2. The Futures by Anna Pitoniak
3. Mitzi Bytes by Kerry Clare
4. Dazzle Patterns by Alison Watt
5. Selection Day by Aravind Adiga
6. Louis Undercover by Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault
7. The Missing Guests of the Magic Grove Hotel by David Casarett
8. The Boat People by Sharon Bala
9. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
10. The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 85 1/4 years Old by Hendrik Groen
11. The Shoe on the Roof by Will Ferguson
12. The Child by Fiona Barton
13. Fly Me by Daniel Riley
14. Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys
15. Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill
16. Let Darkness Bury the Dead by Maureen Jennings
17. The Last Girl by Nadia Murad
18. Hysteria by Elisabeth de Mariaffi
19. Into the Sun by Deni Ellis Bechard
20. The Dead Husband Project by Sarah Meehan Sirk
21. The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
22. The Only Girl in the World by Maude Julien
23. At This Juncture by Rona Altrows
24. The Unravelling by Clem Martini and Olivier Martini
25. Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro
26. Find You in the Dark by Nathan Ripley
27. Word by Word by Kory Stamper
28. Liminal by Jordan Tannahill
29. The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman
30. The Figgs by Ali Bryan
31. F Bomb; Dispatches from the War on Feminism by Lauren McKeon
32. Murder, She Wrote: Close-Up on Murder by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
33. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
34. The Only Cafe by Linden MacIntyre
35. Blame by Jeff Abbott
36. Mrs. by Caitlin Macy
37. The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
38. The Italian Teacher by Tom Rachman
39. Hunting Houses by Fanny Britt
40. Calypso by David Sedaris
41. The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse by Alexander McCall Smith
42. The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
43. Foe by Iain Reid
44. Our Little Secret by Roz Nay
45. From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein
46. Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga
47. Tin Man by Sarah Winman
48. How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
49. Vi by Kim Thuy
50. Killer Harvest by Paul Cleave
51. Dr. Edith Vane and the Hares of Crawley Hall by Suzette Mayr
52. The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
53. Up From Freedom by Wayne Grady
54. Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding
55. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
56. Twin Studies by Keith Maillard
57. All Things Consoled by Elizabeth Hay
58. No Good Asking by Fran Kimmel
59. The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman
60. The Library Book by Susan Orlean
61. The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson
62. Dracul by Dacre Stoke and J.D. Barker
63. The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson
64. The Dinosaur Artist by Paige Williams
65. Fed Up by Gemma Hartley
66. Maid by Stephanie Land (review to come)
67. Very Rich by Polly Horvath (review to come)
68. Motherhood by Sheila Heti (review to come)
69. Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee
70. At-Risk by Amina Gautier
71. Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent (review to come)
72. Miss Marley by Vanessa Lafaye
73. Something for Everyone by Lisa Moore (review to come)
74. Half Spent was the Night by Ami McKay (review to come)
75. Shrewed by Elizabeth Renzetti (review to come)
76. Wenjack by Joseph Boyden (review to come)
77. Border Child by Michel Stone (review to come)