You know the drill by now. Pick your favourite book you read each month of the year. New reads only (no re-reads!). Have fun!
Honourable mentions: Lincoln in the Bardo, Court of Owls, Crazy Rich Asians, Kingdom of Ash, Civil War: Captain America
January: The Cruel Prince
I kicked off the year with one of my most anticipated reads, despite the fact that I’d never read any Holly Black and a FairyLoot book of the month. The first in a new series, The Cruel Prince follows Jude, humanly raised by the fae as she tries to survive in their cutthroat world. I finished reading this one the Sunday and went back to Chapter 1 on Monday. I loved it that much. It’s not a perfect book, find out why in my full *spoiler-free* review, but it reminded me why I love faerie books so much. Also, that slow burn romance was a thing of perfection. And that ending, it killed me.
February: Call Me By Your Name
You may have noticed by talking about Andre Aciman multiple times this year. I read this book three times, hosted my own readathon, Aciman August, and this is probably my favourite book. I said it. It’s official now. Jane Eyre has been knocked off its pedestal. I’d also recommend the film, which isn’t an exact adaptation it uses the source material excellently. Basically, boy meets boy somewhere in Italy in the 80s, and things develop from there. What struck me most about this book, was reading it and thinking that if I can write half as well as Aciman then I would be golden. Seriously though, talk about writing goals.
March: Darkfever
I was feeling more fae books after The Cruel Prince (I was hesitant to read it a third month running) and this was one I already owned. I ended up reading the first three of the series in three sittings, it was just so addictive. Definitely for a more adult audience (sorry, younglings), but I lapped it up. We follow Mac, who travels from the U.S to Dublin to unravel the mystery of her sister’s murder, and ends up coming into contact with the faerie underworld there. The only reason I had to stop was that I didn’t have enough money, I was buying them on my kindle and after book 3 they suddenly got super expensive. I guess I’ll have to switch to paperbacks!
April: Ace of Shades
I loved Ace of Shades so much, that I did not need much persuasion when it came to re-reading it. When Amanda announced a read-a-long on her Instagram, I was all over it. This book has so many elements that I love, it has a quasi-historical feel that reminds me of a YA Peaky Blinders. Set in the City of Sin, we follow Enne looking to find her mother, and Levi, a boy who’s gotten mixed up in something he shouldn’t. Yes, I do ship the hell out of these two! I thought Daughter of the Burning City was great, but Ace of Shades was even better.
* * * *
May: The Night Circus
This is an older release, that was super popular a couple of years ago, and for some reason, I never picked it up. Maybe I was too caught up in YA to worry about anything that wasn’t YA, I’m not sure, because typically magic circus would really appeal to me. I fell head over heels for Morgenstern’s writing, which was whimsical, and gorgeous, and everything you could want from a historical fantasy novel. There’s a stunning, slow-burn romance at the centre of this story, and my god, are Marco and Celia couple goals. Get yourself a man (or woman) who’ll enchant an ice garden for you.
June: War Storm
I’ve been reading the Red Queen series for the last four years, it’s one of the series’ I’ve been with since the very start, so I was unsurprisingly pumped for the finale. In no way shape or form did this book let me down. We all know that Maven is my one and only, and we got some Maven POV chapters. Honestly, nothing would have made me happier than to see into my darling’s twisted, psychotic, obsessive, little mind. It also didn’t hurt that I got to go to Aveyard’s Cardiff event, and got both this lovely hardback and my original Red Queen paperback signed. It was a pretty good day.
July: Injustice Gods Among Us; Year One
It’s the first graphic novel on my list this year, though Court of Owls did make it into my honourable mentions. Now, this book is essentially everything we should have got in Batman v Superman; Dawn of Justice. All the good bits, without any of the crappy ones (which, as much as I do enjoy the film, there were many). Injustice is full of that amazingly clever, moral dilemma stuff that comes along with superheroes. It is a bit on the longer side, and there are more ‘years’ to come which I have yet to get to, but am really looking forward too. If you like Marvel’s Civil War storyline, then give this a go too, and don’t forget to pick your side!
August: Batman; Under the Red Hood
Onto my second graphic novel, and one that I got from the library (shock horror!) so I tragically don’t have my own copy. I still really want one though! There is a huge mystery around the identity of the Red Hood, and even though I knew who it was, just from being in the Batman fandom, the reveal still packs one hell of a punch. I love Batman comics that really delve into Bruce’s psychology, and this does a fantastic job with that. This also made me want to read the Rebirth Red Hood stuff, so my TBR has grown too.
****
September: Dragonfly in Amber
This was one of the first books I bought this year, probably because the Kindle edition was discounted, but I kept putting it off because it’s a beast. I ended up buying the audiobook, as I was going to be going to Paris and anted something to listen to on the flight. Surprisingly, it’s did not take me very long at all to get through it. The beginning was a little slow, but once Jamie was back in the picture, then I was a happy reader. Despite a couple of uncomfortable phrases, it was fun to be back in the midst of things, and I finished it in record timing.
October: Vengeful
Vicious was the first-ever Schwab book I read, back when I was in uni and had no idea that in less than 400 pages, I would have a favourite author. Oh, the innocence. Like everyone else, I saw it for the masterpiece that it undoubtedly is, and was hyped as hell when I heard there was a sequel. I pre-ordered the signed copy in a heartbeat and even succumbed the ridiculously expensive Illumicrate box. Given that I had two pricey hardbacks, it was such a relief that I loved, loved, loved it. That final page was absolutely stunning. Honestly, I have no words for what it did to me.
November: Catwoman: Soulstealer
After reading Leigh Bardugo’s Wonder Woman I wasn’t super excited for this, not like I usually am for SJM’s books. Especially given that most of my energy was given to the excitement over the final Thorne of Glass book, which only got an honourable mention this year. Catwoman reminded me just how much fun SJM books can be, and how much fun DC can be. I am a comic lover, and Gotham City is my home, so it was such a relief to fall in love with it all over again, though this different voice. It wasn’t perfect, and that comes with the fact that it is YA, which does, at some points, hinder it, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
December: Blowing the Bloody Doors Off and Other Lessons in Life
On a whim, I picked up the audiobook for this, and the only reason as that I have a soft spot for Michael Caine. Caine has undoubtedly had a very interesting life, and while he does share many an anecdote, this is not an autobiography. Instead, it’s split into chapters that each deal with a particular skill, or technique, useful if you wish to become an actor. I’m an introvert and have no intention, or desire, to pursue acting in any form, however, this book really impressed me in its versatility and transferability of the themes and topics. Plus, I love listening to Michael Caine’s voice.
Enjoyed this recap? Why not check out my favourite 2017 reads!
What were some of your favourite reads of the year? Do we have some of the same?
Thanks for reading!
Victoria
Carton-Manette-Darnay 