The 10 Best Books I Read in 2017
My goal this year was to read 120 books.
I was tracking right along until about September, and then we launched London Littles and Tally stopped nursing a million times a day and fourth quarter got crazy as it does every year in the blogging world.
So . . . I ended up just under 90 books.
It’s still almost twenty more books than I read last year, so I’m counting it a win.
I went through the list of everything I read and picked out my ten favorites – if you’re looking for something great to finish off your holiday vacation or start the new year with something fantastic, these are all excellent.
Best Books of 2017
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand
I don’t know that I ever wrote about a book where I had as many people respond telling me that they’d listened to it after I recommended it and then just loved loved loved it. I mean, it’s basically impossible NOT to love this audiobook. This completely ridiculous take on the history of Lady Jane Grey is laugh-out-loud funny and probably in the top five audiobooks I’ve ever listened to (full review here).
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas
I’d meant to read this book for years and then it happened to be available as an e-book from my library, and I downloaded it and read through it in all of 2 days, laughing on pretty much every page. It was SO funny and completely fascinating about being an immigrant in America. Highly, highly recommend.
Echo by Pam Muñoz RyanÂ
This book was just magical, especially on audio. I cannot wait to listen to this one with my girls in a few more years (full review here)
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Despite her wild popularity, this is only her second book I’ve read by her and the first one that has really made me understand why people love her so much. This story about race in America told from three points of view was completely gripping (full review here)
How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn
I think about this book all the time and I wish I had my own copy to refer back to. It’s meant to be amusing and it’s totally readable, but it’s also packed with good strategies and ideas for making your relationship more fulfilling and happy (full review here)
Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson
I always love a good non-fiction read and this was a REALLY good non-fiction read. I have told so many people about various anecdotes from this book, and as a blogger, small business owner, and consumer, this was fascinating on so many levels. I mean, why DID 50 Shades of Gray become so massively popular? Why did the iPhone succeed when most people surveyed before its release say they didn’t want it? This book talks about all of that and lots more.
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
I pretty much spent the entire summer talking about this series on my InstaStories. I just couldn’t help it – I think I read the trilogy three full times in a couple of months because no other book seemed as fun or engaging after this. Please let the movie be good. And if you need something great to read this week, I can’t recommend this series highly enough (Full review of the first book in the series here)
Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
I’m still pretty broken-hearted over her death, and this book, written before her diagnosis with terminal cancer, was a little hard to read when you knew, but she didn’t, that her life was almost at its end. It was so sweet, full of life and happiness, and so different from anything else I’ve ever read. It’s a quick read – you could probably get through it in a few hours or less, but it’s delightful.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Fair warning that this book has a LOT of swearing in it (and I almost gave it up after a few pages), but when I kept going, this book stayed with me for the rest of the year. It’s stunningly well-written about an African-American girl who goes to an elite prep school (where she’s one of very few black students), but lives with her family in a dangerous inner-city neighborhood. After a party one night, she’s driving home with one of her childhood best friends when they’re pulled over by a cop and her friend is shot and killed by the police offer.
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
I remembered loving this as a child, but I’d forgotten how totally wonderful it is until I read it again with Ella. I just love Caddie and I loved every chapter of this book that reminds me a fair amount of Little House on the Prairie but possibly even better (can I even say that?!) (full review here)
And if you’d like a printable copy of this list that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
And of course, I’d love to hear what YOUR favorite books were this year!
I just can’t get over the audible ad on your page with the girl who looks like she’s about to drive her car off a cliff ?