My Favorite Reads of 2018

Happy Monday friends!!! The first full week of 2019....full week of school, activities, and all the things! Today is probably one of my favorite posts to write- my favorite books!
I am sharing my top ten reads from 2018. A couple years ago I made a commitment to read more and have loved doing it. I read 40 books last year (4 more than 2017) and I am excited to share my favorites. I have really fallen in love with two authors, Sally Hepworth and Colleen Hoover.... so you will see a couple books from them😉 They also each had a book on my top ten from last year!

A stack of books to read is one of my favorite things!!!

So get ready to put these on your TBR (to be read) lists!

ten

Last year I read  The Things We Keep from Sally Hepworth and it was so good. I told myself I would read more from her. So here she is on my top ten again. Spoiler alert- there is another one from her here too!

I grabbed this one and she did not let me down. This was the story of three women, three generations of midwives. When the youngest, Neva discovers she is pregnant she keeps it a secret from everyone. The secret gets out and unravels some secrets from all three women. It was such a great story about women, becoming a mother and the true meaning of family. One of those books that I instantly connected with the characters and could not wait to see what happened next.

nine

I have read a few books from Colleen Hoover and I love her!! It Ends with Us was on my favorite list last year and this one here is being added to my favorites list!

Confess

I love her books, mostly because of the way she tells the story. She makes me truly understand the characters and just fall in love with their story.  This book shared the story of Auburn a young girl that falls in love at 15 and suffers a terrible loss. She finds herself living in a new state and coming to terms with her new life, when she meets an artist that paints people's confessions. Their stories become entwined in a way that has you wanting to keep reading. I loved this story!

eight

So i have shared before that I love Colleen Hoover and Elin Hilderbrand.... and this is my fourth book from Sally Helpworth and she is officially a favorite of mine too!

The Family Next Door

 This book was set in a seemingly "perfect" suburban neighborhood. A new neighbor, moves in and becomes fascinated with one of the families next door. Lots of stories intertwined and the book was written so that I could not wait to see what happened next. Lots of things in this book surprised me- it was not a predictable one at all!

seven

My girlfriend gave my this book and her recommendation to read it. I did and I really enjoyed it.

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine

 Eleanor is a socially awkward woman who seems to say exactly what is on her mind. Her life takes a new turn as she develops a friendship with Ray, the IT guy in the office. It's a well written story of compassion, human connection and relationships. You will find yourself rooting for Eleanor!

six

My dad gave me this book and it was a read it in one day kind of book.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

My first book by this author and I can't wait to read more. Grace has a sister Millie, who has Downs Syndrome and plans to be her caretaker soon. She meets a wonderful man that is kind to both her and Millie and she feels she has found her prince charming. But things are not what they seem behind closed doors as she learns she has married a monster that has horrific plans in place. She is a prisoner in her own home and fears for her and Millie's safety. This book was in that psycho thriller category, but I could not put it down....in fact, I did read it in one day! B.A. Paris is on my read more from her list for 2019!

five

Colleen Hoover has never let me down, and I just loved her newest book! 

All Your Perfects

 A heartbreaking story about a troubled marriage and a promise they made in the past. Through so many ups and downs, can this damaged couple hang on....all because of a promise they once made? She has a way of writing that tells a beautiful story. Add this to your reading pile ASAP!

four

I had seen this one shared by quite a few bloggers over the past few months and it had been on my "to read" list. It was good...I mean really good...the book you read in a weekend good. 

 It was the story of Emma and how her husband, her one true love,  dies at sea and his body is never found. She picks up the pieces of her life and finds love again. She is engaged to be married with someone from her past and thinks she has found true love again. When she gets a call that her husband has been found (years later) she gets thrown into a whirlwind and has to decide who is her one true love.

This was a good one friends. Not a sappy love story, but one really about true love. A perfect book for your Winter reading list!

three

So many people have been talking about this and I had to see what all the hype was about. 

Girl, wash you face by Rachel Hollis

Well it totally lived up to it's hype. It was a laugh out loud, maybe shed a tear it's so real, inspirational, motivational, every woman (especially in the 30-45 year age range) should read. Rachel just tells it how it is....sometimes painfully honest and sometimes full of humor.  With chapters like "I'm Not a Good Mom" or "I'll Start Tomorrow" it's just an awesome way of saying get over yourself and live your life! Such a great book!

two

My Dad read this book and recommended it to me...two of his recommendations made my top ten! I should have him start guest blogging here too 😉 I have read Kristin Hannah before and was excited to read another one. 

The Great Alone Kristin Hannah

A story about a young girl, Lenora,  with troubled parents and their move to Alaska as a way to solve their problems. This book shared some of the harsh realities of Alaska in the Winter (think 18 hours of darkness, wild animals) and what that can do to a person's psyche. It gave an alarming look at both what that can do to a family as well as how a community can come together to work through it. I fell in love with Lenora's character and was rooting for her the whole time.. such a great read!

one

It Ends With Us was my first book from Colleen Hoover and wanted to read more from her. I grabbed November 9 at the library and I read through it one day...it was that good. I don't know what it was about this book, but it was just fascinating to me and I have recommended it to everyone!

Fallon is the daughter of a movie star father and was severely burned on the night of November 9. Two years later, on November 9 she meets her dad for lunch and he doesn't even acknowledge the anniversary of the horrific accident. A stranger comes into her life that same day and they have an instant connection. Unfortunately its the same day she is moving cross country to New York. They make a plan to have no contact, but meet again the following November 9 and everyone after that for the next 5 years. What happens each year they meet is just amazing... and you see that everyone has scars, although some may not be visible.

You can check out all my reviews from this year....
January 2018
February 2018
March/April 2018
May 2018
June 2018
Summer 2018
December 2018
And look back at my favorites from last year!
My favorites of 2017

Happy reading friends!
See you soon, there is always room for one more at our family table.
xoxo
Genevieve