9 Best Books That I Read in 2018

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

This book did not disappoint! This is the story of two families and how a bad decision can affect so many people.

Jude is a bit of a helicopter mom with teenaged twins.  Lexi is a teenager whose mother was not around for her.  She was taken out of foster care by a great aunt who wanted to take her in.  Lexi was looking to fit in at a new school when she met her new best friend Mia and her twin brother Zach.  Those relationships will change all of their lives forever.

This was an incredible book.  Honestly, it may be one of my favorites.  I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

I loved this book!  It was my book club’s choice for October and I really had not had any interest in reading it.  I thought that it was just going to be like watching that crazy sweet 16 show that used to be on MTV.  But this really had an endearing story about a young couple where the girlfriend was not prepared for what she was getting herself into when she went overseas to meet her boyfriend’s family.  There was some shock and suspense, some mystery.  There were times that I wanted to scream at people through the book, and there was a heartwarming love story.  I will definitely be reading the sequel!  I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars!  Seriously, check it out!

Love Your Life Not Theirs by Rachel Cruz

If you are a fan of Dave Ramsey, you know about the baby steps.  If not, check out the Total Money Makeover. Rachel Cruze is the daughter of Dave Ramsey; she wrote this book that I felt targets women.  Honestly, there were times that I felt that she knew me!

A lot of her advice is not new information as she preaches a lot of the same of what her father does.  But the way she words things and the examples that she uses were far more relevant to my life than her father’s book.

If you are looking to get your finances in order, this book is a great read.

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I really liked this book.  Full disclosure, through the first 60 pages of the book I was bored and not into it.  But after that I binge read the book in one sitting, not going to bed until I finished.

This novel is the story of two families.  The Richardsons are a wealthy Shaker family.  Their matriarch, Elena, is a woman who thrives on rules and routine.  They own a second property, a duplex, that they rent out to people and families that Elena deems appropriate.  When Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl move into the upstairs of the duplex, Elena doesn’t realize how much of an impact this is going to have on the lives of her entire family.

This story is about interpersonal relationships, how your decisions affect others, and about uncovering secrets.  This story was so interesting and had a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.

The fact that I couldn’t go to bed (on a school night!) until I finished says a lot, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

My rating: 4.5 Stars

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

If you have read a book by Kristin Hannah, then you are probably a fan.  The first book that I read from her was The Nightingale and that is probably one of the best books that I have ever read.  And this novel did not disappoint.

Winter Garden is a novel about two daughters and their mother.  After their father passes they try to work to get to know the mother who has always been cold to them.  Meanwhile, their mother seems spellbound by something that is distracting her.  As the girls learn more about their mother, they also learn the truth behind the amazing fairy tales from their childhood.  This novel was definitely a new favorite and now I feel the need to read everything Kristin Hannah has written.

I give this book 5 stars.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

I loved this book, but I am also a huge Harry Potter geek.  This book takes place 20 years after the final book ended.  In it, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all grown up and have their own children.  The storyline of this book includes Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but Harry’s son Albus is also a major part of this storyline.  It brings back Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy, and many other characters that we’ve loved reading about for years.  If you are a Harry Potter fan, this book is a must!

I don’t want to say too much about this story because I don’t want to give anything away, but I have to give this story 5 stars. Partly for the nostalgia, but mostly because I really liked it, I read the whole thing in one day.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

I love Harry Potter and I am always rereading the books.  I have re-read the series several times.  This book is the third book in the series and it is my favorite.  This book is about when Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban and everyone fears that he is coming for Harry.  This novel reveals a lot of information about Lord Voldemort and what happened the night Harry’s parents died and the night he got that scar.

It’s hard to say much more about this book without giving things away, but seriously I don’t think I could love it more.  I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Business Boutique by Christy Wright

So I feel like I am doing everything with this blog that I should be but I am still not seeing the success that I am striving for.  I felt like I hit a bit of a plateau so I found this book by Christy Wright that is specifically written to women who are trying to run their own business.

Christy really gets women.  She understands what motivates us and what holds us back.  This book was really good, it had some great tips and things I hadn’t thought of.

The only thing that would have made this book better for me as if it was more focused on blogging and digital sales.  There are a lot of similarities between what I do and what someone has to do to open a bakery.  But, there are also a LOT of differences.  I don’t have any sort of brick and mortar store that I am managing.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

I had to take a day to digest this book before I wrote a review.  This book was unique.

The story is about a thirty-ish girl names Eleanor.  Eleanor works as an office assistant for a digital company, and she is fond of routines, order, and vodka.  It is difficult to tell if Eleanor is someone who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, or if there is something else going on.

This book was a lovely book about learning to let yourself love others and learning to allow people to enter your life.  It was a great read.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

 

Also, check out:

The 10 Best Books That I Read in 2017