I’m always looking for a good book recommendation even though I must have around 300 books in my to be read pile. I thought today I’d share ten of the best books I read in 2018 (in no particular order) in case anyone is looking for any inspiration.
Vox by Christina Dalcher
Vox is one hell of a powerful book that will stay with you for a long time after you finish reading it. Well written and using a unique idea that feels all too close to becoming a reality, Vox will plunge you through a rollercoaster of emotions.
Click here to read my review of Vox.
Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh
Thirteen is a crime/legal thriller with a difference. The killer is on the jury. With characters who feel completely real, including a chilling killer, Thirteen will have you hooked from the first page. There are plenty of twists and turns you won’t see coming.
Click here to read my review of Thirteen.
The Unwind Series by Neal Schusterman
The Unwind series focuses on an unlikely trio who come together to fight the injustice of being unwound, a process which essentially kills the person without actually killing them (read the book, Schusterman explains the concept much more eloquently that I do). There is no fluff or filler in this series, it’s a constant adrenaline ride and you will come to love all of the trio in different ways.
The Good Mother by Karen Osman
The Good Mother follows the lives of three women and each of their stories will pull you in and make you want to know how the story will turn out and the women connect with each other. A few good twists make this book a great read. It’s a mix of easy to read and wholly gripping, which is a sign of fantastic things to come from Karen Osman.
Click here to read my review of The Good Mother.
The Dilemma by Abbie Taylor
The Dilemma is a fantastic read that will make your jaw drop in places. Although the original dilemma is revealed pretty quickly, there are plenty of others to follow. The book twists and turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you’ve worked it out and you know who is behind the troubles Dawn is facing, everything changes and you’re back in the dark.
Click here to read my review of The Dilemma.
The List by Siobhan Vivian
The List is a good read for any age, but it would be particularly powerful for a teenage girl and I think most, if not all, teen girls would relate to one or more of the character’s in the book. A range of characters span the book, each with their own personalities and their own reactions to the events that illustrate the dangers of judging a person solely on how they look.
Click here to read my review of The List.
The Temp by Michelle Frances
The Temp is another book with plenty of twists that you won’t see coming. A fantastic story of paranoia, relationships, and how far someone will go to get what they feel like they deserve.
The Liar’s Room by Simon Lelic
The Liar’s Room centres around two main characters who’s stories are gradually revealed as we go. The story is gripping and this book kept me up all night (literally) as I had to know how it would all pan out. Definitely one for anyone who enjoys a good thriller.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
Bird Box is a story about a new time where something lurks outside, something that the very sight of can send you mad. The story centres around a mother with two children who embark on a journey to a place of safety, blindfolded. Through a series of flashbacks, we also learn more about the phenomenon and how the mother and children have survived this long.
Bad Apple by Zoje Stage
Bad Apple is a book where all isn’t as it seems. Is seven year old Hanna the problem, or is it her mum, Suzette? At the start of the book, I felt as though Hanna needed some serious behavioural intervention. By the end of the book? Well, I wasn’t so sure. This book is a real page turner where you will end up questioning everything you thought you knew about the characters.
Have you read any of these books? Did you enjoy them? Which books would you put on your best of 2018 list? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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Great list! I enjoyed Vox a lot, although I thought it was a bit hamfisted here and there. But the writing and story were so good. Dalcher really wrote an original story. Neil Shusterman’s books totally kick ass.
It’s so hard to come across any original storylines these days too
Ooo, I read the Good Mother. It was excellent!
So gripping isn’t it!
Yup, totally true. She manages it though.
I haven’t read any of these Deb – but I’m a big fan of YA novels so might try the Unwind series. I’m always on the lookout for recommendations (and then I borrow them from the library because I’m a cheapskate!)
If you enjoy YA you will LOVE the Unwind series!
Ooh. These sound great. Lots of thrillers in there!
#AnythingGoes
I do love a good thriller!
The Good Mother and Bird box sound really good. Thanks for the ideas xx
I haven’t read any of these but there are a few on this list that I’m now adding to my “would like to read” list! I quite like the sound of The Good Mother and The List. #anythinggoes
Great choices! I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Thanks for the recommendations. I thought I had a lot of books on my TBR list. 300?!?! That’s a lot!
Too many good books, not even close to enough time lol
The Good Mother sounds interesting. Gonna add it to my TBR list,
#AnythingGoes
I really enjoyed Bad apple and also for me would be apple tree yard because that was really gripping and couldn’t put it down X #anythinggoes
I’ve never heard of Apple Tree Yard, I’ll look it up, thanks 🙂 x
I’ll add them to my to read list. #anythinggoes
Pinned to come back to, I haven’t read any of these. Right now I’m finishing up Horns by Joe Hill – best book I’ve read in a long time #anythinggoes
Oh I like Joe Hill and I’m sure I have Horns somewhere!
The Temp is on my Kindle list and I’ve yet to get round to it. I’m tempted to watch BirdBox on Netflix but don’t know if I should read the book first x #AnythingGoes
Read the book! I turned the film off after about twenty minutes as it was already dragging lol x
Some of these sound fabulous. I always prefer a book to a film. #BloggerClubUK
Me too 🙂
I read Bird Box before Netflix got it and loved it. The film was OK but didn’t grab me the way the book did, the book was far more tense #bloggerclubuk
I loved the book. I made it about 20 minutes into the film before I turned it off lol
I haven’t read any of these but The Good Mother sounds intriguing… #BloggerClubUK
The Good Mother looks like the one I’d be most interested in. I’ll have to add that one to my reading list. #AnythingGoes
Darn it–I’ll have to try harder this year. 😉
Bird Box is a great book. Top books I read last year were Murder at the Marina by Ellen Jacobson, A Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold, The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter, and The Dinner by Herman Koch.
Oh I like Karin Slaughter. I have The Good Daughter but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
You read some great books there,plus a varierty of different subject matters xx