My 2018 New Year's Revolution was to read 52 books in 52 weeks. December 31st, marked the end of week 52 and I read 55 books in 52 weeks. While I always read a lot every year, in 2018 I pushed myself to read a few more books outside my standard comfort zone of fantasy and I enjoyed the majority of what I read. This list also does not include books I gave up on halfway which happened a handful of times. Usually, if I can't stand a book, I won't waste my time finishing it.
Here were my top 5 books (that I'd never read before):
1. The Power by Naomi Alderman
2. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
3. I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
5. She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore
My favorite new author this year was Naomi Novik. I read five of her books, three in a single series and really fell in love with her writing. Her book Uprooted put an eerie ethereal spin on classic Eastern European fairytales, while His Majesty's Dragon was the Napoleonic Wars if England and France had aerial corps made up of dragons.
Here are all of the books I read this year in order read. I've marked them with an * if I'd read them before.
1. The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman
2. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
3. The Power by Naomi Alderman
4. Storm Front by Jim Butcher*
5. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher*
6. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher*
7. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher*
8. Death Masks by Jim Butcher*
9. The Philosopher's Flight by Tom Miller
10. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle*
11. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley*
12. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
13. Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley
14. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley** (This is my all time favorite book which I re-read every year)
15. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
16. The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone
17. I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
18. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher*
19. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
20. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher*
21. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher*
22. Circe by Madeline Miller
23. White Night by Jim Butcher*
24. Small Favor by Jm Butcher*
25. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher*
26. Changes by Jim Butcher*
27. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher*
28. Cold Days by Jim Butcher*
29. Skin Game by Jim Butcher*
30. Emma by Jane Austen
31. The Anomaly by Michael Rutger
32. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon*
33. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
34. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
35. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
36. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
37. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
38. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
39. Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
40. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
41. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien*
42. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
43. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien*
44. She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore
45. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien *
46. Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer*
47. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
48. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
49. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
50. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
51. Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
52. Harley Merlin by Bella Forrest
53. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson*
54. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
55. Borne by Jeff Vandermeer