Can you believe it’s already time for the Best Books of 2018 So Far?!
For the past two years, 60% of the books on my June Best Books of the Year So Far lists (2017, 2016) ended up on my overall favorite books of the year lists (2017, 2016). I’ve had a couple big-time winners in the first half of this year that I’m 99.9% positive they will make it on my final list. So, we’ll see if I beat that 60% this year!
This year, I’m not only sharing my own favorite books, but I’m also sharing the Sarah’s Book Shelves Facebook Group members’ favorites! You can join the Sarah’s Book Shelves Facebook Group (where I share my unfiltered thoughts, sneak peeks of blog posts and members’ trade book recommendations amongst each other) by supporting the blog at the $3/month level on Patreon (more details here).
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My Best Books of 2018 So Far
An American Marriage
My first 5 star novel of the year…
Educated
Your next book if you loved Hillbilly Elegy and/or Under the Banner of Heaven…
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
The book I couldn’t read at night…
Tell Me More
My new favorite “women who get women” author…
The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
An easy read with a ton of substance (yes, a book can be both of those things)…
The Female Persuasion
That big, character-driven novel you can sink into…
The Great Believers
Your next book if you loved A Little Life and/or The Heart’s Invisible Furies…or, if you liked the idea of A Little Life, but avoided it because of the overwhelming abuse.
Us Against You
The author who captures the emotion of sports like no other (except maybe the screenwriters on Friday Night Lights)…
Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties
A lighter, more sarcastic version of Anna Quindlen…and, my #1 “Fun” pick for on my 2018 Summer Reading List.
You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories
One of only two short story collections I’ve ever rated 5 stars…
The Sarah’s Book Shelves Facebook Group’s Best Books of 2018 So Far
It’s kind of amazing…there is only one book on this list that got more than 1 vote! The Facebook Group is a varied bunch! And, that means you can mine this wide range of reading tastes for all kinds of book recommendations if you join in.
Get access to the Sarah’s Book Shelves Facebook Group by supporting the blog for $3/month on Patreon (more details here)!
- Every Note Played by Lisa Genova (2 votes)
I really need to try this author…I’ve heard too many good things! - A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
I DNF’d this one. - An American Marriage
by Tayari Jones
I agree! See above. - Circe
I can’t say I’m on board with this one. Here’s why. - Educated
I agree! See above. - How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
I really liked this one too…even though it contains elements that I normally hate in my reading! Here’s my review. - Love and Ruin
by Paula McLain
I DNF’d this one… - Mr. Flood’s Last Resort by Jess Kidd
I’ve never read this author… - Sunburn
Came so close to making my list too! Here’s my review. - Tell Me More
I agree! See above. - The Female Persuasion
I agree! See above. - The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamayira
Another one that came this close to making this list. Here’s my review. - The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch
A sci-fi thriller…not quite up my alley. - The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
Not quite up my alley. - The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
I haven’t read this one…because I’m kind of scared of thrillers. - Tin Man by Sarah Winman
I liked this one okay, but not quite as much as others did.
What are your favorite books so far this year?
Educated and The Great Believers will be making an appearance on my Best Of (So Far) list, too. Several of your other picks are on my TBR, so this makes me want to get to them sooner rather than later!
Yay!
Educated and An American Marriage were great reads.
Oh, I just downloaded The Woman in the Window! Yesterday it was a KIndle Daily Deal. It got amazing reviews, but we all know how that goes…
“Educated” is a NF that I’d like to try. I didn’t love The Female Persuasion as much as some readers but, I was still happy I tried it.
It reads like fiction…hope you like it!
I so agree with you about The Female Persuasion. I love Meg Wolitzer but found it self-indulgent, whiny.
I’ve read 4 of your favorites and agree with 2 of them. I really want to get to The Great Believers.
I added three more books to my ever growing list of books to read based on your “Best Of 2018” so far. The books are Tell Me More, Educated, The Great Believers. Yes, its hard to believe that we are already half way through the year! The years keep flying by!
All great ones! Hope you love them!
I’ve only read two of these but quite a few are still on my list to pick up, especially I’ll Be Gone in the Dark! I was not a fan of The Female Persuasion at all, I couldn’t make myself care about any of the characters!
Don’t read it at night! I read Bachelor Nation as my nighttime book…good pairing 🙂
Graet List Sarah – I can’t believe I’ve only read 4 of your faves…I need to fix that. I own two of them and the others are on my tbr list. Thanks for listing our group’s top reads too. it’s nice to have them all in one place
Glad you liked it!
I’m happy to see we have so many in common. It’s felt like our likes have been a little less similar lately. Educated and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark were both among the group that was tied for that tenth spot on my list.
Isn’t it amazing that 3 of our best books came from June releases? It’s really been a fabulous month.
June was so great, right?! July is definitely not living up to it…
So many of these are on my TBR list. I’m glad you liked them!
Great list! I’m working on mine for next week–we’ll have some overlap 🙂 I’m reading Educated now, so we’ll see if I finish in time and if it makes the cut. The Great Believers is moving up on my must-read list after all these great reviews. I’m not into reality TV so I haven’t been paying attention to The Book of Essie, but I’ve almost been convinced to try it…
I didn’t mind Educated, but I really liked The Sound of Gravel even more. Have you read that one, Allison?
I haven’t, but that one sounds good too. I’ll have to check it out!
Aaah! Sound of Gravel has been on my TBR list ever since it came out! I need to get to it.
Can’t wait to see your list! I don’t think you have to like reality TV to like Essie, it’s just an added bonus.
If you try Lisa Genova try one of her other books before Every Note Played. It was my least favorite of hers. Still Alice or Inside the O’Briens are definitely the best of her writing. However I am glad I read Every Note Played.
Thanks for the tip! I think O’Brien’s sounds up my alley!
Oh, 100% Educated for me too. There’s no way that one doesn’t make it onto my Best of 2018 list — I have recommended it to at least ten people already, and I see no signs that I’m ever going to stop talking about it. Every time someone has been like “what book should I get for my vacation,” I’ve been like LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT EDUCATED. :p
Ha – love it!
For anyone who’s read “You Think It, I’ll Say It”, what was your favorite short story? I’ve just started it but didn’t really care for the first story, so I wonder if I’ll like the rest…
The Book of Essie is high on my list of ones to pick up, as is I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.
Do you think I’ll Be Gone In The Dark can be good on audiobook? Have it on my audiobook tbr, but not come to it yet 🙂
I’ve heard of some others who have loved it on audio!
Fantastic list! I think I need to get my hands on educated as soon as I can. I am seeing so many good reviews. Also The Book of Essie for which I have not seen a single bad review yet. I am currently reading The Female Persuasion and it is a lovely read. (I enjoyed Circe and A place for us though)
I’ve not read ANY of these, though I see several that are on my ‘someday’ list!
Varina by Charles Frazier. My best book of the year so far.
Haven’t heard of that one!
These all sound so good! I’ve only picked up I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and I loved it too.
Oh boy, our twinness is starting to fade. Of your list, I agree with 5, disagree with 4 and haven’t read one. Plus, the book that is still on track to be my favorite book of the year is…Circe, which I know you hated.
Some of my other favorites include: Anatomy of a Miracle, Song of a Captive Bird, Only Child, and Tin Man.