I read books not because I don’t have a life but because I choose to have many.
This is one of my FAVORITE posts to do as I get to think back on all the books I’ve read the past year.
It’s been another year of reading voraciously and I’m happy that I came across some of my favorite books of all time this year.
Here are a few!
The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton
This *incredible* book was written by Anthon Ray Hinton, a man falsely convicted of two capital murders who spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. People, this is not fiction – this is real life. How does one even survive a life like that? Anthony tells his story with incredible self-reflection and compassion. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book right. now. It will change your heart and expose (even more) what the justice system is truly like, especially for people of color.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
I did not want this book to end. Any time one of the Obamas speak I feel so encouraged by their wisdom and sense of calm. I highly recommend picking up this book.
Drinking by Caroline Knapp
This memoir, written by journalist Caroline Knapp, tells her story as a functioning alcoholic for 20 years. It’s an incredible read, very well written, intimate and captivating.
Unwifeable by Mandy Stadtmiller
Mandy Stadtmiller was married young and divorced young. After her divorce, she went through a decade of reckless behavior until finally coming into her own. It’s incredibly honest, heartbreaking, and hilarious.
The Quite Room by Lori Schiller
This book is Lori’s chronicle of her journey through mental illness. Once a thriving young girl, she started presenting symptoms of schizophrenia as a teenager and her life took an entirely different course than she imagined. This book is a treasure as it gives a true inside look of what it looks like to live through madness and come out the other side. I highly recommend!
No Way Home by Tyler Wetherall
This memoir is one of the most riveting books I’ve read so far this year. As an unknowing child of a fugitive, Tyler shares her childhood and what it was like to move constantly, change your identity, and what it was like growing up not completely knowing who your family truly is.
The Best of Us by Joyce Maynard
The Best Of Us by Joyce Maynard is the account of how in her late 50’s Joyce finally found the kind of love she was looking for her whole life. But just one year into their marriage, her lawyer husband Jim was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, an almost certain death sentence. In this memoir, Joyce chronicles their time together through sickness and in health. She doesn’t hold back from revealing the ugly parts of dealing with cancer, including the anger and resentment that can sometimes come with being a caregiver. The end of this book had me in tears and moved me so deeply.
The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
It’s not often that you read a book that changes your life. But when you do, you carry it with you. The Choice was written by Dr. Edith Eva Eger, a therapist, and Holocaust survivor. It’s a book that traces her path from trauma to healing while helping others through their darkest days. It’s filled with wisdom and insight. Here are a few of my favorite excerpts from her book.
The Only Girl In The World by Maude Julien
I just finished this memoir last night, and just….wow. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a memoir and this *actually* happened. Maude Julien grew up in a secluded manor in Cassel, France with insidious parents who manipulatively controlled and brainwashed her from an early age with the goal of raising their child as a superhuman being.
What were you reading?
My favorite way to get book recommendations is through friends, so leave a comment with your favorite book(s) of 2018!
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