Top Ten Books I Read In 2015
This list was harder to come up with than I thought it would be. (I literally changed the image TWICE while I was writing this post and I’m still tempted to change it again now that I’m done.) I ended up not being able to go by ratings alone, but by how much the book impacted me (a couple of five stars got left out and a one that I rated 4.5 stars snuck in). It’s funny how that works, right? Over time, the books that mean the most to you kind of evolve.
Anyway, this is the list I finally came up with. Of course, not all of these came out in 2015, but I read them this year.
(Links go to my reviews)
1. None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio
I love how this book taught me so much about something new without making me feel like I was just sitting down and learning. This book opened my eyes to new perspectives, which I love.
2. Truest by Jackie Lee Sommers
This book was such a surprise to me because I really didn’t know what to expect, and it took me on this fantastic journey. I also loved that it had some beautiful messages about God and faith without being the least bit preachy or off-putting.
3. Undivided by Neal Shusterman
I couldn’t NOT include the conclusion to this brilliant series. I know I took too long to read it (that darn fear of finishing series!), but Shusterman gave the story an epic conclusion!
4. What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler
This book was incredibly impactful. I remember feeling physically ill when reading it – in some ways I hated the story, but it was such an important one. I want everyone to read this book!
5. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
This was one of those books that I almost left off the list because it was actually a 4.5 star read – there were some things that did mar it slightly for me while reading (mostly I had a hard time understanding the main characters’ actions sometimes). But when I look back, the beauty of the writing has stood out for me and I still have intense feelings about this book. I had to include it!
6. Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
I finally jumped on board with this series (I read the first book at the very end of last year) and I LOVED it! Dark Triumph was my favorite of the three books.
7. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
This is the stand-out for me when it comes to the books I read about mental health. I know some people had trouble with the main character of this book, but this book killed me in all the best possible ways!
8. Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Here’s a secret – I’m not even quite done with this book yet (which is why there’s no link to my review). But this series has been an all-time favorite of mine, and this book is not changing that. I had to count it – I just know it will end up on this list!!
9. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
The format of this book was so unique – I don’t think I’ll ever forget reading this one!
10. Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
This book was just an all-around great read. I fell in love with both Emmy and Oliver!
Some honorable mentions:
Since this list was so hard to create, I HAD to mention a few other books I loved!
Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson, The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke, The Forgotten Mountain by Heather Lyons, World of Ash by Shauna Granger, Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge, Scarlet and Cress by Marissa Meyer, Reunited by S.J. Pajonas, Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman, When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Mad World by Kate L. Mary, Return Once More by Trisha Leigh, I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios, and Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby (actually, I think I read this one at the very end of last year and mentioned it as a favorite then, but since it released in April of this year, I’m mentioning it again).
The ones I have read on your list I have loved. Pretty much the rest are on my TBR. Hopefully next year! Great list!
I loved I’ll Give You the Sun – that’s cool that you gave it 4.5 stars but it stuck out enough over time for you to include it! I still need to read Emmy and Oliver, What We Saw, and All the Bright Places. I also loved Illumniae of course. 🙂
-Lauren
I still need to read so many of these but I’m particularly interested in What We Saw — love that cover, too!! Great list!!
my TTT
Illuminae should be one of my very next reads and I am excited/kicking myself for not reading it sooner already LOL! I had hoped to read Dark Triumph this year too but it’s not looking good atm haha! Oh and I still have to get to These Broken Stars, if you can imagine. I can’t believe it, especially considering how much I love sci-fi! Fantastic picks Nicole^^ ♥
I’m only familiar with two books out of the ten! Nevertheless, they each sound promising. I’ve been especially curious about Starbound series – the cover art is breathtaking 🙂
OOh nice picks! Only a little familiar with these but glad you enjoyed them all!
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All the Bright Places is my #1 read of the year! I soooooo loved that book!
I’ve seen Illuminae on quite a few lists, and I’m adding it to my reading list now. Thanks for sharing all your faves.
I so need to get to Illuminae. I found a copy at a used book sale the week after it came out and it has been sitting on my shelf ever since. Hopefully, I will get to it over Christmas break. I also have Wolf by Wolf waiting to be read. I have heard only good things about both of those.
Thanks for sharing your list!
Dark Triumph! That book was definitely my favourite of the series! I adored the romance, and Sybil’s character was just terrific! And Beast was a darling! 😀
I really want to try out None of the Above. For some reason, I’ve read very little LGBTQIA books, so I want to explore more of that genre!
Emmy and Oliver was just so damn good. I love it.
thanks for the post
VERY nice list! A few of these made my list, and a few of them made my list last year! And some of these I need to read ASAP, because I have been seeing them on ALL the lists! OH and speaking of Undivided… guess what showed up on my porch today!? UNBOUND!!!! EEP!
I’ll Give You The Sun made my list as well!! I LOVE Jandy Nelson. So many of these are on my TBR. I am planning on reading Truest and What she saw soon . . . . I hope. 🙂 Awesome list!
Oh, I hope you love Truest – that one seems like it flew under the radar and it deserves to be read!!
I haven’t read any of these books, but I keep seeing a few on everyone’s list!
I loved All the Bright Places! Illuminae wasn’t my fave, just couldn’t relate to it.
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
So many of these are on my TBR list. I actually own I’ll Give You The Sun, All The Bright Places, and Undivided, but I haven’t had a chance to read them yet. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to them next year.
I know – these lists were seriously giving me heart palpitations because there are SO MANY good books that I still want to read!!
I love looking back over my reads too and am often surprised it’s not always the five star reads that leave the most lasting impression. As there’s still a couple of weeks and a good half-dozen books left in this year, I’m going to wait my Top Ten post a little, but probably should start trying to make the decisions!
Stephanie Jane
I know – I always feel like I shouldn’t list my top ten reads of 2015 until it’s actually over – this list might change!!!
Oh my gosh, how could I forget about I’ll Give You the Sun?! It is definitely on my top reads of 2015 😀
Zareena @ The Slanted Bookshelf
I started reading Grave Mercy a couple of weeks ago and I had a hard time keeping up with all the similar French names. I hope this gets better. I put it on hold for now.
Hoping to start reading Their Fractured Light tonight!
Illuminae also made my list! And I really did love emmy & oliver too. Unfortunately those are the only ones I’ve read off your list!! The Grave Mercy series is one i’ve been meaning to get to and same with the these broken stars series!
Great list, girl! So many of these are favorites of mine too – Illuminae, Their Fractured Light, and Emmy & Oliver made my list too, and I love Dark Triumph and I’ll Give You the Sun. 🙂
Dark triumph was really good. A couple other here I still hope to read the the semi-soon future (2016 hopefully). I know what you mean about lessor ratings making the long-term impact.
Yes, sometimes you can’t really judge the impact of a book until much later. That’s why these lists are so hard to write – it’s hard to judge books you’ve read recently against ones you read at the beginning of the year.
Top 10’s are so hard when it comes to choosing favorites. I FEEL YA, GIRL! My favorites this year were The Grisha Trilogy, The Raven Boys, Every Last Word, Illuminae (THAT FORMATTING THO! And that twist in the end. And those parts that effected me and made me cry when I totally wasn’t expecting it.), and of course WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER. So many greats to choose from. I’m sure if I gave it five more minutes of thought I’d combust (my spell check lied to me and said that’s now how you spell COMBUST! NO NO, MADAM SPELLCHECK! 😮 ) and just not be able to list them all.