I’m participating in the Top 10 of 2017 Event, which is being hosted over at Kimberlyfaye Reads. Each day has a different top ten list associated with it (you can see the list in the image above). You can choose to complete some or all of the lists. Feel free to join in at any time!
FAVORITE BOOKS I READ IN 2017
I cheated and split this into two categories (and it was still hard to pick just 10 in each, especially in the fantasy category since I read so many of them!)
CONTEMPORARY:
Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed
I actually haven’t even reviewed this one yet, and it isn’t published until January, but I feel like if I leave it off the list, it will never get the recognition it deserves (by next year’s list, it will have been a very long time since I read the book). This book gives us a picture of what it feels like to be a Muslim-American teenager, and everyone should read it!
Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
I couldn’t not put Simon on this list, right? This book is adorable and just makes me happy.
If There’s No Tomorrow by Jennifer Armentrout
This book hit me in all the feels, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.
Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall
This is sort of another cheat, since I technically read it at the very end of December, but I think it deserves mentioning. I adored the voice in this book and it put a spotlight on mental health in a way that was both engaging and intelligent.
A List of Cages by Robin Roe
This book wrecked me. That’s pretty much all I can say about it.
What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum
I loved that this book featured an autistic MC. We don’t see that nearly enough.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
I loved how this book’s MC examined all sides of the issue of racism and tried hard to bridge that divide.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Emotionally captivating. Poetry at its best.
The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord
This book touched me in some really personal ways, and I can’t even describe how much it means to me.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Well, this one’s just obvious. It topped like every list of everywhere, and there’s a reason for that.
FANTASY/SCI-FI/PARANORMAL
Deception So Deadly by Clara Kensie
This book was twisty in ways that blew my mind, and it was an adventure all the way!
The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead
I finally finished the Bloodlines Series, and the finale was everything I was hoping for!
Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts
This book took me by surprise. I didn’t expect to love it so much, but it turned out to be a “me” fantasy in all the best of ways. I just read the first little paragraph of my review and it makes me smile all over again.
Ruined by Amy Tintera
Another series that exceeded my expectations. I NEED Allied in my hands. Now!
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
This book was just delightful. It’s the best word I can use to describe it.
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
I adored this series, and this book was my favorite. Akiva and Karou will forever be in my heart!
The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkowski
Another series I was behind the rest of the world on. I see what all the hype was about!
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
I had to force myself to only choose one Stiefvater book for this list. Choosing which one was nearly impossible, but I finally settled on The Raven Boys. Honestly, it’s Maggie’s writing that I adore. It could just be on this list as its own thing.
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray
This book was the best kind of sci-fi adventure. I adored every minute of reading it!
One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake
People, I cannot even explain my love for this series. I think my love may be exponentially increased by the fact that I still respond to comments on my spoiler-filled discussions of the books pretty much every week—it keeps the excitement always fresh in my mind. Oh, and I also adored The Young Queens—a review of the novella will be coming soon!
So that’s all I allowed myself. I’m telling you, it was really hard to limit it—I was tempted to add in an honorable mentions section.
Okay, fine, I can’t help myself.
A few honorable mentions (but I’m not allowing myself any explanations, even though I’m desperate to give them): The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Long Way Home by Katie McGarry, Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda, Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer, The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead, Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson, Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner, Roar by Cora Carmack, Hunting Prince Dracula by Jen Maniscalco, The Knowing by Sharon Cameron, Now Is Everything by Amy Giles, Rosemarked by Livia Blackburn, The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova, and Crash Land on Kurai by S.J. Pajonas.
I know that’s a big list of honorable mentions, but I read 200 books this year. Surely I should be allowed a few extra favorites!
What were your favorite reads in 2017? I want to know!
I really want to read The Names They Gave Us because I really enjoyed When We Collided. Congrats on reading TWO HUNDRED books this year!!
And I really want to read When We Collided because I loved The Names They Gave Us. 🙂
The Names They Gave Us made my list too. I loved Simon when I read it too. I have What to Say Next to get to. I enjoyed THUG and Rose Tainted Skies. I really want to get A List of Cages and If There’s Tomorrow.
No matter how many books we read, there are always MORE!
I finally read The Raven Boys this year and was surprised by how much I adored it! It’s one of those rare books that really deserves all the hype.
I agree. I had been meaning to read Stiefvater, but I really had no idea what I was missing!
I LOVED A List of Cages! Such an incredible read.
I agree. I wasn’t expecting to be so amazingly heartwrenching!
I can’t believe I didn’t have a chance to read THE HATE U GIVE in 2017… It is definitely a top priority for 2018. Great lists — I added a few titles from both to my Goodreads TBR 🙂
You need to read it!!
Lol I’m not sure anyone managed to choose only 10. These all sound great, and I can tell you loved them! Don’t worry, I’m also behind the rest of the world on everything. Raven Boys and Alchemists of Loom I would like to read next year, so we’ll see how that goes lol, but I’m glad to hear they’re so great!
Yeah, I went a little crazy, but that’s okay! 🙂
So many awesome books. I really want to read Simon Vs I just brought a copy. I loved under rose tainted skies. I really want to read A List Of Cages. I loved the winners curse when I read it a few years back. I also love the bloodline series. I hope you have a great 2018!
I’m glad that I finally caught up with a few of those series that I’ve been lagging behind the rest of the world on!
So many of your contemporary favorites are either on my list too or are top priority TBR – it’s making me REALLY excited for Dear Martin especially!
I hope you get to pick up Dear Martin—fantastic book!
There are so many contemporaries on your list I want to read. I loved Names and Simon, my co-blogger loved Love, hate, and Other Filters. I am going to read Long Way Down this week, but still want to read Cages, What to Say Next, and Under Rose-Tainted Skies. I am surprised to see I read 5 of your SFF books, because I don’t read a ton, but they were all fabulous.
There are SO many books to love, and it’s completely impossible to read them all. I could read six hundred books a year and still see books on these lists that I didn’t get to.
I just got an ARC of Love, Hate, and Other Filters, and I can’t wait to read it. I liked Royal Bastards, definitely want to read on. Great picks!
I hope you love it! I was excited to get that one!
The Hate U Give was my top book for 2017 too! I love how the author tackled racism and the importance of advocacy through Starr’s perspective and I loved Maya and Starr’s friendship. And I just finished reading A List of Cages (unfortunately after I compiled my list) but it was jarring. I think you put it perfectly, there’s no other way to put it other than “it wrecked me”.
I hope you have a wonderful new year!
claire @ clairefy
I expected what I got from Hate U Give, but I was not at all prepared for A List of Cages!
I wouldn’t have been able to chose just ten either! There were too many fabulous books this last year. 🙂 So yay for If There’s No Tomorrow by Jennifer Armentrout and for Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer being a runner up. There are SO many books on your list that I wanted to get to this year and didn’t, next year they are my definite must reads!
I know, these posts are almost painful, right? Because you see a million books that you WISH you’d gotten to. I need a separate life just for reading, please.
So many of these books are on my TBR list. I can’t keep up with new releases. I’m still reading books from 5 years ago. I did read Simon and THUG and liked both of them. Happy New Year!
It’s impossible to keep up with all the books, no matter how much we want to!
The Raven Boys is so great! I STILL have to pick up Defy the Stars. I’m slacking on that one. I also really enjoyed Ruined this year.
It’s impossible to keep up with all the books of ever!
I see SO MANY books I need/want to read on your list. I didn’t read much in the way of YA this year, but I did read If There’s No Tomorrow and I loved it. It did *almost* make my “best of” list. I have to read The Hate U Give and The Names They Gave Us in 2018. HAVE. TO.
I think I could read all day every day and still not get through all the books I want to. It’s impossible!
At first I was concerned that we only had a few in common, but that seems to be because we only read a few in common hahha. I am super happy that a TON of these are on my TBR though, since we are obviously book twinsies 😉 Love your picks!!
Don’t worry. We haven’t lost our twin status. If only we could both read all the books in the world (well, all the books we want to read?) we’d be matching. I’m sure of it.
*continues to restrain self from Raven Cycle rant*
Nope. Not gonna do it. Not gonna do it. Nope. Nope. Nope. Not gonna rant. Been there, done that. No ranting here!
(Lol!)
Ha! I see you have strong opinions on the subject! Feel free to rant if you’d like. I won’t necessarily change my opinion, but I’m open to hearing others’!
I didn’t read it last year but when I read The Alchemists of Loom I really enjoyed that one too! I actually really couldn’t stand The Winner’s Curse when I read it though DD: But the cover is gorgeous 😉 I really like a lot of your picks and so many are on my TBR! I really have to get around to them!
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Winner’s Curse, but I ended up loving it. I know it’s one of those polarizing books, though—people either seem to love it or hate it!