2018 Books List
In 2018, according to my Goodreads stats, I read 52 books - an average of 1 a week, and a tally not reached since 2013 (where admittedly, I had a government shut-down and international travel to aid that number). I did have a number of vacations this year, notably to Palm Springs, Seattle, and Denver, and that probably helped.
While not actually attending a quorum of book club meetings, I also managed to read a significant number of my book club's selections this year, which were as varied as the members of my book club. Those selections are noted by * in the list.
What earned a 5-star rating this year? A motley collection of books, ranging from personal essays to standard non-fiction to fiction. I also made a concerted effort to read more books by women of color, and feel that I succeeded somewhat. 5-star ratings are bolded.
The only 2-star review this year was for a book that I engaged with after listening to an interview with the authors on one of my favorite podcasts (Call Your Girlfriend)....and while the interview was engaging, the book itself was terribly disappointing.
Human Acts by Kang Han
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan*
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie*
Sex Object: A Memoir by Jessica Valenti
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Attwood
What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather
New People by Danzy Senna
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng*
The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh
Rising Strong by Brene Brown
What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen by Kate Fagan
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong - and What You Really Need to Know by Emily Oster
Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change by Ellen Pao
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown
Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng
The Power by Naomi Alderman*
Tales from the Boom Boom Room: Women vs. Wall Street by Susan Antilla
This Will be my Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins
Hunger: a Memoir of My body by Roxane Gay
The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore*
Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss and the Fight for Trans Equality by Sarah McBride
Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
The Refuges by Viet Than Nguyen
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo*
Educated by Tara Westover
Eunice: The Kennedy who Changed the World by Eileen McNamara
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson
Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Bachman
What We Were Promised by Lucy Tan
They Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Britt-Marie was Here by Fredrik Bachman
Semetism: Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump by Jonathan Weisman
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate*
Modern Loss: Candid Conversations About Grief. Beginners Welcome. By Rebecca Soffern
And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready by Meaghan O'Connell
I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death by Maggie O'Farrell
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jessmy Ward
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Beartown by Fredrik Bachman
What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Leslie Nneka Arimah
The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying by Nina Riggs
Us Against You by Fredrik Bachman
Less by Andrew Greer
Hey Ladies! The Story of 8 Best Friends, 1 Year and Way, Way Too Many Emails by MIchelle Markowitz
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Bachman
Why Have Kids? A New Mom Explores the Truth About Parenting and Happiness by Jessica Valenti
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz*
Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy*