Favorite Books of 2018 (Jan-June)
Instead of writing a book review, I decided to do something different. I'll be looking at the books I've read so far this year and picking some of my favorites from them (which is hard since lots of them are really good). Each selection will give a brief description of what it's about and why I picked it. This way allows me to showcase several books without having to write that many reviews, and then there's possibly something for everyone.
As I was scrolling through my read shelf, I wanted to put several on the list. I've read a lot of single issues of comics this year, so I won't be putting multiple in the same series up, and I've also tried to pick a books from different genres. They are in no particular order.
1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
The story follows Lina, a fifteen year old girl who is deported from Lithuania during World War II to labor camps in Russia. Throughout her journey, she fights the conditions of Siberia and hopes to bring her family together again through her art messages.
I love the World War II era, and in addition to how much praise it receives, I knew this was a must-read for me. It did not disappoint. I was hooked from the first chapter and didn't want to put it down. Sepetys does a fabulous job depicting the living conditions and what people suffered, bringing a not well-known part of history to life. I fell in love with the characters and often found myself desperately wanting them to be survive.
2. Robin (#1 - #5) by Chuck Dixon
Issue one's description reads, "Tim Drake heads to Paris to study under the Tibetan, Rahul Lama, then finds himself in a brawl with the Ghost Dragons gang in "Big Bad World."
After his brawl with the gang, he ends up joining forces with two others to end the reign of the King Snake.
I liked Tim Drake before I read these comics, partly from TV shows and appearances in other comics, partly from reading some of the Red Robin series. After I finished reading the miniseries that follows his journey after he becomes Robin, I grew to love his character even more. One of the appeals of the miniseries is that it follows Robin when he's not with Batman, which I liked because it gave the opportunity to see Tim's younger self in action when he wasn't next to his mentor. Despite being Batman's partner or having help of his own, he gets to make decisions that show his strength as a character and experience life away from Gotham for the first time.
3. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I'm going to leave out a description and just say that Celaena and her friends prepare to meet the darkness they will have to fight.
I've loved each book in the Throne of Glass series, and the fifth installment, Empire of Storms, was no exception. Maas takes us deeper into the world where mysteries are uncovered and magic is revealed. All the characters were developed even further, even ones I was not expecting to see that with. Her descriptions are so detailed and vivid, and even though there are multiple points of view, they're all connected together very well.
4. The Philosophy of Snoopy by Charles M. Schulz
"The world's most beloved beagle shares his philosophy on life in this beautifully produced gift book for all generations.
In his inimitable style, Snoopy spends his days extolling the virtues of dancing, hanging out with his best bird friend Woodstock, pursuing a full supper dish, and giving his owner -- our favorite lovable loser, Charlie Brown -- the run-around.
For the millions of faithful Charles Schulz fans, and those who fondly remember the joyful dog with the wild imagination, this is the second in a new series to cherish that will see the beguiling Peanuts gang share their sentiments on everything from food to friendship."~Goodreads
I love the Peanuts, and Snoopy is such a great character, so I knew I needed to pick this up and get inside his head more. While there are some funny (and not helpful) tidbits in here, there are some that should actually be applied to life. What a better combination than a comedic character offering advice for life?
5. Camp Half-Blood Confidential
There are so many things I enjoyed about this book, and they all relate to getting a behind the scenes look at camp. There's untold stories, descriptions of the places, an updated map, and plenty of comedy. We also can't forget the orientation film excerpts! The guide allows for a more in-depth look at camp compared to what is revealed in the books. For fans of Percy Jackson, this is a must read.
There we have it! As I said before, it was a tough decision--partly because I wanted to list three different comics--but I'm happy with my choices because I feel like they give a good overview of what I like to read and what I've read so far this year. So I'm curious: what have been some of your favorite reads so far this year? Let me know down in the comments!
As I was scrolling through my read shelf, I wanted to put several on the list. I've read a lot of single issues of comics this year, so I won't be putting multiple in the same series up, and I've also tried to pick a books from different genres. They are in no particular order.
The story follows Lina, a fifteen year old girl who is deported from Lithuania during World War II to labor camps in Russia. Throughout her journey, she fights the conditions of Siberia and hopes to bring her family together again through her art messages.
I love the World War II era, and in addition to how much praise it receives, I knew this was a must-read for me. It did not disappoint. I was hooked from the first chapter and didn't want to put it down. Sepetys does a fabulous job depicting the living conditions and what people suffered, bringing a not well-known part of history to life. I fell in love with the characters and often found myself desperately wanting them to be survive.
2. Robin (#1 - #5) by Chuck Dixon
Issue one's description reads, "Tim Drake heads to Paris to study under the Tibetan, Rahul Lama, then finds himself in a brawl with the Ghost Dragons gang in "Big Bad World."
After his brawl with the gang, he ends up joining forces with two others to end the reign of the King Snake.
I liked Tim Drake before I read these comics, partly from TV shows and appearances in other comics, partly from reading some of the Red Robin series. After I finished reading the miniseries that follows his journey after he becomes Robin, I grew to love his character even more. One of the appeals of the miniseries is that it follows Robin when he's not with Batman, which I liked because it gave the opportunity to see Tim's younger self in action when he wasn't next to his mentor. Despite being Batman's partner or having help of his own, he gets to make decisions that show his strength as a character and experience life away from Gotham for the first time.
3. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I'm going to leave out a description and just say that Celaena and her friends prepare to meet the darkness they will have to fight.I've loved each book in the Throne of Glass series, and the fifth installment, Empire of Storms, was no exception. Maas takes us deeper into the world where mysteries are uncovered and magic is revealed. All the characters were developed even further, even ones I was not expecting to see that with. Her descriptions are so detailed and vivid, and even though there are multiple points of view, they're all connected together very well.
4. The Philosophy of Snoopy by Charles M. Schulz
"The world's most beloved beagle shares his philosophy on life in this beautifully produced gift book for all generations.
In his inimitable style, Snoopy spends his days extolling the virtues of dancing, hanging out with his best bird friend Woodstock, pursuing a full supper dish, and giving his owner -- our favorite lovable loser, Charlie Brown -- the run-around.
For the millions of faithful Charles Schulz fans, and those who fondly remember the joyful dog with the wild imagination, this is the second in a new series to cherish that will see the beguiling Peanuts gang share their sentiments on everything from food to friendship."~Goodreads
I love the Peanuts, and Snoopy is such a great character, so I knew I needed to pick this up and get inside his head more. While there are some funny (and not helpful) tidbits in here, there are some that should actually be applied to life. What a better combination than a comedic character offering advice for life?
5. Camp Half-Blood Confidential
There are so many things I enjoyed about this book, and they all relate to getting a behind the scenes look at camp. There's untold stories, descriptions of the places, an updated map, and plenty of comedy. We also can't forget the orientation film excerpts! The guide allows for a more in-depth look at camp compared to what is revealed in the books. For fans of Percy Jackson, this is a must read.
There we have it! As I said before, it was a tough decision--partly because I wanted to list three different comics--but I'm happy with my choices because I feel like they give a good overview of what I like to read and what I've read so far this year. So I'm curious: what have been some of your favorite reads so far this year? Let me know down in the comments!
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