Howdy folks! Christmas morning and my guest today is Sanchie who blogs at SanchWrites. She currently resides in Australia and practices clinical psychiatry. I have been following her for quite a while and simply love her book reviews. Which is why she will be sharing her top 5 reads from 2018. She describes herself in these words

|Writer | Aspiring Author | Psychologist | Bibliophile | Imperfect | Feminist | Outdoorsy | Fitness Fanatic | Coffee Snob | Wine drinker | Beach lover | Cat slave|

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As we enter the final month of 2018, it seems only fitting to look back at some of my best reads this year. As an avid reader, I do like to start each year by joining reading challenges and setting a ‘goal’ for how many books I plan to read that year. Goodreads is pretty good for that. Getting the time to do it though, can be a challenge. I mainly participate in Australian challenges because I love to support local authors and I guess the books are easy to get. I read a range of books this year – fiction, nonfiction, poetry and short stories. Not all of them were published this year as my TBR list and books on my bookshelf have been overflowing for years.

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman

This was the second book I read in 2018 and it has continued to stay with me all the way through. I have recommended it so many times I have lost count. Eleanor is thirty years old and leads a simple life. Her life is fine just as it is. But is it really? This debut novel was a joy to read. Eleanor’s voice is unique and you cannot help but fall in love with her and her friend, Raymond. This book was an emotional rollercoaster and an enjoyable read for me.

Ð Check out my Mini review of this book here

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

This debut Australian novel set in the eighties in Brisbane follows 12-year-old Eli Bell, his mute brother August, and his trials and tribulations as he endeavours to help his mum break out of gaol. It’s a heart-warming story that made me laugh, cry and root for Eli and August throughout the book.

Little Fires everywhere by Celeste Ng

Set in the perfect Shaker Heights community, this novel looks at two different families. The Richardsons and the Warrens. They couldn’t be more different and yet, their lives intertwine. When close family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle begins between the birth mother who is also a friend of Mia Warren. This divides the community and drives a wedge between Elena Richardson and Mia Warren. It’s a beautifully written book exploring issues around perfection, secrets, racism and relationships in general. You can find a detailed and more eloquent review here

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Sarah Winman’s novella is almost a love story. I loved it for the beautiful prose and the emotions it evoked. It made me smile and brought me to tears and it continues to stay with me till now.

When breath becomes air by Paul Kalanithi

I read this when on holidays in March. It is the one book on this list I haven’t reviewed because I’ve felt like it deserves a re-read before I do it justice. This is a memoir by Paul Kalanithi just before he died. It delves into meaning and purpose and what is truly important in our lives. This book broke me – partly because of Kalanithi’s age being so close to mine, partly because I’ve been struggling with my own existential dilemmas for this past year. Do yourself a favour and read this one. With tissues, of course.

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It’s always hard to narrow down favourite books but I guess I tend to lean towards books that evoke an emotional response in me and that are unforgettable in many ways. There were a few others that almost made the cut including Sophie Laguna’s The Choke, Brene Brown’s Braving the Wilderness and Matt Haig’s Reasons to stay alive. But in the end, I decided to go with these while keeping in mind I haven’t finished the year yet.

What would be your top 5 reads for 2018? Do share!

You could check out my book review of The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak  here

 

My guestpost on her blog for #mymojo is here