Today I want to share with you my favorite fiction books that I’ve read this year. Can you believe the year is almost over? To say it flew by is an understatement! I’ve compiled my 7 favorite stories- they didn’t all come out this year, but I read them all over the past 10 months. I finished one of them only yesterday! And guess what? It was my favorite of all- funny how that works.
The Night Circus– I’ll start with my favorite, because the others are pretty much equal to each other after that. This book had me hooked from the beginning with its fanciful imagery and crazy ideas. It could have been a huge mess, but the author went for it and worked it all out. It’s one of those books where the characters stick with you long after you’ve closed the pages. You’ll fall in love with Celia and Marco, Bailey and the Twins. You will be hooked from the first sentence and find it hard to do anything but reach for this book. This imaginary world will become a place you want to revisit again and again. I had to talk myself out of starting it all over once I finished it.
Rooms– This is unlike any other book that I’ve read before. Written from the perspective of a house, via the ghosts that reside there. You will see family secrets brought to light and learn how the lives we live, even those that lived long before us, have an impact on the present. If you’re looking for a totally different type of book- this is it. I had a hard time putting this one down as well.
Night Road– Kristin Hannah has a way of writing friendship like no other author does. Each time I read one of her books I am amazed at the way she intertwines peoples’ lives and makes them a part of each others’ story. She’s done it again- and she’ll break your heart over and over like she also has a way of doing. This story of friendship and love and loss will make you cry, but will make you want to pick up her next book, and the next.
The Wednesday Sisters– Another book about the bond between friends that spans decades. How our lives change and how we can be there for each other, in the hard times and the good. This book had me wishing I had my own little writing club that could meet each week, and made me want to be a better friend to the ladies I already call family. The perfect Book Club read, and one I recommend over and over again.
Leave Me– As a tired Mom, I can get it. The main character in this story has a heart attack and leaves her family. Feeling overwhelmed with life in general, she takes a sabbatical of sorts. Cutting herself off from everyone she knows, she reevaluates what it is that she wants in life. Why this isn’t necessarily the route I would choose for myself- I appreciate the perspective that Gayle Forman writes from. Any overwhelmed parent could relate.
The Invitation– If you’ve ever dreamed about traveling the Italian Riviera. If you like books set in a simpler time. If you love a romance where the characters can’t be together- this one’s for you. I dreamt of visiting all of the places mentioned in this book, and wished I could travel back in time. Post war when the world was changing, and people were trying to become something other than what they were before. There are secrets and scandal and beautifully imagined destinations. Everything you want in a good book!
Mrs. Houdini– Though this work is completely fiction, and no one really knows the real story behind the lives of Houdini and his wife, I like to think this is how it went down. A whirlwind romance and love that defies death. Searching for lost love even beyond the grave. A wonderful love story set in the 20’s when magic seemed possible. You’ll wish you could see it for yourself- Houdini’s great feats and the woman who searched for him for years after he departed our realm of existence. This book had me researching Bess Houdini like a madwoman and I love a book that keeps me wanting more.
Though I’ve read quite a few books that I loved this year, these are definitely my favorites. There’s still time to complete your Reading Challenge so go ahead and add these books to the list! Stay tuned for my Non-Fiction Faves!
What are your favorites from this year? I am always game for book recommendations!
