My Favorite Books of 2018

Hey, guys!

      This year has been such a fantastic reading year. I'm so pleased with the books I've read this year. There are quite a few books that have made it to my "all-time favorites" group, but there are also some new potential favorite series and authors. 2019 will tell if they end up in my all-time faves list. 

Which books ended up on your favorites list this year?

Favorites

****These are in no particular order. They're just in the order that I had them stacked before taking the photo****

1. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang ~ 5 stars
• 5 stars
• This book was so deliciously addicting. I love how diverse the cast is and the story that Hoang tells is so fresh and sweet. I think that this was pitched as a retelling of Pretty Woman, but I'll be honest, I have never seen Pretty Woman, so I'm not even sure what it's about. This book was just absolutely fantastic. Helen Hoang is definitely a new favorite author. I love her. I can't wait for her second book, The Bride Test. I'm currently picking up her new adult and adult romance recommendations, so stay tuned for more NA/A romance reviews. 
2. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne ~ 5 stars
• This was a later read and it absolutely blew me away. I absolutely loved the use of the enemies to lovers trope as well as the slow burn romance. I absolutely love Lucy and Josh and I wish I had more to their story. I cannot wait to read Sally Thorn's 99 Percent Mine.
3. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo ~ 5 stars
• UGH! What a great finale! I cannot believe how amazing this book was. I cannot wait to read King of Scars. I need more Nikolai!
4. City of Ghosts by V.E. Schwab ~ 5 stars
• I listened to this book before my trip to Seattle and it was just a fun spooky middle grade story. I loved the characters and I loved the relationships that developed throughout the book. I cannot wait for the second book to come out. Victoria Schwab is a fantastic middle-grade writer. I'm definitely going to try reading more of her work soon.
5. The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell ~ 5 stars
• This book is perfect. I can't wait to read Betsy's 2019 release: The Circus Rose. Check out my review for a full gush.
6. Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills ~ 5 stars
• THIS BOOK! SO GOOD! I CANNOT WAIT FOR EMMA MILL'S NEWEST BOOK: Famous In A Small Town! Preorder! January 15! Check out my full review for my gush.
7. Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf ~ 5 stars
• This book was awesome! It had a fantastic fantasy world and I loved the characters. If you'd like to read about my reasons for loving this book, check out my full review!
8. Geekerella by Ashley Poston ~ 5 stars
• This book was a wonderful love letter to the fandom culture. I absolutely loved the characters and the romance and relationships that developed throughout. Elle is such a fantastic narrator and I loved reading her half of the book. Darien is such a sweet bean and I cannot wait to see if they show up in The Princess and the Fangirl. 
9. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi ~ 5 stars
• This book! What an atmospheric and intense story. I cannot believe I took so long to pick this book up. CBB is my boyfriend, Alex's favorite book of the year. I'm so glad that I read this book this year. It's just so fantastically done and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out. 
• Alex's review: {click here}
10. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black ~ 5 stars
• This is definitely a new all-time favorite book. I am so enamored with Holly Black's writing in this book. I haven't been too pleased with her previous work (The Spiderwick Chronicles and her collaborative work with Cassandra Clare), but this really wow'd me. I just recently acquired an ARC of The Wicked King, so stay tuned for a reading vlog on my Instagram and a review once I'm finished with the book. 
11. A Court of Frost & Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.5) by Sarah J. Maas ~ 5 stars
• I read this book twice this year and I'm just as in love with it now as I was in May. I absolutely adore this book. I cannot wait for book #4 to come in 2020. I need it.
12. Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas ~ 5 stars
• This was the perfect finale to a series. Ruin and Rising was pretty amazing, but SJM takes the cake. I absolutely adore the characters and I absolutely love everything about this series. I need more. The World of Throne of Glass needs to come soon!
13. Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas ~ 5 stars
• Ugh. I was salty with Chaol before reading TOD, but this book really explains what happens to Chaol and Nesryn during Empire of Storms. I love everything about this book. Chaol is a sweet baby and I cannot wait to see what happens to him in TWOTOG. I just need more Throne of Glass. 

Honorable Mentions

There are 7 books that didn't quite make it to my favorites list but captivated me immensely while I read them. I'm definitely going to be picking up more books from these authors. 

1. Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat ~ 3.5 stars
• This book was so problematic, but the politics and the characters intrigue me so much. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this story. I'm excited to continue on with the series and to see what happens next.
2. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Taherah Mafi ~ 4.9 stars
• This is a previous favorite. I really enjoyed rereading this. 
• I plan on writing a full blog post about my re-reading experience very soon! I will also be reading Restore Me in the next month, so stay tuned for my reaction on that. I'm also very scared to read Restore Me. I'm afraid that I'm going to be very sad.
3. Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren ~ 4.9 stars
• This book was so adorable and fun to read. The ending put me off slightly, but I really loved the characters and the story leading up to the last chapter. I'm excited to read more from the authors.
4. West (East #2) by Edith Pattou ~ 4.75 stars
• This is a sequel to one of my all-time favorite books. It was so wonderful to visit some of my favorite characters and immersing myself into the world that Pattou has created. I'm so excited to see if she writes more stories like this one. 
5. Mirage by Somaiya Daud ~ 4.75 stars
• This story was so fascinating and immersive. I'm excited to see what the sequel brings. I loved the writing style and characters.
6. Save the Date by Morgan Matson ~ 4.75 stars
• Ah! This book was so much fun. I loved the focus on family and family relationships. The narrator was so wonderful and I can't wait to read more of Morgan Matson's books. She's a favorite author, though Save the Date isn't my favorite of hers. 
7. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo ~4.75 stars
• I absolutely adore this book, however, I really fudged my reading experience. I managed to make this book span over a few months (which I hate doing) because I was so scared about finishing it. I had been majorly spoiled online, so I was just terrified to come to that spoiler. This book is just so special and wonderful. I can't wait for King of Scars to come out. Leigh Bardugo is quickly becoming a favorite author and an automatic preorder author. She's just the best!

*I will have reviews for the unlinked titles above, but until then, I hope you enjoy the other reviews! 

I hope you had a great reading year!

Olivia 

~Liv the Book Nerd~

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PS: This post is fitting to go up today because it is my favorite person's birthday. Alex, I love you. Happy 24th birthday! You are my all time favorite and I cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together. x