What a Year It Was! Your Favourite 2018 Reads

What a Year It Was! Your Favourite 2018 Reads

What a year it was for wonderful books! We have seen some incredible titles emerge from both debut and well-known authors who delivered some unforgettable reading experiences. We asked you, dear readers, which books stood out for you in 2018, and the crowd has spoken! Here, we reveal your 2018 reading highlights:

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Gail Honeyman’s debut bestseller, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, has won many hearts this year, coming out on top as your favourite book of the year for 2018. We aren’t surprised – we loved it too, with its heartwarming characters and plot, this is one of those stories that restores your faith in humanity with its transformative acts of kindness, yet is never schmaltzy and has some wonderfully funny moments. It is a true original. If you’re yet to read it, we couldn’t recommend it more as a deliciously entertaining and uplifting holiday read.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Based on an incredible true story of love in the time of devastating war, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is by far one of this year’s most memorable reads. The story, based on years of interviews with real-life Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig Sokolov, is full of beauty and hope, reminding us of the enduring power of love, and the strength of the human spirit to both endure and overcome great hardship. Heart-wrenching, illuminating, and unforgettable, this is certainly one to add to your to-be-read pile.

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

Some stories pluck at our heartstrings with such intensity and ferocity that we are forced to carry them with us long after we have turned the final page. Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton is one of these stories. A tale of brotherhood, true love, and the most unlikely of friendships, Boy Swallows Universe more than lives up to its promise as ‘the most heartbreaking, joyous and exhilarating novel you will read all year.’ A story like no other, Boy Swallows Universe has rightfully earned a spot in your top five reads of 2018.

The Nowhere Child by Christian White

This is the book that took many by surprise. No sooner than the exhilarating thriller became a bestseller, the screen rights were snapped up and a star author was born. Christian White’s debut novel shook the book world. No wonder. A combustible tale of trauma, cult, conspiracy, and memory, it was totally addictive and devilishly clever, bristling with some genuinely, scary moments. Compulsory reading for all thriller and mystery lovers.

The Pearl Thief by Fiona McIntosh

Fiona McIntosh’s The Pearl Thief – a confronting and heart-stopping novel that explores love and hope in a time of war and hate – blew us all away. Arguably her best work yet, this exhilarating and eye-opening historical read gives voice to those who are most vulnerable to the atrocities of war, and celebrates their strength and endurance. That such a recent release is already on the list of top 2018 reads, is a testament to Fiona’s magical story-telling powers.

Of course, 2018 delivered us so many wonderful books that all clamoured for our attention, naming only a few was near impossible. Whilst these are the top five books as voted by the Better Reading community, special mention must also go to Scrublands by Chris Hammer, The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan, The Lost Man by Jane Harper, and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland- all polled highly and clearly, were much loved.

A special thank you to you, dear readers, who engage in this community and so generously share your thoughts and opinions on all things to do with books. We love hearing from you and sharing the book love with you, and can’t wait to see what 2019 brings to our bookshelves.

Happy Holidays!

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  1. Kathleen Maher says:

    I am a new member. Are many of your books geared toward women? I ask because I also recommend books to my husband and I’m searching for a website that will serve both of us.

    Many thanks!