I’ve had a pretty good reading year. I think my ratings were in the 3-4 star range for the most part this year (which means not much time wasted on terrible novels!). I really stepped out of my comfort zone this year and welcomed more diverse books to my shelf. By doing so, I’ve traveled very far across the globe and deep into the magical, mystical realms of imaginary worlds or to the depths of outerspace. I’ve really enjoyed this journey in finding new writers, independent authors and small presses over the course of the year. Here’s a photo of some of the books I’ve read in 2017:
Even with reading 33 of 40 books. I found a few gems! Ironically, the books shown below as my Best Reads of 2017 are all books that I would not have picked up naturally if I wasn’t trying to be more diverse in my storyline, authors and story locations for 2017. Here’s a look at the books I put in my Top 5 Best Reads of 2017:
Here is the order in which I rate these as top reads:
#5 – Americanah by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie
#4 – The Mothers by Brit Bennett
#3 – A Brilliant Death by Robin Yocum
#2 – Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
#1 BEST READ OF 2017 – The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
I really enjoyed Ahdieh’s novel and I rated other books higher than the 4.5 rating given to this book. Yet, when I look at all the books together and wonder which has stuck with me, which book I’ve recommended people to buy this year and the story I loved even weeks after finishing…this book wins out! Check out my initial thoughts on this book HERE
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What books did you read this year that made you feel something?