Favorite Books of 2017

It is the end of 2017! Which means it's time for the annual list of my favorite books I have read in the year! This was really hard to choose from because honestly I have read a lot of great books. One of my reading resolutions was that I wanted to read more diversely and I am really proud to say I did that. I read so many great books about different cultures, sexual identities, gender identities, and  mental illnesses. I think this is definitely something I plan on incorporating into my reading routine now. Grabbing books that are more diverse. I think the #OwnVoices movement has really done wonders for the book community and we are seeing more (but not enough) diverse authors not only being published but being promoted.

So, here are my favorite books of 2017 in no particular order. I will probably stick to ten books with some honorable mentions. If we have any in common tell me! Also, if you have any reading recommendations based off the books I have loved, of course send them my way.

Favorite Books of 2017

   
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas  - This book is absolutely amazing. I had been anticipating it for a while, as were many, and the hype was well deserved. I cannot recommend it enough.THUG is a Black Lives Matter book about the main character, Starr, who lives in a poor neighborhood while going to a fancy suburban prep school. She witnesses her childhood friend murdered by a cop. While grieving, she also has to make decisions on if she should speak out and put herself in danger, and how she to handle insensitive friends at her predominantly white school. I've learned a lot from this book and I think it's a modern classic. This book needs to be in schools all over America and even all over the world.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli - I love this book, so much. I was originally drawn to the book because I loved the authors first book, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I also absolutely love Becky Albertalli, who is an actual sweetheart. There aren't many stories that have fat lady (or male, honestly) characters, and Molly is an amazing one. She is used too having a lot of crushes, but she's never had a boyfriend. Molly's twin sister Cassie has a new girlfriend named Mina, who has been taking up a lot of Cassie's time. Molly develops a crush on Mina's friend Will, and Molly knows if something came out of her crush with Will she may get more time with Cassie (plus she may get her first kiss). However, Molly has met a new boy named Reid at her new job. Reid is a nerdy guy who is easy for Molly to talk to and complicates her crush on Will. This book is incredibly sweet and I highly recommend it. I haven't connected with a character like Molly in a long time. High school me would have benefited so much if she read this book. 

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green - Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. Personally, this is one of the best books I've read that focuses on mental illnesses. I related deeply to the thought spirals Aza describes she has. Her inner voice is so similar to mine that I felt like John Green had scooped my thoughts out of my brains and wrote them down. I had to read this book twice in a row and I can honestly see myself reading it again soon. 

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst  - Of Fire and Stars takes place in Mynaria, a fantasy world where Princess Dennaleia is sent to live with her betrothed, Prince Thandilimon, in order to prepare for their wedding. Their marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. Dennaleia has a secret she has been pushing deep inside her, and it's becoming harder and harder to hide it. Thandilimon's sister Amaranthine, who prefers to be called Mare, teaches Dennaleia how to ride a horse for the ceremony. What complicates Dennaleia's situation even more is when she starts to develop feelings for Mare. I love this book because the romance is just so cute. The writing, the world, the characters. I think we need more LGBTQ+ characters in fantasy books, and this is a great example of it being done well. 


Faith Volume 1: Hollywood and Vine by Jodi Houser - Orphaned at a young age, Faith Herbert - a psionically gifted "psiot" discovered by the Harbinger Foundation - has always aspired to greatness. But now this once ordinary teenager is taking control of her own destiny and becoming the hard-hitting hero she's always known she can be - complete with a mild-mannered secret identity, unsuspecting colleagues, and a day job as a reporter. Faith makes a secret transformation to patrol the night as the City of Angels' own leading superhero - the sky-soaring Zephyr! But flying solo is going to be tougher than she every thought when Zephyr uncovers a deep-rooted alien conspiracy. I love this comic series and Faith has become my favorite superhero ever. Having a fat character be a superhero, and her weight not being a joke or a identifier for her personality is amazing. If you couldn't see Faith in the comic illustrations, she could have been any other character. Plus, her morals and humor is something I really relate to. I cannot recommend this comic series enough. 

This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab - Kate and August are bold heirs to a divided city where actual monsters have been bred out of violence. Kate wants to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay him for their protection. August just wants to be human and to be as good-hearted as his father. He wants to play a bigger role in protect the innocent despite being a monster himself. I loved this book so much! Schwab is definitely one of my favorite writers. Her stories are always so unique and capitvating. I loved Kate and August as characters and I loved the concept behind the world Schwab had built. That violence breeds monsters. I also really liked the three separate monsters. They and the entire book had creepy and chilling vibes that definitely catches your attention. I need to re-read it soon so I can jump into the sequel.

The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace - I have been following Amanda on twitter for a while so when I saw she had a poetry book coming out I immediately requested it at my local library the moment it was available. Her poetry is beautiful and I really related to her words. I love the style of poetry also. I have been seeing in more in modern poetry and I think it's really striking.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - Everything is about to change. Until this moment, Sal has always been certain of his place with his adoptive gay father and their loving Mexican-American family. But now his own history unexpectedly haunts him, and life-altering events force him and his best friend, Samantha, to confront issues of faith, loss, and grief. This book is a heart ache in the best way. I loved the friendships between Sal, Sam, and Fito had together. All three of them have been through a lot and I love that they are there for each other. I think Sáenz is definitely one of my favorite writers because his writing makes me so emotional. It holds warmth in a way I don't think I've experienced with any other writing. I love his stories about family and love.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - Orphaned Lyra Belacqua has to save her friend Roger from the Gobblers, a group of people who are rumored to kidnap children, and she has to leave her home in Oxford to do it. In the mission to save Roger she learns about an alternate universe hidden in the Aurora  Borealis. I am so mad I didn't read this book earlier because it was stunning. I read it with the audiobook at times, which was also an amazing piece of art. The writing, story, and characters were all great. There was one moment where I was reading along to the book while listening to the audiobook and Lyra is in this cold snowy location and I felt myself get cold because it was like I was in the story. I think that is testament to how powerful the writing and story are, especially paired with the audiobook.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - Dimple has decided after graduation she wanted to attend a program for aspiring web developers. Her family, her mom especially, wants her to focus on finding an Indian husband. She finally gets her family to agree, but when she gets there she realizes they had an alternative motive.  by named Rishi has been sent to the same program to charm her because they are destined to marry. I loved Dimple so much. I loved her fire and passion. I also thought Rishi was extremely sweet but for me Dimple steals the show. This is such a cute romance and I think it's a perfect summer romance read. I am excited to see what other books Menon publishes.

Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded by Hannah Hart - I have been a fan of Hannah's YouTube channel for quite some time and I have always loved her personality. When I picked this book up I assumed it would be similar to other books written by  YouTubers but it was totally more than that. Not to bash any other books written by YouTubers, I have read a nice amount and have enjoyed them for the most part, but this felt different for me. This wasn't me reading a book about a YouTuber but a book about someone who had gone through a lot and still is literal sunshine. I respect Hannah so much more.

Cloaked in Shadow by Ben Alderson - Zacriah Trovirn is concerned with two things in life: hunting and dodging Petrer, the boy who broke his heart.Heartbreak becomes a distant concern when Zacriah is taken to the Elven capital of Thessolina, where he is forced into King Dalior’s new legion of shapeshifters. But Zacriah isn’t a shapeshifter. In truth, he doesn't know what he is. Zacriah joins forces with new friends and they soon find themselves embroiled in a clash between the three Elven continents. With war looming on the horizon, Zacriah must learn to use his latent power to fight and protect those he loves before they are destroyed. This was such a fun fantasy story! I loved the world, the characters, and the writing. Like Of Fire and Stars, the world has a gay romance in a world where gay relationships are not seen as "other", which I absolutely loved. I am so interested in the magic system in this world and I am excited to learn more in following books.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab - Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure..This absolutely blew me away. I wasn't shocked because I expect that from V.E.Schwab's writing and stories but I am so relieved with how much I loved this book. I love Kell so much and he has easily become one of my favorite (if not my favorite) character I've read in 2017. 

Scrappy  Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick - I love Anna Kendrick so much as an actress, singer, and just as a person. Her autobiography was so funny and I had so much fun reading it. She's from Maine, like I am, and it was cool to read about her growing up in Maine while traveling to New York for her Broadway show. I am so happy I read this because I was laughing for almost all of it. She's so funny. 

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy - Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever. Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever. The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool. But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem. I know this book got a lot of controversy around it, but I absolutely loved it. I loved that Murphy tackles the topic of sexuality being fluid, and I honestly think this book helped me learn more about my own sexuality and I came out as bi not long after reading it. I don't know if they're directly connected but it could have definitely helped influence me and give me courage. 

Thanks for reading!