2018 in Books
In 2016, I set a goal to read 100 books. I have no clue if I reached that goal because I didn’t keep a list of the books I read. In 2017, I started keeping an annual reading list, accompanied by short reviews, on my website. Thankfully, I’ve kept up that habit— and I have read more than 100 books each year.
I’m adding this to my website in 2024, so I’ve lightly edited some of my commentary from 2018. It’s interesting to see how my opinions on specific books and authors have changed.
Feminine Threads: Women in the Tapestry of Christian History by Diane Lynn Severance
I read this book at the recommendation of the teacher of a women’s Bible study I participated in last fall. I really enjoyed it– it begins with women in the early Christian church, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and ends with women in the 20th century.
finished January 5, 2018
Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks
Yes, he can write, too! It’s just not fair how some people get all the talent. As soon as I saw this book, with typewriter keys on the cover, I knew I had to have it. It was a delight to read from start to finish. It’s a collection of short stories that all feature a typewriter, some in big ways and some in small. I loved them all.
finished January 7, 2018
George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones
This was a really great book, which was perfect for my fascination with both the Star Wars franchise and the movie/television business in general. I recommend this to anyone who loves Star Wars or just wants to read a really great biography.
finished January 14, 2018
TIME, Person of the Year Edition
This may be slight cheating, but I’m counting this as a book because it was more than 100 pages and I read every word of it. It was a really great way to look back at the year of 2017.
finished January 15, 2018
Sula by Toni Morrison
After reading this for the first time for an English class last semester, I had to read it again for another class, and will have to read it again for a third class later in the semester.
finished January 25, 2018
The Garies and Their Friends by Frank J. Webb
I read this for one of my English classes. Though the old language made it a bit inconvenient to read, the story was really gripping.
finished January 25, 2018
Personal History by Katharine Graham
After seeing The Post (go see it!!!) twice in theaters, I had to reread it. Just as wonderful the second time.
finished January 28, 2018
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
My friend Sally and her mom were very excited for me to read this book, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a Christian book unlike any other Christian book I’ve read before. It’s very thoughtprovoking, well-written, and often funny.
finished February 1, 2018
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
This is the second time I’ve had to read this book for school. It’s such a well-written book, and it doesn’t really read like many other books written in that time period– the language isn’t too stuffy.
finished February 5, 2018
James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights by Richard Labunski
I read this book for my Media Law class. It was a good book– though I know and read a lot about early American history, this book had several details that I didn’t know, like the fight for ratification of the Constitution in Virginia.
finished February 6, 2018
Corregidora by Gayl Jones
I read this very strange book for my Women’s Lit class. It’s good for discussion, but I’m not sure I can say I enjoyed it. The writer is from Lexington and has a mysterious past, so that’s interesting.
finished February 9, 2018
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
I read this because it’s my friend Arden’s favorite book. I enjoyed it. The language is beautiful. The story is haunting.
finished February 10, 2018
On Homesickness by Jesse Donaldson
This is an absolutely lovely book. I think there was a smile on my face the whole time I was reading. It’s a love letter (written in prose poems– one for each of Kentucky’s 120 counties) to Kentucky, but also to the author’s wife. It’s so sweet.
finished February 11, 2018
The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard
This was a great historical fiction book about girls who worked on the atomic bomb during World War II. It was an easy and interesting read.
finished February 12, 2018
Iola Leroy by Frances Harper
I read this book for one of my English classes, and I enjoyed it. It’s set during and shortly after the Civil War.
finished February 16, 2018
Flyover Lives by Diane Johnson
It took me about half the book to get into this, but I really enjoyed the second half. Memoirs are so interesting. Everyone has good stories.
finished February 23, 2018
Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton
I just spent a wonderful Friday evening reading this from start to finish. I’ve followed the Instagram account for years now, and the book is a delight. Absolutely gorgeous photographs
accompanied by stories that are poignant or funny or lovely or all of the above.
finished February 23, 2018
Contending Forces by Pauline E. Hopkins
I really liked the beginning and ending of this book; it just lost me for a little bit in the middle. I read this for one of my English classes.
finished March 2, 2018
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
I also read this book for an English class, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a sweet, but sad, collection of interwoven short stories about mothers and daughters.
finished March 2, 2018
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
I reread this series again in preparation for the fourth book to come out, which the author did not originally intend to write. This series is a pure joy to reread.
finished March 2, 2018
Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
finished March 3, 2018
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
finished March 4, 2018
Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
finished March 5, 2018
Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi
finished March 6, 2018
Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
OH MY GOSH. This book was so incredible. It took me 2 hours and 39 minutes to read, and I already want to read it again. So, so, so good. So good.
finished March 6, 2018
Addendum: I just reread this book because seriously. So so so good.
finished April 11, 2018
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
This is another book I reread in anticipation of the third book in the series coming out. This series is a modern-day interpretation of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and they’re really fun to read.
finished March 8, 2018
The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro
finished March 12, 2018
The Case for Jamie by Brittany Cavallaro
This is the new book, and it was really good! It was originally going to be the last in the series, but she recently announced she’s writing more.
finished March 13, 2018
The House behind the Cedars by Charles Chesnutt
I read this for a class, and I liked it. It’s about race relations after the Civil War.
finished March 19, 2018
Quicksand by Nella Larsen
I read this book for the same class, and I found it really interesting at first, and then the narrative took a sharp turn from what I expected. The ending, particularly the last sentence, was very interesting.
finished March 24, 2018
Grant by Ron Chernow
I’ve been working on this 959-page biography since a couple days into spring break. As I expected, it was wonderful. Chernow is so, so good.
finished March 24, 2018
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
This Pulitzer-Prize-winner was really enjoyable. I’ve always loved historical fiction.
finished March 30, 2018
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
This is a graphic memoir I read for my Women’s Lit class. I haven’t always liked graphic novels/books in the past, so I was skeptical, but I really liked this one. I’ve started to really enjoy memoirs, and this had a historical aspect– the author grew up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution.
finished April 4, 2018
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Overall, I really liked this book, though some parts were much more likable than others. This sounds cliche, but this is a very honest book– everything that happened is stated plainly, which is not to say the writing isn’t beautiful. The author of this book gave my favorite TedTalk ever, which you can and should watch here.
finished April 4, 2018
Onward by Russell Moore
This was overall a good book– Dr. Moore made some really great points about the intersection between Christianity and culture/politics. However, it didn’t completely live up to my expectations, mostly because he needs a better copy editor.
finished April 8, 2018
Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi
We were only required to read part one for my class, but it had such a cliffhanger that I had to get the second volume. It was also really good.
finished April 10, 2018
Plum Bun by Jessie Fauset
I really, really liked the ending of this book. It could have been trimmed in the middle– it dragged for a while. I had to read it for one of my classes.
finished April 10, 2018
The Sport of Kings by C.E. Morgan
Every time I read a book that mentions Kentucky, or Lexington, or Rupp Arena, or bluegrass, I get a little thrill of connection. This fascinating book is all about Kentucky– the good, the bad and the ugly of Kentucky’s history of horse racing, family dynamics, racism, and more. In writing this book, Morgan asserted that there are really no rules in fiction writing– and fiction is better for it.
finished April 17, 2018
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The dialogue in this book is dramatically modified to fit the dialect of the people speaking, and I really do not enjoy reading that. However, the plot and especially the ending of this book are very good. This is my second time reading this book for a class.
finished April 20, 2018
All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
I reread this book because I used it as a source for my political science essay. Journalism is cool.
finished April 23, 2018
The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
Rereading this book because the third book in this series just came out, and I can only remember the plot of so many books at this point.
finished May 4, 2018
The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan
Had to reread the second one, too.
finished May 5, 2018
The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan
I thought this book was really good. For as long as Rick Riordan continues to publish books about mythology, I will be reading books that are meant for 6th to 8th graders.
finished May 6, 2018
Am I There Yet? by Mari Andrew
This book is delightful. It is a collection of her drawings, sketches, and essays about love, heartbreak, friendship, her father’s death, advice for young people, and more. It’s so sweet and inspiring– it makes me desperately want to do something creative.
finished May 7, 2018
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’engle
It’s been years and years since I read this series, but I’m planning to go see the movie on Wednesday (by myself; I’m expecting it to be a very peaceful experience), so I reread it. It’s a very
interesting story with a sweet message.
finished May 7, 2018
A Path Appears by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
This married couple has won a Pulitzer Prize together, which is goals and also well-deserved. This book is all about charitable giving and how to best help the rest of the world. I didn’t like it as much as their other book, Half the Sky, which is one of my favorites, but I did really enjoy reading this book, and I certainly feel inspired.
finished May 9, 2018
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
I was really skeptical of this at the beginning, but by the end, I was really invested in the plot. I found out there is a sequel and rushed to the library to check it out before the library closed for the night. I’m not a huge fan of the way the author writes about women’s appearances constantly, but it is sort of central to the plot.
finished May 10, 2018
Palace of Treason by Jason Matthews
I rushed to the library on Thursday night to check out this sequel to Red Sparrow before the library closed. It was very, very frustrating for parts of it, but the ending is good. Unfortunately, the third book is checked out of the library for a couple more days.
finished May 11, 2018
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
When I saw the trailer for this movie, I didn’t think it was for me. But I decided to read the book basically because my friend Joe really, really loved the movie. The book would have meant a lot more to me if I were a video game geek, but I did really like the story.
finished May 14, 2018
I’d Rather Be Reading by Guinevere de la Mare
This is a lovely little coffee table book of essays, poems, and art related to a love for reading. It was short and sweet.
finished May 14, 2018
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
It was time for my annual summer reread. I think I used to just cry at the later books in the series, but now I apparently cry at least once during every single book.
finished May 15, 2018
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
finished May 16, 2018
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
finished May 17, 2018
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
finished May 21, 2018
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
finished May 23, 2018
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
finished May 25, 2018
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
finished May 27, 2018
The Kremlin’s Candidate by Jason Matthews
This is the finale book of a trilogy I started a couple of weeks ago. The plot is good, but the writing style is a little tiring. Not sure I’d like the writer if I met him on the street, but he’s got a
good imagination.
finished May 28, 2018
The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith
This is the first book JK Rowling wrote under a pseudonym. I’ve waited a long time to read her non-Harry Potter books, but I was not disappointed by this one. I stayed up till 2am to finish this because I just couldn’t put it down.
finished May 29, 2018
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
This is the sequel to The Cuckoo’s Calling, and I definitely liked the first one better– the mystery was more intriguing. But the detective and his assistant are really fascinating characters, and I’m excited to read more stories about them.
finished May 31, 2018
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
finished June 2, 2018
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
This novel was brilliant and disturbing. It’s a weird feeling to read something by JK Rowling that isn’t Harry Potter, but thank goodness she is still writing such amazing stuff.
finished June 3, 2018
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
I liked this book. It was captivating even though it wasn’t largely driven by plot– it’s about six people, throughout their whole lives. It was enjoyable to read.
finished June 4, 2018
A Time to Kill by John Grisham
I really enjoyed this book, which is the favorite (or at least one of the favorite) books of both of my parents. It definitely has similarities to To Kill A Mockingbird, which is another great book. I definitely recommend this book, and I plan to read more of Grisham’s books– my lawyer mom has just about all of them.
finished June 5, 2018
A Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
I did like this book, but I definitely like the Cormoran Strike books better. JK Rowling is still such an amazing writer– she writes so well that you care about the lives of these pretty ordinary characters. It was really interesting to read a fictional book by hers that is about average people, when I’m used to reading fantasy.
finished June 7, 2018
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, but it had some seriously emotional elements. It would have fit really well on the reading lists of both my women’s literature class and my African-American literature class last semester. The cover art is also really beautiful.
finished June 9, 2018
The Story of Ireland by Neil Hegarty
I read this pretty comprehensive history of Ireland so that I would have some more background knowledge going into my trip to Ireland. It’s an interesting history but the book itself wasn’t anything overly special.
finished June 12, 2018
Educated by Tara Westover
Wow, this book was crazy. It is a memoir about the author’s experience growing up in a very fundamentalist household; she didn’t go to school until she was 17 and went to college. What she went through made me very angry, but the overall message of this book– education is incredibly important– was amazing.
finished June 14, 2018
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
My grandmother got me this book, and it was really enjoyable. It was a sweet story about love and family and family secrets.
finished June 16, 2018
The Pelican Brief by John Grisham
I read this entirely on my flight to Ireland. Both of my parents love John Grisham, and Gram said this was her favorite of his books. I really, really liked it. It was captivating.
finished June 20, 2018
Beloved by Toni Morrison
I heard about this book over and over in English classes this past year, and the premise sounded so interesting to me, so I was excited to read it. The book was okay, but it didn’t live up to what I wanted it to be. It would have been better if read for a class and subsequently discussed.
finished June 24, 2018
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
This book was decent. I guess I enjoyed it overall but it seemed a little too long. As someone who loves Rick Riordan’s books, I thought this book was just a grown-up version of his books.
finished June 30, 2018
Wild Irish Women: Extraordinary Lives from History by Marian Broderick
I enjoyed reading this book, which I checked out from the library where I’m studying in Dublin. It was very interesting to read about so many women and learn more about Irish history.
finished July 2, 2018
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
I listened to a podcast interview with Lauren Graham (aka Lorelai Gilmore) the other day and realized she wrote a novel. I enjoyed it, and I would have kept reading about the characters.
Some people really get all the talent.
finished July 6, 2018
The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien
For my class, I was assigned this Irish author, so I read her most famous trilogy. She is very famous for writing about the lives of women in Ireland in a pretty revolutionary way. This book, along with several others of hers, was actually banned in Ireland for many years.
finished July 7, 2018
The Lonely Girl by Edna O’Brien
finished July 8, 2018
Girls in Their Married Bliss by Edna O’Brien
finished July 9, 2018
Repeal the 8th by Una Mullally
For my class, each of us were assigned a prevalent Irish issue to study. Ireland just voted to repeal the 8th amendment of its constitution, which prohibited abortion. This book was about the movement to repeal that amendment.
finished July 13, 2018
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The TV show Game of Thrones is filmed in Northern Ireland, so it was referenced often on different tours. I decided to buy a copy of the first book; I’ve been hearing for years that I would like both the book and television series. I really did enjoy the first book, and now all I want to do is procrastinate my Irish assignments and read the sequels.
finished July 23, 2018
Country Girl by Edna O’Brien
This is the memoir of my assigned Irish writer. I really enjoyed it. She has lived and continues to live a fascinating life, even though she’s now in her 80s.
finished July 23, 2018
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
This is the second book of the Song of Fire and Ice series, the sequel to A Game of Thrones. These books are really, really good, though I feel like I’m part of a cult now that I’m a fan.
finished August 2, 2018
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
The amount of times I audibly said “What?” or my jaw literally dropped while reading this book is quite high. These books are so intricate and complex, and they will consume my life until I finish them.
finished August 7, 2018
A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
This wasn’t my favorite book of the series; it felt like it was setting up a lot of things rather than having a lot of things actually happen. It also focused on only about half of the characters, many of whom are not my favorite characters. But obviously the series as a whole is crazy good.
finished August 9, 2018
A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin
This was the last book in the series so far, and I’m bummed that he hasn’t finished the series yet. I’ll probably watch the show eventually, but I want to read the end of the narrative in book form first.
finished August 16, 2018
Ireland by Frank Delaney
This was a great novel that made me desperately miss Ireland.
finished August 23, 2018
The Bible
Every time I finish reading the Bible, I think, “Okay, so I still don’t understand Revelation.”
finished August 26, 2018
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
This was a really lovely book. As of 8 p.m. last night, I was on page 40 of 310. I finished the book before I went to bed, far too late than I should’ve.
finished August 29, 2018
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Something rare for me happened: I watched the movie based on this book before I actually read the book. It is a fun, lovey-dovey book to read and movie to watch.
finished August 30, 2018
A Good Life by Ben Bradlee
This is the autobiography of the long-time editor of The Washington Post. It was really good, but my very favorite parts were when he mentioned Katharine Graham, the Post publisher
whom I adore.
finished September 8, 2018
The Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic
I read this book for my American literature class. I liked it pretty well, and it’s made for interesting discussions in class so far.
finished September 10, 2018
With a Hammer for my Heart by George Ella Lyon
I really liked this book, which is written by a Kentuckian and set in Kentucky. I’ve really enjoyed reading more Kentuckian/Appalachian literature in the last year or so.
finished September 12, 2018
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Amazingly, I loved this movie for years before I, first, knew it was based on a book and, two, actually read the book. This was my second time reading it. This story always, always makes me happy. I cannot express how much The Princess Bride means to me.
finished September 16, 2018
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
I read this first in high school, and I had to read it again for my American literature class.
finished September 23, 2018
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
I enjoyed reading this memoir. I read an excerpt of it in one of my classes, so I wanted to read the entire book.
finished September 27, 2018
The House Behind the Cedars by Charles Chesnutt
This is the second time I’ve read this book for an English class at UK.
finished October 2, 2018
Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
This is the brand new Cormoran Strike mystery novel, written under J.K. Rowling’s pseudonym. Like the three before it, this book was amazing. I hope she keeps writing these for a long time.
finished October 4, 2018
A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs
An unexpected sequel is the best news ever. This series originally ended after three books, but the author decided to keep going and just released this fourth one. It was really good, and the whole concept for the series is just fascinating.
finished October 12, 2018
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
I can’t believe I hadn’t already read this book. I thought I knew the ending, but I did not, so I was surprised. I enjoyed the book.
finished October 14, 2018
Alone atop the Hill by Alice Dunnigan
I loved this book, which is the autobiography of the first black woman to be credentialed for the White House and Congress. I’ve written two stories about a statue made of her, that is now in the Newseum. She is amazing.
finished October 17, 2018
Cane by Jean Toomer
I had to read this book for my American literature class, and I was not a big fan. It’s written in a very weird, abstract form, and it makes it hard to get a cohesive story or theme out of it.
finished October 17. 2018
Gmorning, GNight! by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jonny Sun
This delightful book features Lin-Manuel Miranda’s daily good morning and good night messages (first communicated via Twitter), illustrated by Jonny Sun. It’s so precious and uplifting.
finished October 18, 2018
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
Tahereh Mafi has never written a book that wasn’t amazing. I read this in one sitting, and it made me cry. She is so, so wonderful.
finished October 20, 2018
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
I read this book for my American literature class, and it was probably my favorite book we’ve read in that class so far. It’s about how life changed in America during the Industrial Revolution era.
finished October 25, 2018
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
I read this for my American literature class, as well, and I didn’t love it. It’s a detective novel, and I can definitely tell how it influenced detective stories of today, but I don’t like the writing style all that much.
finished November 5, 2018
All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
This has been on my reading list for forever, and though it took me a while to read (why did I choose to read it at the busiest time of the semester?), it was definitely worth it. It’s considered to be one of the best political books ever written, and it was written by a Kentuckian, which makes it even better.
finished November 17, 2018
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
I read this for my American literature class, and I enjoyed it. It’s about the Vietnam War and it made me want to read more fiction about the war.
finished November 17, 2018
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
This is the sequel to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and it was a purely fun, cheesy, young adult romance novel. I’m not ashamed.
finished November 21, 2018
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
This is the final book in the trilogy. See above.
finished November 22, 2018
I’ll Be There for You: The One about Friends by Kelsey Miller
This was a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Friends, and I really enjoyed it. I obviously adore Friends, and I really love learning more about the television and movie industry. Any Friends lover should read this.
finished November 24, 2018
Unconventional Wisdom by Karen M. Kaufmann, John R. Petrock, and Daron R. Shaw
I read this book about American voters for my political science class. It was an okay book, as far as textbooks go.
finished November 26, 2018
Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta
I read this book for my American literature class (notice that a lot of the books I’ve read recently have been for class; I haven’t had nearly enough time to read). I really liked it. It was a really interesting book about memory and documentation of life.
finished December 1, 2018
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
I reread this and its sequel because the third book in this series came out last week.
finished December 15, 2018
Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
finished December 20, 2018
Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
Women Who Write are Dangerous
Eragon by Christopher Paolini