I try hard to read new releases every year....why? Because a new great book is released all the time. I can't stand not being able to partake of this newness. The problem is there is no way I could read every fiction published in 2018, but here is a list of the ones that I did and enjoyed. Some of these books made it to my favorite book of 2018 list (includes new and old releases). I will start with what I think is the best new book written in 2018. I do want you to know that this was a hard list to compile because so many of the books that I read and were published in 2018 were exceptional. Please check out my GoodReads Reading Challenge and read a few of the books published in 2018.
1. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah-This book was featured on every list that I could add it to. I loved every part of this book. It is hard to read if you have domestic violence issues because it is pretty harsh in how the violence happens. I love how the great story is set in my favorite place, Alaska. Alaska is its own character in the book. She shines bright and shows you that she is pretty, but she is strong and if you aren't strong she will defeat you. It took me two days to finish this great book because I could not put it down.
2. Next Year in Havana by Chantel Cleeton-I adored this book almost as much as #1. This book has two time periods, modern day and the 50's right before the revolution in Havana. I visited Havana last year so I knew some of the places described, but I think that even if you had not been to Cuba the text is so descriptive that you would feel like you were in Havana with the characters. The story also paralleled the story that our tour guide told us while we were there, I mean the story of the revolution. It was a difficult time and violent...this book has some violence, but not too much. I read this book in two days also.
3. As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner- Another terrific book by Susan. I pretty much love every single thing that she has written. This time she covers the Spanish flu that hit the US in the early 20th century. I had a little bit of knowledge about this time but had no idea what people could have gone through. This story took it a bit further by being set in a funeral home. So many people died that the funeral home was the best setting to show how the flu touched everyone's lives. I read this book in three days.
4. My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamole-I will read pretty much anything I can on the American Revolution. Since Hamilton entered my life I will read anything associated with him. Some Hamilton books are not well written or feature rehashed facts/situations; however, this one stood out on its own. It took me 28 days to read this because I read this during my busiest time at work and had NO extra time.
5. Prisoner of the Castle-By Susan Ella MacNeal-Warning this one is a series, if you haven't read the first Maggie Hope books you don't need to read this one. I advise you to get the first one and get started NOW!!! It is a superb series about a woman that is a secret agent during WWII. She has grand adventures, dangerous situations and a pretty violent life (ok, so I expect WWII books to be a little violent). Excellent series. I read this book in two days
6. The Tattooist of the Auschwitz by Heather Morris-I admit that I choose most of my books based on the cover. I can't help it, it is just what I do and this one did not disappoint. I read this one in 4 days. Parts of it was hard to read because of what happened to our hero. The camps were simply horrible and they are described in detail here (remember I told you that I expect WWII books to be disturbing/violent). This had horrible conditions, you can't even call them "living conditions".... What shocked me was that this book was based on a real-life couple. You need to read the story at the end of the book on how the author met our hero and had his blessing in the creation of this book. I did cry with this one and it took me four days to get through it, but it is so worth your time.
7. Room on the Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel-WOW just WOW!!! Ok, so I never expected this book to happen as it did. A woman has a goodish marriage but it has secrets....then the secrets are revealed. She, in turn, takes up with a child that would be killed if she didn't help her and they do their part for the resistance to save the world from the Germans. I loved this book and devoured it. I did not put it down once I started it. I read it in one day. A day well spent in my opinion. I read this one in four days.
8. The Subway Girls by Susan Orman Schnall-This reminds me a tad of one of my favorite movies On the Town starring Gene Kelly, Vera-Ellen, Ann Miller, and Frank Sinatra. There is a contest for finding a subway girl poster model. Becoming a subway girl could change a girls life in the '40s. While we are dealing with that time period, we also flash to the future where an ad exec is trying to do a campaign on the Subway Girls. I found this dual timeline fun and I loved how the story ends. Finished this book in two days.
9. The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester- I just barely got this one in before 2018 ended....and it was a great way to go out. I don't want to spoil the plot, but let's just say that a woman raised in France learns all kinds of things about life, the war and her own history once the Germans invade the country. I love how the tale weaves through two countries and a few characters. I was slow to catch the twist, but when I did....oh my!!! I didn't want this to end and it took me six days to stretch it out.
10. Tony's Wife by Adrianna Trigiani-I could not put this down. Read it in about 5 hours. It started out with me feeling sorry for a character and then completely changed. I mean completely. I had no idea it was going where it did. I loved that surprise!!!
There were so many other good books that were published in 2018 that I read so I will tell you a few more titles, you can check my opinion out on my GoodReads page.
Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer
The Glass Ocean (I wanted it in the top ten) by Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig
The Restless Wave by John McCain
The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher
The Wedding Date and The Proposal by Jasime Guillory
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
My Girls by Todd Fisher
The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
The Reckoning by John Grisham (I just finished this today and I loved it, maybe my new Grisham favorite)
The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester
