18 books I read in 2018

Did you have a reading goal for 2018? I did. I. READ. 18. BOOKS. THIS. YEAR. Woooo* that feels good to say! Definitely the most books Ive read for leisure in a calendar year. 2018 was the first year that I was intentional on sticking to my reading goal. With the help of Good Reads and my book club, I was held accountable. I had so many books on my to-be-read list that just did not make the cut this year. I literally have a stack of already purchased books just staring at me, waiting to be read as I add more to the stack, I digress . But hey, there’s always 2019! I’m a mood reader (if that’s a thing), so I really have to be feeling that topic before I just dive in.

I fell into a reading slump half way through the year. After reading Salt Houses (book #6) in April, I did not pick up another book until the end of July; it was such a snooze!… but, since it was for my bookclub, I pushed through #holditdown. During my 3 month book hiatus (because Salt Houses took me out lol), I was devoting a  lot more energy into my fitness journey, and in my free time, I was also doing skincare research (more on that later). The funny thing is, I was still sifting through thrift stores for new reads! Go figure! I knew I wanted to get back into the swing of things, so I picked up a suspenseful read that I knew would be a page turner, and let me tell you, I am happy I did.. h e l l o.. The Couple Next Door (book#7)!

My Top Three Reads From 2018

Out of the 18 books I read this year, Homegoing, The Joys of Motherhood and Pachinko are my favorites. I don’t think it is by accident that my top picks are from diverse authors. I have a thing about gravitating towards books that will take me to a foreign country, preferably somewhere in Africa.

Homegoing takes us on a 250 year journey of one family over the course of seven generations. The saga starts from two half sisters. One’s family line goes down the hardships of slavery in America, while the other family line is left in Ghana. When I tell you the characters are so rich and well developed, you will not want to put this book down!

Let me tell you something about Pachinko, do not let the 500 pages intimidate you! Actually once you start, the 500 pages will be a thing of the past, because this book takes you on a journey! It takes us on a ride through 4 generations of a Korean family living in Japan, and the  hardships they went through to survive in a time period when Koreans had everything stripped away from them, having to make a start from nothing.

The Joys of Motherhood, ugh, I just want you to play Sweet Mother by Prince Nico Mbargo, like, right now, “Sweet mother, I no go forget you. For this suffer wey you suffer for me.” When I tell you this book gave me all the feels; such a powerful read! Based in Nigeria following an Igbo family, it touched on topics such as colonialism, class, and gender roles in a patriarchal world.

My 18 Picks for 2018

I created my own rating system that you can find at the end of the post to see what my star system represents! Hopefully my list will inspire you to set a reading goal for 2019! If you see something you like, just click on the picture and it will take you straight to Amazon. Happy reading!

1. 1. 1. The Autobiography of Gucci Mane (4 / 5)
      2. Homegoing  (5 / 5)
      3. God Help the Child  (3 / 5)
      4. Stay with Me  (5 / 5)
      5. An American Marriage  (4 / 5)
      6. Salt Houses  (1 / 5)
      7. The Couple Next Door  (4 / 5)
      8. Little Fires Everywhere  (3 / 5)
      9. The Immortalists  (4 / 5)
      10. Pachinko (5 / 5)
      11. The Rainbow Comes and Goes  (3 / 5)
      12. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo  (3 / 5)
      13. Kindred  (4 / 5)
      14. The Joys of Motherhood  (5 / 5)
      15. The Girl who Smiled Beads (3 / 5)
      16. Becoming Michelle Obama  (4.5 / 5)
      17. She Would be King  (3.5 / 5)
      18. If Beale Street Could Talk  (4 / 5)

Fantastic book. Adored this read. Can't explain it into words!:	(5 / 5)
Really, really good book. Loved it!:	(4 / 5)
Solid book. I liked it!:	(3 / 5)
An okay book. Likely predictable.:	(2 / 5)
It's just a no.:	(1 / 5)

Have you read any of these books? What have you read recently? Please, do tell! xo