Top 5 Books of 2017
I set a reading goal for myself at the start of the year (I use the app ‘goodreads’, follow me!!) – Which was one book a month, I read A LOT but I’m not exactly very fast at it.
Im happy to say I surpassed my goal and am on book #14! Wahooo! These were the top 5 books that I read this year and I LOVED them!!
Comment below with your recommendations for 2018!
Happy Reading!!
J. xo
The Rules Of Magic – The book is the prequel to Practical Magic (Um, OMG – I LOVED THAT MOVIE!!) and in this book we revisit the Owens family.Susana Owens has three children. Frances, Bridget and Vincent must obey Susana’s strict rules like no candles, no books about magic, and, most importantly, no falling in love.But when the siblings visit their Aunt Isabelle who lives in the town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin the risky journey to escape their family curse. – OK – Who didn’t want to be a witch when they were a kid? I’ve always loved reading books about witches and magi –don’t worry, I know its not real. But this book is about is the most magic ingredient of all, Love… which means that magic IS available to everyone. *All the feels*
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – about a socially awkward woman named Eleanor who lives a regimented life full of frozen pizza, vodka, and phone calls to her mother.But everything changes when she meets a man at her office named Raymond and they rescue an old man and each other from lives of isolation. It’s a story about loneliness, love, and grief.This was one of those stay-up-all-night-until-your-done type of books! I won’t lie, I struggled through the first half, it was a bit slow… but then something happened and I could not put it down.A very refreshing read, she lives a social media free life with no friends, no vacations, no parties. I found myself laughing out loud at her hilarious sense of humour and cared about her character right from the start.
*Side note, I was reading this book when we were talking about puppy names… and Brandon loved the idea of an old lady-ish name. So Eleanor it is… but she’s Ellie for now.
The Handmaid’s Tale – is a story that was originally written in 1985 about a futuristic totalitarian state called Gilead that has replaced the United States. In Gilead woman are stripped of their rights, and a certain group of women called Handmaids are forced to bare children for powerful couples who cannot conceive. Offred who was once a married career woman and mother but who is now a handmaid serving the needs of her commander. Ummm yeah, not exactly a happy read! – Considering this book was written in 1985, its scary that some things in this book is currently happening in the world we live in… This book is about women’s rights and is actually haunting. I tried to watch the TV show based on this book and I really can’t bring myself to finish knowing how it ends. But still, one of my top reads by far!
The Hate U Give – is a young adult novel about a 16-year-old named Starr Carter, a black girl who is forced to navigate two different worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she lives and the predominantly white school that she attends. Starr’s world is shaken when a police officer shoots and kills her unarmed friend during a roadside stop. She witnesses the event and has to determine how much to tell and how that information will impact her community. Believe it or not this is a YA book (and Its my top book of the year!!) I loved this read for so many reasons… maybe its because my heart is a teenage heart. This book is written with so much empathy and compassion. I found myself in tears more than once over this tragic story and I HIGHLY recommend it.
Trafficked – a hauntingly true story of a young girl who trusted someone she loved. Sophie went to visit her friend in Italy for a few days, shortly after she arrived his sweet and caring demeanour changed. He held her captive and sold her on the streets to pay off on old debt. – This book was one I will never forget.
