2018 Recommendations: May the Reading Continue

Another year has passed and I hope you've had a good one. Personally, a lot has happened this past year so my reading has somewhat suffered (not greatly but a little) and, thus, this year's book recommendations list is the shortest yet. That being said, there are still quite a lot of books on this list and I really hope it proves at least somewhat useful for you.

Now, before I actually get into the list I have a couple of things to say. However, since I've already said all these things last year I'm just going to copy the work I've already done (I'm lazy like that) and if you're already familiar with the format you don't have to bother reading this again (in case you're lazy like that, too).

This isn't a list of all my favorites. Some of the best books I read last year won't be on this list because [insert reason here] but I'll include some books I personally didn't enjoy as much as I could have because I see some inherent value in them which might make them very interesting reads for someone else.
I try to split these books into different categories to make more sense of the list. In 2016 I recommended 44 books, in 2017 it was 41 books, this year it's going to be 29 so I really think categories are warranted. But I hope you won't be constrained to specific categories because books usually have a lot of layers which are not adequately represented in only one category. Also, diverse reading is always nice!
I try to include some important information (title, the German title, author, series, if it belongs to a series, length, and my rating), links (to the book's Goodreads page and a more elaborate review of mine, if I have one), and a short blurb for each book (as well as additional categories to give you more of a sense for the story/atmosphere). So, if you see a book that might interest you, feel free to use all of these resources to broaden your perception of said book. Or simply judge these books by their covers and read the prettiest-looking ones. It's really up to you.
These aren't 2018 releases. Well, sure, some of them are but most aren't. My "2018 Recommendations" are simply books I read in 2018, whenever they've been published originally. Frankly, I'm not really good at reading new releases.

And that's it. Without further ado, here are some of the books I read in 2018 which I'd like to shout-out once more as the year draws to a close:

Classics

Great Expectations

Deutscher Titel: Grosse Erwartungen
Author: Charles Dickens
Pages: 571
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: If I'm being honest with you I have to admit that I went into this book fully expecting to hate it but when I finished it I was almost moved to tears. Somehow this book managed to sneak its way into my heart despite my negative attitude and pessimism and despite all the flaws I could detect (like the 'brief' period of boredom in which nothing happens for about 200 pages in the middle of the book). That being said, if you ever have the chance to check this one out I totally recommend it because it might just have a similar effect on you as it had on me.
Additional Categories: Surprising Books / Lots of Sad Bits / Books About Family and/or Belonging (But the Weirdly Sad Kind) / Books I Read for University

The Scarlet Letter

Deutscher Titel: Der scharlachrote Buchstabe
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Pages: 226
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: Again, I was really surprised when I read this and realized that I wasn't just not-hating the story but actually developed a liking for The Scarlet Letter. There are a lot of uncomfortable people in this book, a lot of uncomfortable things happen, society is very judgemental, the writing is extremely dense, but it's also very fascinating and captivating. Full disclosure, I'm afraid this book could be the kind where you either hate of love it, thus, you might want to treat carefully.
Additional Categories: Surprising Books / Beware of Society / Books I Read for University

YA Contemporary (the Sad Bits)

The Memory of Light

Author: Francisco X. Stork
Pages: 325
My Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: The Memory of Light is one of those books that first rips you apart and then puts you back together real careful-like (figuratively). The thing is, no matter how careful you've been put back together you'll always feel the seams of torn tissue. Which is why I would totally recommend you read it (it's about mental illness and dealing with suicidal thoughts and depression and a lot more) but also that you're careful about doing exactly that (i.e. if you're the sort of person that needs trigger warnings about mental illnesses this might be a tough read).
Additional Categories: Mental Illness / Optimistic / Family and Friends Are Important

What We Saw

Author: Aaron Hartzler
Pages: 336
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: If you look at the 'additional categories' section of these books you might notice that there are a lot of books about rape that I read this year. It's a heavy topic and can be quite hard to digest but it also allows for a diversity of angles to tell stories about. in What We Saw the perspective is someone who has not been raped herself but a girl who has to confront how society deals with survivors of rape and how accounts and reports can be marginalised and victims can be excluded because they spoke out about what happened to them. Needless to say, this book is a lot. But it is also great and interesting and, well, important™.
Additional Categories: Why Did I Read So Many Books About Rape / Optimistic / Murder, Crime, and Mystery

What Girls Are Made of

Author: Elena K. Arnold
Pages: 208
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: What Girls Are Made of, too, is a really heavy book. It's not about rape but it discusses femininity, self worth, what it means to grow up etc. The main character is quite difficult to deal with, as well as her mother who has, in the absence of a better word, indoctrinated the protagonist with a very harmful attitude to self-worth in relation to relationships. If you need good and nice and kind protagonists to relate to a book I'd recommend staying away from this one but other than that I'd highly recommend it. Also, the writing is quite amazing.
Additional Categories: Books About Family and/or Belonging (But the Sad Kind?) / Psychological Messes

Beartown

Deutscher Titel: Kleine Stadt der grossen Träume
Author: Frederik Backman
Series: Björnstad
Pages: 432
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: Surprise, surprise it's another book about rape. Actually, it's very similar to What We Saw because it observes the lead-up and consequences of rape from an outside perspective, considering many different characters based in Beartown (as in the name of the town not the book). The storytelling in this one is particularly good and even though the story is devastating, I was really fascinated with it and couldn't stop listening to the audiobook.
Additional Categories: Why Did I Read So Many Books About Rape / Beware of Society / Optimistic? / Family and Friends Are Important / Audiobook

Non-Fiction

Into Thin Air

Deutscher Titel: In eisige Höhen. Das Drama am Mount Everest
Author: Jon Krakauer
Pages: 368
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: This was amazing, fascinating and it should have been really scary but it mostly managed to kindle an interest in mountaineering I hadn't really had before. I really enjoy climbing and I enjoy the occasional hike but ascending great mountains and putting your life in so much danger was never something I had considered doing before. Well. Now it sounds like something I need to at least try. That being said, I don't think I'd ever want to try my luck with Mount Everest if only because of the environmental strain tourism has on that particular region. Besides that, this was a really interesting, engaging, and informative read and Jon Krakauer really knows how to tell a good story.
Additional Categories: Lots of Sad Bits / About the Author / Informative! / Eery

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

Author: Roxane Gay
Pages: 306
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: Roxane Gay has a nice way with words and it really shows in this book. It's a quick read and very interesting but not easy (as most books about mental illnesses can be quite hard to digest). It's the first book by Gay that I've read but solely based on this I'm sure it won't be the last. That being said it's quite obvious that I'd recommend you check her out, too.
Additional Categories: Mental Illness / About the Author / Lots of Sad Bits

Fermats letzter Satz

Title: Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem
Deutscher Titel: Fermats letzter Satz
Author: Simon Singh
Pages: 364
My Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: A book about maths and it was absolutely amazing. Engaging from beginning to end with a lot of super interesting details and anecdotes. I realize that the subject itself will already be quite deterrent for a lot of people but I highly, highly recommend checking this book out nonetheless because it goes into a lot of really interesting history and additional topics. If you feel like you might be at all interested, definitely have a closer look at it!
Additional Categories: Surprising Books / Books that Make Me Happy / Optimistic / Informative! / Maths! Yeah!

YA Contemporary (the Not So Sad Bits)

One of Us Is Lying

Deutscher Titel: One of Us Is Lying
Author: Karen M. McManus
Pages: 361
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: I listened to the audiobook of One of Us Is Lying and not only once, not even twice, but three times in the span of only a couple of months. I know that there are a lot of problems in this book but I also completely fell in love with it. It's completely addictive and I'm actually contemplating starting it again soon-ish. The characters go through a lot of growth, the mystery is threatening and nicely resolved (if unrealistic), and I could generally do a lot of gushing about this book but it would be advantageous if you had read it before I get started.
Additional Categories: Murder, Crime, and Mystery / Books that Make Me Happy / Family and Friends Are Important / Audiobook

Exit, Pursued by a Bear

Author: E. K. Johnston
Pages: 248
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: Another book about rape. What can I say, I wasn't lying before. This, though, is from the perspective of the rape-survivor herself and it takes a very different turn than the other books because it actually depicts a story of survival, perseverance, and growth. The protagonist, obviously, has to deal with a terrible situation but she has friends and family and a therapist who support her and heal together. In retrospect, this book has retained a very positive impression in my memory and I'd be interested to re-read it to see if I wouldn't up the rating a little. Needless to say, I highly, highly recommend you check this one out.
Additional Categories: Why Did I Read So Many Books About Rape / Optimistic! / Family and Friends Are Important

The Foxhole Court

Author: Nora Sakavic
Series: All for the Game
Pages: 237
My Rating: no rating (for the first book)
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: Frankly, I actually don't recommend The Foxhole Court in the same way I do the other books in this list. The thing is, I was extremely torn about it and, at times, even convinced I hated it. But then I also read the second and third book of the All for the Game series this year and those two books were completely addictive and I read them within the span of only a few days and it was quite glorious and despite the many, many flaws this series has and how ridiculously broken and abused its characters are and despite the general ridiculousness of the story I'd recommend checking out these books. I believe you can actually download the Kindle version of the first book for free so you wouldn't even have to pay for it.
Additional Categories: Murder, Crime, and Mystery / Books About Family and/or Belonging (But the Sad Kind?) / Friends Are Important (Family Is Dangerous) / Psychological and Physical Messes (Generally Very Messy) / Can't Put It Down

Adult Contemporary

The Child Finder

Author: Rene Denfeld
Series: Naomi Cottle
Pages: 288
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: The Child Finder is creepy and wintery and terrifying and it feels lonely and magical and very big and important and beautiful. It's such a touching story and it's told brilliantly. Denfeld has such a good way with words and her stories are totally enchanting and what are you even waiting for? Go read this!
Additional Categories: Lots of Sad Bits / Murder, Crime, and Mystery / Books About Family and/or Belonging (But the Sad Kind) / Psychological Messes / Eery and Creepy / Writing Goals

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Deutscher Titel: Die Widerspenstigkeit des Glücks
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Pages: 290
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: This book warmed my heart. I instantly fell in love with it. It's a sweet book, short, and very well written and I believe it would manage to melt even the most cynical of hearts seeing as the protagonist himself is so very cynical himself and even he couldn't help falling in love. It's a story about family and love and also books (it's actually set in a bookstore/the apartment above a bookstore) and I really hope that's enough detail to make you pick it up yourself.
Additional Categories: Books that Make Me Happy (And Also a Little Sad) / Optimistic / Books About Family and/or Belonging

The Home for Unwanted Girls

Author: Joanna Goodman
Pages: 384
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Initial Review
Blurb: I had never heard of the Duplessis Orphans before. If you haven't either I'd like to warn you that this is going to be a difficult book. There are a lot of terrible, terrible people in it and a lot of very innocent people get treated terribly because of them. Actually, it was such a heavy book that I had to pause it at times because it was simply too much for me to take all at once. Also, it's based on real events making this book even more heartbreaking.
Additional Categories: Lots of Sad Bits / Beware of Society / Historical Fiction / Books About Family and/or Belonging (But the Sad Kind) / Made Me Angry / Audiobook

Murder, Crime, and Mystery (Mostly Adult)

Murder on the Orient Express

Deutscher Titel: Mord im Orientexpress
Author: Agatha Christie
Series: Hercule Poirot
Pages: 274
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Initial Review
Blurb: Well, frankly, I don't think there is anything I can say about this book that hasn't already been said by someone else (and probably been said better than I could, too). If you don't know Agatha Christie it's probably high time you check her out, honestly it's high time for myself to read more of her books. This one is about a murder. On a train. Surprise.
Additional Categories: Classics / Storytelling Goals / Beware of Society? / Audiobook

Rebecca

Deutscher Titel: Rebecca
Author: Daphne du Maurier
Pages: 441
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: I can't say that I enjoyed this book in the same way so many people seem to love this book. Actually, Rebecca makes this list purely because of the mastery of storytelling portrayed by du Maurier. Despite my own struggles with this book I am convinced that all said struggles were warranted. Du Maurier really knew what she was doing.
Additional Categories: Classics / Storytelling Goals / Books About Family and/or Belonging (But the Dark and Twisted Kind) / Eery and Creepy

Give Me Your Hand

Author: Megan Abbott
Pages: 352
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: What can I say? I've absolutely loved every book by Megan Abbott I've read so far and although this is my leas favorite (so far) I still can't help but recommend it. Well, almost. Abbott's writing is somewhat unusual and while I, personally, love it I realize that it is a style that a lot of people could struggle with. That being said, her stories are always extremely interesting and they have this weird effect on me where I feel at the same time really connected and disconnected from reality and everything feels more vibrant but also more performed than it usually does. Generally, I'd recommend checking out all of her books but this one is the book with the most pressing mystery driving the story forward so it might actually be one of the more accessible of Abbott's novels.
Additional Categories: Deviation / Psychological Messes / Writing Goals / Eery and Creepy

Graphic Novels & Comics

Through the Woods

Author: Emily Carroll
Pages: 208
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Initial Review
Blurb: I'm not particularly affected by (written) horror stories myself and this book wasn't an exception but the illustrations were absolutely beautiful and definitely worth checking out. Moreover, I recently handed this book to my little sister's boyfriend and he read it within an hour and was absolutely blown away. So, if you don't trust my judgement, listen to my sister's boyfriend and check this one out. It really is amazing.
Additional Categories: Murder, Crime, and Mystery / Beautiful Books / Eery and Creepy

Catboy

Author: Benji Nate
Pages: 138
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Blurb: There is not a lot to say about this book: it's sweet and short and pretty slice-of-life and if you need something to cheer you up you should really check this one out. It's also quite beautiful and maybe a bit too pink-ish for my taste but I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who will particularly like that aspect of the book.
Additional Categories: Books that Make Me Happy / Optimistic / Beautiful Books / Books About Family and/or Belonging /

Superman: Red Son

Author: Mark Miller and Dave Johnson
Series: Superman: Red Son
Pages: 168
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Blurb: Again, there isn't a lot to say about this book. I really enjoyed it, it was the perfect amount of goofy to be funny but not ridiculous (at least not negatively) and also interesting but not overbearing. Plus, I really enjoyed the ending because it felt so cliché and cheesy it was perfect. I had expected DC to portray Superman in a negative way and was sometimes disappointed that he continued to be the big ol' hero he always is but the ending mended that disappointment (it's just so ridiculous and cheesy, I can't help it).
Additional Categories: Books that Make Me Happy / The Silly Stuff

Fantasy & SciFi

Bull

Author: David Elliott
Pages: 200
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: Greek mythology as told by Poseidon. In poems. It's a blast from start to finish, Poseidon is great and the perfect amount of cocky, the tragedy is, indeed, tragic but also interesting and brilliantly told, Elliott making perfect use of the poem-format. Moreover, it's such a short book that everyone will have time to read this. In conclusion, there is really no excuse not to check this one out.
Additional Categories: Books that Make Me Happy / Fun! / Deviation / The Silly Stuff

The Little Snake

Deutscher Titel: Leises Schlängeln
Author: A. L. Kennedy
Pages: 144
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: If you liked buy maybe didn't love The Little Prince this is probably the book for you. It's very sweet and whimsical and it tries to convey moral messages about kindness and love and the downside of greed etc. Personally, it wasn't really completely up my alley but I totally understand how one could absolutely fall in love with this short and sweet little book. Maybe you belong to that group of people?
Additional Categories: Lots of Sad Bits / Beware of Society / Optimistic / Books About Family and/or Belonging

The Silmarillion

Deutscher Titel: Das Silmarillion
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Series: it's not really a series but it does belong to the groups of books set in the Middle-Earth universe
Pages: 443
My Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads
Initial Review
Blurb: If you don't like Tolkien this is not going to be a book for you. If you've struggled while reading The Lord of the Rings this isn't not going to be a book for you. If, however, you are a massive Tolkien-Nerd, like I am, and you have no problem with dense storytelling and too much information unpacked rather crudely within too little pages to actually convey a clear, non-confusing story of which you'll probably forget most things (it's just too much!) very quickly and you're able to see the humor in things like Sauron turning himself into both a vampire and a werewolf you'll probably love this book as much as I did. Which is all I can say about this. I thought it was fantastic and I had a blast reading this.
Additional Categories: Books that Make Me Happy / Classics? / The Silly Stuff / I Am A Massive Tolkien Fan / Books I Read for University (Kind of)

Under The Skin

Deutscher Titel: Die Weltenwanderin
Author: Michel Faber
Pages: 296
My Rating: 3.5/4 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: I'm recommending Under the Skin mostly because it's premise is really interesting and I strongly believe it's worth checking out. There are some boring parts but I think it's very worth putting up with that to experience the good parts. Also, the cover is quite amazing (this doesn't actually factor into the story but it's worth noting).
Additional Categories: Books About Family and/or Belonging / SciFi But On Earth / Deviation / Books I Read for University

Dystopians

The Handmaid's Tale

Deutscher Titel: Der Report der Magd
Author: Margaret Atwood
Series: The Handmaid's Tale (it's turning into a series after many a year of it being a standalone)
Pages: 311
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Initial Review
Blurb: Well, you've probably heard of this, might have already read this or have seen the TV show. And you probably also know that it's supposed to be really good. Well, I'm here to tell you that: yes, it's amazing and devastating and, well, a lot. It really freaked me out and I hope no one ever has to live in that kind of society.
Additional Categories: Why Did I Read So Many Books About Rape / Lots of Sad Bits (Obviously) / Classics? / Beware of Society (Obviously) / Psychological Messes / Books I Read for University

Nineteen Eighty-Four

Deutscher Titel: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Pages: 326
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: Again, you probably know about this book already and there isn't a lot left for me to add to that. I can tell you that you should read this and you'll either know that already or have read it already, but I can add that you might want to take your time reading this (I did and it worked a treat). I can tell you that the storytelling is amazing and you'll probably already are aware of this, too, but I can add that the ending was absolutely fantastic and totally payed off everything that has happened before and that, if you read it, you definitely need to get to the end in which all you've learnt before will be twisted around, once more, and leave you with a bitter and uncomfortable feeling (but also very satisfied because it's done brilliantly). So, in conclusion, do yourself a favor and check out 1984.
Additional Categories: Lots of Sad Bits (Obviously) / Classics / Beware of Society (Obviously) / Storytelling Goals / Deviation / Psychological Messes

Books that Make Me Happy

Trouble Is a Friend of Mine

Deutscher Titel: Digby
Author: Stephanie Tromly
Series: Trouble
Pages: 314
My Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads
Full Review (#1 and #2 and #3)
Blurb: If you remember anything from the last two yearly-recommendations-thingies you'll know that I've recommended Trouble Is a Friend of Mine in 2016, snuck the recommendations into my 2017 list as well and that there shouldn't really be a reason why I'm recommending this series for a third time. But, what can I say, I love these books. Also, I re-read the entire series when the last book was released so I do feel like I am allowed to recommend this series once more. It's so much fun and amazing and, urgh, just read my reviews or simply get the books yourself and then we can talk about it properly.
Additional Categories: Murder, Crime, and Mystery / Fun! / Family and Friends Are Important

Far From the Tree

Deutscher Titel: Wir drei verzweigt
Author: Robin Benway
Pages: 374
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads
Full Review
Blurb: This list is drawing to a close and I want to end it with a book I have really loved this year. Robin Benway's books are totally amazing and I've loved every single one I've read so far. She manages to be both funny and heartfelt, the perfect amount of light-hearted and also serious, really empathetic and, somehow, it always feels realistic. This book is about adoption, the three protagonists being biological siblings who meet for the first time. As always, Benway stresses the importance of family and friendship of open and empathetic communication. Frankly, this book made me so happy that I cried.
Additional Categories: Books About Family and/or Belonging / Beautiful and Sad and Happy / Writing Goals

Yes, these are all the books I'm recommending to you this year! I hope this list is at least a little useful!

I also wish you a fantastic reading year, may you discover many a beautiful and brillant book, but also generally a fantastic year, may you achieve many a beautiful and nice resolution/whatever (I personally don't really do resolutions as such and you might not, either, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say anyway). Have a nice day and happy reading.