My Favorite Reads of 2017

I thought it would be perfect to start my blog out with a post about my favorite reads of 2017! My reading goal this year was 70 books and though I haven’t quite reached that yet, I only have a few left to go. And I still have a couple weeks until the end of the year!

So, without further ado, here is a list of my favorite reads of 2017 organized by category (including some honorable mentions):

Debut Author: Vanity in Dust by Cheryl Low

Vanity in Dust was released on August 8th by World Weaver Press and flew mostly under the radar. However, I really enjoyed this book! Cheryl Low does such a great job with world building. I was pulled in from the very beginning and I cannot wait for the sequel!

YA Contemporary: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

If you haven’t read The Hate U Give yet, I encourage you to pick it up as soon as possible. It is such an important book that shines a light on the #BlackLivesMatter movement. And there will be a movie out soon based on the book, so all the more reason to get reading!

YA Contemporary Honorable Mention: Instructions for a Secondhand Heart by Tamsyn Murray

Sequel: The Crown’s Fate by Evelyn Skye

The Crown’s Fate had everything I wanted in a sequel. It was lovely and perfect and I adored the ending. Evelyn Skye has become an auto-buy author for me and she has a new series coming out this year about ninja assassins!

Sequel Honorable Mention: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

YA Fantasy: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

I don’t think I could have a favorites list that doesn’t include a Laini Taylor book. Her writing is just so beautiful and poetic. Strange the Dreamer gives us a whole new fantasy world and everything about it is just gorgeous.

YA Fantasy Honorable Mention: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Retelling: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Labyrinth is one of my very favorite movies of all time, so when I heard there would be a book retelling, I wasted no time ordering it. I’m so happy to say it did not disappoint and I had so much fun with this book. I’m anxiously awaiting the sequel so that I can have more Goblin King!

Retellings Honorable Mention: Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry

Dystopian: Gilded Cage by Vic James

At a time when I thought I needed a break from dystopian books, Gilded Cage came along and changed my mind. Such a great, twisty story! The characters were complex and I’m dying to read book 2, Tarnished City!

Sci-Fi: Plague Land by Alex Scarrow (Sorry no photo of this one! I still need to get myself a hard copy.)

This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read! It was so great! A sci-fi, apocalyptic, horror mash-up that kept me guessing the entire time. Definitely pick this up if you’re a sci-fi fan!

More Favorites (that I definitely think you should check out, though not published in 2017):