Between intense political debates, inspiring social movements, and heart-shattering tragedies, 2018 was certainly another eventful year. But amidst all of its super highs and super lows, we bibliophiles could always find some calm, comfort, understanding, and/or distraction in the things we read. For us here at Early Bird Books, diving into Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series offered a much-needed dose of sugary romance goodness. Meanwhile books like Maggie Nelson's The Red Parts, Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark, and Alice Bolin's Dead Girls indulged our ever-growing obsession with true crime. And then there were the reads that opened our eyes to new perspectives and gave us some food for thought—Nicole Chung's All You Can Ever Know and Tara Westover's Educated being two memorable standouts.
On our Facebook page, we asked you to tell us about the best books you read in 2018. See what moved and inspired your fellow Early Birds by taking a look at the curated answers below—and here's to another great year (albeit, one that's hopefully less insane) of great reading!
Y is for Yesterday
“Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton. I always looked forward to the next letter from her. I'm sad that there will never be a Z. May she rest in peace. She gave me many hours of escape.” —Robin
Circe
“I'm reading Circe by Madeline Miller. She writes of Greek gods and mythology and writes it as a first-person novel. Beautiful prose and imagery.” —Christine
The Stars Are Fire
“It wasn't the best written book I've ever read by my favorite author, but it was the last book she ever wrote before her untimely death. How powerful is that knowing you'll never experience the thrill of your next A.S. book again! I savored every word.” —Beverly
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks! 📖 I found it at our neighborhood free little library 📚.” —Pinky
“Great book. Sad that people were treated so badly by the medical system!” —Lois
Seven Fallen Feathers
“This Canadian author has won several awards for her non-fiction books. I have just started to read another of her books titled All Our Relations. Seven Fallen Feathers is a non-fiction book about seven students who were murdered in Thunder Bay Ontario and the human rights violations against Indigenous people.” —Dianne
The Love Song of Queenie Hennessy
“The Love Song Of Queenie Hennessy, by Rachel Joyce. But, since it’s the sequel to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, (which is awesome, too), you should start with this one first. That way you’ll get the full enjoyment of Miss Queenie Hennessy, a remarkable person!” —Toni
Thirty Girls
“I read Susan Minot's Thirty Girls for the first time and it was the best of the bunch for me in '18; heartrending, sad, disgusting, and yet also funny, clever and, at times, with one of the two protagonists, erotic.” —Tom
Before We Were Yours
“I read many books I loved but if I could only pick one, it would have to be Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. This book touched me like no other. It was in my head for months after reading it.” —Susan
Related: 7 Books Like Before We Were Yours
Lethal White
“I usually don't read mysteries but I love this series about detective Strike. Not only is the case intriguing but the drama of the personal lives of the characters draws you in as well. This book will keep you guessing until the very end!“ —Rachel
“Loved it, and the two previous ones featuring Cormoran Stryke. Audio books were outstanding—read by the same guy, who is excellent.” —Randi
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read it because of the Netflix adaptation, but ended up enjoying it even more (which is not shocking). It’s like a love letter to bibliophiles.” —Sarah
The Great Alone
“Just finished reading this and I agree one of the best books I've read this year plus learned a lot about life in rural Alaska, I can tell you I'd never survive there.” —Jean
Related: Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone is Powerful and Heartbreaking
There, There
“It opens up awareness of a subject which sparks very little interest—let alone outrage—in most Americans.” —Lynn
The Sojourn
“I'm sorry to say that my favorite book was a gift that sat on my shelf for 2-3 years. You'd think I'd know by now that books you think you won't like are often so incredible that you can't stop thinking about them and recommending them. After I read The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak I was astounded at how much I loved this book and how much I was moved by the story of Jozef as he makes his way through tragedy, war, and redemption. It's incredible.” —Renee
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
“It's SO good! They're doing a miniseries on it, too.” —Keri
“Lale found love, the most beautiful thing in the world, in Auschwitz, hell on earth. He found his reason to keep fighting for life, while also helping others as best he could. I could write more, but I'd rather not ruin a read for someone else.” —Michele
Related: The Best Audiobooks to Listen to on Your iPhone Right Now
The Hellfire Club
“I’ve read many, many books in 2018 but the one that still haunts me is THE HELLFIRE CLUB by Jake Tapper. Frighteningly real. Can’t get it out of my head.” —Jana
Mercies in Disguise
“The best audio is Mercies in Disguise. The reader was very good! It was described as an extraordinary medical mystery, scientific history, and, above all, human drama. True story of one family’s struggle with a rare and deadly inherited disease. You won’t want to stop listening...that’s how good it is.” —Nancy
The Secret History
“The Secret History by Donna Tartt is everything I’ve ever wanted a book to be...moody, brooding, atmospheric. The characters are pretentious and tragic, yet so real that you expect to see their reflections in shop windows downtown. I’ll never be able to get it out of my mind.” —Angeline
A Man Called Ove
“A Man Called Ove😍. It has all the feels. I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I smiled, I grieved, I was angry. It has been a long time since a book moved me like that.” —Jen
Featured Image: rawpixel / Unsplash
