Best Books I've Read in 2017 So Far

6/27/2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme is hosted by The Broke and Bookish.

We are officially halfway through 2017, well..almost. A few days away at least. Therefore, it's the perfect time to go over what books I've loved so far this year!

Descender Vol. 1: Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen

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I don't read comics that often. It's not really my thing, unless it's manga or a unique story. That's exactly what Descender is. The story is about a robot boy who's accused of being the reason for an attack on the universe by robots called The Harvesters. If you like Artificial Intelligence then you'll love this!

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

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Attachments was my first romance of the year. A fantastic one at that! Rowell's novel is set in the 90's, the main character is a nerd, and the writing is so cute and witty! Another reason for it being my favourite is the format, I just love epistolaries so much! If I was Lincoln I would've read the email conversations too...

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

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I'd been waiting to read this book since I found out that it existed! I'm not very good at sticking with long book series, but The Princess Diaries, and all of Meg Cabot's other books, stuck with me. I have always been addicted to them! Revisiting Mia Thermopalis was lovely. Royal Wedding was a massive reminder of why I loved the books so much. I find Mia so relatable, despite being a Princess and all.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

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Every time I have read a Gayle Forman book I have loved it. This was no exception. Just One Day is about Allyson, a shy girl, who takes a spontaneous trip to Paris with a mysterious boy. Not only did I find Allyson incredibly relatable, she also loved Shakespeare, like me! You get to see Allyson slowly come out of her shell and find her own independence. It was lovely to read! When I get round to reading it's counterpart, Just One Year, I'm sure I'll find myself rating it just as highly.

If you want to know more about what I thought of this book then check out my review.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

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Geekerella is one of the cheesiest books you will come across this year. It is utterly adorable! I was drawn to this book the moment I saw the cover and realised it was a nerdy Cinderella retelling. I found myself feeling many wonderful emotions while reading Geekerella. Plus, it was very easy to get through. I loved all of the characters, not including the really mean ones, and found the theme of community incredibly heartwarming.

Check out my review to find out more of my thoughts.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

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Yellow and black striped tights have been scattered around instagram since Me Before You came out. Once the film was released I knew that I had to see what all the fuss was about. Me Before You is a quirky, British romance about a woman who ends up looking after a quadriplegic for a living. The two main characters were really lovely, and the themes and issues mentioned in this book spur on a lot of important discussions.

If you want to hear more of my thoughts on the events that occur in Me Before You then check out my review here.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

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After watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer I needed fantasy in my life everywhere. That's where Seraphina came in. This was a random choice but I'm really glad I picked it up. Seraphina is set in a medieval sort of world where dragons and humans are supposedly at peace with each other. Dragons can turn into human form and live among the humans. When trouble arises it is up to the main character Seraphina to try and set things right. If you like dragons then you'll love this book. I found some of the language, images and descriptions to be incredibly unique and creative. At times it was hard to keep up with all the many events occuring, but it was a fantastic book none the less.

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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Considering my love for the epistolary form, it is no wonder that Gemina would be on my list. Sci-fi doesn't normally interest me that much, but the few that I do read are always gripping and fantastic. Gemina introduces new characters to the first book, something that I loved. Hanna is clever and stealthy, a really well written character, I loved her! She's amazing! Plus, her little love triangle was well done. Illuminae is still my favourite but this comes in close second.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

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The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is by favourite book of the year by far! Eeek! I just adore it and want to read it all over again! This book is a magical realism, about a girl who is born with bird wings. There is no explanation given, she is just born like that. Throughout the book we learn the history of the women in her family, and the tragedies they have experienced. One of the main themes of this book is the power of love, not just romantic love but family and unrequited. This book is symbolic, intricate and beautiful.

Check out my review of this wonderful book here.

A Work In Progress by Connor Franta

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At the time that this book came out I watched a lot of Connor Franta's videos. Now, not so much. I haven't watch his videos for a long time but his first memoir was sitting on my shelf so I gave it a go. It turns out that Connor Franta can be very inspiring. He talks about many hot topics in his book, including finding who you are, taking risks and living in the now. A Work In Progress warms my heart, and came at a time when I needed a little kick up the butt too.

That's my ten best books of the year so far! It's very difficult to pick when you haven't read a massive amount of books. I've found that I've read a lot more 3 star books this year, which is a pity, but I'm glad that I managed to get this ten. Let's hope that the next half of 2017 provides even more wonderful reads!