The 12 Best Books I Read in 2018- Part 2

If you are always hungry for book recommendations, I hope you find something for yourself from my list of The 12 Best Books I Read in 2018. Catch the first six books in Part 1 here.

And let’s move on to the next six awesome books I read in 2018:

7. The Grand Sophy, by Georgette Heyer

Oh, what a joy ride! I love Heyer’s wit and she’s at her best in The Grand Sophy. If you enjoy this book, you absolutely must also read Heyer’s other books, Frederica, Cotillion and Venetia. They are somewhat in the style of Jane Austen.

Think regency novels, uncharacteristic but interesting heroines, very ineligible but attractive heroes and tons of wit. I literally gobbled up all Heyer’s books once I discovered her and I could read them all over again!

8. Loving Mr Daniels, by Brittainy Cherry

Beautiful, lyrical, magical. Wow, few love stories have moved me as much as Ashlyn and Daniels’ love story did. There is something truly special about loving when you are young like Ashlyn and Daniels, not because you are untouched by the world’s realities, but because you love with every inch of your heart and soul. And that is how their love is. 

I loved the Shakesperean touch, I loved the beautiful quotes from the band’s songs, I loved how tragic their story was, and yet, how much hope there was in it. I loved this book. I just couldn’t put it down. 

PS: If you’ve liked the works of John Green, you’ll love this book for sure. 

9. The Feud series, by Tamara Leigh

This is a 3-book series, but honestly, they may as well be one book put together. It took me some time to get a hang of the many characters when I started reading the first book, Baron of Godsmere. By the time I was through with a third of the book, it had me hooked. I loved Bayard and Elianor’s unwilling but inevitable blooming of a relationship. The book ended abruptly and I had my doubts about Leigh being able to recreate the magic in the second book. But Baron of Emberly was even better! Both Magnus and Thomasin’s characters have immense depth and their story took me down a whirlwind track where I just couldn’t put the book down.

The third book, Baron of Blackwood is the over-arching one in the story, starting from where Baron Of Godsmere started, moving on through the same time as Baron of Emberly and then going on to end the overall story of the feud and the 6 main protagonists. Some may complain of the overlaps, but personally, I loved reading the entire story from Griffin and Quintin’s perspective. As good as the other books in the series, this book is particularly satisfying in the way it wraps up the series.

10. Silent Child, by Sarah Denzil

A suspense-thriller, this book is dark and disturbing. Aiden goes missing at the age of six and is assumed to have drowned. After ten long years when his mother, Emma, has finally been able to put the past behind her and is remarried with a baby along the way, Aiden returns. Emma finds herself challenged to reconnect with her teenage son, but the worst part is that Aiden is too traumatized to speak. He lives with her silently, relearning the ways of the world, while his desperate mother tries to find the missing chapters of his life.

11. Katherine, by Anya Seton

A beautiful work of historical fiction, the book takes you behind the curtains of royalty in 14^th century England. The life of the rulers was not all about the wars they fought and the successors they left behind, but also about the women in their lives. It was interesting to read about Chaucer’s world from the point of view of Katherine and the other women who lived in that time. With romance and drama, this book is quite engrossing. A page-turner.

12. Of Windmills and War, by Diane Moody

You know how you sometimes read a book that you wish just wouldn’t end? I suffered from an ‘Of Windmills and War’ hangover for a long time after I finished the novel.

The story of two pen pals, Danny in the US and Anya in Holland, this book takes you through World War II on a journey from despair to hope and from destruction to creation. Despite being about the horrendous actions and repercussions of the Nazi rule, the book has a positivity about it. The fact that the author’s own father lived through much of the story she tells, makes it more credible. Above all, Danny and Anya’s story is just beautiful. Great book!

If you enjoyed my book recommendations, you may also want to take a look at The 10 Best Books I Read in 2017, 2016 and 2015.

Happy reading!