Library Reads: Best of the Best 2018 and Another Countdown Coming Soon

Well done library land. This is a very good and inclusive list of titles. The range is also appropriately wide in genre to represent the full range of reading tastes we see in the public library.

Interestingly, the Library Reads #1 Favorite of Favorites is the same as the Amazon #1 pick of the year.

But this is not the only chance library workers have to chime in on their favorite reads of 2018. There is also a great annual countdown that happens on Twitter too--

This list is not affiliated with Library Reads, but it is has a similar mission, letting the world know what books library workers loved.  It is another way we can showcase our power 

Like last year, I will participate but limit myself to my top 10 horror titles from 2018. Which reminds me, I better get on making that list.

When it is over, someone will compile all the titles that were mentioned with the hashtag, so even if you are the only one who loved a specific book, it will make the final list.

So start getting your personal Top Ten ready. And in the meantime, here is the Library Reads 2018 Favorite of Favorites-- all good choices for most readers.

Favorite of Favorites 2018

Educated: A Memoir

by Tara Westover

Published: 2/20/2018
by Random House
ISBN: 9780399590504

“In her memoir, Westover recounts her childhood growing up in a strict Mormon family, ruled by an erratic father, and living off the grid in Idaho. Westover compellingly sketches her years growing up, her relationships with siblings, encounters in the town nearby, and the events that eventually drove her to leave and pursue formal education. For fans of Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle.”

Andrea Gough, Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA

An American Marriage

by Tayari Jones

Published: 2/6/2018 by Algonquin Books
ISBN: 9781616201340

“Celestial and Roy are newly married professionals leaning in to a bright future when Roy is convicted of a crime he did not commit. This is not a heroes vs. villains tale with a tidy resolution. It is a complicated, messy, moving, and thought-provoking story about love, family, and the wide-reaching effects of incarceration. Book clubs get ready!”

Jennifer Alexander, St. Louis County Library, St. Louis, MO

---

Circe

by Madeline Miller

Published:4/10/2018 by Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 9780316556347

“Circe follows the banished witch daughter of the Titans as she practices her powers for an inevitable conflict with one of Olympus’s most vindictive gods. I found myself pondering motherhood, mortality, and feminism. For readers of historical and mythological drama or anyone who loves a strong female lead.”

McKelle George, Salt Lake City Public Library, Salt Lake, UT

---

The Death of Mrs. Westaway

by Ruth Ware

Published: 5/29/2018 by Gallery/Scout Press
ISBN: 9781501156212

“Ware’s best book by far. I finally stopped trying to puzzle it out and just sat back to enjoy the ride.”

Susanne Guide, Union County Public Library, Liberty, IN

---

The Great Alone: A Novel

by Kristin Hannah

Published: 2/6/2018 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9780312577230

“Leni and her troubled family embark on a new way of life in Alaska’s wilderness in 1974 – hoping this is finally the solution for her troubled, POW father. In Alaska, Leni and her family are tested and when change comes to their small community her father’s anger threatens to explode and divide the town. This is a beautifully written novel, descriptive and engaging with well-developed characters and a strong sense of place.”

Alissa Williams, Morton Public Library, Morton, IL

---

The Immortalists

by Chloe Benjamin

Published: 1/9/2018 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 9780735213180

“A thought-provoking, sweeping family saga set in New York City’s Lower East Side, 1969. Four siblings sneak out to visit a psychic who reveals to each, separately, the exact date of his or her death. The book goes on to recount five decades of experience shaped by the siblings’ attempts to control fate.”

Kelly Currie, Delphi Public Library, Delphi, IN

---

The Kiss Quotient

by Helen Hoang

Published: 6/5/2018 by Berkley/Jove
ISBN: 9780451490803

“A wonderfully sweet and erotic romance featuring an autistic heroine who hires a hot male escort to teach her how to enjoy sex, but learns so much more.”

Elizabeth Gabriel, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, WI

---

There, There

by Tommy Orange

Published: 6/5/2018 by Knopf
ISBN: 9780525520375

“A large cast of interwoven characters depicts the experience of Native Americans living in urban settings. Perfect for readers of character-driven fiction with a strong sense of place.”

Abby Johnson, New Albany-Floyd County Public Library, New Albany, IN

---

The Wedding Date

by Jasmine Guillory

Published: 1/30/2018 by Berkley/Jove
ISBN: 9780399587665

“Drew is in San Francisco for his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. When he finds himself stuck in an elevator with Alexa, they hatch a plan to go to the wedding together, pretending to be a couple. Told in alternating points of view, this is a delightful multicultural romance.”

Elizabeth Gabriel, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, WI 

---

The Woman in the Window: A Novel

by A.J. Finn

Published: 1/2/2018 by William Morrow
ISBN: 9780062678416

“A menacing psychological thriller that starts out like Rear Window and then veers off into unexpected places. An agoraphobic recluse languishes in her New York City home, drinking wine and spying on her neighbors. One day she witnesses a crime that threatens to expose her secrets.”

Joseph Jones, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Cuyahoga, OH