My year in books (2018)

Can you believe its the middle of January and here I am with no new year resolutions in sight (I’m working on it)!

The one resolution I do have, similar to that of last year – is to read more. Last year I discovered a gem of an app called ‘Goodreads’, it’s an absolute must for bookworms like myself.

Goodreads

Goodreads helps you to discover new books as well as add books to a virtual library, compartmentalising them into 3 sections: Want to read, currently reading and read. You can also see as a percentage how much you’ve completed & update your progress, throwing away the need for bookmarks (if you’re brave).

Goodreads have so many amazing features that can be explored both through their app and desktop site.  My favourite is their reading challenge which runs throughout the year. I started mid-year in 2018 and managed to read 12 books. This may not seem like a lot, but balancing a full-time job amongst other responsibilities/activities, makes it hard to sometimes even fit in 20mins of reading a day. This year I have challenged myself to read 15 books, starting off with ‘It’ by Stephen King.

Anyway, that’s enough of me rambling on. Below is a recap of the books I’ve read in 2018, and my thoughts as to whether or not I would recommend them.

Please, if you have any suggestions on books to read, both fiction & non-fiction, then leave a comment in the comment section. 🙂

My year in books

The introvert entrepreneur: Amplify your own strengths and create success on your own terms

This book is a must for both introverts and extroverts alike! It is a great tool to understand how to use our energy source in a way that will enable us to succeed in the world of entrepreneurship.

4/5

A feast for crows

All my GOT fans make some noise!! This book is a very hefty one, so you need time and patience to get through this. The details and plot twists outlined in these pages ties up everything we’ve learnt in the TV series so far.

4.5/5

The memory illusion: remembering, forgetting, and the science of false memories

If like me, you have trouble sometimes establishing what’s real & what’s not, or even confusing someone else’s memories with your own, then you need to read this! Forensic psychologist Dr Julia Shaw, explains in layman’s terms just how our brains function and why we cannot rely on it too much.

3.5/5

He said/ she said

A pretty average thriller with some confusing plot twists towards the end

3/5

The girl on the train 

I had to wait for the whole hype surrounding this book to die down, so in true typical Adina fashion, it took me years to finally get around to reading this. If you haven’t already then don’t bother.

2/5

The couple next door

This was the first ‘E-book’ I ever read, which at the time was only 0.99p. In relation to the price, this is a pretty good book with an interesting storyline. It’s not a must read but rather a book that will help to pass the time.

3/5

The power

One word: Amazing!! I have a review up on this which you can find here.

4.5/5

You let me in

THIS BOOK HAS THE BIGGEST PLOT TWIST EVER!! Will leave you never wanting to put your home on Airbnb.

4/5

Why we sleep: The new science of sleep and dreams

Honestly, everyone needs to read this. Matthew Walker explains exactly why we need 8 hours of sleep and the dangers that lay ahead if we don’t.

4/5

The hate u give

Right, so everyone ranted and raved about this film, I purposely didn’t watch it as I wanted to read it first… You guys will probably hate me for saying this but omg (sorry)… Too many pop culture references in a bid to be relevant. The storyline had so much potential but I think this book will age pretty quickly.

0/4

Into the water

This is the second book by Paula Hawkins that’s made it onto this list. A tad confusing in some sections but miles better than her first book ‘Girl on the train’.

4/5

Slay in your lane

Stop what you’re doing and order this right now! There are so many gems in this book, so many I wish I knew back when I was 15. I won’t say too much as I really want to do a separate post about it (yes it was that good).

I know this is a pretty lengthy post, so if you’ve reached this far then thank you so much for reading 🙂 Hope everyone is having an amazing new year so far.