Happy New Year, friends!
I can’t believe 2018 is already here!
Today, I’m sharing the books I’ve been reading over the last couple of months and then picking my favorites from 2017! I made a resolution in January to read one book a month and ended up reading 24 books (that’s 7,363 pages according to Goodreads!) this year. I have enjoyed reading all of these stories but have even more enjoyed getting to swap and talk about them with friends!
Here’s what I read in November and December:
I finished up my very favorite winter series with Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter Solstice at the beginning of November. I talked about this series in my last Paperback Picks post (after I read the first three) and loved the way it ended! It had me laughing and crying and falling more in love with the Quinn Family than ever.
Next up was Something Blue by Emily Giffin! I read the prequel to this back in April (Something Borrowed) and although I liked being able to hear the other character’s side of the story, she actually irritated me throughout the book which kind of turned me off. Not my favorite book but would recommend if you’ve read the first one to get a little more back story!
I read another Elin Hilderbrand book this month! I loved The Rumor because it mentioned characters from her other stories which was neat to read. You don’t need to recognize these characters to understand the story, but it was fun to see them thrown in there! This one centers around two women as they go through major life changes and dilemmas and has twists and turns as rumors spread around Nantucket!
I LOVED this one! We’ll Always Have Christmas had me hooked the entire time. It’s a sweet little Christmas story about a mom who is trying to save her family’s bakery and falls for the man she is working for despite her efforts not to. This one had me feeling all sorts of happy and in the Christmas spirit! I texted three friends right after I finished and told them that they had to read it 🙂
I’ve raved about this one more than once already, but Max Lucado’s Because of Bethlehem was the best holiday read I could have picked up. It did such a great job of reminding me of the reason for the season while feeling like I was having a conversation with the author! The book also includes an advent devotional at the end. I think I’m going to read this one every Christmas season!
A Nantucket Christmas was the last book I read in 2017. It was a quick little feel-good Christmas story about a family coming together to spend the holiday on Nantucket although their dynamic has changed. While some parts were a little unrealistic, it put me in the Christmas spirit!
These were my favorites from this year:
Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve recommended this book to friends. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I literally couldn’t put it down. This one is creepy, but I totally loved it! Every time I think about the books I’ve read this year, this one comes back to mind. It left me thinking about it for days!
The Residence by Kate Andersen Brower
I enjoyed reading this one so much! It gave an inside scoop of life inside of the White House from the people who actually worked there. I was intrigued and surprised all the way through and so enjoyed learning more about what goes into making the White House run!
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
I picked Winter Street as my third book in my list of favorites, but I totally loved the entire series! These are such easy reads and had me feeling all kinds of happy and full of Christmas spirit. It was so easy to fall in love with the Quinn Family on Nantucket!
Whew! I had so much fun going back through what I’ve read this year! Below, you can click on each set of months to see my reviews for each book, and the links take you right to Amazon to order them for yourself. Here’s what I’ve read this year:
January/February:
Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand
Young and Beardless by John Luke Robertson
Where We Belong by Emily Giffin
A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
Go Big or Go Home by Scotty McCreery
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand
The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
I’ll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark
Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
The Residence by Kate Andersen Brower
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand
November/December
Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand
We’ll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale
Because of Bethlehem by Max Lucado
A Nantucket Christmas by Nancy Thayer
I’ve already started reading for the new year and made a goal to read 36 books (3 a month) in 2018! If I can keep that up, I’d like to share a Paperback Picks post with you every month.
If you’d like to be friends with me on Goodreads where I share about the books I’m reading and want to read, find me here 🙂
I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading, too!
xoxo
Finding Happy 
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