LISTS: Top 5 Books Read in 2017

As 2017 comes to a close, it’s time to recap and recall all the books I’ve read in the past few months. This year has been a pretty great year for books–both for the new releases and for the ones I’ve read. My main dilemma had been book slumps rather than reading terrible books (although I’ve had my fair share of those too). I’ve read books by authors I’m already familiar with such as Leigh Bardugo, Maggie Stiefvater, and Meagan Spooner, but I decided to venture more and into the books whose authors I’ve yet to know.

When I was first collating this list, there were about 15 books that I considered the standouts of this year. I narrowed it down to 10 and went right to writing this post only to realize that I have much to say about most of the books. Alas, now I have resigned myself to choosing only a handful. So, without further ado, let’s get right to my top 5 books of 2017!

 

5. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

 

There are good days and bad days for me–even now. Don’t let the hard days win.

Sarah J. Maas is probably the most hyped author of today. In every bookstore I go to, I see her books on the storefront, and in every blog I stumble upon, I see readers raving about her stories. So it’s no surprise when I finally gave in and purchased several of her books. Out of all her works that I’ve read this year (I’ve read the whole ACOTAR trilogy, The Assassin’s Blade, Throne of Glass, and Crown of Midnight), A Court of Mist and Fury was my favorite.

A Court of Mist and Fury is the second book in the ACOTAR trilogy (now turned a six-book series). It continues the story of Feyre Archeron, a nineteen-year-old hunter who was recently turned into a Fae after saving both the human and the Fae worlds. Following the aftermath of the events Under the Mountain, Feyre must now struggle to find her place amongst her new home while learning to piece herself back together.

I’m going to dive straight to the main reason why I love this book so much. I’m sure most of everyone is well-versed with the usual reasons on why this book has achieved numerous glowing reviews and five-star ratings. But apart from the beautiful romance, the endearing cast of characters, and the heart-stopping plot, I love how this book tackled Feyre’s depression and her struggle to come to terms with her traumatic experiences from A Court of Thorns and Roses. I’m very wary with the portrayal of such things, but I believe that Sarah J. Maas did an excellent job of it in ACOMAF. Feyre quickly became one of my most adored characters. I admired her strength and her resilience, but most importantly I admired her journey towards loving herself and believing in herself once more. This book deserves all the hype it’s getting, and it is still my favorite SJM book to date.

Photo of the book cover is credited to Goodreads.

 

4. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Photo found on my Instagram, @ofstrangerworlds.

Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it shouldn’t be this big awkward thing whether you’re straight, gay, bi, or whatever.

For the longest of times, one of my most trusted friends has urged me to read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. The only reason I put it off for so long was because contemporary truly isn’t my genre. If I had to choose between reading a fantasy book or a contemporary one, I would always choose the former.

But I’m so glad I found the time to finally pick this one up. SVTHSA is about Simon Spier, a closeted gay student madly in love with Blue, a fellow school mate of Simon. The only thing hindering Simon from making too big a move is that 1. he’s not yet very open about his sexuality, and 2. he has no idea who Blue truly is.

To say that SVTHSA is cute is an understatement. It’s cuter than most of the contemporaries I’ve read and most of the chick-flick movies I’ve seen. It’s so damn adorable that I ate this book up in two days. Simon Spier’s story (temporarily) pulled me from a book slump and saved me from the monotony of school while reducing me to a mess of swoon and tears.

If anyone is still deliberating on whether or not they should read this book, I suggest picking it up pronto. In addition to the story being a bundle of fluff, the novel already has its own movie adaptation in the works. The film, aptly entitled Love, Simon, will be released in theaters this coming March 2018. Catch me sitting on the front row of the cinema once the film shows.

 

3. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Photo found on my Instagram, @ofstrangerworlds.

I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.

To no one’s surprise at all, A Darker Shade of Magic makes it onto this year’s top 5 books! If the whole namesake of my blog wasn’t a giveaway enough, surely my Goodreads username can clue you in on just how much I love Schwab’s stories and Schwab herself.

I’ve talked about most of the reasons why I love this book on this post, so I’ll say this one last thing before I move on to the next book on the list. I will never stop being amazed at all the stories and all the ideas Victoria comes up with, and I’m blessed to have found her works. They’re original in every sense of the word, and I can’t wait to see more of her books getting the love they deserve. It’s what she deserves.

 

2. The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

 

“I’m going to miss you when I wake up,” she whispered, because she realized that she must have fallen asleep under the sun. Arin was too real for her imagination. He was a dream.

“Don’t wake up,” he said.

If you must know, it was tough to choose which book I was going to deem the best of 2017. The Winner’s Trilogy comes very, very close to being my all-time favorite series, and it definitely earns a spot in my personal hall of favorites.

The trilogy follows the story of Kestrel–a member of the elite class and the daughter of a renowned general–and Arin–a member of the slaving class and the pioneer of a rising revolution. Both of them come from the opposite ends of society, their lives intertwined one fateful day when Kestrel decides to bring Arin home as a slave for her household.

If you’re masochistic and looking for an extremely angsty read of star-crossed lovers, political intrigue, and cunning heroines, there’s really no other book to go to but The Winner’s Curse (although I would also recommend The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh, another favorite book of 2017 that didn’t make the cut). The best point of this whole trilogy is how smart Kestrel is. I’m constantly on the lookout for stories that can outsmart me, and Kestrel manages to do that in every turn. I could name every instance where she manages to amaze both the characters and myself, but if I had to choose a single moment, it would be from the finale of The Winner’s Kiss.

Photo of the book cover is credited to Amazon.

 

1. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.

I think it’s safe to say that The Song of Achilles is my favorite book of 2017 and my official favorite book of all time. This story features a retelling of the mighty Achilles’s story and how he came to fall, although there is definitely less war and bloodshed and more romance and coming-of-age aspects. It tackles a well-debated topic of whether or not Achilles and his partner, Patroclus, were merely friends or something more.

Madeline Miller is a goddess of writing. It takes a skillful writer to take what we already know the end to be and still have our souls wrung from the inside out once the ending reveals itself. I mean, right off the bat, I knew that this story was not going to end well for both of our heroes. I’ve read enough of Greek mythology and watched enough movies to know what happens next. It did not make reading it easier, though. I finished this novel amidst a throng of school work and homework, and I stayed up until two in the morning crying my heart out afterwards. Even now, there are days where I still mull over the story, and there moments where I still sneak a glance off some of my favorite passages from the book.

Photo of the book cover is credited to Goodreads.

 

So there you have it! These are the most outstanding books of my 2017. There are many other books I would have loved to include. If you’re curious, you can visit my Goodreads 2017 challenge page and get a fair idea of which books would have made the cut. If you’re truly curious, some of the runner-ups of this list includes the East Asian fairytale retelling of Julie C. Dao in Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Leigh Bardugo’s anthology of Grishaverse stories, The Language of Thorns. I figured those two deserve a shoutout at the very least for their ability to keep me thinking long after the last page has turned.

Here’s to reading more stories and stranger worlds this 2018! Happy New Year’s Eve to all, and may you have a wonderful evening ahead.