Best Books of 2017 So Far || Top Ten... Thursday?

aka hi i'm adaline and i'm stupid and missed out on this week's top ten tuesday so here i am doing it on a thursday instead. i really wanted to do this week's theme, so decided i'd just go ahead and do it a few days late. i still can't believe we're halfway through the year?? i'm so behind on my reading challenge rip.


BEST BOOKS OF 2017 SO FAR



1.) The Hating Game- Sally Thorne
If you've been around me for even a second this year, then you know that this book is my absolute favorite thing in the world, and that I'm guilty of rereading it an obsessive amount of times. For all intense purposes I should've hated it, but it turned out to be 100x better than I anticipated, and for that I'm so grateful. My only complaint is that Lucy has a Josh Templeman and I do not. #rude

2.) Tash Hearts Tolstoy- Kathyrn Ormsbee
I recently wrote a review where I rambled about how much I love this book, and y'all better strap yourselves in because I probably won't shut up about it for the rest of the year. Basically, ace rep + copious film discussions = a very happy adi

3.) Strange the Dreamer- Laini Taylor
I don't even have words for how magical this ended up being, and how deeply in love I fell with the world of Weep, and my precious crooked-nose boy Lazlo.



4.) Vicious and 5.) A Conjuring of Light- V.E. Schwab
Y'all know by now that V.E. is my everything, and none of you should be surprised that these two are on the list. I got to meet Schwab at the beginning of this month and I highkey lost my mind. She talked about Holland with me (*SOB*), I told her that ACOL made me cry, and she apologized in advance for what Our Dark Duet would do to me. Queen. 

6.) The Hate U Give- Angie Thomas
Pretty sure this is on everybody's list of bests for the year. Raw, poignant, and heartbreaking, Starr's story was such an important one and gave me so much more insight into the struggles of racism. It's one of those books I think seriously needs to be on one of those required reading lists. There are so many important things within. 
(not to mention the harry potter references which were on point)

7.) Dangerous Girls- Abigail Haas
Not sure what I expected going into this one but it definitely wasn't the thought afterwards that maybe sleeping with a baseball bat nearby for protection wouldn't be such a bad thing to do after all. Dangerous Girls completely takes the cake for creepiest story I've encountered all year. I've never experienced such a mind-shocking ending.



8.) Queens of Geek- Jen Wilde
THE CUTEST FLUFF THAT EVER DID EXIST. Queen of Geeks was the perfect homage to fandoms, and !! the lgbtq+ & autism inclusion was done so well. I still can't get over how pure this one was.

9.) Labyrinth Lost- Zoraida Cordova 
UNEXPECTED F/F ROMANCE? LATINA WITCHES? UM, YES PLEASE. While the writing felt juvenile at times, I enjoyed the plot and the characters so much so that they overpowered any of the small issues I had with the book.

10.) The Upside of Unrequited- Becky Albertalli
I loved Simon Vs., so I had high hopes for Albertalli's newest books. And she didn't disappoint in the slightest. I ended up liking TUOU even more than Simon VS., and I struck a deep chord of relatability with Molly. Albertalli is one of the few authors I now know I can count on for contemporaries I'll love. <3 









LET'S CHAT! What are your top books this year? What about your least favorite? And how do you think your reading year is going overall? Reading a lot of good books, or are you stuck in a 1-star/2-star streak? Tell me everything!

Comments

  1. Same about Dangerous Girls! I read it last year and was not expecting the ending at all...Was low-key (okay high key) creeped out afterwards.

    Queens of Geek would also probably be on my favorites so far of this year :-)

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    1. It honestly gave me the chills, and such a lasting foreboding feeling. Definitely one of the most lasting books I've read in a while.

      Ahh, isn't Queens of Geek just the cutest? <3

      xx a

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  2. I love Vicious! The rest are on my TBR, so I can't wait to read them :) So far my read hasn't really impressed me, but Noteworthy definitely stand out against the rest! :)

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    1. YESSS, VICTOR VALE. MY SMOL PALE HAIRED CHILD.
      I know how that feels. It seems like I haven't read a ton of things I really love this year. I'm glad to hear you liked Noteworthy, though! I got that recently and can't wait to get to it. <3

      xx a

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  3. I LOWKEY FEEL BAD BECAUSE YOU LOVE ALL OF THESE BOOKS SO MUCH AND I HAVEN'T READ ANY OF THEM. Vicious and Shades of Magic are on my TBR, though!!

    Haha, Blank Spaces by Cass Lennox was my "hating game read" for this year. A contemporary?? Romance?? What even is there to like. But it was fluffy, fun, and thrilling, and I loved the characters! It wasn't one of my very very favorites, but I read it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. (It's another book with ace rep, if you're looking for more like Tash Hearts Tolstoy.)

    Have you read City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson? If you like The Hate U Give, I think you'd really enjoy that one. There's diversity, morally grey characters, lots of TFC-esque gang stuff, and an awesome heroine.

    I had a really good first few months of reading, but May and April cued a giant reading slump. Nothing stood out, and I didn't enjoy any of the books particularly much. I'm getting out of it now, though! My favorites for this year would be the The Raven King and The King's Men by Nora Sakavic (duh), The Martian by Andy Weir, and Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. And I'm still reading it, but I have a feeling The Kite Runner will end up as another fave. (*sobs my way to the grave*)

    As for books I didn't like, the Goodnight Punpun series by Inio Asano is the first that comes to mind. I trudged through all four books because they're dear to one of my friends, but I couldn't stand a single one. Trick by Natalia Jaster and Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones were other bad stand-outs. :(

    Ellie | On the Other Side of Reality

    P.S. - HAVE YOU LISTENED TO IN THE HEIGHTS?? Because I just did a couple nights ago, and I'm pretty sure I like it even more than Hamilton.

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    1. *slams hands down on table* HOW DARE YOU NOT KNOW THESE ELLIE. FOR SHAME. jk jk you know i love ya.

      um hello hi yes, did somebody say ace rep?? i wasn't sure if i wanted to read it because we both know how i feel about contemporaries, but agh, now it's an absolute must. thank you!!

      i haven't read it yet, but it's on my tbr and i own it! ^-^

      i seriously commend you for having the will to persevere through four books you didn't like. i probably would've thrown a tantrum in minutes and chucked the first one out the window, tbh. and ugh, don't mention wintersong. i gave up at 100 pages.

      I HAVE LISTENED TO SOME OF IN THE HEIGHTS. i prefer hamilton because i'm a rap girl at heart, but i still love lin's music + genius. i really need to sit down and listen to the rest of it sometime soon.

      xx a

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  4. Oh my god I can't believe you got to meet V.E. Schwabb! That's such a dream. :O I loved Vicious and ADSoM and I can't wait to read ACoL and Our Dark Duet (thanks for readying me for my tears in advance). :') Awesome reviews!

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    1. it was amazing! she was such a sweetheart and soooo funny. <3
      i hope you enjoy acol and our dark duet! (acol made me bawl, so definitely have tissues on hand ;) )

      thanks for commenting + stopping by, jo!

      xx a

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  5. OH I LOVE YOUR LIST AND SOOOO AGREE WITH SO MANY OF THEM. 😍 I actually preferred Simon Vs, but still loved Unrequited an awful lot! <3 And YES and YES to everything by Schwab. Basically she can do no wrong, that's the honest truth by this point. (But pffffft as if she's sorry for breaking us. I'm sure she lives off readers' tears for breakfast.)
    Also why haven't I read Labyrinth Lost yet?! Where are my life priorities.😂

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    1. i know i'm totally in the minority of those who loved unrequited more, but gaaah, i just loved molly so much + was able to relate to her so easily. simon is still my precious bean, though, and i love him to bits. <3
      and nooo, she was totally not sorry for making me cry. in fact, she laughed, and said that it was her goal. i love her.
      ah, i hope you do, cait! it's a little bit more on the juvenile side, but i think you'd like it a lot. ^-^

      xx a

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  6. DANGEROUS GIRLS. <33 Definitely one of my favorite books of all time - such a mindblowing ending. And Vicious is amazing too. :) Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous choices! <3

    ~ Zoe @ Stories on Stage

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    1. YES YES YES. <3 that ending messed me up in so many ways.

      thanks for always being so lovely zoe! :)

      xx a

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