Looking Back on My Eighteen 2018 Reads

Although I just had that post a few weeks ago about the success of my yearly lists, it's now time for the proper wrap-up of my Eighteen (Fifty-Four, really, lol) 2018 Reads.

READ AND LOVED/LIKED

Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (4 stars)

The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman (5 stars)

The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth (4.5 stars)

Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West (4.5 stars)

Nothing Happened by Molly Booth (4 stars)

So, counting the books from the check-in post, I liked/loved eighteen of the books. Which I think is highly ironic.

READ AND WAS NEUTRAL ABOUT

Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore (3.5 stars)

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch (3 stars)

Love a la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm (3 stars)

Not the Girls You're Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi (3 stars)
The Resolutions by Mia Garcia (3.5 stars)

In total, I felt neutral about eight of my picks.

READ AND DISLIKED

Letting Go of Gravity by Meg Leder (2.5 stars)

Rule by Ellen Goodlett (DNF)

I disliked five total.

REMOVED FROM TBR LIST

The History of Jane Doe by Michael Belanger
Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

I removed twelve of the titles, which is the most so far.

STILL NEED TO READ

Dare You to Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch

PUSHED TO A LATER RELEASE DATE

(so many of them *weeps*)

Semper Augustus by Mackenzi Lee

A Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (1/15/19)

Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers (2/5/19)

Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway (2/5/19)

Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks (2/12/19)

Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter (3/19/19)

Night Music by Jenn Marie Thorne (3/19/19)

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee (8/13/19)

At least no other titles were pushed back? I knew all of these were moved to 2019 back in June.

Now to start thinking about my Nineteen 2019 Reads. :)

The Success of My Yearly Most Anticipated Lists

Since 2014, I've been doing post series about my most-anticipated releases of the next year. I've steadily seen a decline in how much I've loved the books, though, so I decided to do a round-up post to chart this and talk about each year's picks.

2015

This was the only year I did one of my posts based on awesome covers, which I should know by now is a terrible indicator of a book's quality. I actually left these out of my average rating just because I didn't think they should count. Well, now I'm going to include them.

Out of the forty-five books featured, I removed six from my TBR list. That's less than 15%, so I'd say that isn't too bad.

Rating-wise...I had an average of 3.5. Before I included the books I picked just for their covers, my average rating was 3.7, so yeah, choosing books based on covers is a terrible idea, haha. Still, I found some of my favorite books in 2015, like...

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

2016

Lolololol, I did four posts this year, so get ready for a heck ton of books.

I removed eight from my TBR list this time, out of sixty-four books, which is about the same ratio from 2015. 

However, my average rating was MUCH lower - only 3.1 stars, which is mostly due to how much more willing I was to DNF books (seven just from my Sixteen 2016 Reads, if you're wondering).

I didn't hate everything I read, though. My favorites included:

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

I still love all of those books dearly, but 2016 was a sad year for books, in my opinion.

2017

I removed a grand total of ten titles from my TBR list from my fifty-one Seventeen 2017 Reads picks, and DNFed four. (I've gotten more comfortable with removing books from my list altogether if I don't like the first couple of chapters.)

My average rating held at 3.2 stars.

Another thing I noticed was that a bunch of my picks got pushed back to 2018 release dates, which is one of the perils of doing these lists so early in the year. Goodreads may say one thing, but publishers say another. I wish there were people at different houses who could at least make sure the pub years are kept accurate. I don't mind if we can't know the exact month and date for a while, but years are key.

Anyways, highlights of 2017 include...

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett

2018

This year isn't quite over, but I've read most of my Eighteen 2018 Reads. Once again, though, a BUNCH got pushed back to 2019 pub dates, which was very frustrating.

I removed twelve of the fifty-four titles from my to-read list, which is consistent with last year at least.

So far, I've DNFed only one of the books, which is probably due to my willingness to remove them from my TBR instead.

A grand total of ten got pushed back to (at least) 2019, as opposed to eight of 2017's picks. I'm definitely terrified at this point what happens to my Nineteen 2019 Reads. With my luck, half of them will be published in 2020 instead.

My favorites, as of writing this post, have been...

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevado

The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman

Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

But interestingly, most of my actual favorites of 2018 haven't been my Eighteen 2018 Reads. Definitely surprising, since one of the main points of this post series is to identify the books I think will be my favorites.

I won't be giving an average rating for 2018, just because I still have some titles left to read, and I'd like it to be as accurate as possible.

I love doing most-anticipated lists, but they seem to be biting me in the butt most of the time. I can only do so many round-ups of my favorites, though, and talking about books I haven't read yet diversifies things. 

Do you have any tips for how I might make better choices for my lists? Should I maybe only do one post a year? I'm officially down to two a year (starting with my Nineteen 2019 Reads) since the individual posts are getting so long, but I feel like it's still hurting me. :/

Eighteen 2018 Reads Check-In

I'm starting to feel like I've lost my touch. The first year I did this post series (2015), I had pretty good results. I didn't love everything but I liked most of the books I'd chosen. But I've been slipping since then. I've taken loads of my choices from the last few years off my TBR after reading only a chapter or two, and finished others that were complete let-downs. But I still wanted to give y'all an update, and I'll do the final post in December as usual.
(FYI, some of the links below go to Goodreads; others go to my review of the book, if I had that opportunity.)


READ AND LOVED/LIKED

American Panda by Gloria Chao (4 stars)
Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian (4 stars)
The Beloved Wild by Melissa Ostrom (4 stars)
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (4 stars)
Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed (4 stars)
Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West (4 stars)
My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (4 stars)
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevado (4 stars)
The Radical Element by various authors (3.75 stars)
Save the Date by Morgan Matson (4 stars)
Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian (4 stars)
Together at Midnight by Jennifer Castle (4 stars)
Your Destination Is on the Left by Lauren Spieller (3.5 stars)


READ AND WAS NEUTRAL ABOUT

The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton (3 stars)
Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy (3 stars)
You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon (3.5 stars)


READ AND DISLIKED

A Date With Darcy by Tiffany Schmidt (DNF)
Furyborn by Claire Legrand (2 stars)
Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke (1 star)


REMOVED FROM TBR
(the majority of which I lost interest in or tried a few chapters and didn't like)

The Forgotten Book by Mechtild Glaser
Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely
The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford (due to bad author behavior)
Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare
Layover by Amy Andelson and Emily Meyer (due to poor reviews)
The Midnights by Sarah Nicole Smetana
The Place Between Breaths by An Na
Summer Constellations by Alisha Sevigny
The Way the Light Bends by Cordelia Jensen (I realized I really couldn't do a verse novel)


STILL NEED TO READ

Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
The History of Jane Doe by Michael Belanger
The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman
Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West
Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch
Nothing Happened by Molly Booth
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young


YET TO RELEASE IN 2018

Not the Girls You're Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi (6/19)
Letting Go of Gravity by Meg Leder (7/17)
Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen (8/28)
Dare You to Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch (9/4)
Rule by Ellen Goodlett (9/11)
Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore (10/9)
The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth (10/23)
The Resolutions by Mia Garcia (11/13)
Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm (11/27)


PUSHED BACK TO 2019
[A lot of my choices got pushed back. D:]

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Semper Augustus by Mackenzi Lee
A Court of Miracles by Kester Grant
Night Music by Jenn Marie Thorne
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (1/15/19)
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe (1/22/19)
Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers (2/5/19)
Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway (2/5/19)
Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks (2/12/19)
Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter (3/19/19)


Here's hoping all the ones I have yet to read won't let me down... I am grateful that I did enjoy a big chunk of these books, but I'm still disappointed that I didn't like most of them.

The Final Eighteen 2018 Reads

Phew! Y'all have no idea how hard it was to pick these final eighteen books for the list. As always, here's hoping they a) don't get pushed back to 2019 (or later), and b) don't end up disappointing me.

1. Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West

I am not above putting two Kasie West books in my Eighteen 2018 Reads, because she has been an auto-buy author for so long now. (Also hoping this one gets a cute cover in the vein of P.S. I Like You and Lucky in Love)

2. La Vie en Rosie by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Food? Paris? Love? Sounds like a recipe for the perfect Emma book. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

3. Rule by Ellen Goodlett

This sounds like Three Dark Crowns and Dividing Eden, and I am here for that.

4. The Weight of Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

"...meets Chronicles of Narnia..." I'm sold.

5. Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen

In general, I'm tired of YA historical fiction set in World War II...but not when it's a story like this.

6. Not the Girls You're Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi

Always up for diverse YA, especially when it sounds as darling as this one.

7. The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman

A Jewish middle grade story and the main character is adopted!

8. The Beloved Wild by Melissa Ostrom

If it's YA historical fiction and it has a lovely cover like that, it's going on one of my highly-anticipated lists.

9. Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

I liked Love & Gelato all right (I should really give it another try), but I'm hoping to love Love & Luck, because I quite enjoy living vicariously through teenagers who get to go to Europe.

10. Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt

The premise of this one sounds so incredibly fun.

11. Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Debut fantasy that sounds fascinating. *crosses fingers*

12. Together at Midnight by Jennifer Castle

I'm a little nervous - just because the timeline sounds a little short to me - but the cover and premise are lovely.

13. The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe
French Canadian protagonist? Sign me up.

14. The Place Between Breaths by An Na

I love quiet narratives, and I have a feeling this book fits the bill.

15. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

I don't really do zombie books, but with covers like that, how can a girl resist? Besides, alternate history is kind of my catnip.

16. Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke

There's been a smattering of reality TV-themed YA books over the last five years, so let's hope this one is a hit.

17. Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

All I've got to say is...ICE CREAM.

18. The Forgotten Book by Mechtild Glaser

Ignoring that the main character is named Emma, I'm game for anything with a magic book.

So that's it! The last of my Eighteen 2018 Reads! If you're looking for part one and part two of the series, they're linked right there. Let me know if I helped you find books for your TBR list and/or what 2018 YA/MG releases you're looking forward to.

Eighteen More 2018 Reads

It's time for more shout-outs to 2018 releases I'm anticipating! *once again prays that none of these will get pushed back to 2019*

1. Your Destination Is On The Left by Lauren Spieller

It sounds a little hippie-ish, but it's recommended for fans of Morgan Matson and Emery Lord, and I'm most definitely their fan.

2. A Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

IT'S A LES MIS RETELLING.

3. Ashborn by Claire Legrand

I'm always here for good fantasy.

4. Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore

I'm always down for retellings that aren't the usual fairytales, but this one also has Swan Lake thrown in the mix. :D

5. The Way the Light Bends by Cordelia Jensen

I was really drawn in by the focus on sisters and adoption, but everything else in the blurb sounds just as enticing.

6. The Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

"...a Viking Age-inspired world..." YAS.

7. Semper Augustus by Mackenzi Lee

I am so here for all the historical fiction Mackenzi writes. Also, Dutch tulip mania!

8. The Year of Everything by Mia Garcia

Ah, New Year's resolutions, and the fun that comes with those.

9. Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West

Y'all should know by now how much I love Kasie West's books, and this one is sparking a trilogy of standalones with crossover characters.

10. The Midnights by Sarah Nicole Smetana

Last time, I featured Night Music by Jenn Marie Thorne, and now here's another music-focused book to look forward to!

11. The History of Jane Doe by Michael Belanger

"...history buff..."

(I don't have a great track record with male-narrated novels, so hopefully this one won't let me down.)

12. Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsey Ely

It's a Western set in the future. Color me intrigued!

13. Dare to Tell a Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch

*sees Veronica Mars referenced in the blurb* *immediately hits the Want to Read button*

14. Summer Constellations by Alisha Sevigny

There's something about summer romances that I quite like (although more winter romances would be great, too).

15. The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford

Girls who play sports or are athletic don't pop up too much in YA, so I'm excited about the tennis angle!

16. Layover by Amy Andelson and Emily Meyer

More siblings! Plus all the stress and drama that comes with layovers.

17. Nothing Happened by Molly Booth

Y'all know I'm 100% here for Shakespeare retellings. Which brings me to...

18. Upstaged by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley

I don't usually love Romeo and Juliet retellings, but this one is about Rosaline, which I think could definitely be good.

So that's my latest Eighteen 2018 Reads! I hope to have one more of these posts later this year, so stay tuned!

Eighteen 2018 Reads

New year, new set of books I'm highly anticipating. And as always, here's hoping this titles don't get pushed back to a later release date (and that their Goodreads release dates are accurate).

1. The Radical Element by various authors and edited by Jessica Spotswood

More historical fiction short stories about heroines who rock!

2. Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks

Anything with star-crossed lovers and about comics has to be good.

3. Night Music by Jenn Marie Thorne

I love the music angle in this one, and I also love Jenn's words.

4. Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

I always love books where grandparents are important. Also "Tolkien-styled high-fantasy trilogy"??

5. You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon

The premise reminds me just the teensiest bit of Rules for 50/50 Chances, which is great because I enjoyed that book. Also I'm always up for more Jewish YA protagonists.

6. Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare

Three things: 19th-century Italy, steampunk, and a magical book. That's all I need to know.

7. Swimming Lessons by Samira Ahmed

I'm always down for contemporary fiction dealing with culturally relevant topics.

8. My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows

If this is good as - or better than - My Lady Jane, then I am 100% here for that.


9. American Panda by Gloria Chao
Diverse contemporary stories are some of my favorites for some reason, probably because contemporary is my second-favorite genre.


10. Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter
Alternate realities are my jam.


11. Dear Miss Sweetie by Stacey Lee
Stacey is quickly becoming my favorite historical fiction author, and I doubt her latest will let me down.


12. His Fair Assassin #4 by Robin LaFevers
I never dreamed we'd be fortunate enough to get to revisit Ismae, Sybella, and Annith's world.


13. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

(For some reason the title makes me think of a wolf Patronus.)

Of course I'd add whatever Roshani wrote next to my TBR list, but the Paris setting really pulled me in.


14. Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway
Fantasy mixed with shades of 19th century Europe? Color me intrigued!


15. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevado
Poet girls are great.


16. Saving Major Tom by Meg Leder
I really appreciate when protagonists have anxiety, and I hope this is a good representation. (Plus contemporary fic, which I've already mentioned I love.)


17. Save the Date by Morgan Matson
Let's be real, I was super disappointed that this one's release date was pushed back almost a year, but at least it means I could include it on this list. (I also hope 288 pages is only a placeholder length because I like my Morgan Matson books long.)


18. The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton
The only middle grade title on this list, but it sounds like the MG books I liked ten years ago.


I know 2017 has just started, but I hope you'll join me in looking forward to these books that'll (hopefully) release next year.