Amy's Favorite Books of 2017

Here are the best books I read in 2017.  (These are not all books that were released during 2017.)  I read 66 books this year (so far) and decided to stop reading 3 others before completing them.  That's more books in one year than ever before! 

I gave only one book 5 stars—The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon.   Eight of my Top Ten represent new authors for me and one of the two authors I’ve previously read, Laini Taylor, made my “Best of 2013” list for Daughter of Smoke and Bone (before we were blogging).

My 2017 favorites, in order, were:

1.       The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (young adult)

2.       The Final Empire / The Well of Ascension (Mistborn series #1 / #2) by Brandon Sanderson (epic fantasy/adventure)

3.       The Rook (The Checquy Files #1) by Daniel O’Malley (fantasy/mystery)

4.       Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor (fantasy/young adult)

5.       The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (young adult)

6.       The Queen of the Tearling / The Invasion of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling series #1 / #2) by Erika Johansen  (fantasy/adventure/young adult)

7.       Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1) by Lee Child (mystery/action/suspense)

8.       Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig (contemporary fiction)

9.       The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (historical fiction)

10.   Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland (historical fiction)

Below are some details about these books (listed in alphabetical order).

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland (historical fiction) - I learned so much about NYC around the turn of the century, about life for female workers in that era, about glass window- and lamp-making processes, about the business of Tiffany’s, and about Louis Comfort Tiffany himself (who was the son of the jewelry store Mr. Tiffany) and his family history. I learned all this while enjoying the story of Clara Driscoll’s life. She was a real person who worked for Mr. Tiffany, first helping with the creation of glass windows, coming up with the idea (supposedly) for Tiffany lamps, and becoming a designer of glass lamps and windows under Tiffany’s tutelage. She also became the manager of the women’s department at Tiffany Studios. Meanwhile, she led an interesting personal life and was fortunate to have some great friends. I appreciated all the research that Susan Vreeland must have performed and her creativity at filling in the gaps of Clara’s story whenever there was no documentation available. The characters in the book really came to life and so many of them were loveable and irresistible.

Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig (contemporary fiction) - I enjoyed this quick read very much. It’s told from the point of view of a 14-year-old autistic girl named Ginny Moon. The way that Benjamin Ludwig writes the story impels the reader to keep turning pages. I had to know the backstory and I had to know what would happen next. Sometimes, it seemed to get a bit long but, I believe, that is because we are reading from Ginny’s perspective and it just takes her a long time to interpret her motivations and figure out her intentions. Additionally, she did not have much control over her life, given the circumstances, so it was frustrating for her. Ginny’s focus is on her own life—not knowing what is best for herself, her inability to make sense of and express her feelings, the desire to be a useful contributor, and the need to be safe. The characters are wonderful. In fact, overall, I felt that Ginny was very lucky that all the people in her new life were actually good people trying to help—especially her therapist. It is heartwarming to know that there are people like the author of this novel who adopt children with special needs despite the tremendous responsibility and need for patience. (I also think it is okay for young adults to read.) 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (young adult) - What a relevant novel. This story is told from the viewpoint of an African American 16yo girl, Starr, who witnesses the tragedy of her good friend being murdered by a white policeman during a traffic stop for a broken tail light. It covers serious topics such as racial injustices, gang life, inter-racial relationships, underprivileged vs. wealthy, family issues and resolutions, teen drama, loyalty, and advocacy. It’s very well done and gives the reader insight into Starr’s life including her complicated family situation, her rough neighborhood, and her private school in a better part of town. It highlights bravery among those who are able to rise above their life circumstances. These people are all brave despite adversity. They are an inspiration. I think this viewpoint of Starr’s world is important to read. I loved that the author was able to inject some really funny comedy into the story--especially three scenes which made me laugh out loud during the second half. This novel also just won the 2017 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fiction and Goodreads Best Debut Author, both of which are entirely deserving!

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1) by Lee Child (mystery/action/suspense) - Jack Reacher, who is just making a quick trip to a small Georgia town, gets arrested for a crime he did not commit. Given his background as a military crime investigator, he always seems to have an innate understanding of situations and is ready for anything. He's quick on his feet and intelligent. I like reading about smart protagonists and I like seeing good triumph over evil. I also enjoy great characters and an adventure. This novel had all of that. The story was engaging and made me want to keep listening to find out what happened next. It had pretty good pacing but got bogged down in details that didn't interest me a few times.

The Final Empire and The Well of Ascension (Mistborn series #1 and #2) by Brandon Sanderson (epic fantasy/action/suspense) - I have not yet blogged about these novels because I'm hoping to convince Lynnie to read them.  Vin is a Skaa (slave) orphan, surviving by thieving and scheming. She does not know that she possesses special powers until a mistborn man named Kelsier takes her under his wing to train her. She becomes involved in Kelsier's plan to defeat the Lord Ruler and make life better for the Skaa. The heroine is awesome, the powers of the Misting and Terris characters are creative and interesting, the villain is evil and powerful, the good guys have spunk, guts and brains, and the story is engaging. What's not to like? The writing and story-crafting was very well done. In the second novel, the story of this group of well-intended friends attempting to make their world better picks up a short while after the first novel. The adventure is terrific. The intrigue is high. The action is gripping. The relationships are refreshing.  Unfortunately, while I did enjoy the 3rd novel in this series quite a bit, it wasn't as satisfying as these first two. (I also think these are okay for young adults to read. There is no sex or drug use in the modern sense but there is violence and cruelty.) 

The Queen of the Tearling and The Invasion of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling series #1 and #2) by Erika Johansen  (fantasy/adventure/young adult) – WARNING, even though it’s billed as a young adult series, it’s for the older young adults due to themes of rape. This series has adventure, action, good vs. evil, girl power, and magic. It even has a mysterious masked man! The story is set in the future after some portion of American and British citizens made a “crossing” to some other land. Apparently, the ship that contained most of the doctors and nurses did not successfully make the crossing. Plus, there is not modern electricity in this new world. The people in this novel are living in a medieval-type of environment ruled by monarchs. It’s unusual and creative, which I truly appreciate. I did have some complaints about the storyline but still enjoyed the ride.  I will mention, however, that the final novel in the trilogy was not as good as these first two.

The Rook (The Checquy Files #1) by Daniel O’Malley (fantasy/mystery) - What fun! Myfanwy (rhymes with Tiffany) Thomas knows that she’ll be losing her memory and decides to leave her body’s new “inhabitant” instructions for continuing with her life, if she so chooses. What the new inhabitant comes to learn is that Myfanwy is a leader in a secret British organization that is staffed with uniquely talented individuals. This organization keeps Britain safe from paranormal threats. And most of the members of the organization also have unusual paranormal powers. It was a creative premise that grabbed my interest from the beginning and held nonstop discovery and adventure. The characters were all intriguing—both the bad ones and the good ones. The author’s creativity was astounding. And I loved the pacing and the humor. There were a couple times where the humor was a bit too much on the slapstick side but I still enjoyed the quirkiness and attitudes. 

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor (fantasy/young adult/romance) – This story defies explanation—it would sound crazy to give someone a summary of this book because it would sound so far-fetched as to be ridiculous. Yet, with Laini Taylor’s world-building, it seems naturally plausible! Her imagination is simply at another level. She’s beyond creative and lovely and dreamy—she’s ingenious. I wish I was as talented with adjectives as she is because I fail to capture a worthy description of her talent. The story was magically crafted and kept me entirely engaged. Each new chapter seemingly introduced some new discovery or enchantment or dread. UGH—the dread in this novel borders on too much. And the ultimate “bad guy” (of the several from which to choose) is horrid—clueless, misguided, naïve, and hate-bound. I can’t stand this person! If you enjoy fantasy, read it!

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (young adult) - This book deserves all the positive reviews and accolades it has received. What fun! How current. Full of teen drama and well-deserved angst, told from several viewpoints and including details of several characters’ lives, it is the story of two teens who are the subjects of cosmic turns of fate. One of them is going through a major life event—the impending deportation of her family to Jamaica—and the other is questioning his parents’ expectations for his future. While I tend to dislike books where there are too many convenient coincidences, the idea of coincidence and predestination is a central character to this story. I loved it! I loved the fact that the story was about immigrants. I loved the characters. I was never bored and kept wanting to read more. The crafting of the story was masterful. The storyline was engaging and gripping. Truly, a fantastic novel.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (historical fiction) - This is the story of a young slave woman named Cora who was born and raised on a plantation in Georgia and, particularly, the journeys of her older teen years. Most of her journey was not pleasant, so be warned. The most amazing thing to me wasn’t the story or the characters or the writing (which all held my interest and made me want to keep reading). No, it’s the fact that there is literally an underground railroad in this novel--like a subway! I was shocked! This author made the concept of underground trains completely believable but it was all just creative fiction! Mr. Whitehead’s writing is genuine and really takes you to the time and place of the novel. The characters were all realistic and the story itself was engaging and included satisfying explanations for mysteries raised during the story.


If you’re hungry for more, here are my favorites from 2014, 2015, and 2016.  Also, don’t miss Lynnie’s favorites of 2017!  (Three of the books above also made her favorites list--The Rook, Strange the Dreamer, and The Queen of the Tearling!) 

--Amy