As 2018 slowly comes to an end, it’s time to sum up our reading year. There had been numerous books I read and carefully perused. Some of them excited me, some made me shiver and scare, some left me baffled and stunned, some totally captured me, and I still seriously struggle to let them go. Below you can find my Top Ten of books I’ve read during 2018. I based my list on a simple judgment: what I have felt while I was reading them and which emotions they triggered in me. I also preferred to include only works of fiction – although I read a few amazing books about politics and history. I didn’t divide them by genre – I have come to the conclusion that dividing them would have complicated my listing a little bit. The following Top Ten, therefore, represents the best fiction readings I’ve had. Now, it’s time to make yourselves comfortable and scroll down the list of amazing novels I came across. 10 – “Covenant” by Dean Crawford Conspiring plans, secret organisations, governmental agencies, a mysterious finding in Israel’s desert, and a kidnapping. I forgot: a very troubled main character, Ethan Warner. The novel has the whole set of characteristics which make a mystery-action book good. Crawford perfectly combines these ingredients to serve a pleasant and enjoyable story, suitable for a good deal of readers. 9 – “The perfect murder” by Peter James How can a marriage go wrong? What can happen if husband and wife both plan to kill each other at the same time? Peter James provides us with all the answers to these questions in this lovely – and unfortunately too short – novella. Mind-blowing and with a totally unexpected end. 8 – “Leviathan” by Scott Westerfeld My first experience with the steampunk is an incredible success. Since the first page, “Leviathan” grabs your hand and accompanies you into an astounding world in which huge genetical modified steam-powered creatures can fly and carry people, and the steam energy supplies power to metallic giant walking machines. A very good and pleasant story which has to be read if you’ve never come across this sci-fi subgenre. 7 – “The Irregulars – a different class of spy” by H.B. Lyle I’m a traditionalist. I love Sherlock Holmes and I’ve always been loath to read something invoking his world but written by someone else. I decided to give Lyle’s work a go, and, honestly, it was not a waste of time. The story is compelling, and the original narrative point of view undoubtedly satisfy the readers. 6 – “If I die before I wake” by Emily Koch Another great thriller. Emily Koch’s debut novel especially strikes for the unusual point of view the writer chose; the main character is in a vegetative state coma. But he has to discover who tried to kill him. It seems impossible he could do that, but his conscious/unconscious condition and a backward analysis of his professional life as a journalist reveal the necessary answers to this intricate puzzle. 5 – “The Court of Broken Knives” by Anna Smith Spark Anna Smith Spark brought me back to read fantasy; a genre that I’ve always been into, but I had momentarily put on the side. Merith, the main character, has a twisted morality which completely overturns the usual idea of the brave and predestined hero. He is a dark anti-hero with a terrible past to forget, but the same past came back to him and it wants to be sorted. Beautiful and engaging novel. 4 – “Guess who” by Chris McGeorge This book was a surprised. I’m always careful when I read intriguing blurbs because they sometimes don’t meet the expectations. This didn’t happen to McGeorge’s novel. The story is beautifully written and contains the right, breath-taking amount of unexpected twists. We are slowly reaching the hot zone, the top three positions; these amazing authors delightedly stunned, surprised, and entertained me. 3 – “Rosewater” by Tade Thompson “Rosewater” by Tade Thompson definitely deserves the position number three. The novel is an entertaining example of how sci-fi can be innovative. The story is an intriguing mixture of mystery, paranormal events, and psychological connection between humans and a strange invading alien. Very well done, Tade! 2 – “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline Ka-boom! The Eighties and Nighties fiercely come back in this astonishing novel. Cline’s story is a huge step back to an age in which gaming, computers, and, partially, role-playing games were triumphally appearing on the scene. If you grew up in this age, turning the last page of this book would make a tear slowly roll down your cheek. If you didn’t, well, reading this novel would enlighten you about the sweet birth of the video games and the dawn of pop-culture. Absolutely brilliant, Ernest! 1 – “The Chalk Man” by C.J. Tudor Drum roll, please! Ladies and gentlemen, the number One has finally arrived! “The Chalk Man” by C.J. Tudor is the best book I read in 2018. The novel has everything a thriller-horror story must have. It contains plot-twists, unexpected twists, expected twists, logical twists, and illogical twists. It’s scary, dark, mysterious, tremendously beautiful! Congratulations, C.J. Tudor, the top position is all yours!
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