Best Books of 2017

Is being a librarian the best job for someone who loves reading? Well, yes ... and no. It's fantastic to have thousands of books literally on hand but I let lots of books slip through my hands and onto the shelf because I just don't have time to read everything that tempts me. 

However I read some amazing books in 2017. The five star kind of books that when you finish them you feel like you have changed a bit and a trace of them remains embedded in your mind and emotions. Books that do this sometimes disturb me in some way although a few are just a ripping good yarn. 

So I've chosen a top picks list of books I read in 2017 that I highly recommend. They weren't necessarily published in 2017 but I read them all over the past year.

If I had to choose a top three they would probably be:

• The Hate U Give by Angie Smith
• Half the Sky by Nicholas D Kristof
• In Dark Places by Michael Bennett

Those three made me think about deeply about how we judge and treat other people. They disturbed me and enlightened me. They all have a theme of injustice. One is fiction and two are non-fiction. I'm sure I will read them again. 

Carolyn's top picks for 2017 (with links to Goodreads and Goodreads rating) are:

The Hate U Give by Angie Smith  (young adult fiction, racism, 4.59)

Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (non-fiction, women & social justice,4.3)

In Dark Places by Michael Bennett (non-fiction, NZ, true crime, 4.43)

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah (biography, South Africa, 4.44)

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony (biography, Africa, 4.44)

I am Pilgrim by  Terry Hayes  (fiction, thriller, 4.23)

I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish  (biography, Gaza doctor, 4.22)

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys  (young adult fiction, WWII, 4.37)

A Hope More Powerful Than The Sea by Melissa Fleming (biography, Syria, survival, 4.35)

Mayday by Karen Harrington (childrens, realistic fiction, 4.26)

Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan (childrens, China cultural revolution, 4.06)

Searching for Everardo by Jennifer Harbury (re-read, non-fiction/bio, Guatemala, 4.21)

The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly (crime fiction, 4.35)