Best Books of 2018

So many books, so little time. I need an extra day each week for 'professional reading'.  I could certainly improve my readers advisory skills if I could devote some work hours to reading books. But the actual job of being a librarian has nothing to do with reading books (unless I count the picture books I read while selecting suitable resources for story times).  Most librarians love reading so we don't see the hours spent reading in our own time as work, rather it is a leisure activity that has the added benefit of being very useful for our customer service skills. 

Carolyn's top picks for 2018 (with links to Goodreads and Goodreads ratings) are:

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (fiction, Alaska, family drama, 4.33)

Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer (fiction, drugs, family drama, 4.21)

See You in September by Charity Norman (fiction, NZ cult, 4.30)

Legend  trilogy by Marie Lu (teen fiction, dystopian, 4.18)

Educated by Tara Westover (autobiography, 4.47)

Dictatorland: the men who stole Africa by Paul Kenyon (non-fiction, 4.45)

A Higher Loyalty: truth, lies & leadership by James Comey (non-fiction, FBI, politics, 4.21)

The Big Thirst: the marvels, mysteries and madness shaping the new era of water by Charles Fishman (non-fiction, 3.95)

Daring to Drive: a Saudi woman's awakening by Manal Al-Sharif (autobiography, 4.3)

Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird (children's fiction, Syria, 4.28) 

Nevermoor: the trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (children's fiction, fantasy, 4.40)

Lyla by Fleur Beale (children/teen fiction, Christchurch earthquake, 4.02) 

Boy Underwater by Adam Baron (children's fiction, funny & serious, 4.18)