Best Book Awards 2018

Are you searching for a Few Good Books? I read over 100 books last year, and I’ve been agonizing over my top picks. I’m sharing my favorite books in the categories of picture books, middle grade (chapter), YA, Christian Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Memoirs. If you’re making a list of must-reads, check out my Best Book Awards 2018! (Affiliate links. Read my Disclosure here.)

Picture Books

 Wordy Birdy by Tammi Sauer

Wordy Birdy is an adorable chatterbox who learns that sometimes it’s good to listen. Since I was an extremely chatty child, I love this book, and I believe you will, too! Wordy Birdy has a just-released sequel that I’m itching to read, Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants.

 Grandma’s Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

This lovely story celebrates the joys of Grandma’s Purse and the tender delights of the grandparent-grandchild relationship. Charming and heart-warming.

Middle-Grade

 Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

One of the very best books I read last year! This fictional free verse diary of a young teen struggling through the Dust Bowl is a story of triumphing over tragedy and bitterness. Beautiful and thought-provoking.

 The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

An amazing story of a 14 year-old girl’s journey from Cuba to the United States as a unaccompanied minor escaping Fidel Castro’s revolution. I learned many things I did not know about that era.

 Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Did you know that during WWII, the Danish Resistance smuggled almost their entire Jewish population across the sea to safety in Sweden? I didn’t know! This story is told through the eyes of a ten year old girl. You must not miss this book!

 Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini

Yes, I cried–in the front aisle of the bookstore–when I read this moving illustrated book. It is a moving depiction of the Syrian Refugee crisis, told through the voice of a father to his young son. Written by the author of The Kite Runner, one of the hardest and most valuable books I’ve read.

Young Adult Best Book

 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I am compelled to read this book every year or two. The March sisters are dearly loved by me! Here’s a link to the DVD. Read the book first. Always.

Christian Fiction

 Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin

When you don’t even know your real name, it’s hard to know who you are. Although the plot got a bit unbelievable at one point, I still found this book enchanting. It’s worth the purchase just for the essay on fatherhood at the back of the book.

 Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

Liz Curtis Higgs excels at retellings of Biblical stories, and I especially love her stories set in Scotland. This two-book series is a retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth and Naomi. I highly recommend it! Here’s the link to Book 2 of the series, Mine is the Night.

Christian Non-Fiction

 Adorned by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Written with all the depth and Biblical wisdom we’ve come to expect from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, this challenging book is a treatise of the Titus 2 model. It calls women to live with integrity, build community, mentor one another, and invest into other Christian women. A great read for all Christian women.

 Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson

Oooo, how exciting! I look into how reading informs and transforms us. I loved every page of this book. It’s chock-full of recommended reading lists in every chapter. This book is for all book lovers!

Honorable Mentions

Troubled Minds: Mental Illness & the Church’s Mission by Amy Simpson

Life-giving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming by Sally & Sarah Clarkson

Different: The Story of an Outside-the-Box Kid & the Mom Who Loved Him by Sally & Nathan Clarkson

Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas

Fiction

 A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

What if you were accused of being a war criminal and sentenced to live your entire life in a hotel? How would you live a life of purpose? This beautiful book captured me from the first page. It’s philosophical and gentle and deep, and I could not stop thinking about it. Hands down, my favorite among many great novels I read this year. Warning: I read the author’s next book, Rules of Civility, and absolutely hated it. But A Gentleman in Moscow is a gem.

Honorable Mentions (Very good! Worth your time!)

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Non-Fiction

 The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

This is a productivity book. More importantly, it focuses on helping you decide what is most important to you. Your one thing. What is the best use of your time and energy at this moment? Helpful and interesting.

Memoir

 At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the World by Tsh Oxenreider

Tsh and her husband gave each of their three children a backpack, and then they traveled the world with the possessions on their backs. Yes, they really did! A fascinating memoir about the joys, struggles, and insights gained in their bohemian year. So much fun!

 Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

If you’re looking for a sweet, funny, thought-provoking comfort read with great recipes and advice thrown in, you’ll enjoy this lovely book.

And that’s it for my Best Book Awards 2018. I hope you’ve found some titles to add to your must-read list. Now, I want to hear from you! Please share the best books you read last year, so I can add them to my list! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

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