22   72
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Top Ten Tuesday: Best books I read in 2015

2015 is not quite over and I’m really hoping to read a few more books before 2016 arrives, but as it’s The Broke and the Bookish Top Ten Tuesday time for sharing our favourites of the year, I set out to pick 10 of my favourite books from the 45 I’ve read so far this year. It was tricky, but I got there in the end so here it goes, with my absolute favourite at number one:

10. Stella by Helen Eve

Stella

Stella is unlike any novel I’ve read before. It’s haunting, and the way it twists your perceptions of characters is genius. It captivated me completely and I didn’t expect to find it so deeply moving. Intrigued? Find out more in my review.

Goodreads | Amazon

9. I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You The Sun

This year I read both I’ll Give You The Sun and The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, and both are incredible, but I loved I’ll Give You The Sun most. It’s a split narrative with a twist and is clever, unique and beautiful. Highly recommended if you enjoy contemporary novels that explore important issues in a realistic and relatable way.

My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

8. Legend by Marie Lu

91yexV1m52L._SL1500_

Overflowing with action and angst, dystopian YA Legend is an incredible start to what has the potential to become one of my favourite trilogies.

My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

7. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

91+7UDciBdL

Here’s one I read reasonably recently and really surprised me. It’s a completely captivating sci-fi character drama that I hoped would never end. If you’re already a sci-fi fan, this one’s a no-brainer, but if you’re unsure about sci-fi so far, this could well convince you.

My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

6. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen

One of the most talked-about books of the year, Red Queen is an exciting start to a new trilogy perfect for fantasy and dystopian fans.

My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

5. The Rest of us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

The Rest of Us Just Live Here

Patrick Ness is without doubt one of my favourite authors ever. Not only is he a super-talented writer, he’s also a really, really great guy and a huge inspiration. If you ever get the chance to see him give a talk I would highly recommend going along. The Rest of Us Just Live Here is another great novel from Patrick. It’s about a boy called Mike who isn’t the chosen one, making a wonderful coming of age story that’s both funny and witty but also thought-provoking and inspiring.

My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

4. Lobsters by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison

Lobsters book review

Described as a socially awkward love story, Lobsters is that and so much more. I couldn’t put it down, and I loved the summery vibe – it’s the perfect holiday read. I loved the split narrative between main characters Sam and Hannah, the brilliant relationships and adorable romance, and the fact that it’s a UKYA made it very relatable to me. Perfect if you’re looking for a cute, contemporary romance. I cannot wait to read more from this writing duo.

My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

3. Unbecoming by Jenny Downham

Unbecoming by Jenny Downham review

Unbecoming quickly became one of my favourite books when I read it earlier this year. It’s one of the most touching and honest books about family I’ve ever read, and it’s going to be loved by so many people, I’m sure of it.

My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

2. The Storm by Virginia Bergin

The-Storm-review

I miss this duology already. It’s one of the rare stories that I will absolutely be reading again, and recommending to everyone who’ll listen. Virginia Bergin is a very, very clever writer and I didn’t want to leave this frightening apocalyptic story and its characters behind.

My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

1. Remix by Non Pratt

Remix

I knew all year long that Remix would be hard to beat for me this year, and as of yet no other novel has. Without doubt, Non Pratt’s second novel is the star of my top ten this year and is my ultimate favourite book of 2016. It’s about festivals, music, romance, friendships and so much more, and I fell head over heels in love with it.

My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

Bonus books

I know it’s naughty but these two didn’t quite squeeze into the top 10 but I wanted to explain why.

The One by Kiera Cass

The-One-cover-the-selection-series-35972203-800-1209

The first is The One by Kiera Cass, which was number six in my mid-year favourites and is still one of the best books I read this year. I didn’t include it in the main list because it’s the conclusion to a trilogy that’s already well-known and loved, and I’ve had The Selection and The Elite in my top tens for the past two years so I wanted to change things up a bit. And yet I still mentioned it… doh. It’s amazing anyway – if you haven’t already I would strongly recommend picking up The Selection and falling in love with it like I did.

Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

BeautifulBrokenThings

The second is Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard, which I just finished reading and will be reviewing next year because it’s not set to come out until 28 January – so I decided that this will be my first contender for 2016’s top ten books of the year. It’s an absolutely incredible debut and I have no doubt it’s going to be huge.

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13 Comments

  1. kendraleighton
    15th December 2015 / 10:21 am

    Some great books there, Ashleigh. I’ve read half of them, and loved them too. Need to get my hands on UNBECOMING and STELLA!

  2. readerbuzz
    15th December 2015 / 12:01 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing your favorites! I love reading people’s Top Ten of the Year lists.

    Here are my Top Ten Reads of 2015!

  3. 15th December 2015 / 2:01 pm

    YAY for I’ll Give You the Sun! That’s on my list this week too. The cover for Beautiful Broken Things is SO pretty! My TTT!

  4. 15th December 2015 / 8:21 pm

    Thanks everyone! Heading over to visit your TTTs now 😀 This is always the time of year that my TBR list doubles in size…

  5. 15th December 2015 / 10:14 pm

    I’m determined to read the Selection series next year! My TTT

  6. 16th December 2015 / 1:02 am

    I’ve been wanting to read the Legend trilogy, especially after enjoying The Young Elites by Marie Lu, but I haven’t even read TYE’s sequel yet! I need to get on that!

  7. Gwendolyn
    16th December 2015 / 3:02 am

    Thanks for stopping by mu blog today and leaving such lovely comments. I am so happy to hear that Beautiful Broken Things was good! It made it to my list of debuts that I am excited for list. Not only does it sound good but the cover is amazing as well. I can’t say I enjoyed Red (although the cover was gorgeous) and I’m on the fence if I should give the Glass Sword a chance….thoughts?

    • 16th December 2015 / 6:18 pm

      You’re never too old for YA! 😉 but yeah, this one avoids that and goes straight for the realistic and that’s why I loved it, particularly because the friendship is hugely more prominent than any romance. Definitely recommended.

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