I met my goal to read 15 books in 2017! This past year was all about finding a good mix of serious intense books alternated with more frivolous page-turners.

A quick recap of my favorite 2017 reads:

• A Little Life: I can’t remember the last time a book made this big of an impact on me. It’s about the lives of four men in New York, looking back at how they grew up and following them as they get older. It’s dark and engaging and a big book, and I can’t count how many times I stayed in bed all day on the weekends, bawling over the heart-wrenching characters.
• 1984: Just scary.
• Commonwealth: I love a good story, and this is one.
• IT: Not as scary as 1984, and it is a damn long read, but I enjoyed reading a solid throwback. I have yet to see the new movie though!
• Lincoln in the Bardo: What a weird book. A bunch of ghost characters narrate the evening Lincoln’s son arrives at the cemetery after he dies. Weird, but touching.
• The Handmaid’s Tale: While not my favorite Margaret Atwood novel (that would be The Blind Assassin), another one that captured the mood of 2017.

Now off to start my 2018 reading challenge…20 books this year!