A Reading Year in Review

Another year gone by. Another year of book hauls, binge reading and fangirling. To give you an exact number, I read a grand total of 49 books in the past year. Some good, some great and a few terrible. But mostly good. In fact, it’s safe to say that 2015 was one of the best reading years of my life till date. So, here’s listing down the best 10 books I read last year (not in the order of preference):

1. Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl: My 2015 started with a bang. Yes, this was my first read of the year. No, I didn’t read it because of its movie adaptation that released last fall. I was reading a thriller after quite a long time, and it didn’t disappoint me even one bit. Cold, twisted and insane, Gillian Flynn’s writing and her characters had me at the edge of my seat till the last page.

2. Ned Vizinni’s It’s Kind of a Funny Story: This books deals with a topic that isn’t talked about much, but definitely deserves more attention: depression. Craig’s journey from depression to epiphany is so funnily relatable, that you almost forget the dark subject it’s based on. Perhaps Vizinni’s own experiences contributed to the novel’s realistic depiction.

3.  Tahereh Mafi’s Unravel Me: This is the second book in the Shatter Me trilogy that I finished reading last year. I was apprehensive about this YA dystopian series, but it blew my frikkin’ mind away! Written in the stream of consciousness technique, Tahereh Mafi has penned down a fresh story in the most poetic way possible. The writing is so brilliant and the plot is so fast-paced that you just won’t be able to put the books down.

4. Andrea Portes’ Anatomy of a Misfit: Do you remember high school? Gangs, categories, mean girls, nerds: the competition to belong. Anika Dragomir’s clumsy yet determined story coupled with Portes’ witty narration will definitely take you down the memory lane and have you laughing through your tears. Quirky, sarcastic and genuine, this was my introvert heart’s dream come true.

5. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief: If I was kept on gunpoint and asked to choose the best book I read in 2015, I would most definitely choose this. Written in magnificently poetic prose, containing an array of diverse and memorable characters, and set in Germany with the backdrop of the Second World War, Liesel Meminger’s heartbreakingly beautiful story is one that I’ll carry around in my soul forever. Also, it’s narrated by Death. Just saying. Take a bow, Markus Zusak.

6. Marissa Meyer’s Winter: This was my most anticipated book of 2015. When I started the Lunar Chronicles series last year, I had no idea that it would soon make it to my list of favourites. I screamed for a good ten minutes once I had the final book in my hands, and hugged it for so long once I was done reading it. I couldn’t believe the roller coaster of modified fairy tales had come to an end. Saying goodbye to these characters was tougher than I’d expected.

7. Benjamin Alire Saenz Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: Growing up is difficult. Growing apart is even more difficult. This book reminds us why we can never choose our family, and also that at times, the universe chooses just the right people for us. Analysing this tale would be insulting it. I needed to know Ari and Dante. I needed to know their story. And I thank the universe that I did. All the stars in the world for this book.

8. Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls: It was 5 am when I started reading this and by 7 am, I was reduced to a pool of tears. I closed the book knowing that I would be recommending it to everyone. A story so honest and painful, the writing so simple yet so poignant, you cannot help but dwell on the beauty of it all.

9. Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda: I tried not to get my hopes high before picking up this book, irrespective of the rave reviews surrounding it, but the hype was totally worth it! It’s hard to believe that this is the author’s debut novel, considering how perfectly she has portrayed the chosen theme. It’s a novel about alienation and recognition and how sometimes not fitting in, is the only way to fit in. The relatable and important story, the breezy and hilarious writing, and the eclectic band of characters; this book completely captured my gooey heart.

10. Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything: I’m at that awkward reader stage where teenage love stories just don’t sound cute anymore, but this book luckily didn’t have that typical mush. Again, a pretty impressive debut. Maddy and Olly make you slightly reminiscent of Hazel and Gus, and their bond has a surprisingly mature element that makes you want to read it all in one sitting.