QP: Favourite Books of 2018

2018 has been a great year for reading. I have enjoyed a lot of books but of them there have been a few that have really stood out. The majority of the books selected are ones that I haven’t been able to get out of my head, my mind has been drawn back to the stories or characters of the books.

Check out the below ‘quick picks’ of some of my favourite books from 2018.

The Darkest Part of the Forest

by Holly Black

Goodreads ||  Author

While I didn’t rate the book five stars, I did enjoy it a lot. Throughout the year I have kept returning to it and thinking about the storytelling. The Darkest Part of the Forest has renewed my interest in not only Holly Black but stories that feature Fae.

Quick reasons why I love the book:

• The Story: The idea of the boy in the coffin that has been there for years and the town that is on the borders of the supernatural was just great. I keep thinking about how effortlessly I was pulled into this story.
• The characters: I really enjoyed the characters and the siblings in this book. The way in which the story ends with the protector, the lover, and the prince, was so great. Also loving the QUILTBAG representation.

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Rough Trade

by Sidney Bell

Goodreads ||  Review || Author

I stayed up until 4am finishing this book. I got so little sleep that I said screw it and chucked a sickie.

Quick reasons why I love the book:

• The Story: The story has so hard hitting, it was not only interesting, engaging, and action packed, but it was incredibly emotional. I’d call the novel a character study except its so much more, what with all the action, suspense, and romance.
• Ghost: My goodness. I was rooting for Ghost – for him to find peace and happiness. I hadn’t read (still haven’t) the first two books in the story so I didn’t get to see what he had previously been through but the story none the less made me feel for him, his pain, and self doubt.

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Adultolescence

by Gabbie Hanna

Goodreads ||  Review || Author

For me, this book of poetry came out of nowhere. I was and still am, unaware of everything else Gabbie Hanna has done – although I do know she has a YouTube channel. Initially seeing this book in one of the libraries I work at and read for my poetry month feature, this book surprised and delighted me.

Quick reasons why I love the book:

• The Poems: They are just so enjoyable. I remember smiling, laughing, and being moved. Some people have been dismissive of Hanna’s style but to be fair so many people are dismissive of poetry completely. So pretty much, I enjoyed her poems so that is good enough for me.

It was nice reading poetry written by someone close to my own age, experiencing issues similar to mine. The fact that so many of them were funny made this a book that I keep going back to – well I want to but two lovely people from the libraries have borrowed the copies and haven’t bought them back for over six months 😦

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Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector

by Nicole Kimberling

Goodreads ||  Review || Author

Grilled Cheese and Goblins was such a surprise! Reading the blurb didn’t prepare me for how much I enjoyed the stories and characters. Once again, I still think about this book and will probably be giving it a reread later in 2019. Needless to say I am keeping an eye on the author!

Quick reasons why I love the book:

• The concept: The title says it, the ‘Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector.’ Once you start the book you suddenly release all of the avenues that this opens up! Human meat, magical food, and even Apocalypse ending blintzes.

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Nine Star Press

Goodreads ||  Review Tag || Publisher Site

Okay so I know Nine Star Press isn’t a book, but they are a publisher I was unaware of before this year. So my stumbling upon them was an amazing development for 2018. I have been lucky enough to be approved to read and review some Advance Reader Copies of their novels and I have enjoyed all of them.

Just in case you haven’t jumped on the Nine Star train, here is the official bio of who they are and what they publish.

NineStar Press is an LGBTQA publisher owned and managed by LGBTQA people. We adore romance and erotic romance, but we also have an enormous interest in showcasing amazing literary works about characters less represented in fiction: ace, aro, trans*, nonbinary, genderfluid, bi, pan, etc. We also like genre-bending fiction, fusion genre, and stories that don’t quite fit into a particular category.

Quick reasons why I love the publisher:

• The content: So I have pretty much loved very book of this publishers that I have read. My only complaint is that I don’t have enough time to read every new release 😦 or every book in their back catalouge 😥
• The Covers: Do yourself a favour and have a quick look at all of the amazing covers on all of the books available from Nine Star Press. They are so fabulous and beautiful!

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Notable Mentions: 

• Finding Aurora by Rebecca Langham – I have only just finished this book and would have included this in the list if I hadn’t have written this a month ago 😛 Finding Aurora was just such a great read, I enjoyed it immensely and I have a two books (one book and one anthology) from the author that I have been meaning to read for six months. I swear I will get to them!
• Baking Lessons by Katie Allen – this was such a fun romance read. I really enjoyed the characters and absolutely devoured the book. It would have gotten a mention above but aside from reading and loving it, it didn’t have the same impact as the chosen books. Also on a sneaky aside, I have’t published the review post about it yet 😛 But spoiler I loved it and you’ll probably see the post in January or February!
• Research and Desire Series by Katie Allen (again) – If you haven’t been paying attention, I finished the Research and Desire series and loved them all. I have been going on a Katie Allen marathon and making my way through her back catalouge. I was a fan when she was publishing with Ellora’s Cave and only just found out she continued to write after they went defunct. So I have been devouring everything – keep an eye on this space because I have four posts lined up in the new year from her ❤

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