2015 is almost over and that means it’s time for me to reflect on all the wonderful books I’ve read this year! I’ll probably have another post up in a couple of weeks highlighting all my bookish thoughts from the year, but for now let me leave you with the best books I read over the past 12 months! These are all 5-star reads for me :)
Top Ten Reads of 2015
“A trivial comedy for serious people.” The Importance of Being Earnest is an absolute joy to watch/listen to/read (it’s a play though, so the best way to experience it is out loud). The characters are charming, witty, and hilarious. I chuckled and smiled to myself so many times while listening to a performance of this Oscar Wilde play.
This is one of those novels that kept me up at night because I HAD to know what happened next. Parts of Mara Dyer’s story are creepy, other parts are really suspenseful, and the characters are funny and interesting and blushingly romantic (Hello, Noah!). I loved The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer so much I bought a copy for myself right after returning the library version I had checked out.
Do-do-do-do-dooo. I’m a 90s kid so of course I love Jurassic Park (the film). I wanted to be Alan Grant when I grew up. I finally read the book this past summer and wow! Despite the heavy scientific and theoretical language, I flew through it. The story was altered a bit for the screen, but the underlying themes remain and the characters are relatively the same (except for John Hammond, who is not a lovable grandfather figure in the book).
The only disappointing thing about Wives and Daughters is that Elizabeth Gaskell passed away before she could finish writing it! There were probably only a few chapters missing, so most of the story is there and it’s very enjoyable. We just have to imagine for ourself how the happy ending would have played out.
I finally read The Lunar Chronicles series this year (except for the final book, Winter, because I’m still on the hold list at the library) and Cress, although not my favorite character, is my favorite of the series so far. I loved following all of the characters, especially Thorne because he’s like Han Solo meets Flynn Rider so of course I loved him. There was also a lot of action and things happening in the novel that made it really fun for me to read right after having my son.
So many tears! But also, lots of smiles and happy feelings. Me Before You kind of wrecked me. It deals with sensitive subject matter that I won’t talk about here because of spoilers, but I wouldn’t recommend it to all readers. I decided to read it after finding out a movie is being made with Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. Now I don’t know if I want to even see the movie because I’m not sure if I can handle all those heart wrenching feelings again.
This is the only reread on this list. I also reread Sense and Sensibility and the first three Harry Potter novels (all of which are 5-star reads for me), but Persuasion is rather dear to my heart. It’s not my favorite Austen novel (Pride and Prejudice is hard to beat, although Persuasion comes very close), but Anne Elliot is my favorite Austen heroine and who doesn’t love Captain Wentworth?
I can’t rave enough about The Martian. The movie was great and the actors were all perfectly casted, but it’s still not as phenomenal as the book. Andy Weir’s writing style just blew me away. Anyone who can write 3/4 of a book in journal format and still make it a laugh-out-loud page turner definitely deserves all the praise. This novel is Macgyver meets Castaway on Mars and it’s hilarious.
Swooooon. This is without doubt the most romantic book I read this year, but it will also make you want to hug your BFF and forgive the last person you had a fight with. I loved how real all the characters seemed; they all had issues, especially Reagan, and it was easy to find something to relate to. I only wish I had read Open Road Summer sooner!
I just finished Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between a couple of days ago and I am still dying to write a review. I was incredibly surprised by how much I loved this book. It started out cute but the premise of Aidan and Clare thinking about breaking up just because they were going to different colleges didn’t quite make sense to me until the end, and by that point I had already cried a few times (and anytime a book makes me feel something that much, I always give it 5-stars!).
What were your favorite reads from this year?
macarons & paperbacks 
Love your list! I just read Persuasion for the first time this year and I really enjoyed it. I definitely need to get to the Martian and all the Lunar Chronicles. Me Before You is just such a great book. Do you think you’ll read After You?
I don’t think I’m going to read After You. As much as I loved the characters from Me Before You, and as sad as I was when the book ended, I felt that the ending was perfect and I don’t want anything to ruin that satisfaction I felt for it. How about you? Do you plan on reading it?
I think eventually yes. I agree that the ending felt perfect and I had no need for a sequel. But now I’m curious and I have heard good things. I will trust Jojo to have done right by Lou :)
I hope you like it then! :)
2016 is going to be the year of the Lunar Chronicles for me lol – My TTT
Enjoy it! They’re amazing. I can’t wait to read Winter asap :)
YES ON SO MANY OF YOUR CHOICES! I LOVED The Martian! Wives & Daughters is on my 2016 to-read list, I’ve been craving that Wilde play (I was sold by that famous quote about how good his own journal is — ha!), and yay Austen! Happy 2016. Let’s hope for some more good ones. :)
Wasn’t The Martian spectacular? And if you plan on reading Wives & Daughters, Earnest, and any Austen next year it sounds like it’s going to be a good reading year for you :) Enjoy!
Great list!! We’ve had a lot of similar reads this year! I reread Persuasion and fell head over heels in love. For some reason, I didn’t like it my first time through. I discovered the Lunar Chronicles in the spring and devoured those. The Martian was a fantastic read as well. The Importance of Being Earnest is one of my favorite plays–Oscar Wilde is hilarious. I’ll have to add Me Before You to my list–I keep seeing it everywhere!
The first time I read Persuasion I was completely enraptured by it. The letter scene at the end was so romantic, I reread it three times before I finished the book! I’m glad you enjoyed it the second time around, because it is such a beautifully written novel.
I hope you enjoy Me Before You. It’s definitely not a light read, but it has a bit of everything (drama, humor, romance).
I always felt like despite Wives and Daughters missing a few chapters it’s pretty easy to see where she was going with it. :)
I want to read Jurassic Park sometime. I love the movies. And I really need to get around to reading the Lunar Chronicles.
Yeah, she was so close to the end. I just loved how she ended North and South so I’m sad I can’t read her ending for Wives and Daughters, but imagining it is still fun :) Did you ever watch the miniseries?
Jurassic Park is amazing! If you love the movie you should love the book. And yes, TLC is a great series to read in 2016 since it just ended and you don’t have to wait for the sequels to be released :)
I love you list ! ‘North and South’ by Elizabeth Gaskell is one of my very favourite books. I’d like to read ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, I’ve read a few Wilde books and I really enjoy his writing.
North and South is amazing! And Earnest is so enjoyable and funny :)
So glad you loved Cress! I have read Winter, and Cress is still my favorite book of the series, and it topped my fave reads list last year.
I think Cress will probably still be my favorite after I finally finish the series. It probably has a lot to do with Thorne, but I really enjoyed seeing more of the other characters as well.
Great list!! I’m debating whether I should The Martian or just pass on it. Oh and Cress is just flawless!
The Martian is highly technical, but there is a lot of humor in it as well and Andy Weir’s writing is phenomenal. I would recommend this book to just about anyone, unless you REALLY don’t like space or science. But you could always check the movie out first :)
Such wonderful books! I re-read all of Austen this year, and I’m with you: Anne Elliot is amazing! I loved The Martian so much (and the movie was great too), I read my first Gaskell book this year (North and South), and I’m thinking of trying another in 2016. Looks like you had a great reading year!
Thanks! Looks like you did, too :) North and South was my first Gaskell book, too, and Wives and Daughters my second. I’m hoping to read some of her other books in 2016.
Jurassic Park! I really want to read it next year! I love Michael Crichton’s work, I’ve read some of his less famous books and I really wanna read this series! My TTT.
I haven’t read any of Crichton’s other books! Is there a specific one you would recommend?
I’ve only read four and they’re all amazing except one. It really depends on your interests, there’s this site that tells you which Crichton book you like most: http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=san
Well, it put Sphere at #1 with 100%! So I guess that settles it :)
These all look really good! I want to read The Martian at some point when I have time, but I definitely need to at least see the movie! (And you already know my mixed feelings about Mara Dyer, so I won’t get into that again). I can barely remember the last book I read (since it wasn’t since summer time), but I think I read To Kill a Mockingbird in preparation for Go Set a Watchman (which I never got around to, but one of the other English teachers at my school had very mixed feelings about it–and multiple possible interpretations). I would still recommend the Vampire Academy series to you, though I know it’s hard to commit to a series (and such a LONG one at that). But you could try just the first one!
Yes! You did recommend that series to me. I’ll have to see if my library carries it :) And I don’t think I will read Go Set a Watchman. I’m too hesitant after reading so many mixed reviews. If you read it, though, I’d love to hear your thoughts :)
I can’t remember if I’ve asked this before but have you watched the BBC adaptation for Wives & Daughters? The ending was perfect <3 I really need to re-read that book one of these days….And of course, I <3 Persuasion, lol. Great list!
My TTT
Yesss I loved the ending! I don’t think that’s how Gaskell would have done it, but it’s so sweet and romantic. I love the acting in the rain scene :)
You read some good ones this year!
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