Top Books of 2018- Top Non-Fiction

I do not read much non-fiction as I am a news junkie and get plenty of reality there. I did very much enjoy these three non-fiction books.

Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Beauty in the Broken Places by Allison Pataki

Top Books of 2018- Top Book in a Series

There is nothing I love more than a series. The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley is my very favorite series. The beauty of the books I have chosen here is that they are just as good (or better) than prior books in the series.

I loved all of these books in a series:

A Sin Such As This by Ellen Hopkins

The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Harvey

Everything We Give by Kerry Lonsdale

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley

Still Me by JoJo Moyes

Top Books of 2018- Best Short Story/Novella

The only problem with short stories or novellas is that they end too quickly. But these four are excellent, though too short…

The Museum of Mysteries by Steve Berry and M.J. Rose

Bush by Janice Lee

19 Myths About Cheating by Randy Susan Meyers

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Top Books of 2018- GTGR Ninjas’ Choice

What, you may ask, is a Ninja? The Great Thoughts’ Great Readers’ Ninjas are my review team. This elite group of readers gets books well in advance, reads them quickly and posts reviews to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Goodreads and Amazon. Some of the ninja reads get over 20 Amazon reviews on publication day. The rules are simple- we ask that ninjas read and honestly review. We ask that they only post reviews if they can give 3 stars or higher.

The Ninja team has grown dramatically this year in number of ninjas and in popularity. We are now book literally months in advance due to authors and publishers clamoring for ninjas. The Ninjas are already reading 18 books that will publish in 2019. In 2018, the Ninjas reviewed books published by Harper, Kensington, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Putnam, Spark Press, Little Brown, Lake Union, Dutton, William Morrow, Atria, Gallery, Henery Press, Viking, Park Row, Skyhorse and Source Books. Special thanks to Berkley Books, Lake Union and St. Martins Press for trusting the Ninja team with so many great reads.

This year, the Ninjas reviewed 57 books and posted a total of (drumroll please) 1,126 reviews on these books. Each book got an average of 19 reviews. The books with the most Ninja reviews were:

Girls’ Night Out by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke- 37 Reviews

The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth- 36 Reviews

The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner- 35 Reviews

The GTGR Ninjas’ Top Five Books of 2018 are IN order:

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

The Way of Beauty by Camille DiMaio

How To Walk Away by Katherine Center

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

And a three-way tie for 5th

The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner, As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meissner and The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall.

Looking Forward

2019 already promises to be a fabulous year in reading. I have never seen a first quarter so jam packed with great fiction. At Great Thoughts, I will keep posting book reviews, cover reveals and book lists here. You can also find my book articles at Grown and Flown, Good Life Family Magazine, Daytime Confidential and Brazenwoman. We will keep chatting all things book daily, having author chats and book clubs in the Great Thoughts’ Great Readers book salon and in our new Thriller Thursday salon.