Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s theme is: Top Ten Favorite Books of 2017

Here’s a funny story for you: Usually, I cheat on this list because there are just way too many books that I love and want to shout about. But in this Year of Garbage Fire, I feel like I’m low key going to struggle to find 10? Let’s see what happens, shall we?

So after a pretty thorough search through my Goodreads Challenge, I figured out that the problem wasn’t that all the books sucked, it was just that very few like, fully wowed me? Some of them even got five-stars because there was literally nothing wrong with them, it’s just a “me” thing. So I decided that I can definitely find 17 worthy contenders!

The Honorable Mentions:

(These link to reviews or Goodreads, depending on whether I reviewed stuff!)

The Top Ten

#10: Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts: Funny yet fierce with tons of character and high stakes.

#9: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James: Space adventure, quick paced, with some unexpected twists

#8: This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada: Seriously the twistiest book I have ever read.

#7: Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu: A feminist story for the ages that happened to also be super relatable

#6: Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski: Awesome characters competing for a chance to earn the most epic space trip ever

#5: The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke: Equal parts emotionally provocative and fabulous trip back in time story

#4: You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon: This book ended my reading slump. It’s freaking fabulous.

#3: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli: Becky snuck into teenage Shannon’s diary one night or something. I related so hard.

#2: The Valiant by Lesley Livingston: Gladiatrices. Need I say more?

#1: Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray: Fun fact, I almost didn’t even get this book when it was “read now for first 500 people”. I was like… maybe? And here it is, atop the list. It’s got friendship, romance, awesome characters, and a beyond epic space battle. What’s not to love?

Did any of these make your list? What was your favorite 2017 read?

Posted December 12, 2017 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in Top Ten Tuesday / 37 Comments

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37 responses to “Spectacular Stories of ’17

  1. Royal Bastards is one I remember being curious about WAY back when its synopsis (with the cover) was making the Twitter rounds. Seeing it on your list has reminded me: perhaps I should take a second look.

    Oh, and I’m REALLY curious about ‘Miss Me’ too! Now you’ve made me MORE curious! Glad you still enjoyed some great reads, Shannon. 🙂

  2. I really want to read a lot of books you have on your list! Especially The Valiant by Lesley Livingston, Lesley is such a great writer!

  3. Nice assessment of The Girl with the Red Balloon. I am looking forward to the sequel, and hoping we get more details about the balloonmaker magic. Upside was super cute. Abertalli is so good at crafting characters for me to love. #BloggerShame to me on Moxie. Really need to get to that one, and I am on the hold list for Far From the Tree. From all the reviews I read, it sounds like a book I could love.

  4. Omg I feel like I’m such an opposite to your favourites this year! MY BAD. Except Royal Bastards…I loved that one so much too. It was so freaking hilarious.?? And I want a dozen sequels like, um, yesterday. ALSO STRANGE THE DREAMER MAKES MY TOP LIST!! I absolutely freaked out with love for it ahhh!! And THUG and They Both Die At The End. <3

    So wait we do have many in common!! EXCELLENT TASTE.

  5. I haven’t read any of these books (I’m sooo behind on new releases) but I agree, 2017 has been my worst quality reading year so far. I’ve heard amazing things about Moxie and They Both Die in the End, and I plan to read Strange the Dreamer in January!

  6. Of course, we need to add honorable mentions, right? There were just too many awesome books in 2017!! I have Royal Bastards and I’ve heard NO ONE talking about it, so I’m glad it’s on your list!
    I loved Simon Vs. and I really need to read Becky Albertalli’s second book! My feminist heart is shouting at me to read Moxie!!! Great post!

    Here’s my TTT: https://bookslikewolves.wixsite.com/blog/single-post/2017/12/12/Blogmas-Day-12-Top-17-Books-of-2017

  7. I didn’t have that many 5 stars, either? Lots of middle of the road stuff. anyway I remember you recommending The Valiant so I have that on my list to read in ’18. Maybe royal Bastards too…

  8. I’m having the same problem! I read a lot of good books, but not many spectacular books. I didn’t get my Top Ten list done today because I got too busy with life stuff, but when I do make my best books list, I’m not sure what will be on it. But, I am happy that some of your top ten books are on my TBR list. I hope I like them as much as you did.

  9. I’ve not read any of these and in fact, I am not seeing a lot of my books on my list on other blogs. Everyone has such diverse tastes and this week’s topic really amplifies that. Glad you managed to find 10 to make your list!

  10. Love seeing Far from the Tree get an honorable mention. It’ll definitely be on my list when I get around to doing a best of the year post. It brought me to tears so many times. And The Upside of Unrequited… oh my gosh, yes. I so got Molly. I was worried what Alebertalli would do after the sheer epicness of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda but Upside nailed it and she instantly became a new favorite.

  11. I haven’t read any on your list but I just started reading ‘the loneliest girl in the universe’ & it’s pretty good, for now.

    have a lovely day.

  12. Great list, Shannon! I know what you mean about this year – I didn’t think I’d be able to think of ten books this year, either, and then when I browsed through the books I’ve read this year I realised there are plenty of really enjoyable books that deserve a mention.

    The Upside of Unrequited made my list this week, too, and I really do need to get to The Hate U Give at some point!

  13. Wait did that book break your most recent slump? Or another one?

    Anyways, I still need to read…pretty much all of these? EXCEPT LONELIEST GIRL BECAUSE I REC’D THAT ONE MUHAHAHA. Also I kind of need This Mortal Coil. It sounds good!

  14. Thanks for adding to my insurmountable TBR, Shannon, so appreciated. I totally feel you on not being wowed by books – I went back to my reading challenge thinking I didn’t really read a lot of good books this year, and then I realised there were a couple of great ones I rated 5 stars. I was so much more excitable as a kid, now I’m old and jaded, obviously.

  15. This Mortal Coil made it on my favourites list as well, with The Loneliest Girl in the Universe and They Both Die at the End as honourable mentions. Clearly, you and I have great taste. *nods knowingly*

  16. Oh this is such a fantastic list! I have to admit I’m a bit sad that Far From The Tree didn’t make it into the top, but… I’m glad it is still in the honorable mentions, that book was so good 🙂
    I NEED to read The Loneliest Girl someday, it sounds so, so great. I also really want to read The Upside, which sounds exactly like the kind of book I love, and You’ll Miss Me When I Am Gone is one that I am so eagerly anticipating. so glad you loved it 😀

  17. I bought Defy the Stars but I have yet to get around to reading it. Story of my life.
    I’ve heard great things about The loneliest Girl and The Space Between the Stars so it is great to see it on your list. 🙂

  18. Eeeep, I love this! YAY for The Girl with the Red Balloon (which I seriously think is going to be number one on my list of end-of-year favorites), THUG, and Upside (I’m convinced Becky looked through both our diaries to write this). Here’s to 2018 NOT being a Year of Garbage Fire!

  19. The Upside has been added to my TBR, I have seen numerous bloggers with with it on their Top 10. I also had The Hate U Give on my Top 10. I hope more books wow you in 2018!

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