Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the group at The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s theme is top books of 2015, so I’ll be featuring my favourite books that I read this year. I’ll be posting my favourite YA releases of 2015 over at Happy Indulgence later this week and I’ll probably do a bookish awards post on this blog at the end of this month! Yep, you guessed it, this is just me cheating and not actually choosing favourites.
On to my favourite books I read this year… I’ve tried to put these into some sort of order, which was the toughest thing I’ve had to do this year… but I did it!
1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Is anybody actually surprised by this one? This is my favourite book of all time! This novel follows Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, a German Nazi youth, during WWII and what happens when their lives and stories converge. It has the most wonderful characters and plot, and the most beautiful writing I have ever read. PICK UP THIS BOOK!!! JUST DO IT!
(Btw, I have a 6-month blogoversary Twitter giveaway for this book here, ending on December 25 at 11:59pm ADST).
2. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
This book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize earlier this year, which was what pushed me to pick it up. A Little LIfe follows four men from their teens until their 50s or 60s. We see their failures and their successes and their relationships. But mostly, this book is about Jude, who ties the four of them together, and his struggle to belong to the group and to the world. This book broke my heart into so many pieces that I’m still slowly putting it back together again. It was amazing and definitely worthy of being a Man Booker Finalist!
3. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
My favourite YA novel of all time, I’ll Give You the Sun is about two twins, Jude and Noah, who used to be close but have drifted apart after a family tragedy. They each hold secrets that have kept them apart for years but if they come together again, they can piece those secrets together to form a complete picture of what happened. This book explores so many different kids of relationships and it has beautiful writing that will have you feeling all the feels.
4. Winter by Marissa Meyer
This is the last book in The Lunar Chronicles and was my favourite sci-fi/fantasy read of the year. It was epic, intense and had everything I could’ve wanted. The ending was so satisfying and everything was resolved so neatly (perhaps too neatly, but I don’t care). I’m so sad that this is over and I highly recommend this series, if you haven’t read it. It’s my favourite series of all time!
5. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Princess is the last book in The Infernal Devices trilogy. I absolutely love the Shadowhunter books and this was an amazing trilogy. For me, this is so much better than The Mortal Instruments, and I’d recommend it even if you didn’t like TMI. Clockwork Princess was an absolutely heartwrenching finale. It had me in tears for most of the book and the bromance in this trilogy is just unbeatable. The best.
6. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did. I was a bit skeptical about Rainbow Rowell’s first fantasy novel, especially because I skimmed through a lot of the Simon Snow sections in Fangirl. But this book was a pleasant surprise and had me raving about it for weeks! Carry On is about Simon Snow, the most pathetic superhero of all time. He isn’t able to control his magic and half the time he ends up blowing up the place. But now he needs to figure out how to save the magical world before it’s destroyed by the villainous Humdrum! This book has my OTP of the year! SnowBaz was just adorable and I’ll go down with this ship!
7. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Set in the Grisha world from Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy, Six of Crows follows a group of six misfits as they travel across the Grishaverse to pull off an extraordinary heist. This book is epic, action-packed and exciting! It has the most wonderful ships that I’m totally on board with. The writing was fantastic and the whole book was just mindblowing!!
8. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
My very first Gayle Forman read has made it into my favourites of the year! Just One Day follows Allyson, a recent American high school graduate, who is on a student tour around Europe. On one of her last days in Europe, she meets a mysterious but attractive Dutch boy named Willem, who invites her on a day trip to Paris before she returns home. She accepts and they spend a romantic day in Paris but when she wakes up the next day, Willem has disappeared. The rest is a coming of age story as Allyson tries to fly away from her mother’s restrictive nest and find her way back to Europe and to Willem. This book had the most amazing coming of age story. The character development in Allyson was astounding and I also thoroughly enjoyed Gayle Forman’s writing!
9. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
A Romeo and Juliet reimagining, My Life Next Door blew my mind! Samantha Reed is the daughter of a senator and her mother has always hated the loud family next door who can’t stop adding kids to their already large family. Sam is forbidden from interacting with the Garretts next door but when she meets Jase Garrett, she can’t stay away. This book was a wonderful story about love, family and doing the right thing. It had the most amazing characters and I am in love with Jase, who I call ‘the ultimate good guy’.
10. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Queen of Shadows is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series and it was a fantastic continuation. It’s probably my favourite book of the series so far (though Heir of Fire comes a veeeerrrry close second. Or maybe they’re tied. I can’t decide!). This instalment had the most amazing climax and resolution and it had me bouncing in my seat and so excited for Book 5 to come out!
Are any of these books your favourite? Let me know what your top 3 books of the year are and I’ll be sure to check them out! Don’t forget to head over to Happy Indulgence on Sunday to see what my favourite 2015 releases are!
I loved My Life Next Door! That was such a great read and I loved Jase. 🙂
My TTT
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Who wouldn’t fall in love with Jase? He’s just the most perfect boy on the planet. I need to find a real life one now.
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It feels like All The Light We Cannot See has been on my TBR for a long time now! 😀 I must get around to reading it. It looks like you’ve had a great reading year!
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Oh man, you HAVE to read All the Light We Cannot See! It’s a true masterpiece.
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What a great list! I’ve read a few of them, but there’s a few that are on my TBR that I’m dying to read (All The Light We Cannot See, I’ll Give You The Sun, Six of Crows, and The Lunar Chronicles).
Here’s my TTT 🙂
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Ooh I really hope you get to all of those books soon! They’re some of my all time favourites! I can absolutely vouch for them as amazing books!
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My excitment for Six of Crows is building with every list I read…and it seems to be on ALL of them. Yey.
My top ten list is here, if you’re interested: http://www.bookpunks.com/year-books-best-books-2015/
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Six of Crows is wonderful! The hype is definitely real! It’s a fantasy read that has everything you could possibly want: all the ships, intense action, epic characters, fantastic world! Cannot rave about this book any more.
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Yes too much win on this list.
I am slowly savouring All The Light We Cannot See, and omg the writing is so gorgeous. I can’t wait to see the two protagonists meet.
Six of Crows is my favourite YA release this year, the dialogue was so on point and omg Inej and Kaz is my OTP forever.
QoS and HoF turned me into a fangirl all over again, and Carry On gave me some nostalgic HP feels!
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Isn’t Anthony Doerr’s writing just the most beautiful?! Omg the moment when Marie-Laure and Werner met was my favourite scene of the whole book (or more accurately, JUST before they met – you’ll know what I mean). Just the whole chapter and the pace and urgency of the writing at that point… SO MUCH LOVE. I think I might have cried a little bit.
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I wanted to read all the books on your list this year but the only one I got to was Queen of Shadows! SO many books so little time… But QoS was AMAZING! I hate waiting for the rest of the books.
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Queen of Shadows is a great one to have read! I can’t believe it’s been 3 months since its release already. I guess Book 5 will be here before we know it, though I have to agree that the wait is unbearable!!
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Such great choices!! I loved My Life Next Door, too, it was such a great book, and I loved Jase’s big family 🙂
I just started I’ll Give You The Sun, and so far it’s, SO, SO good. I can’t wait to read all of this book! 🙂
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Isn’t I’ll Give You the Sun just the most beautiful book?! I just wanted to hug all of the characters. I hope you enjoy the rest of it, and unravelling all the secrets!
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It is, I keep stopping and re-reading passages again, or just staring into space for a few seconds after reading a page. It’s so beautiful for now, and I can’t wait to read ALL of it. But I feel like I’m going to cry… I don’t know why, I can feel it coming, ahah!
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Haha yes, I’ll Give You the Sun will probably make you cry. But there’ll be happy tears too!!
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I ❤ I'll Give You The Sun. It is also one of my top reads of 2015.
Great List!
My TTT! 😀
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I don’t think I’ve come across anybody who hasn’t read and LOVED I’ll Give You the Sun! It’s just the most perfect book *hugs to chest*
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I have Carry On on my list as well. It was such a different book and I love most of Rowell’s works – especially Attachments. Nice list.
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I love all of Rainbow Rowell’s books too! Sadly I still haven’t read Eleanor and Park (it was the first one I picked up but now the only one I haven’t read…) but I know that I’m probably going to love that one too! Carry On is probably my favourite of hers at the moment though.
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Great list! I have I’ll Give You the Sun, Carry On, Six of Crows, and My Life Next Door on my TBR! Hopefully I can finally get to them in 2016! 🙂
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Yes! Please read them! I love those books so, so much and will recommend them endlessly until everybody reads them XD
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All the Things We Can Not See and Little Life are both on my TBR. I have heard so much about Rainbow Rowell, but haven’t read any.
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All the Light We Cannot See and A Little Life are my two favourite books of all time now! I can’t wait for more people to read them because they are absolutely beautiful! I really love all of Rainbow Rowell’s books, especially her newest release Carry On, which has made my favourites of the year list 😀 But all of her contemporary books are equally delightful!
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A Little Life sounds like a very moving book one I think I’d be a fool to not pick up. There are so many great books on this list. Winter is possibly the best series finale I’ve ever read and I’m excited to get my hands on Stars Above. My Life Next Door is one of my go to contemporaries. I love that Jase is such a good guy and his relationship with Samantha and his family was a joy to read. 😀
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I agree that Winter is the best finale I’ve read too and Stars Above cannot come soon enough! I’m just happy that we get a little bit more of the TLC world before it’s over for real. Jase is just the most perfect boy. He’s the ultimate good guy. Why can’t we have more love interests in YA who are just really, really nice and decent? A Little Life will break your heart and it might take a while to get through it since it’s so emotional but it’s definitely worth it in the end!
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I’m so thankful for Stars Above cause I am not ready to let go yet and if this teased wedding of the century isn’t Kai and Cinders I will be quite disappointed haha. I would actually love to know a bit more about Jacin and I hope he gets a short story.
I am all for the good guys and I definitely agree that we need more of them in YA literature. They can be just as fascinating and layered as the tortured soul, bad boy type.
I’ll definitely give A Little Life a shot. I’ll just have to emotionally prepare myself for that journey.
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Omg I’ll be disappointed as well if Kai and Cinder don’t get married. But as long as one of our four couples gets married, I don’t really mind! Maybe they can just all get married at the same time and have the ultimate wedding of the century?!!!
And I will be ready with tissues and hugs if you ever decide to read A Little Life.
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Great list. I just finished Carry On, and I loved it.
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Yay! I’m so glad to hear that. I loved everything about Carry On: the characters, SnowBaz, the magic system and the world. And it was incredibly funny too!
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Great picks. Winter, Six of Crows and Carry On are on my list as well; and I feel I should definitely put the others on my to-read list for 2016. Winter was probably my overall favourite book of 2015 (if I had to pick only one that is).
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Great choice! Winter was absolutely fabulous. It’s definitely my favourite 2015 YA release. I just can’t believe the series is over now T_T
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I know, it seemed like such a massive series I can’t believe it’s actually over now. I’ve already pre ordered the anthology that’s released next year, anything Marissa Meyer writes I’ll buy from now on 🙂
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Oh! Damn, Stars Above was the one book I forgot to preorder. I went on a preordering spree just 2 days ago and I had a feeling I was forgetting something but couldn’t remember what. Luckily I still have a while before it’s released.
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CLOCKWORK PRINCESS! It’s the perfect book! I cried so much over Will and I still can’t get over this book even if i’ve read it ages agooo. Sigh!
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I know! I want to reread Clockwork Princess so badly but I don’t think I’m ready for it yet since I’m still getting over the intense feels!
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I love your list Jenna!! I read Forman for the first time this year as well and I’m now a HUGE fan! I want to read everything she’s ever written. I love her writing style so much. ^.^
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Thanks Nic! Yes, Gayle Forman’s writing is beautiful!! I love how sophisticated her language and storytelling is. Her books never fail to give me the feels.
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Same!! ^.^
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I have been thinking about reading the Infernal Devices books for a while now. I’ve read four (I think) of The Mortal Instruments, but then I stopped. I’m sort of half intending to get back to them, but I haven’t summoned the enthusiasm yet. There was a lot in them that I liked but ultimately I found the Jace/Clary dynamic annoying (they can’t be together because they’re related, then they’re not, then he’s evil, then he’s not evil he’s just complicated, etc, etc…). I know those words could make like the whole blog community hate me. Before book four I was really enjoying them though, so I would be interested in reading Cassandra Clare’s other books. Especially now you’ve said that I don’t need to be up to date with Clary world.
Great list. The few on there I haven’t read already are on my TBR 🙂
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I can see what you mean about The Mortal Instruments. The Infernal Devices is far superior in my opinion! I read the trilogy first and loved it, which led me to reading TMI. I think I forgave some things in TMI because I enjoyed TID so much. But I agree that the books go downhill after the third one. Books 4 and 5 made me feel really uncomfortable…but the finale does make up for it. I’d recommend just reading TID and forgetting about TMI. There are spoilers for TID in City of Heavenly Fire anyway so it’s probably more sensible to just jump into TID now.
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Thank you for such a thoughtful reply! I’m glad to hear that someone else had the same feelings as me after the third book. Who knows, there’s always a chance I’ll get back to it some day and reach the epic finale.
I think I’m going to go for it with The Infernal Devices. That there’s three books rather than five makes me more likely to stay engaged.
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I thought that the plot was much more exciting in The Infernal Devices anyway. The Victorian London setting, along with the steampunk elements were also more my cup of tea (HAHA) than the modern New York setting… where they don’t even use mobile phones. I find that to be so implausible!
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next, the Lunar Chronicles are on my must-reads list for sure! My TTT
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YAY, you must go read The Lunar Chronicles!! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
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Six of Crows, Winter and I’ll Give You the Sun are definitely on my list as well. They’re all such amazing books. ❤ Thanks for sharing Jenna and, as always, fabulous post & choices! ❤
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They are! I just want to reread them all right now but the TBR is too big T_T
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I need to read All the Light, it has been on so many lists! Beautiful blog!
New follower 🙂
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
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Thank you so much ❤ And yes, you must read All the Light!! It is truly wonderful and beautiful and all the good things!!
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Okay, I’ve only read two of the books on your list! Which means I obviously need to get my reading butt into gear and read all the rest of them, haha XD
I LOVED I’ll Give You the Sun, as well! It was so incredibly beautiful. I’d been scared to read it because of all the hype (and hype NEVER meshes with me), but I ended up adoring it. Definitely one of my favourites of the year!
And QoS is just amazing. My first five star book in the Throne of Glass series! I LOOOOOVED it. Everything was just so awesome, even if my ship did sink 😦
I hope you read a few more awesome books in what’s left of 2015, Jenna!
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I had the exact same experience with I’ll Give You the Sun! I was so worried that I wouldn’t like it but I had nothing to worry about because everything about that book was amazing! Aww no! I feel for all the Chaolena shippers (though I’m firmly in the Rowaelin camp). But I guess you never know. She could have a completely new love interest in the next book!
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I still need to read Just One Day, I can’t believe it’s your first Gayle Forman’s book. I highly recommend you If I Stay and Where She Went. And I’ve heard so much about Six of Crows. I hope I’ll be able to read it soon. Thanks for sharing your favorites, Jenna!
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Haha I’ve also read If I Stay and Where She Went and enjoyed them a lot. Not as much as the Just One Day duology though. I hope you give Six of Crows a chance. Even though it’s set in the same world as The Grisha trilogy, it seems much less Russian-inspired. I kind of view it as its own fictional world now.
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