Later this month, we’ll be discussing our favorite reads of the year (with a maximum of three books per person). However, I’m claiming my own post because I had so many books that rocked my brain this year, I can’t possibly narrow it down to three. SO THERE.
These are filed under “Hide Your Wallet” for both behind-the-scenes structural reasons, and because, well, we all have poor impulse control when it comes to books, right?
So this is my Best of 2018 collection organized into three sections:
- Historical Mysteries with Strong Romantic Elements Of Varying Degrees
- Books That Stuck With Me for One Reason Or Another
- Nonfiction I Consider Myself Fortunate to Have Read
Not every book listed here received an A, but each is a book I recommend and continue to think about long after I finished.
Ready? Let’s do this!
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Scandal Above Stairs
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Released: July 3, 2018 by Berkley
Genre: Historical: European, Mystery/Thriller
Series: Kat Holloway Mysteries #2Priceless artwork has gone missing from the home of a wealthy baronet, and his wife stands to take the blame. When Kat’s employer asks for help in clearing her friend’s name, Kat trades her kitchen for the homes of Mayfair’s wealthiest families.
Soon antiques are disappearing not only from the extravagant households of connoisseurs and collectors, but from the illustrious British Museum. As the thefts increase in frequency, Kat calls upon her friend Daniel McAdam, who has already set himself up in a pawnshop on the Strand as a seedy receiver of stolen goods. When a man is murdered in the shop, Kat must use all of her wits to see that the thieves are caught and justice is done.
Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley is the third story and second full-length novel in the Kat Holloway series. I discovered this year that historical mysteries with female sleuths and a strong romantic element are indeed my jam, my coulis, and my compote, and I was beyond lucky to read this series. The novella amuse-bouche, A Soupçon of Poison and the first novel, Death Below Stairs, are a wonderful collection. I love the food p0rn, the competence porn, the way in which Kat occupies and fends for herself in a strange between-space in the social hierarchy of the households in which she works, and way she looks after everyone. Women managing their own lives as much as possible in limited circumstances is a theme I very much enjoy exploring, too.
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The Hollow of Fear
Author: Sherry Thomas
Released: October 2, 2018 by Berkley
Genre: Historical: European, Mystery/Thriller
Series: Lady Sherlock #3Charlotte Holmes, Lady Sherlock, returns in the Victorian-set mystery series from the USA Today bestselling author of A Conspiracy in Belgravia and A Study in Scarlet Women, an NPR Best Book of 2016.
Under the cover of “Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective,” Charlotte Holmes puts her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte draws those in need to her and makes it her business to know what other people don’t. When her dear friend Lord Ingram stands accused of the murder of his estranged wife, Charlotte goes under disguise to help prove his innocence to Scotland Yard.
As I wrote in NPR’s Book Concierge, you can’t start the Charlotte Holmes series with this book, but that’s not really a bad thing because the entire series is mentally and linguistically delicious. The slow, deliberate reveal of Charlotte’s future and past, and the way in which she tries to own and operate her own life when there are many, many forces working against her is terrific – as is the leveling-up in consciousness, awareness, and behavior of key ancillary characters. I dig this series, and I liked The Hollow of Fear in particular.
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Jane Doe
Author: Victoria Helen Stone
Released: August 1, 2018 by Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Mystery/ThrillerA double life with a single purpose: revenge.
Jane’s days at a Midwest insurance company are perfectly ordinary. She blends in well, unremarkably pretty in her floral-print dresses and extra efficient at her low-level job. She’s just the kind of woman middle manager Steven Hepsworth likes—meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a man. No one has any idea who Jane really is. Least of all Steven.
But plain Jane is hiding something. And Steven’s bringing out the worst in her.
Nothing can distract Jane from going straight for his heart: allowing herself to be seduced into Steven’s bed, to insinuate herself into his career and his family, and to expose all his dirty secrets. It’s time for Jane to dig out everything that matters to Steven. So she can take it all away.
Just as he did to her.
First in the “Books that Stuck With Me For One Reason or Another” section: Jane Doe. I read this book in one day. Then I read it again. Then I listened to it because the dry, caustic narration by Nicol Zanzarella is a freaking delight. This book satisfied my desire to see terrible people punished for their terrible behavior, and was a revelatory experience: hanging out inside the head of a self-aware sociopath while she burns everything down for good reason was exactly what I needed.
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Hot and Badgered
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Released: March 27, 2018 by Kensington
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Series: The Honey Badgers #1It’s not every day that a beautiful naked woman falls out of the sky and lands face-first on grizzly shifter Berg Dunn’s hotel balcony. Definitely they don’t usually hop up and demand his best gun. Berg gives the lady a grizzly-sized t-shirt and his cell phone, too, just on style points. And then she’s gone, taking his XXXL heart with her. By the time he figures out she’s a honey badger shifter, it’s too late.
Honey badgers are survivors. Brutal, vicious, ill-tempered survivors. Or maybe Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan is just pissed that her useless father is trying to get them all killed again, and won’t even tell her how. Protecting her little sisters has always been her job, and she’s not about to let some pesky giant grizzly protection specialist with a network of every shifter in Manhattan get in her way. Wait. He’s trying to help? Why would he want to do that? He’s cute enough that she just might let him tag along—that is, if he can keep up . . .
When I first heard about Hot and Badgered, as I said in a recent podcast, I was skeptical because…honey badger shifters. That could be really twee and dumb. I was SO wrong and should never doubt Laurenston’s ability to mix campy over-the-top fantasy with deeply visceral questions. With the Crows series, I asked, “Who are my sister crows?” And with the Honey Badger sisters, I asked myself, “What am I giving a shit about that I really don’t need to spend any more energy on whatsoever?” It’s a powerful question that’s made even more enjoyable by watching the three sisters burn everything down and take care of one another’s physical and mental health when no one else will.
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The Phantom Tree
Author: Nicola Cornick
Released: August 21, 2018 by Graydon House
Genre: Historical: European, Literary Fiction, Time Travel“My name is Mary Seymour and I am the daughter of one queen and the niece of another.”
Browsing antiques shops in Wiltshire, Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait—supposedly of Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows better. The subject is Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr, who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 as an unwanted orphan and presumed dead after going missing as a child. And Alison knows this because she, too, was in Wolf Hall…with Mary…in 1557.
The painting of Mary is more than just a beautiful object for Alison—it holds the key to her past life, the unlocking of the mystery surrounding Mary’s disappearance and how Alison can get back to her own time. But Alison’s quest soon takes a dark and foreboding turn, as a meeting place called the Phantom Tree harbors secrets in its shadows…
A spellbinding tale for fans of Kate Morton, Philippa Gregory and Barbara Erskine by the bestselling author of House of Shadows.
I still think about the characters, the setting, the idea of jumping from the Tudor era to the present day through time, and the tiny chance encounters that cause deep pivots in our lives. The Phantom Tree took up residence in my brain and is still hanging out – which is not at all a bad thing.
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We’re Going to Need More Wine
Author: Gabrielle Union
Released: October 17, 2017 by Dey Street Books
Genre: Memoir, Humor, NonfictionIn the spirit of Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl, and Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist, a powerful collection of essays about gender, sexuality, race, beauty, Hollywood, and what it means to be a modern woman.
One month before the release of the highly anticipated film The Birth of a Nation, actress Gabrielle Union shook the world with a vulnerable and impassioned editorial in which she urged our society to have compassion for victims of sexual violence. In the wake of rape allegations made against director and actor Nate Parker, Union—a forty-four-year-old actress who launched her career with roles in iconic ’90s movies—instantly became the insightful, outspoken actress that Hollywood has been desperately awaiting. With honesty and heartbreaking wisdom, she revealed her own trauma as a victim of sexual assault: “It is for you that I am speaking. This is real. We are real.”
In this moving collection of thought provoking essays infused with her unique wisdom and deep humor, Union uses that same fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic, and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support.
We’re Going to Need More Wine is funny as whoa while also containing heartbreaking and terrifying moments. It’s a very compelling read, especially her exploration of colorism, her experience growing up in two very different places, and her activist work on behalf of survivors of sexual assault. Yes, you should definitely read it with wine.
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So You Want to Talk About Race
Author: Ijeoma Oluo
Released: January 16, 2018 by Seal Press
Genre: NonfictionIn this breakout book, Ijeoma Oluo explores the complex reality of today’s racial landscape–from white privilege and police brutality to systemic discrimination and the Black Lives Matter movement–offering straightforward clarity that readers need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divide
In So You Want to Talk About Race, Editor at Large of The Establishment Ijeoma Oluo offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the “N” word. Perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between people of color and white Americans struggling with race complexities, Oluo answers the questions readers don’t dare ask, and explains the concepts that continue to elude everyday Americans.
Oluo is an exceptional writer with a rare ability to be straightforward, funny, and effective in her coverage of sensitive, hyper-charged issues in America. Her messages are passionate but finely tuned, and crystalize ideas that would otherwise be vague by empowering them with aha-moment clarity. Her writing brings to mind voices like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay, and Jessica Valenti in Full Frontal Feminism, and a young Gloria Naylor, particularly in Naylor’s seminal essay “The Meaning of a Word.”
The embarrassing irony of this recommendation is that I’m not exactly good at talking about So You Want to Talk About Race. I’m still processing so much of what I read, and I recommended it to my husband, who is now reading it so we can discuss. The book is a manual on how to level up when it comes to challenging racism in all its terrible forms, and why and how that work is relentless and important. The larger theoretical exploration is balanced every time with practical and logical advice and steps to take in various situations. I am constantly referring back to my notes and highlights, and count myself beyond fortunate that was able to read this book.
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I opened Amazon & GBPL links before opening this post. Waste of time.
You do know that, except for the non-fiction, YOU COPIED MY LIST?!
Cheers to another year of in sync reading.
Historical Mystery with a Romantic element is one of my favorite genres! Three of my favorite series are “Lady Julia” by Deanna Raybourn, “Lady Darby” by Anna Huber and “Sebastian St. Cry” by C. S. Harris.
Have you tried the Wrexford and Sloane series by Andrea Penrose? I am really enjoying them. She also has the Lady Ariana mysteries, which i’ve just started.
@Lynnd: I haven’t! Thank you for the recommendation – I am keeping a list of series to try.
@Pamela: I’ve read Lady Julia, and am starting Lady Darby now. I was worried the St. Cyr series would be too much violence, but I may give it a try.
It’s so strange, having a brain that doesn’t handle violence on the page, but that ALSO likes mysteries, puzzles, and stories with a romantic thread. Ah, brains. They are so weird.
The real romance part in the Sebastian St Cyr books doesn’t really kick in for a couple of books if I remember rightly?
If you prefer mysteries only when they have a strong romantic element or you are steeling yourself to read through the violent parts (to me there is more off page violence – usually to women- then on page violence -usually to Sebastian as ppl try to stop him investigating- but your mileage may vary) then might not be your thing
He is moping about his past “doomed” romance from book one though!
@SB Sarah: The crimes in the St. Cyr series are violent, but also mostly off-page. So compelling for me about this series are the characters, secondary as well; the impossibly slow burning, enemies-to-lovers arc; all of it, I suppose.
@She: the moping, while understandable, became tiresome. St. Cyr’s father though. My heart breaks.
I’ve been wanting to reread Jane Doe. My daughter (24) and I each read it in 1 day. We’ve shared it will all her friends! The audio book is now in my TBR pile!
@Lynnd. Yes for the Wrexford and Sloane series! And the audiobooks are great too (and I’m kinda picky about narrators)
The Cornick and Thomas are so good!
I just last night started reading Jane Doe, which I had purchased due to an earlier recommendation here. Thanks! Amazing voice, really enjoying it so far.
Sarah, you might enjoy Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. It’s a medieval mystery with a heroine who is essentially a 12th century medical forensic investigator. Fantastic concept and so well written.
Now I really want to read „So You Want to Talk About Race“, or maybe listen to it. What worries me is that it may be hard to adabt to my life. Mostly because of listening to Minority Korner, but also because of this site and your podcast, and because of some very good romances, I am much more aware of problematic situations and especially language. But since my daily language is not English, I struggle to translate it to my own life. And I haven‘t yet found similar books in German. They may exist, but what I have seen online was very theoretical. I probably should stop listening to all those US centered podcasts and find some German ones 😉 Although they still do not really fit me, because the language and the situation in Switzerland is slightly different, but in meaningful ways.
I loved So You Want to Talk About Race and have been pushing it to my coworkers as well. I’ve already been able to use some of the suggestions in practice.
And ditto on the mysteries with romantic elements recommendations. I’ll add Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series.
I second the Mistress of the Art of Death recommendation but if you get hooked be aware that the last book ends on a very frustrating cliffhanger due to the author passing away.
Edited to add that according to goodreads the author’s daughter Samantha Norman is continuing the series, but there does not appear to be a publication date yet.
Sally, that’s great news! I didn’t enjoy the rest of the series as much as the first one (which I loved), but I was frustrated by the cliffhanger ending and would enjoy reading more stories about Adelia.
I just wanted to add my thoughts on Mistress of the Art of Death – I read a lot of mysteries probably at least 15-20 a year would be my estimate and I found the level of violence in Mistress of the Art of Death to be very disturbing. First it involves violence against children. Second, the ending (while some would think it was just justice served) was terribly violent to me I can’t say too much without spoilers but if you are concerned about that sort of thing, I would warn (again vague spoilers) that justice was not quick but prolonged both mentally and physically. That is not to say I didn’t love the main character or the time period, but it got me enough that I didn’t want to read the second in the series. So if you are sensitive to either of those things, I would stay away.