Five Books I’ve Loved So Far This Year

July 20, 2016

Five Books This Year

We’re over half way through the year now and I already feel like I have read some fantastic books so far. On Goodreads you can set yourself a reading challenge for the year. I went for a modest 24 which I didn’t manage to reach last year but I’m well on the way in 2016 having read 19 already. I know that isn’t a lot to some people but it’s pretty good going for me. The last month I have slowed down a lot due to, ahem, Gilmore Girls landing on Netflix but I’m hoping to catch up more over the summer.

It seemed like as good a time as any to share the books I’ve loved so far this year and then I’ll do a big round up at the end of the year. I feel like they have all been good but I’ve changed my reading philosophy a little. I really do only read books I want to which sounds simple but how often do you pick up a book thinking that is one you should have read. I do it all the time with books that are bestsellers or those classics that everyone read in highschool. I force myself to try and read them even if I don’t enjoy it and it just stops me reading. So if I’m not getting into a book now I don’t stick with it, I’ll move onto something else more enjoyable.

You can check out my Goodreads 2016 reads bookshelf to see what I’ve read so far this year but here are five of my favourites.

A Year Of Living Danishly

It’s no secret how much I loved this book, I wrote a whole blog post about how I wanted to start living Danishly and possibly run away to Denmark. The book follows 12 months in the life of Brit, Helen Russell and her husband as they make the move to Denmark. It’s funny, sweet, enlightening and will make you want to eat cinnamon buns.

The Night Circus

Another book I have been recommending to everyone and even convinced my husband to read! I was excited when I was reading it and knew when I was part way through that it was going to be special. The Night Circus is something quite different as it follows two young people who are part of a enchanted circus and how their paths cross and intertwine. I love the descriptions and the romance of it all.

Water For Elephants

I’m not sure what I thought this book was about but it wasn’t at all what I imagined. I liked it so much more than I thought I was going to and it is such a great story. In kind of reminded me of The Notebook as it’s written as memory flashbacks from an old man reminiscing about his days as a vet for a circus. I preferred it to The Notebook as I liked the whole setting and detail about the circus, it totally takes you into that world.

Not My Father’s Son

I don’t read many non-fiction books and I’m not a big auto-biography fan usually but I would recommend this one to anyone. I do love Alan Cummings and this is such an honest book, it’s written with such warmth and humour despite having some really heart breaking moments. His charm shines through the story and he writes so openly you can’t help but get swept up in it.

Of Mice and Men

I’ve just read this recently and this is definitely one of those ‘classics you should have read’ type books. It is only short and my husband bought a second hand copy so I thought I’d try it. It took me a few hours to read and it’s such a simple story but it’s really stayed with me. I love how your just thrown into the story and the characters, there’s no unnecessary writing it’s just like a snapshot of two peoples lives but beautifully written.

Would love to hear about your favourite books, what have you enjoyed reading this year?

 

 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you buy a book from my link I will receive a small commission but it won’t cost you any extra.

 

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10 Comments

  • Kat Brown

    I really loved to Patrick Rothfus books that Anton recogmended me, I know you were going to read them too. What did you think? Or have you not got around to them yet?

    July 20, 2016 at 1:38 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I love them too, I’m just a few chapters into the second one but I need a good long quiet spell to get stuck into them. Just loved the first one, one of the best fantasy books I have read in a VERY long time. They are so long though!

      July 20, 2016 at 1:42 pm Reply
  • Hayley Thorpe

    Lovely list! I’ve just finished The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge. Technically a YA novel but found the main character throughly engaging and a great, easy read. I too enjoyed The Night Circus and have been trying to find something as good since. The Paper Magician was good, with an interesting premise, but not quite as well written perhaps. And I loved Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children too. If you come across anything else in a similar vein, I would love to know!

    July 20, 2016 at 7:42 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I feel the same, it’s hard to find something similar to it. I think The Time Travellers wife is similar in terms of the relationship and Something Wicked This Way comes is similar in the quirkiness, there is nothing quite like it though. I’ve been wanting the read Miss Peregrine’s for a while, might invest in that one and I’ll look for the The Lie Tree, I love YA fiction!

      July 21, 2016 at 10:18 am Reply
  • Sally Akins

    Fab list! I love ‘Of Mice or Men’, and I’ve just added ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ to my wishlist x

    July 20, 2016 at 8:17 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I was surprised how much I like Of Mice and Men, sometimes those type of books don’t live up to what you’d expect. I think you’d like A Year Of Living Danishly, a good light read xx

      July 21, 2016 at 10:14 am Reply
  • The Reading Residence

    Well now you have me wanting to read all five of these, and my TBR pile is already huge!

    July 21, 2016 at 5:11 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Haha, these are all so good though! The more I read about books the worse my TBR pile gets 🙂

      July 25, 2016 at 7:39 pm Reply
  • Notmyyearoff

    I loved water for elephants. The movie is oooook to watch too. I definitely need to read mice and men though. Lots of my friends did it at school but I seemed to miss that one!

    July 23, 2016 at 2:28 am Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I’m tempted by the movies for one reason only, although I think my Robert Pattinson crush may have passed! I missed Mice and Men too but it’s good, I can see why it would be good to study in highschool, plus it is super short!

      July 25, 2016 at 7:41 pm Reply

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