This is always one of the most challenging posts to write – how do I narrow an entire year’s worth of reading down to just ten highlights?  Every year, there are a select few that I know – even at the time of reading – are going to be on the list, but beyond those standouts, I read so many good books, that it’s almost impossible to choose just ten favorites.  But because I love you guys, I buckle down and get it done.  So, here, in no particular order, is the list of my top ten books of 2018:

Becoming, by Michelle Obama – Somehow, I knew this one would make my top ten list, even before I read it.  Michelle Obama’s writing is so evocative that I could feel the hot Chicago sun as she wandered down the sidewalks eating ice cream on one of her first dates with Barack and the oppressive silence inside the walls of the White House.  I was completely swept away and loved every moment.

Period Piece, by Gwen Raverat – I’ve long had a soft spot for Victorian childhood literature, and Raverat’s memoir is one of the best.  Raverat grew up as Gwen Darwin, granddaughter of the legendary Charles, and spent her childhood knocking about Cambridge and the Darwin family estates.  Her beautifully-written memoir would be a treat in and of itself, but it’s delightfully illustrated with Raverat’s own work – she grew up to become a renowned woodcut artist and one of the first women to make a living as a professional book illustrator.

North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell – I’ve been meaning to read this classic for a long time, and I ended up reading it in the early days of grieving for a close family member who had loved it.  Sad as I was while reading, I loved it too.  Gaskell’s classic story of love and labor unrest will be an enduring favorite – I can already tell.

Space Opera, by Catherynne M. Valente – Valente’s books are unlike anything else I’ve read, and Space Opera was no exception.  The story of a washed-up glam rocker who finds himself drafted into an intergalactic battle of the bands with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance was so much fun.  (Also: Chapter 29!  If you’ve read it, you’ll understand.)

Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home, by Nora Krug – This was another one that I knew would be in my top ten as I was reading it.  Krug compiles a family history that is part scrapbook, part graphic memoir, and completely fascinating, as she unpacks her grandparents’ role – or not – in World War II.

Consider the Years, by Virginia Graham – I really loved this equal parts poignant and funny collection of poetry from the World War II era and immediately after.  It was a slim little volume, but utterly lovely.

The Blue Field, by John Moore – I enjoyed every volume of the Brensham Trilogy (published in sweet little clothbound hardback limited editions by Slightly Foxed) but the third and final installment was my favorite.  Moore’s whimsical and evocative portrayal of the quirky little village of Brensham really hits its stride in this last volume – I felt like I knew these people.  Most of the book was uproariously funny – but oh, the fox-hunting scene.  SOB.

84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff – People have been urging me to read this for years, and I finally got around to it in 2018, and about time!  The correspondence between Hanff and the London booksellers who keep her in used books is such a treasure.  It starts out strictly business, but Hanff’s enthusiasm for her purchases soon wears down the British reserve of her correspondents across the ocean, and watching their friendship blossom is a total joy.

Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen – My conscience is pricking me a little bit, because Northanger Abbey was a re-read, not for the first time, and has probably even been on one of my top ten lists before.  But I decided that I don’t care, because it’s one of my favorite books and it was one of the ten best reads of the year – as usual.  Any time spent with Catherine Morland and Henry and Eleanor Tilney is time well spent.

A Country Doctor’s Commonplace Book, by Philip Rhys Evans – My last read of the year was also one of the best.  I found A Country Doctor’s Commonplace Book – a collection of funny, interesting or amusing tidbits that the author has collected over the years – under the Christmas tree and read it in one day, laughing my face off the whole time.  The snippets of hilariously misspelled or badly written parish announcements was my favorite part, but really, it was all great.

I did it!  Somehow I’ve managed to narrow a year’s worth of excellent reading down into ten favorites.  2018 was an immensely satisfying year in books, as you can see.  Next week: my book superlatives, and then onward to more great reads in 2019!