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Get Lit with Saimah’s Top 7 Books of 2018

by  | December 26
Saimah's Top Books of 2018

The year is almost over and that has me thinking about my favorite books read in 2018. I just surpassed my reading goal for the year (53 out of 52 books!) and I want to share my top books of 2018 with you. Now that gift-giving season has passed, it’s time to buy some gifts for yourself!

I prefer to read fiction over nonfiction, because real life is scary. So treat yo’ shelves to some of these great reads.

 

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Verity

Verity

by Colleen Hoover
A psychological thriller that will make your head spin:

Verity Crawford is a bestselling author, but after a terrible accident she is no longer able to finish her successful series. Her husband, Jeremy, and her publisher decide to hire another writer to complete the series.

Lowen Ashleigh is a writer who is struggling financially when the job opportunity of a lifetime falls in her lap—finishing the Noble Virtue series. Lowen heads to the Crawford home to research Verity’s notes and the previous titles in the series to be able to start writing the next books. But while digging through Verity’s office she comes across a manuscript of what appears to be Verity’s autobiography, which includes some horrifying revelations.

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Then She Was Gone

Then She Was Gone

by Lisa Jewell
A suspenseful story of a missing girl:

This book was on the top of my gift list this year. Lisa Jewell’s storytelling is mesmerizing and will keep you guessing ’til the final page.

Laurel’s daughter Ellie goes missing and their family falls apart—her marriage falters and she grows distant from her other children. It’s been fifteen years, but Laurel can’t stop thinking about Ellie. When she meets a new love interest, his daughter eerily resembles her missing daughter.

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Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

by Christina Lauren
Celebrate the Rom-Com revival with Josh & Hazel:

Josh was Hazel’s TA and witness to many of Hazel’s embarrassing moments in college. After graduating they lost touch but fate brings them back together years later. They meet up again at a time when both of their lives seem to be falling apart, and they decide to help each other out. But as they spend more time together the spark between them grows.

Read an excerpt here.

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The Royal Runaway

The Royal Runaway

by Lindsay Emory
A Royal Rom-Com heading for the big screen!

When Princess Thea is left at the altar, she escapes to an island owned by the royal family. After a few months away hiding from the paparazzi she returns to the palace. Suddenly the royal residence seems much smaller, so she decides to head into town and grab a drink at one of the local bars. There she encounters an attractive stranger who happens to be related to her former fiancé—and that’s when the story really takes off!

Check out an excerpt and learn more about the movie adaptation here!

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The Hate U Give (Media Tie-in Edition)

The Hate U Give (Media Tie-in Edition)

by Angie Thomas
A story that highlights the inequalities in America today:

This heartbreaking story is one of the most powerful books about police brutality, racial tensions, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Starr is caught between two worlds—her poor (mostly black) neighborhood where she grew up and the rich (mostly white) prep school that she attends. Then everything falls apart—she witnesses the fatal shooting of her best friend, Khalil.

After the shooting, she faces pressure from all sides—to speak out for her best friend or to keep her mouth shut to avoid the media spotlight, internet trolls, and people in her own neighborhood.

The book was originally published in 2017, but I just read it this year before seeing the movie adaptation.

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Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

by Balli Kaur Jaswal
Reading more stories from diverse authors can expand our horizons:

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows is a tale of being stuck between cultures. A first-generation daughter of Indian immigrants, Nikki lives in West London. As a law school dropout, she doesn’t have a lot of cash, so she impulsively takes a job teaching a creative writing class at the Punjabi community center.

She soon discovers that many of the women who signed up for the class thought they were taking an English literacy course, rather than the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories among Nikki’s things, she suggests that those are the kind of stories they should be writing. Nikki learns that the widows have been hiding some steamy fantasies and memories underneath their white dupattas….

This book was also one of Reese Witherspoon's book club selections this year which is how I discovered it.

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American Like Me

American Like Me

by America Ferrera
Celebrities are real people with challenges to overcome too:

This book is non-fiction but it was just too important so I had to include it...In  American Like Me, over thirty celebrities (including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Uzo Aduba, and Kal Penn) share their stories about growing up between cultures.

Each of these celebs reveals how they struggled to establish a sense of self, find belonging, and feel seen. Such as the ongoing effort of having people learn how to pronounce your name correctly, or friends not understanding why your parents won’t let you go to a sleepover.

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Saimah works on the Corporate Digital Marketing team at Simon & Schuster. She is a fan of dystopian fiction, celeb memoirs, contemporary rom-coms and murder mysteries. When she's not reading, she is binge-watching her favorite shows, exploring the best rooftop bars in the city and watching sports. Follow her on Instagram at @fire.escape.reads!
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