Top 6 Books of 2015



2015 was an epic year of reading for me. I smashed my Goodreads reading challenge and although I may have swayed from my 2015 Reading Challenge in one way, I did read a ton of new books this year, despite the fact that I endured several reading slumps. I'm a creature of habit and I'm so guilty of re-reading books more often than picking up new ones, but during 2015 I feel I managed to kick this terrible trait. Just a little bit. If you'd like to know exactly what books I read this year, then feel free to click on over to my Goodreads profile, where you can find a full list! Why not add me as a friend whilst you're there? ;) But, for now, allow me to introduce you to my Top 6 Books of 2015!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

I started reading this book one evening this summer and finished it at 2am. My family and I were having a barbeque at our stable yard and I'd spent the day playing rounders with Luke and my little sister Leigh, so come 7pm when the sun was just thinking about settling down for the night I was sleepy and retreated to our caravan to read. I picked up Eleanor & Park, started reading, continued to read on the journey home, went to bed and carried on reading until I turned the very last page. I actually cried when I finished this, and I'm not sure if my sleepiness was a contributing factor but my heart was and still is filled with love for this book and these characters. It's also the first book I've read that is split into two perspectives!

 

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

I read this book waaaay back in January and I instantly knew that it would end up in this blog post! Anne was such a story teller and her recorded thoughts are so intelligent and witty.. it's a truly wonderful book to read. The fact that she actually lived the days that you're reading about is a bit surreal, but very enlightening.

Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill.

I was debating over whether or not to include this book in this post, but then after I thought about the way it made me feel I realised I couldn't leave it out. I'm not going to lie and say I enjoyed this book because I didn't, at least not in the usual way. It's important and harsh and thought-provoking, and it does make you question a lot of things. I've written a full review of Only Ever Yours which you can read here if ya like!

Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne.

 We all know that I love reading fictional books about mental health (in fact I did a full post showcasing my collection back in February) and Am I Normal Yet quickly became one of my favourites ever. The main character, Evie, has OCD and we follow her story as she slowly begins to relapse. I thought this book was so well written and offers a refreshing take on mental health - it shows that recovery isn't all sparkles and rainbows. If you'd like to read my full thoughts on Am I Normal Yet, check out my review!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephenie Perkins.
Here's a semi-interesting fact for you: when I first read this book, I wasn't particularly fussed by it. I mean, sure, I read it within a day and I thought it was cute and all that but I wasn't blown away by it. But then I read it again a few weeks ago and I loved it. Even though it's a romance and the main focus is on the relationship between Anna and Etienne, it's not too fluffy and meaningless, which I really enjoyed. Totally recommend if YA romance is your thing!

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer.
I didn't think I'd ever read another Twilight book, let alone feature one in my favourites! But I re-read the Twilight saga recently and I actually really enjoyed it. My thoughts and feelings towards it have changed a lot since the last time I read it (when I was like 16) and it was a really interesting experience. Breaking Dawn was my favourite to re-read, though, which is why I've given it a place in this post!

Overall, I'm so pleased with my reading efforts this year. I feel like my reading tastes have really changes over the past few months, and I'm beginning to take interest in new genres that I wouldn't have looked at a few years ago. I can't wait to see where 2016 will take me in the literary sense of things.

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