Kate’s Favorite Reads of 2017: Picks 10 Through 6

Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! And don’t forget to check out our “12 Days of Christmas” giveaway that may even features a few books from these very same lists! Today I’m going to countdown my favorites reads, ten to six. 

Pick Number 10: “The Call” by Peadar Ó Guilín

“The Call” Review

This was one of the first books I reviewed in 2017 and it managed to hold on for an entire year! This scary and creative book about killer faeries and the teenagers that have to outwit and outrun them, or die, was a great read for this horror fan. Not only did it take a kind of tried and true trope of ‘teens going into a deadly challenge’ and give it a new twist, it also featured Nessa, a fierce protagonist who is also a Polio survivor. A main character with a disability isn’t something you see every day, so that was an added bonus to an already stellar dark fantasy.

Pick Number 9: “The Best We Could Do” by Thi Bui

“The Best We Could Do” Review

This moving and deeply personal graphic memoir is a beautiful and haunting family history. Thi Bui mostly grew up in the United States, but she was born in Vietnam. Her family fled after the end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon, and her graphic memoir was one of the most powerful reads of the year. A narrative that still remains relevant and timely given the current Administration’s anti-Immigrant policies, this is a must-read for anyone and everyone. It’s also a great introduction to the graphic memoir, as the story is easy to connect to and the story sucks you in.

Pick Number 8: “Holding The Man” by Timothy Conigrave

Goodreads Page

Okay, this is one of the books on my end of year list that didn’t make it to the blog. But I would be remiss if I were to leave the lovely, honest, and devastating memoir “Holding The Man” off of it. Timothy Conigrave and his boyfriend John met when they were teenagers and fell in love, but their romance was cut short when they were both diagnosed with HIV during the peak of the AIDS epidemic. This memoir is Conigrave’s tribute to their love, and a memorial to the love of his life. Sadly, it was also the last thing he wrote, as he died shortly after its publication. This book had me sobbing my eyes out as I read it, but if you can get your hands on it, I highly, HIGHLY recommend that you do. Just…. bring tissues.

Pick Number 7: “Strange Weather” by Joe Hill

Review of “Strange Weather”

But of course Joe Hill was going to make this list! His collection of novellas was a wonderful way to pass the time on a sick day, and his four very separate and very well done visions were excellent tales of the strange and unsettling. Short story collections are usually pretty hit or miss for me, but “Snapshot”, “Loaded”, “Aloft”, and “Rain” were all stories that sucked me in and had deep effects on me. Hill does a great job balancing the disturbing themes with the gentle whimsy of others, and his streak of being one of my favorite authors was just reiterated with this collection in 2017.

Pick Number 6: “DC Bombshells (Vol. 3): Uprising”

Review of “DC Bombshells (Vol. 3): Uprising”

Strong women in comic books is pretty much my jam, and DC Comics really has a heavy hitter with it’s “DC Bombshells” series. Over and over and OVER I have greatly enjoyed the alternate WWII history starring all of DC’s best ladies, and “Uprising” has been the best contribution so far. Not only does it have a bunch of great chicks kicking Nazi Ass, it also has a lot of well rounded versions of Wonder Woman, Batwoman, Harley Quinn, and many, many others. And let me tell you, given the recent rise in Nazis and Nazi Sympathizers in the collective consciousness and current events, the satisfaction of seeing these women kick their asses is pristine as hell.

Ten through six down, next time I’ll take on five through one. What have been some of your favorite reads this year? Let us know in the comments!