Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the Broke and Bookish and hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl where we get a new topic for a top 10 list.

I’ve not been reading much this year and I think the reason why is a combination of things. As always, I am a mood reader so if I’m not in the mood to read, chances are I won’t. That’s the main reason, but contributing factors have been a lack of time and energy. This year has been pretty full on for me. I’ve started a new job, I’m still working shifts at my old job, making travel plans, and sorting my life out, so putting my efforts into all that just leaves me feeling drained sometimes. Safe to say I’ve been in a bit of a slump this year. However, numbers don’t matter when it comes to reading and instead of spotlighting 10 books for this list, I’ve gone with my top 3.

1. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo: Leigh Bardugo and fairytales are a match made in heaven. This collection of tales was brilliant. To start, I loved that these tales were all set in the Grishaverse, further enhancing the depth of that world. The idea of reading the tales that Bardugo’s most beloved characters would have grown up with just makes you feel even more connected to them in some way. You can see how some of the classic tales have influenced these stories, but what Bardugo excels at is driving home some dark dangers and hidden truths that can relate to society. The illustrations accompanying this collection further enhances that reading experience as the two merges together to create a reading experience like no other.

2. Say You’ll Remember Me by Katie McGarry: McGarry is my go-to author for when these slumps hit me. It’s so easy to immerse yourself in her books, and Say You’ll Remember Me was no exception. There’s always a flair for the dramatic in a Katie McGarry book that gives them an addictive quality. You know going into the book you’re going to meet two complex individuals from two different worlds. You’re going to see them strike up a friendship, which slowly develops into something more. Along the way you’re also going to see some hardships, experience a range of emotions and finish the book with a sense of hope for these two seemingly lost souls. It is a beautiful book.

3. Invictus by Ryan Graudin: Time traveling and history. What more could you possibly want? This book really showcased Graudin’s versatility as an author. This book does a phenomenal job at exploring that delicate balance between a passenger of time and an influencer, with a particular emphasis on the consequences of crossing that line between the two. Time traveling is such a fascinating topic to explore and Graudin establishes a system that’s complex but still easy to follow. On top of that, you also have a group of individuals that are so different from one another, but balance each other out. Each character gets their chance to shine as individuals whilst retaining their position within the group.

Those are my top 3 books of 2018 so far.
What have been your reading highlights of 2018?