Video: My 10 Favorite Books of 2017

Watch this video of my 10 favorite books of 2017 plus other bookish videos on my Read Remark booktube channel.

Here are my top 10 favorite books of 2017. These aren’t necessarily books that were published in 2017 (although several of these were); it’s just the year I read them.

They are presented here in no particular, except for the very last spot. I’m reserving that for my #1 pick. Click each of the titles to read full reviews.

10 Favorite Books of 2017

• • The Troop by Nick Cutter

  • A group of boys and their adult leader go on a camping trip. Meanwhile, a virus is loose, getting closer and closer to the camp. What could go wrong? Super creepy, somewhat Lord of the Flies-ish, unputdownable.

• • Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

  • We see glimpses of generations who come from two separated African sisters. Though we only spend a short time with each generation, their life stories are evident within the few pages.

• • The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

  • Unlikely friends forge a lasting friendship and build a brilliant career together. They’re messy, they fight, they don’t know how to do relationships or even really life, but they’re there for each other.

• • This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel

  • This is a sensitive look at transgender issues from a family’s point of view. A couple has their fifth boy, thinking they’re old pros at this by now. Then, the little boy says he’s supposed to be a girl.

• • Hunger by Roxane Gay

  • This nonfiction account of Roxane Gay’s body issues shows a vulnerability I’m thankful for her sharing. She was gang raped as a preteen and struggled with accepting herself and her body for years after.

• • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

  • Evelyn Hugo is a starlet from the silver screen era in this novel. She agrees to a rare interview in which she divulges who, of her seven husbands, she loves the best. The answer is shocking and scandalous!

• • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

  • Starr goes to a party and meets up with a childhood friend. On the way home, they’re pulled over and a nervous policeman shoots and kills her friend. Starr deals with the fallout and her identity. Heartbreaking.

• • Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

  • A mom and daughter move to a new town. This time, they’re here to stay. No more moving. Themes of economic superiority and cultural appropriation enhance the fact that this is a darn good story.

• • Final Girls by Riley Sager

  • The final girls are the ones who got away from brutal nights of mass murder. Now, years later, someone is hunting them. Though the story goes a bit off the rails in one part, it’s nice and mind-bending, overall.

• • And now, my #1 favorite book of 2017:

  • Eat Only When You’re Hungry by Lindsay Hunter

  • This book is more character-driven than plot-driven. Greg’s drug-addicted adult son has vanished yet again and he must go on a pilgrimage to find him. During the trip, we learn more about Greg himself and see that (sorry for the cliche) the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

My advice for those reading Eat Only When You’re Hungry: don’t mistake unlikable characters for an unlikable book. Look instead at the insights Hunter provides and lean into the downward spiral.