The Siberian American: Ten Best Books I Read in 2015

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Ten Best Books I Read in 2015

2015 was a huge reading year for me. My original goal was to read 50 books, but I ended up finishing off the year with 105 books. It helped that Christopher had a lot of night shifts last year, and I’m not the best at sleeping when he’s gone. It was hard to narrow down all the books I read to just ten books, so I picked the books that stuck with me the most. If you are interested in more favorites here are my best reads in the winter, spring, summer, and fall.


The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams 
I listed The Secret Life of Violet Grant since it’s the first book in the Schulyer sister series, but I loved all three books. (Along the Infinite Sea was my favorite, but I think it’s best to read all three to get the full story)

In The Secret Life of Violet Grant, Vivian Schuyler receives a suitcase in the mail that once belonged to Violet, a great-aunt she had no idea existed. As she begins to dig into Violet’s past, she discovers family secrets others are desperate to hide. Vivian was one of the best characters I have read in a long time! Her voice was just perfect. I loved how she was a headstrong, no nonsense girl. I also loved the progression of Violet’s story, especially the ending.


The Sound of Glass by Karen White
(c/o NetGalley) 
Karen White is one of my favorite authors, and this book was no exception. Two years after the death of her husband Cal, Merritt receives the gift of a family home from his grandmother and begins to unravel the secrets of her husband’s past. I was instantly intrigued by the story of the plane crash and how it intertwined two families. I loved how Merritt's character evolved throughout the novel. Truly a beautiful novel filled with secrets and how to let go of the past.


The Doll Maker by Richard Montanari 
(c/o NetGalley) 
This book is the eighth in a series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone novel. The Doll Maker centers around a series of child murders in Philadelphia...where the killers leave a doll of the previous murder at each site. I thought the format of this book was interesting, where we knew the point of view of both the killers and the detectives. It was well-written, surprising, and the characters were fascinating. I didn't even realize this book was 500 pages because it went by so quickly!


Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon 
(c/o NetGalley) 
It is rare for me to give a book five stars, but every once in a while a story comes along that I know I won't ever forget. Madeline is allergic to the world and has never been allowed outside, but she is desperate to see the world when she meets Olly. Everything, Everything is beautiful, tender, and heartbreaking. I love books that use different mediums (if the book does it well), and this couldn't have been done better. The writing pulled me in and didn't let go. I even wanted to bring this book to the dinner table. I loved Madeline and Olly and wish their story could go on forever. Even so, the ending was beautiful. I honestly want to start over and read this book all over again.


Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell
(c/o NetGalley) 
This book tells the story of Nick Hansen, who sees a girl at the grocery store who is the splitting-image of his college sweetheart...who has been dead for twenty years. The girl ends up dead the next morning, forcing Nick to reevaluate everything about his girlfriend's death. I really liked this book. Nick was a great main character, and I liked the supporting cast. Even though the story felt a little slow at times, the mystery really pulled me in...and I read it in less than 24 hours. I like all the twists and turns, and the ending was great.


The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler 
(c/o NetGalley) 
Simon receives a mysterious book that is the key to unlocking a curse his family has suffered for generations. I have seen a lot of people compare this book to The Night Circus, but I don't think that's fair. The only thing alike about the two books is they're both well written and about a circus. That being said, I loved The Book of Speculation. The past/present format worked really well to explain the curse on Simon's family, and the beautiful writing kept me interested the whole time. I highly recommend it.


The Girl Without a Name by Sandra Block 
(c/o NetGalley) 
This book grabbed me at the first page and didn't look go. The plot was interesting-a catatonic girl arrives at the psych ward who does not know her identity, and Dr. Goodman becomes obsessed with finding out who she is. The plot twist at the end was fantastic. I can usually figure out what is going to happen before it happens, but this twist blindsided me.


Wherever There Is Light by Peter Golden
(c/o NetGalley) 
Wherever There Is Light is a beautiful historical fiction romance about a Jew and an African-American who fall in love even though society forbids it. It takes you on a journey from the 1930s to post-war Paris as Julian and Kendall grow up to figure out who they areas individuals and whether they can be together. The writing is beautiful, the characters are well-developed, and the story kept me interested. I didn’t love the ending, but I still think the book is worth a read.


Saving Sophie by Ronald H. Balson 
(c/o NetGalley) 
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I don't usually read books about the Middle East, but this one was suspenseful and interesting. The book starts out with a missing $88 million dollars in an embezzlement case and Jack Sommers as the main suspect. But why would someone who has never broken the law suddenly steal $88 million dollars? His daughter, Sophie, has been kidnapped by her grandparents and taken to Palestine. The story was intriguing from the very beginning, and I couldn't stop reading. I loved the characters, from Jack and Marcy to Catherine and Liam (I have been wanting to read Once We Were Brothers, and now it's moved higher on my to-read list!) I never expected to finish this book in one night, but that's exactly what happened.



The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris 
(c/o NetGalley) 
This book captivated me in from the very first page and didn't let go. The story begins with a hook from the end of the book: a cold, foggy night at Alcatraz in 1937, and a prison guard's only daughter has gone missing. You don't return to this part of the story for some time, but the story of Shan and the love, loss, and second chances he experienced was beautiful. This was one of those books that I wanted to read again as soon as I finished it.


What are some of the best books you read in 2015?

23 comments:

  1. The doll maker sounds terrifying... And so good! I finished my 50 book challenge this year on New Year's Eve... Procrastination at it's finest! The only problem was the last book I read was all about a criminal profiler and I found it so scary! I have been triple checking the locks :)

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  2. I just saved all of these to my must read list, you read some good books last year!

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    1. I really did! I hope I have the same luck in 2016. :)

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  3. I read SO many books in 2015 and I'm sad that I didn't read a single one of these. Definitely going to have to read some of these this year. Thanks for the recommendation! <3, Pamela Sequins & Sea Breezes

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  4. The great news here is that I haven't read any of these books so that means I've got some reading to do!! Thanks for all the recommendations! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

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  5. I just finished The Secret Life of Violet Grant and I loved it too!!! Definitely one of the best ones I've read in a while.

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    1. It was so good! You should read the rest of the Schulyer sister books too-Along the Infinite Sea was my favorite!

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  6. Definitely saving this post so I can read some of these!! The Doll Maker sounds so scary!!

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  7. All of these sound so good, I pretty much added them all to goodreads to read later on! I personally can't get enough mystery books, so Somebody I Used To Know, The Doll Maker, and The Girl Without A Name both sound fantastic!

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  8. i haven't read any of these! added them all to my list if they weren't already there. the doll maker sounds really interesting. the violet grant one has been on my list FOREVER i really need to get to it soon!

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  9. I haven't read any of these so I'm adding them all to my must read list for this year! My top 3 favorite books from 2015 were Bread & Wine, The Royal We and All the Light We Cannot See (soooo good)!

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  10. I can't even believe you read over a hundred books this year! Go you! And I didn't even reach my goal of 30, haha! I'm definitely adding "Everything, Everything," "The Girl Without A Name," and "The Secret Life of Violet Grant" to my "to read" list!

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  11. Several of these are already on my tbr, I added Wherever There is Light. Also, this is the second time in two days that I've heard about Ronald H. Balson.

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  12. I am so offended that you read over a hundred books, and I didn't even finish the one I started in 2015. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE??? HAHAHA

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    1. Haha, I have rough years too! 2015 was definitely my best year yet! :)

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  13. This is a great list! I added a few to my reading list...I have completely cleared out my to read shelf so I am definitely needing some more!

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    1. I need to work on my (virtual) to read shelf. It currently has 400 books on it, so I really need to narrow it down! Haha. :)

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  14. The Doll Maker...that sounds interesting. I may have to check that series out. The cover kinda creeped me out though. Ha!

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  15. I love these kinds of posts! Some of these books look really good and i will definitely be adding some to my to-read list :)

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  16. I haven't heard of any of these, but quite a few sound appealing to me. Will need to add them to my list!

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  17. The Doll Maker sounds so good!!! I really have to read more, all you bloggers are so good at it~

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  18. The Doll Maker and Everything Everything sound like great books! I will have to add them to my to read list.

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  19. I am always looking for new reads! Thanks for sharing.

    <3 Have Ashley, Will Travel

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