Best Books Of 2017!

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Though this year has been long, I can't quite believe it's already over! Though in some ways this year has been just awful, I have had an amazing reading year! I finished 118 books (maybe more by now), started this blog, and finished my first manuscript. Seeing that I've read so many great books, I want to wrap up all of my favorites and give out some awards of my own! I'm only highlighting the 2017 debuts since even among those there were 38 to chose from. I'll link back to the original articles in case something catches your eye! (Some of these posts include multiple books that are also great reads as an added bonus!) I'm going to start with individual awards, saving the best book of 2017 for last! So without further ado:

Best Cover: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour. Though you can't really tell from the picture, the art on the cover and inside flaps is to die for. So is Marin's story! http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/04/weekly-reviews-and-recommendations-week_9.html

Best Series: To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han! As you can probably tell from my reading choices, I'm not really a series fan, but Han does a great job with her's. The last book of the trilogy, Always and Forever, Laura Jene came out this year! http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/03/reading-reviews-and-recommendations.html http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/05/weekly-reviews-and-recommendations-week_14.html  http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/04/weekly-book-reviews-and-recommendations.html

Top Sci-Fi Fantasy: The Thousandth Floor Series by Katharine McGee Another group of books I don't read often, but McGee makes a fun futuristic world! They're glamours, mysterious, and way ahead of our time! McGee is also amazing in person. I got to go to her launch party for The Dazzling Heights. http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/10/weekly-reviews-and-recommendations-week_22.html


Most Laughs: Denton Little's Still Not Dead by Lance Rubin. The last book in the Denton Little duology offers just as many laughs as the first. Also a great book with a male protagonist! http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/04/weekly-reviews-and-recommendations-week_23.html 

Best Male Protagonist: Grendle's Guide To Love and War by A.E. Kaplan Male protagonists are scarce in YA literature even from male authors, and they're an important part in getting guys to see themselves in books. This one does an amazing job! http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/07/weekly-reviews-and-recommendations-week.html

Top Diverse Book: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Yes, this is the one topping everyone's list this year, but Thomas certainly deserves it. Both empathy breeding and phenomenally written, it is a must read for any YA fan. http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/11/the-hate-u-give.html

Top Contemporary: Who's That Girl by Blair Thornburgh I was blown away by this novel when I read it. Super fun but also full of heart hitting emotions. Well balanced novel. http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/12/whos-that-girl.html

Best Mental Health Novel: Turtles All The Way Down by John Green. I read a lot of mental health novels, so it was super hard to choose (hence the list of runners up below), but I have to give it to Green who uses his amazing voice to articulate the complications and thought spirals that come with OCD. http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/10/weekly-reviews-and-recommendations-week_18.html
Close Seconds:
A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom is one of the most amazing books I've read that follows a girl with bipolar disorder. Great representation. http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/05/weekly-book-reviews-and-recommendations.html
The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr is by far the most unique novel I have ever read. http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/05/weekly-book-reviews-and-recommendations.html
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined by Danielle Younge-Ullman This is the story of a girl who deals with anxiety and depression learning to cope with her past at a camp thousands of miles from home. http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/06/weekly-reviews-and-recommendations-week_11.html
My Heart and Other Black Holes By Jasmine Wanga tells the story of a boy and a girl who meet because they want to commit suicide but end up helping each other see the beauty of life http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/06/reading-reviews-and-recommendations.html
Ten Miles One Way by Patrick Downes This short novel packs a punch telling Nest's story of mental health on one very long ten mile walk http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/12/ten-miles-one-way.html

Top 3 2017 Debuts 
3. Gem & Dixie by Sara Zarr - This is a read that really stuck with me. I became more and more impressed with their storyline and development. This is an amazing story of sacrifice, fear, and learning to make do with less than ideal situations. http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/09/weekly-reviews-and-recommendations-week_10.html

2. A List of Cages by Robin Roe - As close to my last read of the year, this book was one of my greatest surprises. I'd owned the book since summer, but I'd put it off. This stunning story about two boys, brotherhood, ADHD, and abuse. It has stuck in my mind, and I'm thrilled that I finally picked it up! http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/12/a-list-of-cages.html

1. Under the Rose Tainted Skies by Louis Gornall - This book blew me away! I love mental health novels, and I found this one to be particularly impactful, and I really connected with it. With an own voices story about OCD and agoraphobia, Gornall has crafted a story that has stayed in my head since I read it in March! http://www.readingwritingandme.com/2017/05/standout-book-under-rose-tainted-skies.html

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