2018 Book Awards
I like to call this the NBAs. Nance’s Book Awards. I had hoped to read 50 books in 2018 but alas, I only made it to 47. Sooo close. Ah well.
There were 7-8 books that I only read half-way through before calling it quits so maybe if we pull all those parts together, it adds up to 3 more books? Officially, we’ll go with 47 but unofficially? Totally made it to 50ish.
Ok, enough juking the stats. Here are my award-winners for the year…. (bear in mind that these were not all published in 2018. I just happened to read them in 2018)
Best in Show
I know. Enough already. But how could anything else top this? What can I say. Nothing can touch it.
Best in Fiction – tie
These were both so good, I couldn’t choose between them. Pachinko taught me more about Korea than I could have imagined (and I thought I already knew a lot) and Urrea has become a new favorite of mine. You can hear him interviewed here.
Best in Essay
The Mickey Mantle Koan by David James Duncan. I’ve already mentioned this in a roundup. I’ve read it three times and I like it more and more with each read.
Best in Memoir
This one kind of snuck up on me. Midway through I was on the fence about it. But it just keeps building toward the end and by the time I finished I was pretty gutted. Really well done.
Best in Theology
Y’all already know that my theology aligns pretty well with R Bell. This book reads exactly as his voice sounds. It’s short and succinct — each chapter is 3-4 pages — and it opened the Bible up in new and interesting ways for me.
Honorable Mentions
She Would Be King = fantasy / history / retelling
Less = Pulitzer Prize winner
An American Marriage = makes you think
The Immortalists = fast read
The Hate U Give = technically YA / really well done delve into the current climate in the US
What did you all read this year? What should I add to my 2019 list? I’m hoping to (for real) make to 50 books this go ’round. I finished my first book of the year this morning so I’m on my way!
Past NBAs
Image credit –
Nicole Honeywill