5 Library books I loved in 2018

I love libraries. I’ve always loved borrowing novels and exploring new books from my library. I even was featured as the person who borrowed the most books in my school library one month! And I recently started my library subscription in my local city library, which has been amazing and life-changing. I love just browsing around the shelves and writing down which authors or books I’m planning to read next.

In 2018, I read not so many library books but most of them were just phenomenal. I just want to share them with you guys and encourage EVERYONE to borrow more books! Anyways, let’s get on with the books. I listed these in no particular order.

Shelter by Jung Yun

This family drama that is very psychologically thrilling, but also an intricate and moving character study is so thought-provoking and tackles a lot of themes that I just really enjoyed reading about.

This seemingly short book definitely packs a punch. I love how the characters are of Korean descent and so features the point of view of second-generation immigrants in the US. But more than that, you can also see how twisted and messy these characters and specifically this family is, and it makes the characters so human and life-like that it’s scary. I highly recommend this thrilling read if you want a quick, deep and dark book.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

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I claim myself to like horror, and every time I read a horror book I would love them but I rarely ever read them! This short little book had huge hype during the Halloween seasons because of its theme but also because of the release of its TV show adaptation. Jackson’s writing is one of a kind and tells these unique characters with creepy and chilling moments that make you both want to stop reading but also keep reading. The attention to detail is fantastic and I love that sudden and bone-chilling ending.

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

This is one of the longest books I read probably this year, but I absolutely loved it. With amazing characters, a unique mystery and the possibility of more stories with these duet of detectives, I dove right into the story and fell in love. I really enjoyed following the sophisticated and layered Cormoran in solving the mystery like our modern-version of Sherlock Holmes, only revealing his theories and thoughts at the end. I love his intelligence but also the amount of backstory and depth that is still hidden from us readers. Definitely a series I will continue on this year.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

This is such an amazing book and made it into the list of one of my favourite books of the year. Deservingly so, because despite its minor flaws, I tore through this book and absolutely loved the heck out of it. With a large range of characters and a unique storytelling, I just really rooted for these flawed and human characters and enjoyed reading about their relationships and stories.

It’s such a great combination of drama, mystery, and family, while also immersing us in current themes like motherhood, being a teenager, following your passion, and adoption. It’s wonderful, it made me cry, and such an intricate story that deserves all the praise and hype it has received.

English Animals by Laura Kaye

Laura Kaye‘s novel is set in countryside England and begins in a small house where Mirka, a Slovakian young woman who joins the family of two: Richard and Sophie Parker as what she thought at first as a helper around the house but ended up being so much more.

The writing is uniquely simple but also beautiful. But more than that, the characters are just exceptional, and I love how Kaye explores these trio of characters and their relationship with each other. Sexuality plays a huge role in this story, and the book is also a sort of coming of age story of our main character while also exploring about love, immigration, family, and  finding yourself and your passion. It’s atmospheric and so well-written.

Do you borrow books from your local library? What are your favourite books that you found from the library?

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