#Bestof2017: Top Shelf Reads of 2017

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Whether we’re ready for it or not (I’m not), 2017’s final days (hours?) is rapidly drawing to a close. For Finding Wonderland, this can mean only one thing. It’s time again to take a look at our favorite books of 2017.  

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Each year, Finding Wonderland gushes over the best of the best in fiction. This year, looking back, I see there were quite a few stories that impress me. To enjoy that kind of reading year is the best kind of reading. For a bookworm, that is a simple joy we look forward to and revel in when we discover these gems. Whether or not they are nominated for awards, the stories that bring me joy, make me smile, and hastily flip the pages are the tales that linger.   These things are, at the basic level, what makes a story truly great.  

Best of 2017 | At the Box Office: Of Superheroes, Murder Mysteries, Pirates – and Fangirl Feels!

2017 has been a good year. It’s true, down below you’ll spy books of a similar nature (to those I frequently read) and authors who are featured here a lot. But it’s these genres, authors and stories that speak most to my reader heart. It’s these stories I fangirl over with my #BookBesties (you all know who you are!), and inspire read-alongs with fellow readers. It’s these works of art that inspire me to do what I do.   Since I don’t read as many books as most readers do in a year, this list is relatively short. If you’d like to know about some of the books I anticipated loving in 2017 (but alas did not read), you can read our December 12 Top Ten Tuesday post.  

If anyone is wondering about the favorite films of 2017, never fear, this list is now live on Finding Wonderland. “Part one” of the 2017 favorites went up earlier this week. But let’s get back to today’s feature. For now, let’s turn the spotlight on the fictional masterpieces (as judged by moi) of 2017.

FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2017

1. Moving Target by Lynette Eason | Lynette’s stories are always fantastic. This one really surprised me, which is a must for any romantic suspense novel. Goodreads

2. A New Shade of Summer by Nicole Deese | Contemporary magic. What else can one say about this gem? Goodreads

3. Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge | Hillary again creates magic with this beautiful contemporized re-telling, a story of Austen’s famous sisters (Elinor and Marianne) in Sense and Senibility re-imagined; in Texas! Goodreads

4. Warcross* by Marie Lu | Prior to this much hyped sci-fi novel, a novel by Marie Lu was not on my “read” checklist. I picked it up in response to an email and quickly became engrossed in its world. Despite it not being “my genre,” I can easily say, this will be an author I read more books by. The one disappointment? This one is actually a duology – how did I not know this?? Goodreads

5. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins Goodreads

On Lola and the Boy Next Door

Contemporary romance aficionados will still swoon and wear a wide smile by book’s end. ♥

6. Still Life and Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey | This year we had two books by Dani. The awesomest part is, both were top shelve kind of reads. The downside? I didn’t realize there were four books in this series. Now I have to wait until 2018 for said fourth book. Still Life Goodreads Blind Spot Goodreads  

7. The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay | Each and every one of Katherine’s stories are special. There’s forever something about each one that’s unique and page-turning. They carry common themes (Austen, Bronte, the classics in general), but each one shape their own unique niche in the fiction world. The Austen Escape is no exception. Goodreads  

8. All This Time by Melissa Tagg | The final novel in Melissa’s Walker family series is lovely. The story doesn’t let down the characters (the two readers were most anxious for – Raegan and Bear), and Melissa’s knack for keeping an invested reader is still present. Goodreads

9. The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner | The sass though!! This debut is one of the cutest contemporary books I’ve ever read – plus I love not only the genre, but its short length. Everything is compacted neatly, and all without sacrificing the story. Well done, Bethany Turner – and thank you. Goodreads  

10. True to You by Becky Wade | Becky never disappoints but with this, the first novel in her brand-new series, she raises her storytelling to a new level. Her characters, her prose, and the genuine way in which everything unfolds is breathtaking. Goodreads

11. The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber | Unique and exciting, the start of Mary Weber’s sci-fi duo is not one to be missed! Goodreads

#Bestof2017: Top Shelf Reads of 2017 #fromthearchives Share on X

12. Lucky in Love by Kasie West | I’m a sucker for anything lighthearted and happy. There’s no one who excels better at this subgenre than YA author Kasie West. Her books are magic, and the reads I turn to when I want to smile through an entire book. Goodreads  

13. The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright | Goodreads

Other Books I Read and Enjoyed in 2017: Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano | One Christmas in Winter (★★★★★) by Bell Renshaw | One Enchanted Noel (★★★★★) by Melissa Tagg | Fill In Boyfriend and On the Fence by Kasie West | Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

This brings us to an end of Finding Wonderland’s favorite books of 2017! Have you read any these? Do you spy any books that made your “best of” lists? Tell me about them – and your favorites of the year. Let’s get our bookworm chat on.  

Thank you for visiting!