I thought I read a lot of books in 2016. Then Donald Trump became President, and my anxiety levels skyrocketed. My favorite way to self-soothe is reading, so my 2017 book total blows 2016 out of the water.

234 is a new personal record. What can I say? Books make me feel better. Lots of re-reading this year, too. Sometimes you just need to read a book that you already know you love.

Also, I love the Goodreads “Your year in reading” feature. How else would I ever have discovered that I read 84,218 pages this year? That makes me feel like a true book nerd badass.

I did round up my total by one book: I’m in the middle of one and I’m assuming that I’ll finish it in the next week.

Almost all of what I loved this year was genre fiction. When the real world is stressful, sometimes there’s nothing better than to vanish into a story that takes you somewhere else, even if it’s just for a while. Also, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that 100% of these books are by women, and 100% of the fiction has female main characters.

In other words: I was so annoyed with men in general in 2017 that I couldn’t stand to read about them or even read books by them. I credit this to our awful President and his cohort of creeps. I’ve always loved reading books about powerful women, but current events have left me uninterested in anything else.

Keep reading to hear about the the best books I read in 2017 (in no particular order):

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey.

This book is stunning. Dark, complicated, surprising; with an intricate cast of characters and and a gorgeously crafted world. It’s the first in a series, but I actually loved this one book so much that I haven’t gone back for more yet. I do that sometimes when I don’t want to risk a disappointing sequel soiling my experience of a great opening novel.

I think I’m about ready now: soon I’ll reread Kushiel’s Dart and then pick up the next in the series.

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase.

Fun fact: I’ve followed Loretta Chase’s blog for years, but I only just discovered my love for her books. After the first, I read as many as I could get my hands on (19 in quick succession).

If you enjoy a good historical romance novel – especially if you like ’em with a healthy sprinkle of darkness in the storyline – go read everything you can find by Loretta Chase immediately, just like I did. You won’t be sorry.

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

I know it’s cheating to include a whole series, but the way that I read it’s hard to differentiate individual books. Also: I’m still in the middle of book 5, so it’s possible this series takes a turn. But right now I’m all about it.

These books mature along with their characters. The plot of the first book is relatively simple, but the complexity of the story increases exponentially as each book adds layers to the characters’ universe. The main character is a powerful woman and every book is filled with strong female characters.

I want to read more by Sarah J. Maas in 2018.

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have with People You Don’t Like Doing Things You Don’t Want to Do by Sarah Knight.

This books sounds silly – and it IS silly – but it also makes some fantastic points. Self-care is so important, and this book is all about how to take care of yourself in a world that constantly demands so much of us.

It also makes a great gift, thanks to its hilarious title.

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