I managed to read 123 books so getting it down to 10 was hard and there are so many wonderful books that didn't make this list that I loved too. These ten books aren't necessarily the best, most accomplished, well written books I read this year but rather personal favourites that left a lasting impression on me. I'm going to be counting down in order finishing on my number one favourite book of 2015 so let's get started!
10
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
What I loved about Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is that despite being a LGBT book it doesn't feel like a LGBT book and what I mean by that is that this is simply a love story that just happens to be between two guys. There are so many fantastic books out there about coming out and what it's like to be a gay teenager that are so profound and moving and important but with this book the focus was on the romance and I loved the normality of it. This book felt like a turning point in LGBT fiction for me and I adored everything about it.
9
Winter by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles is such a fantastic series all round but I think what made Winter especially impressive is how Marissa Meyer managed to tie in four different fairytales into one book giving each of them enough time to wrap up, not only with the plot of Winter, but with their individual stories. Despite this book being a 823 page monster I was constantly gripped by this finale and never wanted it to end. Now that is an accomplishment!
8
The Murder Most Unladylike Series by Robin Stevens
I'm totally cheating here and including all three books in this series because I read them all this year and can't choose between them - they are all so good! The Murder Most Unladylike series as a whole is some of the most fun I've had with reading this year. This might be a Middle Grade series but it's so enjoyable for any age group. The series is set in 1934 and follows the adventures of Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong as they start their own detective agency when a murder happens at their boarding school. This is a series that just makes me so happy and I can't wait for the fourth installment in 2016.
7
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Luckily for you guys Truthwitch is finally out in two days time and I'm so jealous of everyone who has yet to read it! I got to read a US ARC of this back in August and since then I've been obsessed with this book (to put it mildly.) My favourite thing about Truthwitch that I think makes it stand out from all other YA Fantasy out there at the moment is that at the centre of this story is the friendship between two girls Safiya and Iseult. It was so refreshing to see a Fantasty novel with friendship at its heart. Truthwitch is in many ways a celebration of strong female friendship and is such a special book for me.
6
One by Sarah Crossan
One is probably the most unique and moving book that I read in 2015. It's the first book that I've read that's written in free verse and I was taken aback by how beautiful I found it to read. One follows Grace and Tippi and their life as conjoined twins. I don't think another book made me cry as hard as this book did last year.
5
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
You know those books that completely transport you to somewhere else? So much so that you look up from reading and forget where you are for a moment? Well A Darker Shade of Magic did that for me. I was so caught up in this world of grey, red, white and black that even now I just have to close my eyes and I can imagine it so clearly. V.E. Schwab's writing is astounding and I'm so excited for A Gathering of Shadows to be released this year!
4
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Hello, heartbreak Madeline Miller be thy name. To put it simply this is one of the greatest love stories I've ever read and I can't actually talk about it all that much because I start to cry. Needless to say that this genre isn't my usual hangout but OMG IT DOESN'T MATTER! If you like books at all you need to read this book.
3
Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne
Oh, obviously! Seriously, if you know me at all then you'll know that this book was going to make my top ten. I think that out of all of the books on this list Am I Normal Yet? was the one that I had the most personal connection with. This book is about OCD and feminism and it just hit my heart in all the right places. I'm pretty sure that for as long as she keeps writing, Holly's books will make it into my favourites list every year.
2
The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson
Yes, I'm cheating again by including the whole series. Just one? Shut up! You can't make me choose! Ahem. So when I tried to review the first book in this series The Final Empire I stared at a blank space for some time and ended up just typing "Epic" and leaving it at that because this series made all of my words seem worthless and futile when trying to describe it. Brandon Sanderson quickly became my Fantasy King last year and this year I made an actual New Years resolution to "read more Brandon Sanderson" that guy is a freaking word magician and if you like fantasy and haven't read the Mistborn series yet then you are missing out.
*drum rolls*
1
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
In case you hadn't guessed already from my not-so-subtle hints all over the internetz Six of Crows is my official favourite book of 2015. If you've read the Grisha trilogy Six of Crows is a bit like that, only on steroids. It also includes a brilliant cast of diverse, questionable characters who will become the characters that you care about MOST IN THE ENTIRE WORLD because they are so messed up yet precious. As well as being set in an epic fantasy world and having the best cast of characters of the year, there is also a heist because Leigh obviously didn't feel like this was enough already. Six of Crows was everything I love rolled into one and it's hard to imagine that anything other than the sequel will ever compare to it.
So there you have it, did any of these books feature in your favourite books of 2015?
Looking back on this list 2016 has a lot to live up to! Bring it on!
