2018 Book of the Year: Top Two

It's coming down to the end. Today I bring the playing field down to two. I have no wise words here. I just have anticipation. So...let's just get right to it. As a reminder, here are the final four along with the roads that brought them to this stage in the game.

1. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng v. The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

Little Fires Everywhere made my heart hurt. It was so beautifully written. It starts out feeling a little Stepfordish and quickly becomes intriguing. There is conflict and there are pieces of ugly, but it is so wonderful. There were tears with this one. It's a book to hug.

The Hate U Give blew me out of the water. It was so powerful and relevant. It made me incredibly uncomforable and I considered that to be a very good thing. It pushed me out of my norm and made me consider race issues from a new angle. It was so well done. Beautifully crafted and I really enjoyed the blatant honesty in the narrative.

Let me tell you right now. This pairing is SO freaking painful. I loved both of these books so, so much. Both can be considered contemporary reads and both have a bit of a YA angle. I would absolutely highly recommend both books.

Gah. I hate to eliminate either of these. This is mildly reminiscent of the ejection of The Paragon Hotel from the first round. Dang random brackets!! But it has to be done. You really should read both of these books, but The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas takes the win and moves forward into the Top Two.

2. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum v. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

The Wonderful World of Oz is whimsical, but still has plenty of symbolism and relevance to life outside of the fairytale setting. It's different from the movie and it's worth the read regardless of your feelings on the film. It is a good middle school level read, but is still a pleasant one for adults as well.

I'll Give You the Sun was another YA tearjerker. This book had marvelous heart and it built a wonderful family dynamic. I could picture every bit of this book in my mind as the descriptions were just right, enough detail to paint a picture without making the reader feel incompetent. I loved her characters and thought she did an amazing job structuring the narrative. There is a build up that envelops the reader.

This decision was easy for me, I'll be honest. While I enjoyed Oz and it's slightly lighthearted feel, I apparently just enjoy having my emotions thrashed. I'll Give You the Sun is an amazingly beautiful book and it just has to be the one to move on. Jandy Nelson's novel is our second entry in the Top Two.

And...just like that, we are down to two. The books we have in the finals are well deserving of their slots. There were books I hated to leave along the way, but there is no question that we have a wonderful pairing for the finals.

Hold on to your seats. Next up, the big win is revealed and I'll share with you my 2018 Book of the Year!