It might be a little early, but the end of the academic year is approaching, which means that graduation season is coming. One of my favorite parts of my high school graduation was the yearbook, which I was crazy enough to volunteer putting together, superlatives and all. When I saw this original book tag by ABookOlive on Youtube floating by, I immediately got thrown back to the laughs me and my 2 co-editors got out of that. Consider this my miniature bookish yearbook for 2018/2019. Because I shelve on Goodreads based on the calendar year, it was a bit of a struggle to retrace everything in the academic year, but I here we are; my bookish superlative page 2018/2019.
1. MOST LIKELY TO BE IN THE MOVIES
The book that would make the best movie
The Anomaly by Michael Rutger
Like I mentioned in my review of The Anomaly, this book already reads like watching a movie. Michael Rutger is a screenwriter, and somehow writes such cinematic and actionpacked scenes that I think this book would perfectly translate to film. It’s rumoured that The Gotham Group has already purchased the movie rights, so I’m quite hopeful that it will actually become reality somewhere in the near future. I’ll for sure be in line at the cinema as soon as that happens.
2. BIGGEST DRAMA QUEEN The most (overly) dramatic book or character
Hypnos
from The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
artwork by Nicole Deal
Upon reading “drama queen”, this character was the first to come to mind. Hypnos, to me, embodies sass, attitude and drama in the best way possible. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like him at first, but his character turned out to be the life of the party. He added some much needed spunk to the group dynamic at times, without creating unnecessary group-drama (he isn’t that kind of drama queen), end in the end was one of my favorite characters of the bunch.
3. BEST DRESSED
book with the best cover
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Coverart by Sarah Young
I’ve said before that publishers and cover designers have been killing it in the last 2 or 3 years with all the stunning covers coming out, so there was heavy competition here. In the end, I chose a book that always draws my eye if I pass it on a shelf (either at home or at a bookstore), because it’s so unique and different from your typical cover. I love the color scheme, the illustrations and how it matches the story inside.
4. MOST CREATIVE: book with the best or most unique plot, characters or structure
Semiosis by Sue Burke
I feel like Sci-fi and Fantasy are the best suited for this question, and Semiosis is absolutely one of the most unique ones I’ve read in that genre. It’s a very recent reads, and therefore still fresh on my mind, but I don’t see myself forgetting this one soon. Semiosis is a “first-contact-story”, on an alien planet that for once, isn’t inhabited by anthropomorphic aliens, with societal structures very similar to our western ones. Instead, the dominant species on this planet are sentient plants, who clearly think and behave so differently from us, that it creates some incredibly unique dynamics. Such an interesting book, that I highly recommend.
5. MOST POPULAR:
book with the most ratings on Goodreads
The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
After consulting my Goodreads “year in review”, I was surprised to learn that this was The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, which actually ended up on my worst of 2018-list. That’s okay though: you don’t always have to be friends with only the most popular of kids in school…
6. MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED: a book that is going to be appreciated for years to come
Lanny by Max Porter
For this one I looked for a book that I think would be timeless, as well as original enough not to get burried under a ton of other books just like it. One of the books that made me feel that way in recent years was Grief is The Thing With Feathers, and after reading Max Porters newest masterful novel Lanny, I feel like that's one that would fit this prompt perfectly as well.
7. CLASS CLOWN:
A book that made you laugh
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
&
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
I don’t read too many funny books, nor am I someone who often laughs out loud whilst reading. I can think of two books that made me smile, so they’re going to share this place. Although This is Going to Hurt was the funniest to me personally, I think that mainly has to do with how relatable it was to me as a medical intern myself. Many of the situations Kay describes, I’ve been in myself, and much of my enjoyment was probably the kind of misery-loves-company-doctors-humor that I’m frankly not proud of developing for myself. When it comes to genuinely funny writing, I personally really appreciate Neil Gaimans dark, dry humor and wit, especially in the context of his books. Neverwhere was probably my favorite so far by him in that regard.
8. MOST IMPROVED:
a book that started out slow, but really picked up
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
This brick of a book was quite intimidating to me at first, and it took me about a 150 pages to really get into the story. Once that happened however, I was completely engaged with the characters and the storyline, and couldn’t put the book down. It’s a very smart, and very original novel, that is beautifully written. So if you, like me, struggle with the beginning a bit: it’s absolutely worth continuing.
9. CUTEST COUPLE:
the cutest book-couple
Celia and Marco from the Night Circus
Art by Micheline Ryckman
So… this is where it got difficult. As most of you know; I’m not a fan of romance, and I can count on the fingers of one hand the couples that I actually “ship”. None of them I read (for the first time) in 2018/2019. I read about some great relationships, but none of them I’d call “cute”. I did however reread the Night Circus in summer of last year, so I’m going with Celia and Marco. Not because they’re my favorite couple ever, but they are the closest to a “cute couple” I got in the past 12 month apparently.
10. BIGGEST HEARTBREAKER:
a book that broke your heart
August Isle by Ali Standish
I was going to mention the last book to have made me cry, which was The Astonishing Color of after, but apparently that was over a year ago. Instead I have one of my biggest surprises of 2019, that didn’t bring me to full on tears, but got quite close. August Isle is a middle grade novel about the power of friendship, family, loss, internalized guilt and what growing up does to that fragile sense of home you have as a kid. I went in for a “lighter read”, and got completely emotionally wrecked, in the best way. Middle grades seem to almost have an exclusive on that for me nowadays.
Link to the original creator of this tag: Abookolive on Youtube
Link to the artists of the featured artwork: Hypnos by Nicole Deal: https://www.nicoledeal.com/
Celia and Marco by Micheline Ryckman: https://whimsicalpublishing.ca/shop/
Coverart of Silence of the Girls: https://www.sarah-young.co.uk/
