The 15 Books That Were The Highlight of 2015 For Me

Greetings bookworms! Today is Tuesday, and while I usually do a Top Ten Tuesday or a Teaser Tuesday post, since it is the end of the year, I am moving away from my usual schedule. Because you know what? Why the heck not?

So instead, today I will be sharing with you the 15 books that made my 2015 the best reading year ever. And hands down, this year has been the absolute best reading year I’ve had in a long time! 

Also, quick note, I just got my ATAR results back from my exams and ended up with a 89.35! It’s the most amazing news and I am so hyped and excited because it’s over and above what I needed to get into my course for university. WOO HOO! LET’S CELEBRATE! 

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(This list is in no particular order)

1. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

I started this year off strong, by reading the entire Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, centered around Greek and Roman mythology. This was, in fact, my first discovery of the absolutely famous author whom fans call “Uncle Rick”and my goodness, this series blew me away. I was, and still am, utterly in love with this series. It holds a very special place in my heart, especially the last book. 

The last book in the series, The Blood of Olympus, was amazing. It was full of intense scenes, cuteness and I was just a mess of squealing, fangirling and arm flailing. And Leo Valdez. He is my bae. I love him. Leo is the main highlight of this series and I am totally not ashamed to obsess over his fictional amazingness. (Does that even make sense? Oh well.) 

Click here to see my review

2. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

I had to read this book for school. It’s a coming-of-age, historical novel following a boy named Charlie Bucktin, set in Australia in the 1960s. All I can say, is that this novel is brilliant. The chapters are long, to the point where I was so frustrated (I think there are overall 7 chapters in the entire book, and it’s a 400+ page novel, WHAAAT?!). 

However, despite that, there were no flaws in this. The character development is immense and wonderful, the story is mysterious, raw and there are twists that will keep you on your toes. This novel all around keeps you on your toes. Charlie was the most amazing protagonist, and his philosophical thoughts had me constantly thinking about people, about the world and so much more.

Click here to see my review 

3. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

I was tempted to put the entire Throne of Glass series in this post, but I won’t cheat, and I will only pick the books that really hit me in the feels. And Crown of Midnight did that. It hit me right in the feels with it’s intensity and swoon-worthy scenes. I had never shipped Chaolaena as much as I did in this book, and it was torn away from me just as intensely as it had bloomed. AND I WAS NOT HAPPY. AT ALL. 

But nonetheless, this book blew me out of the water. It was intense, a huge step up from Throne of Glass #1 and had me screeching like banshee for book three. 

Click here to see my review

4. Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

As the third book in the Throne of Glass series, this was once again, even better than Crown of Midnight. It was a bit slower, and focused mainly on character development, but I loved that about it. My favourite part of this novel was the interaction between Rowan and Celaena. MY FANGIRLING FOR THESE TWO WILL NEVER, EVER END. NEVER I TELL YOU.

Click here to see my review

5. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

I did not do a review for this book because IT WAS SO INCREDIBLE. I cannot even begin to explain my feels. This fourth book in the Throne of Glass series was badass, intense, and had my squealing with glee, screaming with terror, and crying with an overwhelming tsunami of feelings. This book left me in a hangover that lasted almost a month. I seriously could not deal. The Rowaelin scenes were to die for.

6. Angelfall by Susan Ee

By far the best post-apocalyptic, paranormal angel story I have every read. It’s raw and gritty and dark. Susan Ee wrote it so well, and had me hooked from the very beginning. The banter between Penryn and Raffe was the best and total highlight of this novel. 

Click here to see my review

7. End of Days by Susan Ee

The last book in the Penryn and the End of Days trilogy, left me so happy but also sad and unsatisfied at the same time. Everything ended and wrapped up perfectly, but I couldn’t help but wish for another book! The ending of this novel just screams: “Another book is yet to come!“

Click here to see my review

8. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This was the first novel I read by Patrick Ness, and after reading it, I was immediately a huge fan of this amazing author. A Monster Calls was emotional. It was real and whimsical and really seeps its way into your core! 

Click here to see my review

9. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Another amazing read by Patrick Ness. This sci-fi was so unique and different to me that it got me invested in it almost immediately. The purposely misspelled words did frustrate the grammar queen within me at times, but that was drowned out by the action, the intrigue and the concept of this novel. The Knife of Never Letting Go broke my heart, and messed with my mind. I loved it. 

Click here to see my review

10. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Sarah J Maas is simply slaying it this year! Not only are her books the source of possible 80% of the book boyfriends on my list this year, she came out with an amazing new fairy-tale retelling series, starting with A Court of Thorns and Roses, based off of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. This is classified and New Adult, which you will know because of the hot and steamy scenes that had me fanning myself the whole way through! And let me just say that I fell in love with Rhysand. I don’t know why, I guess I like my fictional bad boys. 

Click here to see my review

11. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Do I need to even explain myself? All of you bookworms have been screaming at me to read this trilogy and when I finally did, I couldn’t believe I put it off for so long. I couldn’t stop reading it. I needed to know what was going to happen next, constantly. The love triangle in this series was absolutely beautiful, and is the only love triangle I have ever loved so hard to the point of crying over it. CAN’T THE THREE OF THEM JUST BE TOGETHER? For the record, I am a Jessa shipper through and through. I love Will, but JESSA.

Click here to see my review

12. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Strong, sassy and independent female protagonist? Complex, three-dimensional, swoon-worthy secondary male protagonist and equally interesting and well developed supporting characters tied in with an AMAZING plot and the most beautifully descriptive and well-controlled writing = FEELS ALL AROUND. And it’s a re-telling of A Thousand and One Nights (which I am not familiar with at all by the way)! 

Click here to see my review

13. The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer

An amazing portrayal of schizophrenia. Filer really did a good job of executing what it would be like to delve into the mind of a schizophrenic. Of course, I wouldn’t know exactly what it is like, but through this novel, I could feel the confusion, the lack of a clear line between what is reality and what is not, and it was all tied in with a heavily emotional backdrop that, by the end of it all, left me breathless. And the amount of quotes I got out of this book is ridiculous! 

Click here to see my review

14. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

This was my first attempt into New Adult contemporary, and while I wasn’t too fond of how much sex there was in this novel, and how it was portrayed, Colleen Hoover still managed to pull me in and make me cry my eyes out through her writing. The dual perspective was done so well, and I loved reading from Miles’ point of view. This book was full of emotion.

Click here to see my review

15. The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J Maas

Who is slaying it in books this year? That’s right, Sarah J Maas. I will be shouting praises to her for years to come, I think. The Assassin’s Blade is a series of novellas following Celaena’s life before her life in the Throne of Glass series. Sam Cortland: my poor, weak and emotional heart still aches. 

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Woo! There we have my best books of 2015! This was a marvellous year for reading and I can already feel that 2016 is going to be a step up in a good direction for reading too. 

What were YOUR favourite books this year?