2017 was a hard year for me. I had to focus on school (I'm on my last year), I had a full time job, was struggling with my mental health and numerous issues with my life and I didn't have much time or energy to read and think much, many times I chose TV series over reading, simply because I didn't have to think. 

I managed to finish 10 books, which is a really a low number compared to previous years, where I could finish 20, 30 books a year and I always had a book (and later - a kindle) in my hand.

1. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August - Claire North (goodreads)

★★★★★

At first I thought it's just another YA novel. There was time I was crazy for YA (who wasn't?) but now I like to think my book choices are more mature (let's not ignore the fact that just last night I binge watched all three movies of Divergent series and am impatiently waiting for the 4th one and at least once every two years I re-read The Hunger Games. Yes, I am too good for YA!). The book was nothing I expected it to be - witty, funny, dramatic at times, with plot twists on top of another plot twists. I thought, having the affliction that Harry had (HAS???) would be terrible. I don't wanna spoil much. Imagine living forever but... again. And again. And again. 

2. Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan (goodreads)

★★★★☆

Holy guacamole. Who doesn't want to be rich? No, not Jennifer Lawrence rich. I mean, ASIAN RICH. It's crazy and it's real. It's like Gossip Girl but in Asia and much better. I mean, we all know - people are rich. There are people who are really rich. But I didn't know know what "really rich" means. Dramas, plot twists, money, money, money, and humidity of Singapore. A must-read.

3. Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher (goodreads)

★★☆☆☆

I do not and I won't understand the need for romanticizing suicide. I finished it only because it is simply written and it doesn't make you wanna think, really. I never finished the series and I really regret reading this book. It made me angry - with the characters and the author himself. Maybe I just don't understand this but... no. I won't waste my breath.

4. The Little Friend - Donna Tartt (goodreads)

★★★☆☆

It was a good book. I like Donna Tartt's books but I just don't like when the main character is a child. I can't help it. The only exception is Stranger Things but I don't think I have to explain why. It is a well written book with cliff-hangers all over the book but I just couldn't help myself to be annoyed - ugh why don't you just do THIS or DO NOT DO THAT - forgetting the girl is 12 years old. Also, [SPOILER ALERT) why the heck wasn't the big thing that happened to the boy ever explained? COME ON.

5. Coming Up for Air - George Orwell (goodreads)

★★★☆☆

I love George Orwell. Whenever I'm asked who is my favourite author I instantly say - George Orwell. I rated it 3 stars out of 5 but I really enjoyed the book. Maybe it was the timing, maybe it was just that gloomy, dark, hopeless and daunting atmosphere of England and London that George Orwell always presents (I love London with all my heart and I will fight anyone who says anything bad about the city of the country) - I rated it lower than all the rest books of Orwell, but I still enjoyed it. Typical Orwell.

6. The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon's Court - Michelle Moran (goodreads)

★★★☆☆

There are two ratings - three stars, like George Orwell up above and three stars, like Michelle Moran right here. It was so boring, I was skipping pages just to get to something exciting or a plot twist or anything - the end most likely. I used to love her books, Madame Tussaud being the first I ever read ages ago (with a rating of 5 stars!), but this was was unbelievably boring. Historical fiction might be my favorite genre but this one was a serious waste of both time and paper. I hope that the next book I want to read, Mata Hari's Last Dance, doesn't mean Michelle Moran is becoming The Walking Dead of books.

7. In the Woods - Tana French (goodreads)

★★★★☆

I really wanted to read this one for some time now, I had the #3 books of the series (yes, it's a series of books called Dublin Murder Squad how frickin' cool is that name???) in to-read list for months and I finally found time to read the first one. It was... hmm... it was good. Really. Dark, with plot twists, made me feel sad, anxious, some parts I was reading on a train, at 5 am (during winter, so cold and dark outside!) totally got into that scary, mysterious mood. There is just one thing that bothered me much, just like in book number 4 [SPOILER ALERT] the hell happened to the kids? That's just the worst kind of cliff-hanger. Tana French - eff you.

8. China Rich Girlfriend - Kevin Kwan (goodreads)

★★★★☆

Almost just as good as the first one. I don't think I have to add anything new, that I haven't said before but - WHO THE HELL SPENDS OVER €7 MILLION ON A NECKLACE and then eats instant noodles because a dish in a hotel restaurant is overpriced. I don't understand because simply food > anything else.

9. The Likeness - Tana French (goodreads)

★★★☆☆

It's the second book from Dublin Murder Squad - not as good as the first one. There were annoying and unexplainable moments but still - again that weird feeling during reading. Tana French can really put the reader inside the book - and again making, this time Ireland, so depressing. I need to take a little break from her books before I start reading book number three.

10. Brooklyn Girl - Guillaume Musso (goodreads)

★★★☆☆

Way too many lucky coincidences and finding clues that a regular person wouldn't think of. At the same time I enjoyed it. Well, not at first, I stopped reading because it was boring me and then I started reading again and finished in three days. Goodreads says it's a thriller but I wouldn't say so. Or maybe, in 30-40% but the rest is simply crime. Also set in France (and NYC). Kinda bothered by the ending but well... 

And today I started reading...

11. The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead (goodreads)

Very good ratings online, I'm 20 pages into the book and so far - really good. 

Photos source (1) & (2).