It seems like 2017 passed by in a flash. Once again, it's time to look through our reading lists and find out what books we most enjoyed this year. We both have our own ways of finding our favorites: Anna checks which books she has rated the highest on Goodreads, whereas I try to choose the books that have influenced me the most. So without further ado, in no particular order here are the five books we each enjoyed the most this year!

Anna:

To start off I have a teeny tiny disclaimer. Classy. I know. With so many big goals and changes in my life this past year I have given my undivided attention and dedicated a large chunk of my normal free time to my studies. As a result, I fell a little short on my to read list and didn't have enough time to read as much recreationally as I would have liked. I'm not complaining though since this choice of placing my time elsewhere has given me so much. But with that said, my list of read books wows no one and therefore picking my top 5 reads seems a little ridiculous considering that this is also half of the total. But enough with the banter, here're my top picks:

1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr



My top pic of the year (the rest are in no particular order) has to be Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See. The story was both very touching and memorable -it was the first book I read but I can still recall parts very well. I particularly loved how the storyline slowly brought the two protagonists closer and closer. Also highest points on language. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

2. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell



An absolute must read for all Harry Potter fans who miss the world of wizardry. Very hilarious. I felt like coming home reading about Simon Snow. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

3. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard


If you are a regular reader of our's you'll have heard me go on about how hooked I was on this novel. The trilogy's first instalment was absorbing and deserves its place on this list. However I wish it was the only book because the two after this one turned out to disappoint me.⭐⭐⭐⭐

4. The Girl With a Clock for a Heart by Peter Swanson



Expect a full review soon on this page turner! For now, this was a little out of my comfort zone but stood to prove that it does good to wonder out sometimes. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

5. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari


I'm taking a slight risk choosing to put Sapiens up here as I'm actually still reading. But I wanted to take a leap of faith firstly to bring a little color as Sapiens is non-fiction and secondly because it has made me think and I have my hopes up thanks to others' reviews. I will keep you updated later on.


Laura:

1. Akvarelleja Engelin kaupungista by Jukka Viikilä


Akvarelleja Engelin kaupungista won the Finlandia award in 2016 and I received it as a Christmas gift from my mother. Ever since I read this book I have had a deeper appreciation for the architecture in Helsinki. I also wrote a full review of Akvarelleja Engelin kaupungista, which you can read here.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐