Best Books Of 2018

I’ve read quite a few books in 2018. Below is the list of the best books of 2018, at least from my perspective.

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama: Mrs Obama’s autobiography is insightful, down to earth and one of the best autobiographies that I have read in a long time.
2. House of Gold by Natasha Solomons: House of Gold was described by another reviewer as a Jewish version of Downton Abbey. I couldn’t think of another description if I made it up myself.
3. Pride by Ibi Zoboi: A modern-day Pride and Prejudice set in New York City, this Jane Austen adaptation feels old and new at the same time.
4. We Are Going to Be Lucky A World War II Love Story in Letters by Elizabeth L. Fox: The story of a marriage during World War II told in a series of letter that will make you believe in love.
5. My Girls: A Lifetime with Carrie and Debbie by Todd Fisher: When Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds departed this world two years ago, no one knew them better than their brother and son. The book is a love letter to them by one of the people who knew and loved them best.
6. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: A young girl growing up in the wilds of Alaska learns some hard truths about life, love and marriage.
7. American Tantrum: The Donald J. Trump Presidential Archives by Anthony Atamanuik and Neil Casey: Based on the character created by Anthony Atamanuik on The President Show, it is a what if story in regards to the fictional Presidential library of you know who.
8. Not Out Kind: A Novel by Kitty Zeldis: Just after the end of World War II, two women from vastly different worlds meet in New York City and forever change each other’s lives in the process.
9. Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Anne Boyd Rioux: 150 years after the publication of Little Women, the book still resonates with readers across the globe and across the cultural landscape.
10. The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict: Behind every genius is a supportive and loving spouse. But what happens when the spouse is denied her own genius because she is a woman?

That’s my list, what are your favorite books of 2018?

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Not Our Kind: A Novel Book Review

Change sometimes comes from someone who we least expect.

Kitty Zeldis’s new novel, Not Our Kind: A Novel, was published this year. Eleanor Moskowitz and Patricia Bellamy both live in New York City just after the end of World War II, but their worlds are vastly different. Eleanor is a first generation American, the daughter of Eastern European Jewish immigrants. In spite of the antisemitism she experienced, Eleanor persevered in receiving a quality education and entering the workforce. Patricia Bellamy is an upper middle class WASP whose daughter is recovering from Polio and desperately needs a private tutor to ensure that her child is educated.

Fate bring them together during a minor car accident. Eleanor needs a job and Patricia needs to hire a new tutor for her daughter ASAP. Though Eleanor gets along well with Patricia as her employer and Margeaux as her student, not everything is peachy keen. Eleanor must hide her identity via an alternative surname so she can go to work. Then there is Patricia’s husband, Wynn, who may be suspicious of Eleanor because of her faith. On top of all that, there is romance between Eleanor and Patricia’s brother, Tom.

This powder keg of emotion and drama is set off by one night at the Bellamy’s summer-house in Connecticut. The explosion that occurs that night will force both women to make difficult decisions that will impact their lives for years to come.

I truly loved this book. Not only was I immediately sucked into this world, but I understood how both Eleanor and Patricia saw the world. The details were fantastic. The ending was enough to tie the narrative threats together while not not being predictable.

I absolutely recommend it. It is a must read.