Top Ten Tuesday – Ten Best Books of the Year so far

Wow! It’s mid-year already! I am always taken by surprise by how quickly the time seems to fly. I still feel like it just turned May.

However, mid-year it is, and the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish have asked us to list the top ten books we’ve read so far in 2015.

I am a little disappointed that my list isn’t as awesome as previous year lists. I think my awful reading slump in Apr-May may be to blame.

I do so hope the rest of the year will be better reading-wise. However, I did enjoy the books I am listing here very much and highly recommend them.

Here you go.

1. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri – A sad story, sometimes a little listless, but the writing is lovely.
2. The Secret History by Donna Tartt – Hooboy. This book came to me highly recommended by so many book bloggers, I was almost afraid to read it. What if it was a disappointment? Thankfully, it wasn’t. In fact, it is probably the best book I’ve read so far this year.
3. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins – I read this just before this book went all viral on the blogosphere. And I can confidently say this book is worth the hype. If you are a thriller buff, this book is a must read.
4. Revival by Stephen King – This book was a bit of a slow boil, but I loved all the characters, and I loved the ending that the book worked towards. I guess what I am trying to say is I liked the theme of the book a lot (probably liked it more than the actual book), but still it counts enough to be included in this list.
5. The Leopard by Jo Nesbo – This is another thriller that I loved this year. Jo Nesbo seems to be getting better and more addictive with every book he writes, it seems.



6. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan – This book was last year’s Booker winner and so automatically made it to my TBR list. I thought this was a well-written book that highlighted some lesser known evils of World War 2.
7. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison – This, her first book, was just brilliant, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. She’s fast becoming one of my favorite writers.
8. Field of Prey by John Sandford – Sandford has always been one of my favorite writers and his character Lucas Davenport is firmly lodged in my heart. This somewhat mediocre thriller (considering Sandford’s usual high quality) was still good enough for a mid-year top ten list. Plus, this is the book that finally brought my reading slump to a close, so how could I not include it here?
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – Another amazing World War 2 book. I can’t believe I stayed away from this book for so long.
10. The Ghost Runner by Parker Bilal – I really loved this crime thriller set in Egypt. The atmosphere and the setting played a big role, true, but even the plot was stellar, and this book had me chewing my nails in tension.

So, these are my top ten books that enlivened the first half of my year. What are your favorite books of the year so far?