My favourite TV shows of 2018

I'm a bit late with all 'my favourites of 2018' posts, but better late than never I guess? Anyway, 2018 was such an amazing year when it came to TV shows and I found so many new favourites. Those who made my list didn't necessarily aired in 2018, but I watched them during that year. I also managed to rank them and I'm so proud of myself, as I'm unable to do that with books and movies for 2018. So without further ado, here are my favourite TV shows of 2018!

10. Peaky Blinders

I finally started watching Peaky Blinders last year* and I fell in love with it, I even watched the first season in less than a day. I'm a huge period drama fan, as you probably know, but I had been reluctant to watch this one, for I was scared it would be a bit too violent for me (I was wrong). The universe kept sending me signs for two days, between seeing articles about the show everywhere or Sam Claflin announcing he would play in series 5 (!!), so that's how I ended up starting it, and I couldn't be happier to have watched it. It is full of morally grey characters, which I adore, and I admire the female characters' of the show so much (okay I fell in love with two of them, but shhhh): Peaky Blinders was one of the reasons I cut my hair shorter in November, I wanted to live the 1920s aesthetic, so yeah. #noregrets

*Fun fact: I finished catching up with it today!

9. The Good Place

Another show I watched after everyone else was The Good Place. I didn't even know what it was about when I started it, just that people were obsessed with it and I feel that it's the best way to watch it. I had no idea what was going on at first, but I was so curious and needed to have answers: that's the magic of the show and that's how you end up binge-watching it in three days or something. The characters are absolutely hilarious, there are so many iconic lines it's very addictive and I adore the photography of it!

8. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

I started watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2017, but completely caught up with it last year. I'm usually not a use fan of cop shows, because I often find them repetitive, but that's absolutely not the case for Brooklyn Nine-Nine. All the characters are amazing and picking a favourite is next to impossible for me: they've all helped and inspired me in different ways and I'm so grateful they exist. This TV show is perfect to watch when I'm feeling a bit down, it always makes me laugh a little. I am so excited about the newest season, thank god it wasn't cancelled in the end! *cries*

7. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is such a breath of fresh air: I started watching it because I wanted a 'lighter' period drama to watch... and it ended up in a binge-watch and my boyfriend joining in and falling in love with the show as well. This American period drama, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (who also created Gilmore Girls!!), is set in 1958 and follows Myriam "Midge" Maisel, an upper-class Jewish housewife. After her husband leaves her for his secretary, she delivers an impromptu comic performance in a bar where her husband used to act for fun, and after some time, she is inspired to become a comedian. I adore Midge so much and Rachel Brosnahan, who portrays her, delivers such amazing performances (she won two Golden Globes in the past two years?).

6. Jane the Virgin

I've been watching Jane the Virgin since 2016 and I've always considered it to be one of my favourite TV shows (even though season 2 disappointed me a bit), so truly, it's no surprise that it's making the list. And then, season 4 happened and changed my life. That's not even me being overdramatic, it's true. 2018 was the year I accepted myself like never before and the show helped me immensely: if it weren't for that scene with Petra, I would still be doubting myself... Her dream scene was exactly what happened to me, so when I saw that for a fictional character I loved, it truly meant the world to me. I cannot wait for the last season, I just want to see these characters happy. That's all I need.

5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

It's no secret that I'm so obsessed with The Last Jedi that I watched it eleven times on the big screen. While I was on a Star Wars roll, I decided I would finally get started on the new Expanded Universe, whether it was TV shows, books or comics. I wasn't too excited about watching The Clone Wars at first, as I'm not a huge fan of Episode II or Anakin, but as the first two seasons were on Netflix, I gave it a go. Little did I know that it would make me love the Fall of the Republic era so much, that I would meet one of my favourite Star Wars characters in the person of Ahsoka Tano, that I would get super obsessed with the show. It's so worth it and a great place to start if you want to go beyond the Star Wars movies!

4. Everything Sucks!

Everything Sucks! means the world to me, because it's the show that finally gave me the strength to come out. I'll always remember how much I cried and how I wrote all the words I had always been too scared to say. Truly, I will always be heartbroken they decided to cancel it. I dedicated a blog post to it if you want to know more about it, but this is the show I had always needed in my life. It's set in 1996 (the year I was born!) and it follows high school misfits in the AV and drama clubs who brave the ups and downs of teenage life in the VHS era. It is full of pop culture references, it has amazing characters and a great coming out story. I have to admit that it's hard to watch at first, because there is bullying and homophobic slur, it truly shows how life can be awful in high school, but it gets better and better with every episode. I miss this show so much, I need to rewatch it.

3. One Day at a Time

One Day at a Time already was in my previous favourite TV shows list and of course, it kept its spot.  It is one of the greatest and most important TV shows that was ever made and if you still haven't watched it, please do. I made all my friends watch it and they all got obsessed, because clearly I have good taste (I'm joking of course). It tackles down such important and contemporary topics, has a diverse cast of characters and it's hilarious. Most of all, it has Elena, one of my favourite fictional characters ever, she's so inspiring, she makes me want to fight to get what I want and to be myself, without hiding. No, but really, can you believe that we have a Latina, gay, feminist, vegetarian and super clever main character as awesome as she is? I cannot wait to rewatch the first two seasons to be ready for the third!

2. The Bold Type

When I started watching The Bold Type, it truly felt like the one and it's definitely one of the TV shows that has inspired me the most. It is a feminist, empowering, diverse and topical show, tackling down so many contemporary issues and doing it in such a clever way. It follows the lives of Jane, Kat and Sutton, who works for Scarlet, a global women's magazine. There three girls mean so much to me, because not only the portraying of their friendship is one of the healthiest I have seen on TV, but I see myself in all of them, and they all are my role models in a way. They still are at the beginning of their professional lives - they've worked for four years or something? - and it's so encouraging for me, as I'm almost done with my studies. If you asked me who was my favourite, I wouldn't be able to answer, because it changes with every episode and I love them in different ways. I dedicated a blog post to this one as well because I love it too much. 

I think that it is my favourite currently airing TV show and it could almost

have been number 1 on this list as well, if it weren't for...

1. Parks and Recreation

*everyone pretends to be shocked* I don't think that my words could ever do justice at how much I adore this show, but just know this: I watched all seven seasons in a month and a half. Parks and Rec is set in Pawnee, Indiana, and follows the team from the Parks and Recreation department (duh) on their adventures. It's funny, always makes me feel good, has relatable characters and I would almost move to Pawnee to work in the department by day and be a Mouse Rat groupie by night. *starts singing The Pit* My favourite character was of course my wife April Ludgate, she's the best and I adore Aubrey Plaza, so that's no surprise! I miss the show so much, I need to rewatch it, I need to buy the DVDs, how have I been holding on without it for the past seven months and six days?? H O W??

What were your favourite TV shows of 2018?

My favourite books of 2018

Now that 2018 is behind us, it's time to share with you my favourite reads of the year! I didn't want to write this post while we were still in 2018, just in case my very last read of the year became a new favourite, and in the end, that was a very wise decision! For this post, I ordered my favourites through chronological order, because I couldn't choose between some of them, but also because chronological order reflects my reading year more. That being said, let's jump right into it!

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier might be my favourite author, but I waited for as long as I could before diving into Rebecca. It's her most famous work - with reason -, but she wanted to be known for more than *just* that one, and I wanted to respect her in that. I had also watched 1997 mini-series years ago, so I already knew everything that happened. Yet, nothing can ever prepare you for the beauty of du Maurier's words. Rebecca is intoxicating, with an amazing gothic atmosphere and a fascinating plot. Like all of du Maurier's works, it made me want to visit Cornwall so much and I'm aching for the day I'll finally be able to go there. While I already knew the story, it still took me by surprise and upon finishing it, I had to go back to reread the first chapters of the story. Daphne du Maurier, I love you so much.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

At the time I read Renegades, I hadn't fallen in love with a young adult novel in six months. However, from the moment I picked that one up, I knew that my problem was fixed, because Renegades was everything I could have asked for. As I adore slow-paced plots and super abilities, this one was perfect for me and I couldn't get enough! This novel is about people you'd call superheroes, villains, but also secret identities and humanity, while giving you the points of view of characters who belong to two different sides. It has a very rich world, full of politics, and you're left wondering who the villains of the story are, which is something I adore. I have yet to pick up the sequel, but I'm so excited to see where this story is going!

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Ah, Children of Blood and Bone. One of the two books that put me in a fantasy slump for most of the year, because I loved it too much. I am often scared of the hype, but Children of Blood and Bone amazed me. The world-building was spectacular, it flew perfectly and introduced everything you need to know about Orïsha, where the series takes place. This book focused on racism, fear and hatred of people who are different from you and how those feelings can lead to prejudice, violence and even slaughter; it echoes our society, especially the stories about unarmed black men, women, and children shot by the police and it makes the story even more important. I also fell for all our main characters, without being able to pick a favourite and I've been missing them for months. 

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

The City of Brass is the second book that contributed to my fantasy slump. After these two, I couldn't read fantasy anymore without being disappointed, because they were too good. This novel is a Middle-East inspired fantasy novel (it's set in 18th century Cairo at first!) with a very dense plot and so many layers weren't revealed until the very end, which made me love it even more. I couldn't catch my breath because I always wanted to know what would happen next. As I have a soft spot for morally grey characters and The City of Brass had several, I couldn't help but love them. Moreover, I loved how it didn't make it easy for its characters mastering new abilities, because it can be the case in fantasy, but The City of Brass didn't suffer from it at all! It was such an amazing fantasy novel.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Sometimes, you are lucky enough to find a book that feels so much like you and you can't get enough of it. You know that this book and you will stand the test of time. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of mine. To be honest, it never is a good idea to make me talk about it, because that's it: I want to reread it again, as it feels so much like home. This book introduced me to one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read, as well as to one of my favourite fictional characters, Juliet Ashton. She inspires me so much and we share many similarities! Besides, I loved how much this novel was about reading and loving books, how books can bring us together during tough times. It also had so many different book references and I loved it all the more because of that: from the fact that Juliet was a writer who published a biography about Anne Brontë to the fact that it was set on Guernsey, where Victor Hugo was exiled (and wrote Les Misérables aka my favourite book), I couldn't have been happier. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo at the right time in my life and from the very beginning, I already knew it would end up being one of my favourite books ever and I already wanted to reread it. This book is about Evelyn Hugo, a very famous Hollywood actress, her life from the 1950s to today, her career and her seven husbands. I can't say too much, but I am thankful I've read this, I am thankful for what it brought me and I will reread it for the rest of my life. Evelyn Hugo was such an interesting character, she was ruthless, ambitious and so inspiring, she will stay with me for a very long time. I'm not saying anymore, but anyone who has read this will know what I'm talking about, but just thank you for it all Taylor Jenkins Reid. I reread it just recently, and I want to do so again.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

Alice Oseman's books were so special to me this year, I binge-read them all back to back in a week (I rarely ever do that for a series or an author) and Alice Oseman became my newest favourite author. I read this one in June, when I was terrified of what my future would hold and it helped me so much. Frances Janvier became one of the characters I relate to the most and I am beyond grateful she exists in this amazing novel. Everyone has read this one years ago, so I'm very late to the party, but I am so thankful for this book, how nerdy it is, for Frances and Aled and for what it brought me. I adore Alice Oseman's words so much and I would read her grocery shopping list. It's been months now and I still can't put into proper words how much this means to me. That's just about it.

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier

What. A. Surprise. I have two of Daphne du Maurier's novels in my favourite books of 2018 list. I just couldn't help myself. I have often written that Daphne du Maurier was probably my soulmate and have always meant it: no one gets me as much as she does and I will forever be heartbroken not to have lived at the same time as she had. But anyway. In this novel, I fell in love with the descriptions of Cornwall, with the atmosphere, with the way the pirate's life was described. I adored Dona St Columb, because I could relate to her so much, she felt so modern, was so smart, witty, independent and fierce, she also needed more from her life, and I get that. Frenchman's Creek is a story about finding who you are after having to hide it for so long, about sexual awakening, about duty, about family, about passion. It's very far from the "silly" love story some people want to make of it. It means the world to me, feels like home, and I'm so glad that Daphne du Maurier wrote it.

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

Remember when I mentioned my fantasy slump? Well, I eventually got out of it and it's all thanks to the Farseer Trilogy. Special thanks to my parents and my boyfriend for making me read it, even though I got a book hangover from it. This time, I'm not talking about one book, I'm talking about the trilogy, because I think about it as a whole and it's spectacular throughout. If I had to choose, Royal Assassin would be my favourite, but I just love the trilogy more, if that makes sense? This series is a medieval fantasy following FitzChivalry, the illegitimate son of a prince, who comes to court and secretly learns to be an assassin for his king. The Farseer Trilogy is full of court politics, has such a spectacular world-building, fleshed-out characters (I feel like I know them all by heart!) and while its slow pace isn't for everyone, I didn't really mind. I haven't been able to get this story out of my mind ever since I started it in November, even though I've tried. Even today, weeks later, all I want to do is dive into the next trilogy, The Liveship Traders. I'm so happy that Robin Hobb's world is made of so many series, I wish they could last forever.

A Game of Thrones by by George R.R. Martin

Last, but certainly not least, A Game of Thrones was the last book I read in 2018 and it became one of my favourites. I've been watching Game of Thrones (the show) for years, sometimes I adore it, sometimes I'm feeling a bit meh about it, so I was always unsure whether I wanted to read the books or not. However, everyone kept saying that the books were way better, so I gave in... And while I only read the first one, I'm already in agreement (it might also be because I like fantasy more in books than in movies/TV shows). I already knew most of the story, but it's a complete different experience through George R.R. Martin's words: the world is richer, the characters more fleshed out and I just appreciate it more? I'm not quite sure I can explain, but I was so excited to go back to it every time (even though I read it slowly) and I need to buy A Clash of Kings tomorrow so I can take it to Algeria with me the day after. Oh, and while we're at it, I need all things Westeros, thank you very much.

So that's it for my favourite books of the year! I'm so happy I got to discover all the books I mentioned in this post in 2018 and I already miss them, I cannot wait to reread them over and over again. If I had to pick just one favourite, I could almost do it... I'd just have to pick two instead, aka The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but I'm sure most of you knew that already. 2018 was such an amazing year for me and I'm sad to see it go, but having all those books to look back on is everything I need.

What were your favourite books of 2018?

My favourite movies of 2017

Hello, beautiful people!

After writing about my favourite books and TV shows of 2017, I am concluding this list with my favourite movies of last year. True, we're already January 12th (wait, my birthday is in exactly a month), but it's never too late to talk about what you love, right? Now, I don't watch that many movies, because I have a limited attention span when it comes to them, I don't fall in love with that many of them, but when I do... It lasts for years. While I was writing this post, I watched all of the trailers of these movies again, considered changing the order so many times (except for #1) and wanted to rewatch them again. It surely shows that I really adore them and I'm so excited to talk about them!

(Side note: If you're interested in any of them, I linked all the trailers with the titles of the movies.)

6. Paterson, dir. by Jim Jarmusch (2016)

Paterson is the most surprising of my favourite movies of the year and it also was one of the last movies I watched. Had I watched it last year, I might have been bored, but it was exactly what I needed when I watched it. Paterson tells the story of a bus driver who loves to write poetry, whose life you follow during seven days. 

When I rewatched the trailer, it said, at some point: "Beauty is often found in the smallest details" and I couldn't sum up the movie any better. It's quiet, it's poetic, it's about the triumphs and failures of daily life, it's about escaping through what you love. The only thing I didn't really get was Paterson's wife, she really annoyed me, but it couldn't prevent me to fall in love with this movie. I have to confess that yes, I did watch it for Adam Driver (I'm very predictable, aren't I?) and he was so brilliant in it, I loved how it focused on his voice when his character was writing poetry, it's one of my favourites of his performances for sure. 

5. Wonder, dir. by Stephen Chbosky (2017)

Wonder was originally a middle-grade novel written by R.J. Palacio, that tells the story of Auggie, a young boy who has a rare facial deformity and has been homeschooled his entire life. At twelve, he's finally going to school for the first time, where he'll be cast away, before slowly being accepted. It also has  the points of view of different characters, such as his sister Via, other students and so on.

As a matter of fact, I haven't read the book (*audience gasps*), but I absolutely fell in love with the movie. I thought it delivered so many beautiful messages, I loved watching the characters and their dynamics develop, as well as the story that made me cry quite a few times. I also really loved the cast, the kids were the absolute cutest and it had Daveed Diggs (aka the original Lafayette/Jefferson from the musical Hamilton). I'm already looking forward to watch this wonder again (yes, that pun was intended, because it truly is what it was).

4. Beauty and the Beast, dir. by Bill Condon (2017)

I am pretty sure I don't have to tell you what Beauty and the Beast is all about, since it's a well-known tale written in the 18th century, the 2017 movie being a live-action version of the 1991 version. Before finally watching it, I had been anticipating it for such a long time, I had pretty much lost it the day it was announced that Dan Stevens would be the Beast (once again, I am very predictable). 

I was a bit scared, but well, of course I loved it. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, adding new details to give more depth to the story was quite a wonderful idea - especially for me, who is obsessed with the 18th century -, it made us have some new content. Hearing the songs again - in English and not in French, as I have grown up since the animated version - was absolutely wonderful and I completely fell in love with one of the new ones, Evermore. I can't even tell you how many times I have listened to it since March, how much I adore it. I also loved the choreographies of the musical numbers so much! It is now one of my feel-good movies, it always puts a huge smile when I watch it (except that I cry at the end and make comments about Dan Stevens the entire time, but it's fun, I swear).

3. Hidden Figures, dir. by Theodore Melfi (2016)

Hidden Figures is about the untold story of black female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the Space Race, more specifically focusing on Katherine Johnson, who calculated flight trajectories for Project Mercury, Dorothy Vaughan, a NASA supervisor and Mary Jackson, NASA's first black female engineer. It is based on the non-fiction book of the same name written by Margot Lee Shetterly, that I read afterwards and absolutely adored (I cried several times).

This movie means so much to me, because it's so inspiring. Seeing these women fighting to have as much as everyone else made me want to work hard to follow my dreams as well and they all became my role models (even more after I read the book). It was infuriating at times, because of the way they were treated, considering it was set in 1960s America, but it was so full of hope by the end and things were starting to be as they should be. The entire cast did an amazing job, I wanted to wear the same outfits than the characters, I still listen to the soundtrack when I study, I just adore this movie so much.

2. La La Land, dir. by Damien Chazelle (2017)

La La Land tells the story of Seb, a jazz pianist, and Mia, an aspiring actress, who meet and fall in love in Los Angeles while following their dreams. There was so much hype around this movie, considering it came out right before award season and it got so many of them (I stayed up all night to watch the Oscars for it, that's how obsessed I was). I saw it the day of its opening in France, because I was way too excited and I wasn't disappointed at all. To this day, I have a poster of it on top of my bed as well as a sticker that reads: 'here's to the fools who dream, foolish as they may seem' on my bullet journal.

It was quite the movie for me, because it's a musical, has a stunning cinematography (I've been saying that for most of the movies, I love when they're aesthetically pleasing for sure), is poetic, makes me dream and inspires me to be the best version of myself (and not to listen to everyone else, because like Seb said 'F*** 'em'). It's another of those movies that I watch whenever I feel down, whenever I need to find motivation. I can't put into words how much it brought me for the past year, but I really love it.

Just like with my favourite books of 2017, my favourite movie of the year was La La Land, until I saw...
(the next gif was in the trailer, that's why I put it anyway, I'm not sure it counts as spoilers haha)

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi, dir. by Rian Johnson (2017)

As I'm writing those words on January 9th (yes, I'm back at scheduling my posts), I have seen The Last Jedi six times. As you're reading this on January 12th, I'm probably at my seventh round or will be after this weekend (thanks to my unlimited movie card, I can actually do this, otherwise it wouldn't be possible). I can't exactly tell you what it's about, as it's the second movie of the sequel trilogy (if this isn't confusing for someone who doesn't watch the movies) and it might be my favourite (don't kill me, I totally stand by what I just wrote, I grew up with Star Wars, but "this is something else"*).

The Last Jedi is the right movie for me. That's the only way to put it. I watched it that many times because I need it, because it always makes me feel better, because it gets me (I'm not going to explain, but it really does). Every time I go back, I say that I'm not ready, sits on the edge of my seat because I'm completely engrossed, discover a new detail I hadn't seen before. I know all of Kylo Ren's lines, smiles like an idiot, always cries/gets teary-eyed at the same parts. I'm realising that I'm not even explaining what's so good about it, but per usual, I loved the cinematography (still screaming about my favourite scene), the actors (okay, well, Adam Driver, but also Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega and everyone else), the plot and most of all, the characters, because I relate way too much to them. Some people didn't like it, or The Force Awakens for that matter, but I adore the sequel movies so much and I stand by that statement and I'm so thankful to have The Last Jedi in my life now.

*yeah, I'm quoting the movie for literally anything...

So there you have it, here are my six favourite movies of the year! Don't hesitate to tell me what your favourite movies of 2017 were!

Lots of love,

Lucie

My favourite books of 2017

Hello, beautiful people!

With only two days left of 2017, I thought now would be the perfect time to talk to you about my favourite books of the year. It was actually quite easy to make the list for once and I can say that I truly adored them, because upon writing this post, I wanted to reread them all. This post is a bit long, that's for sure, so let's start it right away!

10. Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

I don't read a lot of YA contemporary novels, but sometimes, I stumbled upon some that gets me. Tash Hearts Tolstoy was such a novel. This novel is about Tash, the creator of a webseries that's a modern take on Anna Karenina, who finds herself in the spotlight after a shoutout from a famous YouTuber. When her webseries is nominated for an award, the perspective that her flirt with a fellow award nominee might become something more IRL dawns on her, because she has to figure out how to tell her crush she's romantic asexual. It might not be the greatest novel, I do realise that, but before I met Tash (and Molly from The Upside of Unrequited), I had never met another character I could relate to that much, which is why this novel will always have a special place in my heart. 

9. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

“I don’t entirely understand how anyone gets a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend. It just seems like the most impossible odds. You have to have a crush on the exact right person at the exact right moment. And they have to like you back. A perfect alignment of feelings and circumstances. It’s almost unfathomable that it happens as often as it does.” 

I read Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda when it came out two years ago and loved it, but not as much as everyone else. I went into The Upside of Unrequited without any expectations and ended up reading it in one sitting, because I found so much of myself in Molly. My sixteen years old self was so much like Molly, with a million crushes without doing anything, self-conscious, suffering from anxiety and weird around boys. Sometimes, I was reading her reactions, thinking: “Well, if this isn't me”. The Upside of Unrequited is the book I wish 16 yo me could have read, for it would have made her love herself more and stop caring about getting a boyfriend before the end of high school (I'd like to scream at myself that it was very stupid haha).

Me @ 16 yo me

(someone is way too obsessed with Kylo Ren, but I'm not even sorry)

8. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

“He read while he walked. He read while he ate. The other librarians suspected he somehow read while he slept, or perhaps didn't sleep at all.” 

I discovered Laini Taylor through her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy a few years ago, and I had fallen in love with her writing style as well as her unique universe. Like so many readers, I anticipated Strange the Dreamer for two years, being a bit sad when its release date was pushed back at the end of 2016, and yet, it did not disappoint. Once again, I loved Taylor's writing style, the world-building of this new world, and most of all, Lazlo Strange, one of the most relatable characters for us bookworms out there. He read all the time and that was his strength. He even broke his nose because a big book fell on him once. Strange the Dreamer was quite an adventure and it swooped me in from the very first line. I haven't talked that much about it on social media, but this very poetic story is quite special to my heart and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel, The Muse of Nightmares.  

7. Making Faces by Amy Harmon

“Everybody is a main character to someone...” 

I am so happy I finally started reading Amy Harmon's books this year. Like I said, I don't read a lot of contemporary novels, and yet, this is the third one that won its place in this top. From the first moment I started reading this book, I fell in love with Harmon's writings, put way too many post-its because there were so many quotes I wanted to remember. Everything the author wanted to talk about was very important and done in the right way, I know this one left a lasting impression on me. The main characters were absolutely amazing, in their different ways. I can't tell you who I loved the most between Fern, Bailey or Ambrose. I went into Making Faces expecting another romance, got out of it having read one of the best contemporary novels I had ever read. I see myself rereading it years after years, falling in love with it every single time.

6. Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

“There is music in your soul. A wild and untamed sort of music that speaks to me. It defies all the rules and laws you humans set upon it. It grows from inside you, and I have a wish to set that music free.”

Wintersong has a lot of mixed reviews on Goodreads - some of them from fans of Labyrinth, because it's not really a retelling of it apparently, but I haven't watched the movie, so I don't really mind - but this is another book that spoke to my soul. Wintersong the story of Liesl, whose sister is taken underground by the goblins. Liesl goes there to rescue her and makes a pact with the Goblin King: a life for a life. She agrees to marry the Goblin King and the more time she spends underground, the more her life fades away and the more her musical talents grow.

It is set in 18th century Austria, the main character's full name is Elizabeth, the Mozart family is mentioned a few times, music plays an important part in it and it might have my favourite cover ever (go check what it looks like, please). One of the scenes gave me strong Evermore vibes, because I'm very obsessed with this song (a new song from Beauty and the Beast), but you know. Now, all of those elements seem very random, but they all mean something for me in different ways, and it's one of the reasons I adored this book so much.

5. Tess of the d'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy

“Did it never strike your mind that what every woman says, some women may feel?”

Last year, I discovered Thomas Hardy with Far from the Madding Crowd and it was my favourite book of the year. In 2017, I read a lot more of Hardy's novels and he became one of my favourite authors, I'd trust him with anything. Tess of the d'Ubervilles was the second of his novels that I read and it left me speechless. Thomas Hardy, while being a Victorian era (aka from a totally different time) writer, stood up for women in his writings, showing how much men could be at fault and should be held accountable for their actions (we still have a long road to go, even though we're almost in 2018). In Tess of the d'Ubervilles, he portrays two men in a completely different way while showing all of their flaws, and makes us wonder what is right and what is wrong, in very specific situations. I cannot express how much I loved this book, but Thomas Hardy definitely is one of my favourite authors and I need to read all of his books.

4. The Loving Spirit by Daphne du Maurier

"High above the clustered houses and the grey harbour waters of Plyn, the loving spirit smiles and is free."

I first read Daphne du Maurier's novels this year and she quickly became one of my favourite authors. I had put My Cousin Rachel in this spot at first, but realised it wasn't right and almost didn't put anything by her in here, because I hadn't rated The Loving Spirit five stars, at least not at first. Then, I remember how much I loved this book. It was du Maurier's debut, it's a family saga on four generations and it is set in Cornwall. I could feel the sea whenever I was reading the book, it became an actual character in the novel and I loved it so much, since I'm obsessed with it. The characters were so interesting, complex and deeply flawed. Every time I finished reading about one of them, I became so sad, because I didn't want to say goodbye, and then I read about the next generation and felt for them. 

In a way, the Coombe family became mine, as I was along them in their hardships, their joys, their pains, their dreams. From the second I finished this book, I started missing it. I badly want to reread it, because it somehow feels like home. Du Maurier gets my feelings for the sea, as we have the same ones, and I'm so grateful I realised that while reading The Loving Spirit. 

3. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

“My heart is too thoroughly dried to be broken in a hurry, and I mean to live as long as I can.” 

Anne Brontë is often seen as the forgotten Brontë sister, but she might be my favourite. I read Wuthering Heights by Emily and Jane Eyre by Charlotte a few years ago, but never got around to read anything by Anne, until this year. I didn't know what I expected, but I completely fell in love with this novel. I had only started getting back into classics, but it's definitely the book that made me realise I never wanted to stop reading them. Victorian England definitely wasn't ready for Anne Brontë and that's one of the reasons I admire her so much. I absolutely adored reading about Helen, the way Anne portrayed relationships and the darkness of the human soul. She was much more of a realist when you compare her to her sisters, and it might be why her books aren't as talked about as theirs. In any case, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is one of my favourite classics ever.

Actual footage of me with The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

2. Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare

“Everyone is afraid of something. We fear things because we value them. We fear losing people because we love them. We fear dying because we value being alive. Don't wish you didn't fear anything. All that would mean is that you didn't feel anything.”

You probably all know I adore Cassandra Clare's books and that they mean the world to me, as they made me read in English. Lady Midnight, the first book in The Dark Artifices trilogy, was the book I waited the most on in my life, and I completely fell in love with it. Lord of Shadows didn't disappoint me either: I absolutely loved how Clare talked about topical subjects, wrote amazing characters, plotlines and relationships once again. As I'm writing those words, I'm reading this book for the third time of the year, and there couldn't be any better way to end the year. I can't put into words how much I love this book and I still haven't been able to write my review. Nevertheless, it's absolutely amazing and the Shadowhunters books only get better and better with every single one of them.

Lord of Shadows was actually my favourite book of the year for a long time, until I read...

1. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

“The power of a glance has been so much abused in love stories, that it has come to be disbelieved in. Few people dare now to say that two beings have fallen in love because they have looked at each other. Yet it is in this way that love begins, and in this way only.” 

I'm sure most of you won't be surprised, considering I've been talking about this one a lot and told everyone it was my favourite book of the year anyway. *Ahem* Les Misérables and I actually have a lot of history and you can read about that here. It's one of the best books I have read in my entire life, I read it in three days. I put way too many post-its in it, loved the characters and all the historical details, 'accidentally' fell in love with Marius Pontmercy (which makes absolutely no sense, but anyway), laughed, cried, gasped. I own a 1662 page long edition and yet I want to reread it again and again. It's nothing to say that it is a masterpiece, but it is a masterpiece and it changed my life.


So there you have it, here are my favourite books of 2017. I hope you had an amazing year reading-wise. I'd love to know what your favourite books of the year were!

Lots of love,

Lucie