Best Books of 2018
Our favorites reads from this year
As we wrap up another year, Strand looks back at the diamond-in-the-rough books that shone through the tough times of 2018. Our year-end compilation includes a variety of genres for those looking to check off a few boxes on their 2019 reading resolution lists. To purchase these books with us (and support an indie bookstore), click here!
Fiction
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
A piercingly raw debut story collection from a young writer with an explosive voice; a treacherously surreal, and, at times, heartbreakingly satirical look at what it’s like to be young and black in America.
There There by Tommy Orange
Tommy Orange’s “groundbreaking, extraordinary” (The New York Times) There There is the “brilliant, propulsive” (People Magazine) story of twelve unforgettable characters, Urban Indians living in Oakland, California, who converge and collide on one fateful day.
Your Duck Is My Duck: Stories by Deborah Eisenberg
A much-anticipated collection of brilliantly observant short stories from one of the great American masters of the form.
Evening in Paradise: More Stories by Lucia Berlin
A collection of previously uncompiled stories from the short-story master and literary sensation Lucia Berlin.
Nonfiction
Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister
From Rebecca Traister, the New York Times bestselling author of All the Single Ladies comes a vital, incisive exploration into the transformative power of female anger and its ability to transcend into a political movement.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States.
Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond
The perfect holiday gift for fans of the iconic band — a panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys, by band members ADROCK and Mike D, with contributions from Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and more.
These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore
In the most ambitious one-volume American history in decades, award-winning historian and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore offers a magisterial account of the origins and rise of a divided nation, an urgently needed reckoning with the beauty and tragedy of American history.
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
An unforgettable memoir about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University.
Poetry
American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin (Penguin Poets) by Terrance Hayes
A powerful, timely, dazzling collection of sonnets from one of America’s most acclaimed poets, Terrance Hayes, the National Book Award winning author of Lighthead
Comics
Sabrina by Nick Drnaso
The first ever graphic novel nominated for the Man Booker Prize! Conspiracy theories, breakdown, murder: Everything’s gonna be all right―until it isn’t.
Art
Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future by Hilma af Klint
Hilma af Klint’s daring abstractions exert a mystical magnetism.
Cooking
Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi
The New York Times bestselling collection of 130 easy, flavor-forward recipes from beloved chef Yotam Ottolenghi.
Young Adult
Children of Blood and Bone: The Orisha Legacy (Children of Orisha: Book 1) by Tomi Adeyemi
With five starred reviews, Tomi Adeyemi’s West African-inspired fantasy debut, and instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, conjures a world of magic and danger, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.
Middle Grade
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
Kids
Julian Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
In an exuberant picture book, a glimpse of costumed mermaids leaves one boy flooded with wonder and ready to dazzle the world.
