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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UWindsor chapter.

 

This past year there have been a lot of books published that are simply amazing. It’s always fun to read a classic, but there is just something special about reading a new book. I think it allows you to engage with the current conversation about a new book which might mean hearing a live reading by the author, getting your book signed, and talking about your favourite points with other readers. You can’t do all these things for a book that was written 100 years ago. New books give a lot of readers the opportunity to share experiences and opinions on the book immediately. With new books you get to be caught up in the hype of its popularity.

 

I’ve created this list so that now you may have even more books to put on your TBR list. Here are a few of the best books released in 2017.

 

1.     The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur. October 3rd 2017

I actually own this book and after the last few years of Kaur’s overwhelming popularity from her first book, Milk and Honey, it’s obvious that her next one would be  a must-read. If you like modern poetry about the problems life deals to young women then pick this book up.

 

2.     Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. February 7th 2017

I personally picked up this book because I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman. If you liked his previous books Stardust and American Gods, which have been turned into a movie and T.V. show, then you should think about reading this. Gaiman presents a twist on Norse mythology. He recounts the characters and stories of the mythology in a narrative and imaginative way.

 

3.     Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. October 10th 2017

I have a love/hate relationship with John Green. I don’t want to love his books, simple and predictable as they are, but somehow those angst-ridden teenagers he creates pull me under again and again. Green tells the story of one a teenage girl, Aza, who tried to uncover the mystery of a billionaire with the help of her friends, but all the while dealing with her overwhelming thoughts and anxiety. If you like Young Adult novels, then you probably already read Turtles All the Way Down. If not then give this a read, I promise you’ll like it almost as much as The Fault in Our Stars.

 

4.     Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim. August 22nd 2017

This next book by Sabrina Benaim I picked because I have been a long time fan of the author. Benaim is a spoken-word poet and a lot of her poems have been replayed millions of times on Youtube and Facebook, one of her more notable poems is called “Explaining My Depression to My Mother.” When she released her first novel I was anxious to get my hands on it. This is a book of poetry that deals with Benaim’s own experiences with mental health and how it shaped her life.

 

5.     La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. October 19th 2017

This last book I picked because I have been a fan of Philip Pullman ever since I read The Golden Compass when I was about twelve years old. His trilogy, His Dark Materials, was targeted at children – but it dealt with such important adult themes sprinkled in with magic and science. I have always loved when a YA author treated his/her audience as intelligent humans. I had high hopes for La Belle Sauvage, which is the first book in The Book of Dust series. Thankfully it is the same world as the previous series, with the main character a boy named Malcolm who encounters the baby Lyra. If you unashamedly like to read a children’s book every now and again, or all the time, I recommend La Belle Sauvage.

 

Two honourable mentions:

Saga Volume 7 by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples was released this year but because it’s not the first volume I decided not to include it in the list. Nevertheless, Saga is an amazing graphic novel about two star-crossed lovers from different planets in outer space. If you haven’t tried out a graphic novel yet then I suggest Saga.

 

One more mention is Big Little Lies. This book actually was published in 2014 but the HBO T.V. show premiered this year and it is phenomenal. If you’re a fan of the show I suggest adding Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty to your book list.

 

With all these new books to read you’ll have a busy year, but here’s hoping that 2018 unleashes a few more favourites to read for next year.

Rachael is a fourth year double-major in English and History. She is both a writer and editor for Her Campus. She spends most of her time trying to multi-task but spends the majority of her day watching Netflix, reading, or hanging with friends.
Alanna Keren

UWindsor '20

Alanna is currently a 1st year student at the University of Windsor pursuing a degree in Education. She graduated from the University of WIndsor with double major in English and French in 2018. She was Co-CC/Editior in Chief of HCUWindsor from 2015-2018 and is now the Tresaurer and Guidance Counsellor. She is a figure skater and loves to get in some extra ice time in her free time. Her favourite animal is a polar bear and her favourite colour is purple. She love sparkles. Her clothing style is girly and kind of dressy. Sparkly make-up and big earrings are a big part of her look. When she is not doing homework, working at her job at Tootsies Shoe Store, coaching figure skating, or writing for Her Campus, she likes decorating cakes and cupcakes and hanging out with friends.