I’ve done the Goodreads reading challenge for the past couple of years. In 2017, my goal was to read 52 books, but I fell short at 37 (actually, 39, but two were self-published and not listed on Goodreads).

I usually read more than that, but it was a crazy year, with significant job changes and a house move. If you want to see what I read last year, you can check out my 2017 reading log here. Here are my favorites from 2017:

Her Body and Other Parties: Stories — A collection of beautifully written and disturbing stories.

Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?: Stories (Art of the Story) — I was surprised I’d never heard of this author before (I plan to write about her more later this week). Another book of short stories during and after the Civil Rights Movement. Much to absorb here about race and America and love.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life — I have so much more to say about Amy Krouse Rosenthal. It will have to wait for an essay. In the meantime, this memoir/encyclopedia of an ordinary life reminds us all to pay attention to the small moments in life that add up to so much more.

Parable of the Sower (Earthseed) — A stunning dystopian novel, the first of two in a series.

Parable of the Talents (Earthseed) — The follow-up to Sower. She was working on a third novel in the series but hit writer’s block. She worked on a different novel and didn’t finish Parable of the Trickster before she died.

All Grown Up — A great contemporary novel about a woman, and her life, loves, and work.

I Love Dick (Semiotext(e) / Native Agents) — I may write more about this novel too. It gave me a lot to think about and absorb, and the ending is perfect and infuriating. (It’s a different, but still interesting, original series on Amazon, too.)

Norse Mythology — I love so much of what Neil Gaiman writes, and this retelling of Norse myths is no exception.

Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living — Manjula Martin and the collection of essays she curated and commissioned give you insight into money and the hustle behind writing and creative work.

In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs — Featuring short interviews with female entrepreneurs, this book is gorgeous and inspiring.

I just realized that nine out of the ten books were written by women!

Here are two short stories that also blew me away this year, and they’re both written by women, too.

Help Me Follow My Sister into the Land of the Dead

Cat Person