Finding a good book is like finding a best friend. The right book can make the outside world fade away and transport readers to another world. As someone who’s been reading since before she could walk, I’ve read a lot of books. A LOT. According to my library record, I’ve read over 2,000 books this past year alone. And yes, I do have a life. But I prefer to spend much of my time, especially in the evenings, lost in a good book.

Growing up, I was obsessed with horses and I read every horse themed book I could get my hands on. The Saddle Club. Heartland. The Phantom Stallion. The Thoroughbred Series. As I got older, my taste in reading began to change and I started reading YA fiction, mysteries, adult fiction. Eventually I narrowed my reading choices to adult fiction, non-fiction, and mysteries. If you’re looking for something new to read in 2018, here are the top ten that should be on your list:

1. Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

This is one of those books that came into my life when I least expected it and when I needed it most. I’m ashamed to admit that it took me almost 11 years to actually read the book, but I wasn’t able to appreciate it at the time. It’s a book about love. Heartache and heartbreak. A journey. Taking time to figure out who you are and what your purpose is in life. It’s spiritual and up lifting, and it gives you so much insight and knowledge from someone who’s been there. It’s the advice you never knew you needed. And if you haven’t watched the movie, which stars the fabulous Julia Roberts, I highly recommend it!

2. Maybe In Another Life – Taylor Jenkins Reid

29-year-old Hannah Martin’s life isn’t exactly going in the direction she had hoped. Frustrated at trying to find a place to belong and a place to call home, Hannah comes back to Los Angeles to live with her best friend and figure out what to do with her life. Then, suddenly, she finds herself at a crossroad. Which way should she go? This book is two stories coming together, showing the results of going left versus right. It’s a story about love and loss, finding yourself, and realizing that sometimes where you were is exactly where you belonged all along.

3. Nelson DeMille

If government conspiracy theories are your thing, or you’re a huge fan of historical fiction, Nelson Demille and his John Corey series are the books for you. Filled with government conspiracies, historical fiction, action, and a main character who is stubborn, blunt, and sarcastic, yet lovable, you’ll be drawn into a world where nothing is as it seems. And while you can start with just about any number in the series, it’s best to start with DeMille’s first book, Plum Island.

4. Mary Kay Andrews

The first book I read in this series was The Weekenders, a mixture of fiction, mystery, and romance. Each of Andrew’s books are set along the southern half of the United States, in places such as Georgia and North Carolina, and feature strong female leads who have had their hearts broken in some way or another (being cheated on, left at the altar, losing a job, etc.) and rise above and find their inner strength.

5. 11/22/63 – Stephen King

First of all, please do not watch the 11.22.63 series on Hulu if you haven’t already. It does not do this book justice. There are too many missing pieces. If you are someone who finds yourself fascinated with the JFK assassination, and believes that Lee Harvey Oswald may or may not have acted alone, this is an amazing read. It’s about a man who jumps through time to try and save JFK, and gives us a glimpse into a world where JFK was actually President and what the world could have been like had Camelot lived. It’s suspenseful, intriguing, and is a mixture of fiction, science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction combined. It also answers the ‘what if’ questions.

6. The Woman in Cabin 10 – Ruth Ware

I’ve discovered the best place to find new reads is by following book lovers like myself on Instagram. I came across this one earlier this year and once I started reading it, I couldn’t seem to put it down. A travel writer is given the opportunity of a lifetime — spend a week on a luxury cruise line. What should have been a simple, relaxing assignment quickly turns into a nightmare when one night, Lo (the writer), hears a scream and a splash! A woman was tossed overboard… but who was she? All passengers were accounted for. Did Lo simply imagine what she’d heard? Or is there something more dark and sinister at play? This book is terrifyingly fantastic.

7. The Good Daughter – Karen Slaughter

*Trigger warning: this book deals with some very heavy content (school shootings, rape, and police brutality)*

I’m only six chapters in with this book after having picked it up at the library last week, but already Karen Slaughter is becoming my new favorite author. The book deals with very heavy content, thus the trigger warning, but it also deals with very relevant topics in today’s society. Slaughter has a very clear and descriptive voice, and this book sets itself up with a heartbreaking introduction to give us background information on why the characters react and behave as they do. It’s a cold case thriller with a lot of psychological suspense. Sisters Charlie and Samantha Quinn’s happy, yet dysfunctional, life changes in an instant after their mother is brutally murdered by one of their father’s clients. 28 years later, Charlie follows in her father’s footsteps by becoming a defense attorney, and is witness to a terrible tragedy much like the one she saw so many years before. It’s almost as if history is repeating itself… and some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried.

8. According to a Source – Abby Stern

This is one of those lighter, fun-to-read type of books. Ella Warren is an undercover reporter for the salacious gossip magazine, The Life, and loves what she does. But when a new boss comes in and challenges Ella, along with her fellow writers, to find an exclusive story or be fired, it’s do or die time for Ella. Should she sacrifice one of her closest friends, her new boyfriend, and her family all for the job? This book is losing yourself in the glamorous world of Hollywood and figuring out who you truly are. It’s also a bit of mystery as you try to figure out just exactly who’s who! I still haven’t figured it out.

9. Murder On The Orient Express – Agatha Christie

Who else was excited to see this made into a movie? Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see it, but I will definitely be first in line when it comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray. What should have been a simple train ride through Europe quickly turns into a mystery when a passenger is murdered onboard. For Detective Hercule Poirot, it becomes a race against time to find the culprit before it’s too late. It’s engaging and thrilling, and a classic murder mystery at its finest. Second best to Christie’s And Then There Were None.

10. Hidden Figures – Margot Shetterly

Only now are we learning about the magnificent women who were responsible for putting a man into space. These women, known as the ‘human computers,’ were an amazing group of colored women who were the brightest of their generation. They could do complicated equations in a matter of minutes. These women are the true heroes of NASA. This book is a story of inspiration and women who defied the odds to become the best of the best and made NASA what it is today. It’s a story about never giving up on your dreams and to reach beyond what’s right in front of you.

What are you reading in 2018?