Here are the best books I read in 2019. (These are not books
that were necessarily released in 2019.) As of today, I’ve read 77 books
(including 46 audiobooks) so far this year. That’s a new record number of books for
me! Since I loved such a wide variety of genres this year, I’ve decided the
format of this year’s list will be by genre. Plus, I’m adding a new category for
audiobook narration this year. 63% of the
books below were written by authors I’d never read before.
MY FAVORITE NOVEL OF 2019
A Ladder to the Sky (5 stars!) by John Boyne, fiction:
This story is so fascinating! It is about one terrible person and is told in
sections by four different characters with whom he has, unfortunately, crossed
paths. The final story is told from his
point of view. The novel was sometimes
written in first person, sometimes in second person, and sometimes third
person! The reader knows that each of these stories is going to turn out to be
devastating but cannot stop reading! The desire to find out how everything
resolves and to learn all the details around each of the situations is
extremely compelling. I have never found myself so horrified and enraged by a
non-war novel while still enjoying it so much! Boyne’s writing and
storybuilding were outstanding. I loved the ride.
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BEST FICTION (Even though I’ve already listed a fiction
novel as my overall favorite, I’m including this one too since I rated it so high.)
Beautiful Ruins (4-1/2 stars) by Jess Walter: This
novel tells the stories of several characters whose lives intersected in quirky
ways starting in an Italian village in 1962 and spanning time and continents to
the present day. The story, which mostly focuses on an Italian man and an
American woman, is told from different perspectives and from different time
periods. Additionally, Walter wrote the story via multiple “mediums”—avenues
through which the story is told: a movie pitch, a chapter from an
autobiography, and a play (to name a few). I was entirely charmed! It has a
little something for everyone: fate, determination, war, brawls, romance, art,
music, family, responsibility, drugs, wealth, poverty, fame, religion,
dishonesty, truth, history, relationships, scandal, health, and love. It was a
compelling, wonderful, crazy story with fully drawn and funny characters. I
laughed out loud several times! Walter has a gift with wit and words. I enjoyed
his many similes and fabulous adjectives. Truly, he had fun with words and I
loved the crafting of the story and the way the ending completed story arcs for
not only the main characters but all of them! The novel touched me and speaks
to people’s choices, philosophies, strengths, weaknesses, and desires. The
narrator of the audiobook, Edoardo Ballerini, was terrific and I gave him an
A+!
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BEST MEMOIR
Becoming (4-1/2 stars) by Michelle Obama: Obama’s
tale is compelling, genuine, and relatable. She was insightful, thoughtful, and
reminiscent. She is a contemporary of mine—she is only a few years older—and I
really enjoyed the memories of my own childhood and my own motherhood that were
jogged by reading her memories from those same time periods even though our
lives were very different. Her parents’ philosophies about raising children
were inspirational. Her family was not materially wealthy but they were rich in
family love and support. Obama’s effort to find her own balance juggling work
and family is also so eloquently explained and familiar to me personally. Her
honest feelings about not wanting to share her husband with the world as he was
thinking about running for President were heartfelt and understandable. And I
enjoyed her perspective about how much life in the White House is so different
from regular family life. Reading about the political campaigns from her
perspective was eye-opening. Her influence has made a difference to the very
women, children, and future to which she devoted her energies. I loved learning
about her very interesting and unique life. Also, I gave her A+ at narration of
her own book!
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BEST FANTASY
Spinning Silver (4-1/2 stars) by Naomi Novik: What an outstanding epic fantasy tale featuring THREE strong, smart, and brave female leads! All are ordinary and must become extraordinary to improve their situations. Miryem has been living in poverty even though her father, the money lender, should have been collecting money from his borrowers to keep his family comfortable. She takes matters into her own hands and turns things around for her family. Wanda’s father is one of the borrowers and she is sent to work for Miryem’s family as a form of payment. She works hard to pay her family’s debt and decides to take measures to be able to determine her own destiny instead of allowing her father to marry her off to someone not of her choosing. Irina, a duke’s daughter, has been married off to the Czar only to find out that he is possessed by a demon who wants to kill her and her people. In an effort to save herself, her family, and the duchy, she finds a way to hold off the demon. Miryem’s, Wanda’s, and Irina’s paths intersect and they are able to work together for a time at a common goal before each lands in a place of their own choosing. I adored getting to know every character in this novel. They were all so real and most were endearing. I was spellbound! The novel cherished mothers (both birth and adopted) and respected multiple cultures (both real and imagined).
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BEST NON-FICTION
The Library Book (4-1/2 stars) by Susan Orlean: As a librarian,
how could I not love this book? It’s about libraries! I wish everyone who asks
me why I want to be a librarian or questions whether libraries are still
relevant would read this! Its main topic is the monumental 1986 fire of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL). Orlean covers just about every related topic:
architecture and art of the LAPL, the architect himself, the various librarians
that managed the LAPL and their histories, the LAPL’s politics/culture
throughout its existence, past and present librarians of LAPL, general history
of libraries, issues related to and faced by present librarians of LAPL, the
details of the LAPL fire, the story of the man accused of setting the fire, the
aftermath of and responses to the fire, the past and present patrons of LAPL,
the collections and offerings of LAPL—both those lost in the fire and the
current materials, some history of the city of Los Angeles itself,
international and traveling libraries, library organizations and vendors, and
the future of libraries. All of this information is woven together in a stimulating
pattern that keeps the material from getting boring. I found it all
fascinating.
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BEST MYSTERY
The Mother-in-Law (4 stars) by Sally Hepworth: Lucy’s
mother-in-law, Diana, has died under suspicious circumstances. The novel
describes all the family members’ histories and relationships via past vs.
present time periods and the differing viewpoints of Lucy and Diana. The
mysteries of Diana’s death and her unusual relationship with her husband, Tom,
kept me reading. It seemed that almost everyone had a reason to want Diana dead
in order to get the inheritance. There were many red herrings and the crafting
of the story was very well done. I was fooled until the point that the mystery
was revealed. I’m not a huge mystery lover but the family dynamics in this one made
it very appealing.
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BEST ROMANCE
The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) (4 stars) by
Helen Hoang: In a potential marriage arrangement, Esme, a single Vietnamese
mother down on her luck, was paid to come to America to convince an autistic man
that he wanted to marry her. It was a fun romance with an interesting premise
and lots of sexual tension. The main
characters each had significant personal hurdles and were easy to like. I also read and enjoyed The Kiss Quotient
earlier in the year but this sequel was better than the first (and this one
stands alone so you don’t need to read the first one). Also, the audiobook narrator, Emily WooZeller, was fabulous and I gave her an A+!
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BEST WOMEN’S FICTION
The High Tide Club (4 stars) by Mary Kay Andrews:
Brooke, a lawyer in coastal Georgia, is summoned to a mostly privately owned
island off the coast to help the elderly owner and resident, Josephine, update
her will. Josephine’s requests require some investigative work and gathering
multiple people who are relatives of Josephine’s closest childhood friends. The
more Brooke searches, the more she learns how her own family is involved in the
island’s history and that there are some sinister forces at work. This was not
the light, fluffy beach read I had been expecting. I liked the story, the
characters, and the pace. And I liked the way Andrews uncovered the explanations of
the mysteries via the flashbacks to the 1940s.
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BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
The Woman in the Window (4 stars) by A.J. Finn: This
is about a woman who thinks she sees a murder take place through a neighbor’s
window. She is probably the most unreliable narrator I’ve ever read! As Anna’s
story develops and the layers are removed, the reader begins to wonder if
they’re reading a total fantasy or not because Anna, obviously, cannot tell fact
from fiction herself. At the same time, you know there must be some truth to it
because of the facts and evidence peppered throughout her story. The ending
isn’t a complete surprise but the telling of the tale and the pacing was great.
I liked the device that Anna was a psychologist so that she could educate the
reader about agoraphobia (fear of places and situations that could cause
stress).
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BEST YOUNG ADULT FANTASY
Archenemies/Supernova (Renegades #2/#3) (4 stars) by
Marissa Meyer: Somehow, Meyer’s series always seem to get better with each
subsequent installment. The Renegades series was very fun
overall but these final two novels were amazing. The Renegades are a group of
superheroes who have taken over crime-fighting and punishment of criminals,
especially villains who also have extraordinary abilities. The villains
continue to try to destroy the Renegades’ claim to power. One of the villains
infiltrates the Renegades in a plan to sabotage their leadership and recapture
an artifact that the leader of the Anarchists needs to reclaim his power.
Making for more drama, some of the characters have hidden alter-egos and
forbidden love blossoms. These novels have a lot of action, forward momentum,
lovable characters who experience growth, and a great moral about how we need
to get along, treat each other with respect and fairness, and accept each
others’ differences. And I loved the
twisty epilogue! Perhaps we haven’t heard the end of these characters. Meyer is
a fabulous and creative storyteller.
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BEST HISTORICAL FICTION
The Indigo Girl (4 stars) by Natasha Boyd: This is a
fictionalized story of real-life Eliza Lucas who, when left in charge of her
family’s Charleston, SC plantations at the age of 16 in 1739, managed them with
business savvy and ignited the indigo industry in the region. She faced many
hurdles on a multitude of fronts but persevered with the help of some true
friends and supporters. Eliza’s drive, good sense, and practicality won me
over. The other characters were all easy to visualize and several were easy to
love. I really enjoyed Eliza’s story. The audiobook narrator, Saskia Maarleveld,
was fabulous and I gave her an A+.
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BEST AUDIOBOOK NARRATION
Juliet Stevenson (Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield): Stevenson has a
naturally deep voice and does excellent male voices! A rarity! Her voice acting was fabulous with
such a variety of voices and ease of transition between them. What a master! Very few people could do this
and she’s the first woman I’ve heard pull off such a huge cast of unique
character voices. I’m SUPER impressed!
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If you're hungry for more, here are my favorites from 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Also, don't miss Lynnie's favorites of 2019! (For the first time EVER, we don't have any favorite books in common!)
--Amy
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