2019 book list

So it would seem that this blog has become a place where, if nothing else, I at least keep up with an annual list both of birthday gratitudes and books (mostly novels) read.  You'd think at the very least I could also finally share some of our huge summer road trip and maybe some highlights from the homeschooling year, but what can I say? Instagram makes it so very easy, maybe that's what. Still, I'd like to try a bit more. If for no other reason because I like having this somewhat lengthier and certainly longer-curated chronicle of our days and lives. It always make me so happy to look back through the blog archives.  So as I guess I keep saying, we'll see.

For now though, here's my book list from 2019.  Listed in order read with favorites starred.  As you'll see, once I got to Where the Crawdads Sing, I decided one star wasn't enough so I gave it two.  Turns out I very much liked several books last year, so a few more earned that extra fancy double asterisk.


*A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles

Simple Things, Erin Boyle

Still Me, Jojo Moyes (she's one of my favorite authors, and this was good- she never lets me down, but it wasn't a favorite.  I'm *somewhat* patiently awaiting my library hold copy of Giver of Stars)

*Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, JK Rowling

Wednesday's Children, Kathryn Michaels

Britt-Marie was Here, Frederik Backman

*Us Against You, Frederik Backman (really really like his writing, pretty much always)

*Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, JK Rowling

You Were Made for This, Michelle Sacks

Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver (I love her, but I found myself only truly interested in one of the stories being told here- the one from the 1880s-and not so into the modern day story)

Warlight, Michael Ondaatje

Sugar Land, Tammy Lynne Stoner

Victory Garden, Rhys Bowen

*We Hope for Better Things, Erin Bartels

Notes on a Nervous Planet, Matt Haig

The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted, Robert Hillman

*Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman

**Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens (I mean, wow. Totally worth all the attention, I'd say)

*The Girl He Used to Know, Tracey Garvis Graves

Ellen Foster, Kaye Gibbons

*Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly

**East of Eden, John Steinbeck (Grapes of Wrath is in my top ten, probably top five. This didn't edge that out, but my gosh I just love his honest and raw and salty and real writing. So much.)

**Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, JK Rowling (my fave HP. well, maybe tied with book 3...)

The Songs of the Humpback Whale, Jodi Picoult (Maybe not the best choice for a first read of hers, as it left me feeling unresolved and a little pissed and therefore not keen to give her another try. But please tell me if I'm wrong and there's a particular gem out there of hers.)

The Body Lies, Jo Baker

Lost Roses, Martha Hall Kelly (really good, but I didn't love it as much as Lilac Girls)

All the Flowers in Paris, Sarah Jio (so close to wanting to give this a *)

In Another Time, Jillian Cantor

*The Winter People,  Jennifer McMahon (creepy! totally different for me but I liked it!)

*The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (There were a few things I didn't like about the book but overall I was just so moved by it, by certain characters and parts of it, that it must get a star. I mean it guts you, for sure, as most of you probably know because you've probably already read it. Ooph)

Rules For Visiting, Jessica Francis Kane

Last Ones Left Alive, Sarah Davis Goff  (bizarre and apocalyptic- made me want to start training hard core in case I need to fight off monsters or zombies or something, so there's that...)

*Call Your Daughter Home, Deb Spera (so, so good. historical fiction telling the stories of women struggling in the depression era south)

History of Wolves, Emily Fridlund

*The Wolf Border, Sarah Hall

Future Home of the Living God, Louise Erdrich

Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout (I mean, it was really good- I know a lot of folks love Olive. I'm looking forward to the sequel but it wasn't a big standout for me of the year.)

**Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates (I don't really know what to say, but I loved it. There were times it felt a little hard for me to come to terms with magical-realism-meets-the-horror-of-slavery, as though that was a too-light handling of it, but I just thought the writing was so beautiful. One of those books where I'd find myself reading lines aloud because I loved them so much.)

*The Testaments, Margaret Atwood

**City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert (mmmmm so good)

Widow of Rose House, Diana Biller

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All, Laura Ruby (technically still reading, so we'll have to see about stars, but so far so good!)

And there you have it! Happy reading in 2020! I've already got a list going for the year and have a few holds at the library, but I'm always, always looking for recommendations.  What were your favorite reads last year?

Lists from previous years:

2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018