I hit 100 this year. Actually, I hit 101. And I’m still in shock about it. Last year, I read 92 books (after setting an original goal of 60), so I decided to push myself to 100 this year, and I completed it (with two days to spare!). I read some really great books this year, with a few surprises that I weren’t expecting to be so great.
So here are the best of 2019. My stats just astound me… I never thought I could read so many books in one year. If you’re wondering how I managed to keep track of all of this, it’s in part thanks to Goodreads and in part thanks to my super awesome spreadsheet.
Previous Years’ Best Of lists: 2018, 2017
The Stats
Number Of Books I Read: 101 Books
Average Books Read Per Month: 8.42 Books
Number of Re-Reads: 4 Books
Number of Books I Quit: 6 Books
Average Year of Publication: 2009
Total Pages Read: 37,019 Pages
Average Number of Pages Per Book: 367 Pages
Average Rating Given: 3.96
Genre Stats
Source of Book
Genre of Book (YA/Adult)
Diversity Goals
I read at least one nonfiction, one book written by a person of color, and one book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character every month this year.
- Total Nonfiction: 15 Books
- Total Written by a Person of Color: 20 Books
- Total Featuring an LGBTQIA+ Character: 16 Books
Success on all fronts!
The Numbers by Month
And now, on to the books…
Best Adult Fiction Read
Adult fiction book I read in 2019 that topped all the others
There were not many adult fiction books that I read this year that I rated 5 stars, but this was one of them. The Great Believers was on my radar for winning ALL THE AWARDS, and it’s pretty obvious why. Heartbreaking, informative, unique — this book is a must-read for anyone interested in broadening their boundaries and maybe crying a little bit.
Best YA Fiction Read
YA fiction book I read in 2019 that topped all the others
This novel was HOTLY contested in our book club debates, but I stand by my decision that this was one of the best books of my year. Told in both narrative and podcast timelines, Sadie captivated me from the first page and didn’t let up until long after I finished it. If you like neat and tidy endings, this may not be the book for you, but it is guaranteed to surprise and intrigue.
Best Nonfiction Read
Nonfiction book I read in 2019 that topped all the others
Surprisingly, most of my 5 star reads this year were nonfiction books, but as soon as I finished Becoming, I knew it would be the best book of the year. I listened to this one on audio (all 17 hours of it), and I was SO disappointed when it was over. There were times I was literally crying in my car because of Michelle Obama’s beautiful musings. I cannot recommend this book more highly.
Breakout Read
Book that was surprisingly good or exceeded expectations
I set very low expectations for both of these books, and they blew me away. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane was a last minute audiobook grab that I picked up because I needed to fill a challenge prompt and WHEW IT WAS AMAZING. Everything historical fiction should be and more. I picked up Gold at the library sale because I had loved Little Bee by the same author, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the friendship story and the Olympic component (since I’m not really into sports books).
Most Recommended
Book I would recommend to anyone and everyone
Look, I’m a sucker for books that push me out of my comfort zone, and these two certainly did. This is How it Always Is is one of the best family books ever, focused on a mother coming to terms with a child who is questioning his gender. I feel like everyone should read this one to learn more about acceptance and family. Queenie, on the other hand, is basically Bridget Jones’s Diary with a Jamaican spin. I hated the characters, then loved the characters, then sat with the story after I was finished and realized just how profound the seemingly easy plot was.
Biggest Push
Book that got me most out of my comfort zone
I will be the first to admit that I am NOT a fan of fantasy and sci-fi. However, this year, I managed to read more of that genre than ever before, and I found some gems I really loved. Station Eleven was a huge surprise for me, because I had started it years ago and didn’t like it much. I’m so glad book club gave me an excuse to pick it up again. The story was surprising and profound and left me questioning, and I just really enjoyed it. Spinning Silver was a Book of the Month choice that I picked up for a challenge I was doing, and I ended up really enjoying the story. A retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, the characters and setting in this book really grabbed me and had me thinking much more than I would have expected.
Best Audio
Best book to listen to with a narrator
This one is a new category this year, because I seem to have fallen in love with audiobooks. My favorite genre of audiobooks apparently are memoirs narrated by their authors. Aside from the masterpiece that is Becoming, both Yes Please and Inside Out opened my eyes to new perspectives and made me love their authors (Amy Poehler and Demi Moore, respectively) more than I did before I listened to these books.
Best LGBT+
Best book featuring LGBT+ characters and/or written by an LGBT+ author
My goal each year is to read a book each month that features an LGBTQIA+ character, and I far surpassed that goal this year. These two books are polar opposites, despite both featuring gay male characters. What If It’s Us is by one of my favorite YA novelists, Adam Silvera. Cute, rom-com, YA – this book is pure sugar but has a deep current of identity and struggling relationships running throughout it. The Great Believers, on the other hand, is dark and bleak historical romance about the AIDS epidemic in Chicago. Both feature LGBT+ characters struggling with identity and societal expectations, and both were wonderful.
Taught a Lesson
Book that taught me something about myself
I didn’t read many personal development books this year, but Atomic Habits absolutely blew me away. I listened to the audiobook, and as soon as I was finished, I wanted to go out and get the physical copy so I could read it again. It had amazing tips about developing new (healthy) habits and letting go of old (unhealthy) habits. It was definitely the kick I needed!
Best Book Club Pick
Book that sparked discussion and encourage debate
Why yes, both of these books are featured as my favorites of the year, but they were also our most hotly discussed book club picks of the year. The Great Believers was loved by everyone in the group, despite the longer length, and I think it really opened people’s eyes to a time in history we didn’t really know much about. Sadie, on the other hand, was debated hotly (to the point of maybe yelling loudly in the restaurant), mostly because the ending was… inconclusive. As I mentioned before, I kind of LOVED it, but love it or hate it, it certainly inspired some discussion.
Most Timely
Book that spoke to our current culture
I read A LOT of books that were published in 2018 and 2019 this year, and I think the perk of reading books like that is that you can connect with books that are inspired by current events. Whisper Network was a book club pick, and it centered on the #MeToo movement. While some people weren’t as big of a fan of the storyline, the friendships in this novel show the power of women and what can happen when women support each other. The Mars Room, on the other hand, takes a hard and bleak look at our justice system, and, despite it’s slightly unsatisfying ending, it was an impactful read that had me questioning our modern-day prison system.
Best Time Machine
Historical fiction book that set the scene
Oh I love historical fiction. Give me a book that I can connect to in my present but also tells me more about the past and I’m sold. I started my year with Salt to the Sea, and it was a good choice. This novel was set during WWI, and the many different character perspectives engaged me and taught me new things about the time period. As for My Dear Hamilton, well, part of my love for this novel count have been because I watched Hamilton right before I started the novel, but also, it was a really great, thorough book that I thought supplemented the play very well. It was most historically accurate than the play, and it even had a section at the end that explained how and why the book was different from the play.
Best Characters
Book whose characters stuck with me long after I finished the book
A character can make or break a book; I find it hard to really like a book if I don’t connect with the characters. Luckily, I read a lot of really good characters this year. I was first going to put The Huntress in the best historical fiction category, but I realized that what I loved most about that novel was not the setting or time period but the characters and their relationships to one another. Every single character felt well-rounded, full, and conflicted, and I loved every second of it Children of Blood and Bone is an outrageous fantasy novel, which could have left me feeling disconnected from the characters, but instead, the protagonist felt so, so real. Her struggle between family and power and humility and strength left me feeling like I was fighting the battles alongside her.
Best Dressed
Book with the most attractive cover (that shows the greatness within)
Enough said.
Best Place
Book that was set in an interesting environment
I’ll be the first to admit that I scan-read long descriptive paragraphs. I can’t help it; I’m a plot reader. But some books absolutely captivate me with their settings, and I love getting lost in new (or ancient) worlds. I have been anxiously awaiting The Starless Sea since I read The Night Circus and found out the author was writing a new novel. While I enjoyed The Night Circus more, I found the world building in The Starless Sea to be complex and mystifying and entrancing. The Red Tent was another one that I got lost in, although this world was less fantasy and more.. biblical. I loved the idea of the red tent and the women gathering in it every month. I kind of wish that was still a thing (maybe without the misogyny?)
Most Thought-Provoking
Book that made me think the most
Nonfiction books have found a place in my heart this year, and they have been some of the books that have pushed me the most. If you’ve been living under a rock for the last two years, you may have missed the memo about Educated. Written by a woman who suffered abuse throughout her childhood, she details growing up in a doomsday-preparer household and going on to become a Ph.D. This one really made me think about limitations and society’s expectations. Brain on Fire was another excellent nonfiction read about a woman who developed an rare brain disorder that caused her to become a different person. Doctors didn’t believe her (because, hi, she’s a woman and obviously hysterical), but through her research, a new disease was discovered and the treatment led to her successfully returning to herself. Both of these books challenged what it means to be a woman in society and how your circumstances can’t define you.
Best Shock
Book that made my jaw drop in surprise
I’m beginning to realize that I’m not great at reading thrillers. I genuinely don’t enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with the climax of these novels. BUT. The Silent Patient was one of my favorite reads this year, so much so that I voted for it in the Book of the Year contest. The twists and turns in this novel were completely unexpected, and this debut novel was so unlike anything I’ve ever read. Another great thriller came in the form of a kitschy camp experience in The Last Time I Lied. This novel had me guessing the entire time, and I really enjoyed all of the twists.
Most Humorous
Book that kept me laughing
I am not great at reading humorous books. I’d rather a book that makes e cry any day. But when I read The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (and its subsequent sequel, The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy), I was literally laughing out loud. The characters are so vibrant, the story line is so shocking, and the plot is just generally hilarious. There’s a third book coming out in 2020 and it’s already reserved for me at the library. While those were more blatantly funny, My Sister, the Serial Killer was satirical and witty while having a super dry humor. You can tell from the title that it’s going to be a bit weird, and it certainly is. But there were moments where I looked up wondering if the characters could possibly be serious, and I realized that this tongue-in-cheek humor was just so good.
Best Feelings
Book that made me really emotional
It takes a lot for a book to make me cry, but two books this year stood out as being extra touching. I was pleasantly surprised that The Great Alone lived up to the hype! I was in awe of the setting, I was so connected to the characters, and I cried through the entire third part of this book. Five Feet Apart was another that brought me to tears. A seemingly obvious “YA sick kids plot”, this book (and subsequent movie) had so much depth and connection, and I was surprised with how impacted I was by the story.
Worth the Pages
Book that was long but worth it
I didn’t read as many long books as I had hoped to this year, but two tomes stood out to me and made it really worth the read. I listened to Unbroken, which was a story about an Olympic runner turned WWII Japanese POW (and it was narrated by Ed Hermann!). I was completely entranced with the story from start to finish, and knowing it was a true story made it even more impactful. On the other hand, The Luminaries was a murder mystery set in the gold fields of New Zealand, and it had a lot of characters and side plots and intrigue and “OH!” lightbulb moments. I can understand why I put it off so long (intimidating size!) but I really enjoyed reading it.
What do you think of this list? Anything you think I got wrong? Any recommendations for 2020? Let me know!
I’m so proud of you for achieving your goal! I especially love that you set diversity goals and that’s something I should be more conscious of. I plan on setting similar goals for the coming year 🙂 love you