I wanted to read more slowly in 2019 and I feel I enjoyed the books I read a little more by not trying to reach a high goal. I set out to read “just” 75 books since I usually read more than 100 a year. I didn’t meet that goal – in fact, I got close to doubling my goal. I do feel I don’t rush through books as much as I did in years where I set really high goals. Of the 130 books I read, here are my top books from 2019 in the following categories: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Biographical, Inspirational, Historical Non-Fiction and Non-Fiction.
FICTION
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & The Six is a very captivating book. It’s written in an interview style with the author going chronologically through the story, but telling it in each character’s own words.
The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
The Bookseller is a great fiction novel and I don’t think many people will end up guessing how the book will end. It goes back and forth between reality and a dream world – which is real?
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Just Fine by Gail Honeyman
This was my local book club’s March book choice. We all enjoyed reading a book where the plot and characters were very different from books we typically read. It was hard to put down the book once you got towards the end.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I really enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing and how the characters develop throughout the book. There are twists and turns – it’s a book you’ll want to talk to someone with after you read it.
Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
Britt-Marie Was Here is a funny, yet deep, book about a woman finally listening to her own heart and learning that there is still life left to be lived. I laughed. I felt for Britt-Marie.
HISTORICAL FICTION
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
This book is based on the author’s interviews with a man named Lale Sokolov who wanted to talk to someone about what he saw and experienced in Auschwitz after his wife died. The book will make the reader examine what he or she would be willing to do to survive.
Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris
Cilka’s Journey is the first historical fiction book I’ve read that is set in the Russian Gulags. Morris’ writing style captivates the reader right away in this book, just like in The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Before We Were Yours kept me interested the whole time I was reading it and I stayed up late a few nights finding out what happened next. The children’s home and the details surrounding Georgia Tann are true, and that gives even more weight to this story.
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
I recently visited a Frank Lloyd Wright house. When I mentioned going to this house to a friend, she told me about Loving Frank, and I knew it was the perfect book to read after visiting one of his homes.
BIOGRAPHICAL
Educated by Tara Westover
There is a great sadness in Educated and while Tara gets an education in the end, she also ends up losing her family to some degree. She has chosen the better path, but it’s a hard one when she just wants to feel loved by her parents and have them help her and believe her.
I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel
I guess you truly know you’re a bibliophile (book lover) when you read a book about reading books. Anne Bogel loves books and decided to write a book that all book lovers can appreciate.
A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea by Melissa Fleming
While I keep my eye on the news, I did not know a lot about what has been happening in Syria during the past 10-20 years. This book is a great insight into what started the humanitarian crisis that Syria currently has.
Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald J. Trump
I think the book provides some great insight into how Trump thinks and works and should be an interesting read whether you’re a fan, lukewarm or hater of Trump. Knowing more about how a person thinks is always a good thing.
INSPIRATIONAL
The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron
The author first gives an overview of the Enneagram and then takes the reader on a journey through each type. He also gives tips in each chapter for the person who is that type in how to really be a healthy person with that type of personality.
When Sorry Isn’t Enough by James Chapman and Jennifer Thomas
When Sorry Isn’t Enough goes through the different types of apologies, how to find your apology language and that of your loved ones, and how to deal with the other consequences in life when people hurt you.
You Can’t Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded) by Cynthia Tobias
You Can’t Make Me gives a lot of examples and stories from real life, which make the book very relatable. By first explaining how strong-willed children think, a parent gains insight into why the child acts like he or she does.
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The Power of Moments explains that we remember things that impact our lives because they elevate us, give us insights, fill us with pride or help us connect with others.
HISTORICAL NON-FICTION
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
The sinking of the Titanic was avoidable, but the loss of life that night is tragic. The details of that fateful night have been passed on by survivors and compiles in the book A Night to Remember.
Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham
Higginbotham chronicles the history of nuclear reactors and then takes the reader moment-by-moment through the Chernobyl explosion and all that happened afterword.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
On April 29, 1986, the Los Angeles Public Library caught on fire. Most likely arson, the person responsible was never caught. When it was extinguished after seven hours, 400,000 books were gone and 700,000 books were damaged. The story is told in The Library Book.
The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin
The Children’s Blizzard is a book I won’t forget. It’s heartbreaking and fascinating. Weather can be so unpredictable, even today, and hearing how people survived the blizzard of all blizzards is just amazing.
Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11 by Mitchell Zuckoff
Zuckoff’s book gives an in-depth historical take on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, but also gives the stories of the people who were affected by the tragedy that day.
NON-FICTION
The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley
What is the best way for a nation to educate its children? Amanda Ripley explores that question in The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way.
The Unthinkable by Amanda Ripley
In The Unthinkable, journalist Amanda Ripley investigated how humans responded to major disasters and what they did that gave them the ability to survive.
Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin
Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin follows a mantra of letting each person find their own way out of their clutter and offers some solid tips in the book to help people find their own right way.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a how-to manual in how to both make friends and influence people to either listen to you or even come around to your point of view.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
The book is full of solid advice – not about how to not care about things, but about how to care for the right things. Once you set priorities, much of life doesn’t need as much time and attention.
What were some of your top reads for 2019? Share your favorites with me so I can read them in 2020!