For the Love of Books: 2019 Recap
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After 70 books in 2018, including an almost fifty-book series, I spent much of this year burned out on reading. To say I was needing a break was an understatement, and honestly, it’s only been in this last quarter that I’ve really gotten back into reading consistently.
That being said, I still have a decent list of books I’ve read this year and I still have one more book I’m planning to read. The past few years have seen me break down some of my favorites of the year and this year will be no different.
Favorite Stand-Alone of the year: Where the Crawdads Sing
I picked this one up mainly because it was a Reese’s Bookclub pick and had moderate expectations. Y’ALL THIS BOOK BLEW ME AWAY. It took me a while to get the hang of the dialect written into the book and I kept envisioning that they were in Louisiana, not North Carolina, but the storytelling and Kya’s wit and intelligence, even when abandoned by everyone, was admirable.
Honorable Mention: The First Mistake
Favorite old book I discovered: The Last Mrs. Parrish
This one has been out for a few years but I hadn’t picked it up yet. This was a summer read that really got me excited about reading again. I really love these dual narratives that I keep running into, and I love guessing each twist and turn. I love when a woman seems to be a victim but ends up outsmarting everyone.
Favorite re-read: Big Little Lies
I reread this book just in time for season 2 of the show and watched season 1 again while i did and picked up stuff I thought I had missed the last time. It was a pretty cool experience to consume a story I knew again and in two different mediums. Also, truth be told, i think this was the only book I re-read this year.
Favorite non-fiction: Say Nothing
This is the story of a woman who disappeared and the story of the Irish Civil War in the 1970s. It takes a while to tie them all together but when the two stories meet, it’s a powerful history lesson that’s broad and personal at the same time.
Honorable mentions
In Death Series – This is my favorite series ever, I’m saying it now. The stories and the characters continue to evolve and after almost 50 books that’s a feat.
Twisted Twenty-Six – the Stephanie plum books are as old as I am (#26 came out days before my 26th birthday) and this story focused on Stephanie’s grandma, who is by far one of the best characters in the entire series.
You can view my entire reading list for 2019 so far. I haven’t updated it to include the book I’m currently reading – Conviction or the next book I’ll read, Codename Villanelle.