Okay, not everything. (You can check out my Goodreads for that.) But I’m hoping that by the end of this post, you will get a sense of how the year has gone for me in literary terms.
By the numbers, I read 92 books this year. Originally, my goal was 75, because while I thought I would probably surpass that, I also wanted to give myself some breathing room. I wanted to push myself, but not so much that I was stressed about it. The compromise here ended up working pretty well for me.
Another note: I made a pact with myself about halfway through the year that I wouldn’t spend any money on books, partially because I don’t have any (lol college), and partially because there are libraries. Unless you live under a rock, there are some app gems out there, which means you can check out ebooks and audiobooks without even leaving your home. I am fortunate enough that I was gifted many of my hardcopy books by generous publishers and received audiobooks curtesy of my favorite company, libro.fm, but even without these people in my life, my no-spending goal still would have been totally doable.
This brings up another point: I listen to a lot of audiobooks. Audiobooks are, of course, of equal worth to their physical counterparts. Yes, I do feel that some books are better read on the page, but that is personal preference. Absolutely nothing is wrong with being a busy gal and needing to multitask or sneak in some listening on walks to class. Anyways, this is an argument I have made many times — the point is, if this list makes it look like I’m constantly reading, it’s because I am sneaky about fitting them in. Not all of these books were read by fireside with a mug of tea in hand, as bookstagram might have you believe.
SO, because I just love to complicate things, I’m going to give you a few different lists. First of all, my five-star reads. Self-explanatory, right? Second, my favorite reads. I know what you’re thinking — aren’t those the same thing? But see, there are some books that I just couldn’t give five stars to that are nonetheless still stuck in my heart, and they deserve a place. And, finally, for the sake of continuity, I’m going to do a Reading Superlatives list, because I really enjoyed it last year!
Five-Star Reads (in no particular order)
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (2020 release)
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Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
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Blankets by Craig Thompson
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The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose
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The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
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Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha
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Nasty Women by 404Ink
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Dominicana by Angie Cruz
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Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
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Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
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I’ll be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
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The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
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Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
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King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
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The Queen of Bloody Everything by Joanna Nadir
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Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
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Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
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Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
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The God Game by Danny Tobey (2020 release)
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Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
My Favorite Reads (in no particular order)
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Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
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The Anatomy of Dreams by Chloe Benjamin
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Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
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I’ll Be Gone In the Dark by Michelle McNamara
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Recursion by Blake Crouch
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Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
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King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
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Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha
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Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
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American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
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The God Game by Danny Tobey
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The Reason You’re Alive by Matthew Quick
So from this list I gather that I like biographical works, techy Black Mirror-type reads, and some good investigative journalism. Not all of these are five-star reads — some I might even have a lot of criticisms about — but they are still the most memorable reads that have immersed me, stuck with me, and made me think.
Reading Superlatives 2019
A Book That You Loved This Year by A Person of Color
Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha
A Favorite Debut Novel You Read This Year
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
A Book That Disappointed You This Year
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
A Book That Made You Cry (or LOL)
Cry: Flush by Virginia Woolf
I was unaware of the tragic ending, okay?
LOL: The Captain and the Glory by Dave Eggers
Your Favorite 2019 Read
Not picking one. Gotcha!
An Underrated Book You Loved
Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales
I’m a sucker for a good YA.
Your 2019 Favorite Book Cover
Little Weirds by Jenny Slate or Make It Scream, Make It Burn by Leslie Jamison
A Book that Taught You Something
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Or also, any of the investigative journalism. Actually, wait, so many books. Like 70% of them, honestly. Learning things is fun!
Anyways, whoo! That was a lot! And hopefully all of it! Looking forward to another year of wonderful books!
Happy New Year,
