Hi there! I can’t believe 2019 is coming to a close but I am so excited to share my entire year of reads with you. Life has been pretty crazy so I wasn’t able to share my monthly reviews in a while so I thought I would recap in one post with EVERY book I read this year. If you’re looking for something new I’m sure you can find it on my list. And if you’ve read all of them, would you leave me a comment below with a new title to add to my list? Let’s get started!
Although I have multiple favorites I’m going to start with my TOP 3 favorites. You must put these on your list, if you haven’t already read them. T
Where The Crawdads Sing -You guys! THIS book is sooooo good! I have to say, I’m always skeptical of books that have been on every book list and praised for months on end but this one lives up to the hype! It is so well written and the main character, Kya is such a powerful and intriguing woman! She endures so much pain and loneliness, but finds her way using mother nature. This is a fascinating love story and murder mystery in one. The descriptive writing is so well written and I absolutely LOVED the setting of North Carolina- 1969. This one is a must read for sure!
The Tattooist of Auschwitz – This is a beautifully told tale, Heather Morris captures the essence of this terrifying time. Though it outlines the horrors of war, it shows the strength of the human spirit, and that there is always something to hope for. Highly recommended, this is one that will stay with you for a long time. A unsettling but gripping novel, based on the true story of Lale, a Slovakian Jew caught up in the horrors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during WW2. He speaks several languages, so soon finds himself employed in the camp as the tattooist, the man responsible for inscribing prisoners numbers on their arms. He soon meets and falls in love with Gita, a fellow inmate; but can their love survive the horrors of life inside a concentration camp?
Something in the Water – Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave? This one starts with an immediately gripping chapter. There is a slow build until the story gets to its intensity but then half way through you can’t put it down! Mark and Erin are on their dream honeymoon. They visit beautiful Bora Bora where they spend their days scuba diving, hiking, eating and making love. And then one day on the boat in the middle of the ocean they hear… THUNK, THUNK, THUNK. And that’s it- something in the water sets off a chain of events that will keep you invested until the end.
Educated– WOW… just wow. This book is absolutely amazing. This one is a Memoir about a young girl that was raised in a Mormon survivalist home in rural Idaho. She worked, along with her 6 siblings in her father’s junk yard until she finally had the courage to ask her parents if she could attend public school when she was 17 years old. She continued to teach herself algebra and trigonometry. Enough so that she gained admission into Brigham Young University and eventually earned her doctorate.This isn’t an easy read, by any means. At times I found myself angry at the fact that people would rather suffer than go to the hospital or the use of real medicine. Of course her experience is an extreme version of what others may go through with their parents or upbringing but it is a powerful story about self discovery.
The Dutch House – I enjoyed this book immensely! It was a sweet story about a dysfunctional family that ends up in this enormous home and two siblings that go through so much! Even better, it’s narrated by Tom Hanks! If you love a sweet story that’s very well written than this one is for you.
Go Ask Alice –Woah, this one was a good one! For those of you unfamiliar with this 70’s, young adult fiction let me give you the run-down. It’s about a 15 year old girl that gets served a drink at a party that is laced with drugs. A few months later she is completely addicted and is in a downward spiral. The perspective is pretty cool because it’s written in diary entries so there are days and weeks missing and you can tell she was on a binge. It’s very dark and not for anyone with a sensitivity to drugs or drug abuse. Go Ask Alice is a classic that was recommended to me and I’m glad I read it.
Girl, Stop ApologizingI’m pretty much a Rachel Hollis junkie. Everything she does I just eat it up! This book is kind of a follow up to Girl, Wash Your Face. It is a “take action” type book about chasing your dreams and making them happen. Although it was very motivational and I enjoyed a lot of her tips, the main theme of the book was very repetitive to me. A lot of the stuff I feel like I heard before and it wasn’t very helpful. I wasn’t completely sold on “put yourself ABOVE all else to get things done”. It seemed very self serving and not faith-based at all. Don’t get me wrong, she had some great tips on being successful in your career, but if you’re looking a faith filled, motivational book this might not be for you. I liked this one, but not as much as Girl, Wash Your Face. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this if you have read it.
The Mother- In- Law – This one is about a family that finds out their mother/mother-in-law has died. It’s definitely a family drama and tracks the tricky relationship between a daughter and mother-in-law. It will have you guessing and right when you think you have it figured out…BOOM! You’re wrong!
The Au Pair- This thriller was really good! It’s about a girl whose mother committed suicide on the day she and her twin brother were born. After her dad dies she starts to question what really happened that day.
Spark of LightWarning: This book is about a very difficult subject that may not be for everyone. The author is unbiased and plainly states both sides and sheds light all around in a suspenseful setting. This book begins with a hostage situation at a local center for woman to get birth control and obtain abortions. A man walks in and starts firing and holding hostages. The police negotiator arrives at the scene only to find out his daughter and sister are inside. Jodi Picoult always hits hard topics and it is definitely interesting to hear a realistic fiction story about this terrible topic that takes so many lives.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine: A Novel I was completely unprepared for this one. I don’t think it would have even been on my radar had I not seen it on Reese’s Book Club List so I downloaded the audiobook. You guys, it is soooo good! Eleanor lives a fairly secluded, simple life. She doesn’t know anything else. But something happens to her social life when she helps a man on the street that is in need. I absolutely love this character and this cleverly-written book.
Where’d You Go Bernadette This one was a total miss for me. I thought the story line was kind of all over the place. I really enjoyed the main character’s daughter, Bee but she didn’t have anough time for me to fall in love with it. A lot of people really loved this one but it just wasn’t for me. Cute and funny at times, but it just didn’t keep me invested.
Call Me Tuesday was one of those stories stories that pulls at your heart strings until the very end. At times, it was hard to read this about an 8 year old that was physically and emotionally abused by her mom. After a series of events that happened to the family her mentally ill mother starts taking out her anger and aggression out on Tuesday, not one of her three brothers. So sad and horrifying all at the same time.
Sadie – If you like investigation podcasts like Serial, this book is for you! Sadie is a YA bestseller about a missing girl and the hunt for revenge. I listened to this one and loved the storytelling through the eyes of a podcast listener. It is definitely heavy at times but so worth it ’til the end.
An Anonymous Girl – You’re Invited: Seeking women aged 18-32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality conducted by a preeminent NYC psychiatrist. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. Call for more details. Twisted, devious and intense this was a definite favorite! Every time you think you have it figured out, the authors change everything up on you! This one is a must read!
Daisy Jones and the Six I absolutely LOVED this fictional book about a rock band in the 1970’s. I found the interview format incredibly entertaining. I have fallen completely in love with Daisy! She is such a strong and fascinating character. This story truly was unique and seemed SO real, at times I found myself googling or searching Spotify for the band’s music.
The Kiss QuotientThis was a sweet unexpected romance novel. I had mixed emotions, so I’ll start with the positives…. I loved that the main character, a strong, independent, brilliant woman is on the spectrum! I think she portrayed her character fabulously and brought to light many things people don’t expect. I hated the “sexy” talk. I don’t really enjoy reading about making love and this one goes into a bit of detail here and there and I’m not a fan. I also didn’t understand the parent characters. It seemed confusing and contradicting the way she described their personalities… Maybe just me? Anyway, if you read this one I’d love to hear your thoughts.
The Perfect ChildOh my word, what have I just read?! This one was disturbing but I couldn’t put it down! This is a story about a couple who adopted an abused child named Janie… dun dun dunnnnn! She is quiet the interesting character. I don’t want to give too much away but if you like suspense with a lot of pych- thriller then this one is for you. It’s so good in a horrible way. Interesting fact- Lucinda Berry is a trauma psychologist and uses her experiences to create psychological thrillers.
The Farm – I though it was a very interesting and unique storyline. The topics within the book are very delicate and brings up so many questions of morals and ethics. The Farm is a place where young women are recruited to become surrogate mothers for wealthy clients! Their life is somehow managed by the owners of the Farm and the orders are very strict! The story is centered around Jane, a single mother from Philippines who signs up for the Farm to take care of her families financial needs.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – This one was a great beach read. It’s historical fiction but read like chick-lit. Taylor Jenkins Reid is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!
An Anonymous Girl – I actually really loved this one. It’s a wicked and devious book written by two authors who also wrote The Wife Between Us. This one is a page-turner for sure!
His Needs, Her Needs – Ok ok I know what you’re thinking… Wait. What? Well, this one was on my audiobook list for a while and I finally thought it would be a good time to listen. Although Zach and I have been married for 8 years, there are still times that I feel so confused by him and his actions. THIS book really helped me navigate through some of our misunderstandings. I would say this is good for ANY marriage but especially if you are in your first few years of marriage and you want to know how to fill up his/her love bank. This one is a great way to understand how you can do that. I truly enjoyed this book and still use some of the tools that I learned from Harley.
So there you have it folks, my entire book list from 2019. I love sharing what I’m reading with you guys but I love even more when you guys give me your favorites. Please leave a comment (or ten) with your favorite books so I can put them on my TBR list. To see a list of all my book reviews click this link to take you there.
Happy reading friends!
