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I’m definitely not a speed reader, and I don’t set goals for how many books I want to read every year, but I am always reading a book (or two). Here’s what I read in 2019 and a quick bit about how I liked each book:
Fiction
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Deservedly hyped-up. I swooned aloud over Delia Owens’s writing. I loved the way she brought the setting to life, and it was empowering to watch the main character, Kya, come into her strength despite a rough life. The audio version is awesome!
The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
I am officially a Signe fangirl. Her writing is fantastic (she was a former editor at Penguin) and she shares my love for all things Celtic and Scottish. The Lost Queen is the story of an actual queen who reigned in sixth-century Scotland, who was also the sister of the man, Myrddin, who the tales of Merlin were based on. This story made me feel like I was immersed in the world of 1500s Scotland and I didn’t want to come back. (The audio version was fantastic!)
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
This book challenges conventional thought on heaven, hell, right and wrong. Loved it.
The Spirit of Cattail County by Victoria Piontek
A middle-grade book I read with my daughter. It’s about a girl whose mom passes away, and what the girl does to preserve her memory and spirit. We have it 3/5 stars. The cover and undercover are beautiful!
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
This book has a dual timeline, so part of it is set in 1939, and the other part in the present day. It’s based on the true scandal of a woman who ran an adoption agency in Memphis and kidnapped poor kids and sold them to wealthy families across the country. I hear it’ll make you cry, but it’s a fantastic read.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
This is the story of a perfect family that lives in a cookie-cutter suburb where everyone plays by the rules. Then, a mother and daughter who play by their own rules move in and shake everything up. This one pulls you in from the start. Bonus: It’s being made into a series on Hulu starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
I will forever be a huge fan of Kate Morton. Her dual timeline tales always weave the past and present together beautifully. This one was intriguing, but the ending was a little too sad for me. The Forgotten Garden and The Secret Keeper remain my favorites of hers.
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
A charming little story set in an English country village of a retired major and his unexpected romance with the town shopkeeper. If you’re an anglophile who like slower, quirky reads, you might love this.
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
A based-on-truth WWII story from the perspective of a Polish family. Fascinating!
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
A heartbreakingly beautiful tale of a little boy and the real-life monster he and his mother face: Cancer. This story is not at all what you expect and so brilliantly told. It gets you thinking about the monsters you face in your own life.
Circe by Madeline Miller
A magical, mythical tale of the Greek nymph, Circe.
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
This parody on the classic story of Lady Jane Grey is so unexpected and hilarious. The narrator is PERFECT. You definitely have to listen to it.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
I read this with my daughter. It’s the well-known story (and movie) of a young maiden who is given the “gift” of perfect obedience from a fairy and her quest to find the fairy who gave it to her so she can be herself. Very cute.
Match Me If You Can by Tiana Smith
My friend and neighbor wrote this sweet YA romance. I could not be more proud of her and her debut novel!
Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
The sequel to Strange the Dreamer, which I LOVED. This one was great too. Laini is a master of metaphors.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
This has been one of my favorite stories and movies for a long time, but I hadn’t read it until this year. Like many classics, it can get a little drawn-out and wordy, but it was still an epic story that makes you think about the cost of revenge and harboring resentment.
Non-fiction
You Are Here: Discovering the magic of the present moment by Thich Nhat Hanh
This book, written by world-renowned zen monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, gently helps you reframe your thoughts, emotions, and struggles to ease your suffering from them. He helps you learn to live with more presence and to follow your inherent instincts to love and listen.
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
The true story of Corrie ten Boom and her family, which used their home in Amsterdam to keep Jews safe during the Nazi occupation. They were caught and sent to concentration camps, where most of them died, but Corrie miraculously survived to tell her story of hope, forgiveness, and triumph in the midst of unfathomable cruelty and suffering. Despite the heaviness of the Holocaust, this book will leave you feeling uplifted and grateful for your cushy (by comparison) life.
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a focused life in a noisy world by Cal Newport
A must-read, I think. Here’s my review.
You are a Badass: How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life by Jen Sincero
This book was not at all what I expected (in the best way) and I ate it up.
Irresistible: The rise of addictive technology and the business of keeping us hooked by Adam Alter
A fascinating book about modern technology and what it does to our brains and our behavior. Plus, Adam’s South African-Australian accent is pretty irresistible too.
Faery Tale: One woman’s search for enchantment in the modern world by Signe Pike
After I read the Lost Queen, I had to read Signe Pike’s memoir about her pilgrimage to the UK and other places in search of people who still believe in faeries. It was fascinating to learn about the ancient traditions these beliefs come from and the way people still honor them today.
Deep Work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world by Cal Newport
I needed this book as a kick in the pants to help me focus on my writing amid all of the distractions I face with family, running a company, and social media. I love the practical tools Cal provides here for rising above the hum of constant distraction. He says, “People who aren’t practiced in deep work are chronically distracted.” I’ve definitely found an increase in fulfillment and productivity in my life and work as I’ve adopted his methodology. (I recommend reading over listening to this one.)
Dumbing Us Down: The hidden curriculum of compulsory schooling by John Taylor Gatto
This book presented some really interesting arguments. I agreed with a lot of the points the former schoolteacher brought up, like fostering creativity and independence, and making family the main engine of education, but had a hard time getting past the times he referred to formalized schooling as a cyst, a vampire, and a psychopathic megalith. A little dramatic for me.
If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie
I started reading this in Scotland, which was the perfect backdrop for this memoir about women in Celtic mythology and what we can learn from them to find our place as women in the world today. It was poetic and sweeping, a beautiful way to get back in touch with your inherent identity as a woman.
More than Enough by Miranda Anderson
This book will help you become more intentional about what you bring into your life. Miranda’s story of living practical minimalism with her family will inspire and empower you to do the same. I’m proud to call this amazing woman my friend!
Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
I scored this book at my book swap. I think Gretchen’s mind works in a similar way to mine because what she writes always resonates with me. She’s not as sentimental as a lot of self-improvement authors are. Her tone feels more grounded and practical. She’s an excellent researcher, and her books are peppered with statistics and studies behind why we do what we do. I also love her podcast, Happier.
Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
When we have a dream, we are the only ones stopping ourselves from getting after it. As a mom, it’s so easy to let guilt stop you from doing things in addition to motherhood that you feel called to do. This book helps you identify and leave behind the excuses and pitfalls that stop you from taking your life to the next level. Rachel has an engaging writing voice and I felt like the takeaways were delivered in a fun-to-read, applicable way.
The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell
I read it once, and listened to it after that for book club. Not only is it an interesting travelogue, but it’s a thought-provoking study on what makes a society (and an individual) happy. I love the way journalist Helen observes life in Denmark and tells her story as an expat from London. Just a heads up if you’re listening to this in the car (which I recommend), there’s some adult content in this book.
Just Mercy: A story of justice and redemption by Bryan Stevenson
The true stories of a lawyer who helped people wrongly convicted on death row. It really opened my eyes to the injustices of our justice system. This is an important book.
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
This book, the follow-up to Power of Now (mind blowing) delves into how our ego can get in the way of our happiness and the good we can do for others. I could not recommend it more. Oprah’s Super Soul conversations with him are amazing too!
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday steps for putting technology in its proper place by Andy Crouch
I loved this handbook on managing technology in the home from the perspective of a Christian father.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
A fascinating look at the holocaust through the eyes of psychiatrist who survived the death camps. I like that he teaches us that happiness has very little to do with our external circumstances.
Bird by Bird: Some instructions on writing and life by Ann Lamott
A must for writers (or anyone who wants to write).
I’ll share my reading list for 2020 soon!
