My Best Books of 2019

Another year gone by, and it's time to post my favorite books. I give you my 5 star reads from the books I read in 2019. Let me just say that I am very selective in what gets top stars. I read 150 books this past year, and only 6 made my list! In order to be a 5 star read, it has to be a book that I think about long after finishing. I have a lot of 4 star reads that I loved while reading, but not sure they will stand the test of time 6 months from now. A 5 star read also has to have stellar writing. If I don't have to pause and think about some of the sentences as I'm reading, it's probably not going to make the ultimate cut.

So.......without further ado, here are my six choices.......

 

From bottom to top (the order in which I read them):

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne  This is a really dark book with probably one of the worst main characters ever! Cyril wants to become a famous writer so badly that he steals the work of others and passes it off as his own. The lengths that he goes to are shocking, and the writing is stellar!

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum Sad commentary on three generations of women and how their beliefs clash with modern day expectations. Told in the voices of grandmother, mother, and daughter. Based on the author's life. Yep, made me cry.

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim  This was put in the mystery category in most end of year polls, and I can't disagree more! There is a mystery in how an explosion occurred, and a subsequent trial, but to me this was mostly a character study of those involved. I consumed this in two days and rushed through tasks to get back to reading!

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood The follow up novel to The Handmaid's Tale. Spectacular writing, held my interest more than its predecessor. Aunt Lydia!!!! 'Nough said 🙂

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo  You know I can't resist a good dysfunctional family story, and this one had it all. Heading back and forth in time we follow parents Marilyn and David and their four daughters through several decades of love and heartache.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett  I loved this novel about two siblings and the house they grew up in (which is basically another character in the book). I'm not going to say that listening to Tom Hanks read it to me on audio didn't help raise it to high status, but I think the writing would have taken me there on its own. 

And there you have it. I do try to pick my favorite from these 5 star reads, and it's a difficult choice. This year I'm going with the book that I could not put down, and that had me sobbing over the parts about living with a disabled child. My favorite book of 2019:

Miracle Creek

Here's to 2020 and all the books waiting to be discovered. What was your favorite read this year?