A couple of years ago I finally started using Goodreads regularly to track my reading. I don’t review the books I’ve read, I simply use it for record-keeping. While I was at it, I decided to set a reading goal for myself last year of 50 books. I hit that goal just under the wire at the end of December. This year I upped the ante and set a goal of 52 books. I hit that goal earlier this month. My total is currently 54 books and counting. So, while I’m certainly not done reading for the year, I thought it would be fun to list the best books of 2019, as far as I’m concerned anyway.
While many of these books were published this year, some were not and were just books that I got around to reading this year.
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8 Great Books from 2019, According to Megan
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Red, White and Royal Blue – Every year there’s a book that I recommend to anyone who asks. This year it’s the standout romance of the summer, Red, White, and Royal Blue. For anyone who will always hold the pain of the 2016 election in their heart, parts of this book are at times hard to read and a bit of a comfort. In addition to being a steamy romance, this story of the connection between America’s First Son and the Prince of Wales this is smart, funny, and the kind of book I immediately wanted to own for myself rather than returning to the library.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone – The premise of this doesn’t sound like something I would be interested in. A therapist, going through a crisis of her own, recounts the tale of her own therapy laced with stories of several of her patients. Gripping, right? Except it really is! I found myself trying to figure out the identity of one of her patients who is definitely well-known, but I’m a terrible sleuth.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill – Set a book in a bookstore you can guarantee I’ll read it. Fill it with charming and quirky characters, pop culture references, and punny trivia teams and I’ll tell everyone else to read it.
Evvie Drake Starts Over – Please make this into a movie immediately. Invest a lot of money into sound engineering, so the baseball parts are just right.
Things You Save in a Fire – I love Katherine Center and I have yet to read a book of hers that I didn’t enjoy. I also read, and really liked, Happiness for Beginners this summer.
The Mother in Law – The teaser of this book makes you think it’s going to be one story, but really it’s another story entirely. Take every pre-conceived notion you have about a book about the unexpected death of a mother-in-law and throw it out the window.
The Silent Patient – I am not the sort of person who ever guesses the ending of a mystery correctly, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. I had NO guesses how this book would resolve itself, but really enjoyed the ride and the result.
The Wedding Party – I have enjoyed every book that Jasmine Guillory has written, but perhaps this book most of all. I liked the peeks into the lives of characters from her other books. One thing I’ve always loved about her books is that food is nearly a character itself. This book featured a shocking amount of pizza, which some people found distracting. I just found it comforting.
