2019 was a great reading year for me! I read so many wonderful books that I gave a 5 star rating. At one point I was worried I was being too lax in my rating system, but realized I was just getting better at picking books that I KNOW fit my reading taste.
You can check out the FULL list of books I read this year HERE.
This was my first year tracking my books! I’m absolutely obsessed with tracking my books now and wish I started this years ago so I could have a record of everything I’ve read. I have no idea if I read more or less this year, since I’ve never tracked my reading before.
I tried venturing out to different genres this year, such as fantasy, sci fi, and essay collections. I loved every single one of those books I read, even though they weren’t my usual!
I didn’t read as much non fiction as I usually do and I’ll be going into 2020 with a big stack of non fiction.
This year I discovered the podcast What Should I Read Next, which greatly transformed my reading life. The podcast helped me find reading recommendations that are perfect for me. It also helped me learn to understand my reading preferences better.
This was also the year that I got Bassam to get into reading! I’ve tried and failed to get Bassam hooked on a book for years, but I finally found his perfect book! I loved it as well, so it was fun to both read the same book! Here’s Bassam’s top book of the year.
My Favorite Books of 2019
This post contains affiliate links
As I said above, I read SO MANY good books this year! (See the full list this here). It pains me to choose favorites from my 5 star reads, but here are the ones that really stood out.
In the order I read them:
1. Becoming by, Michelle Obama
| shop here |
One of my favorite books I’ve read this year and I’m not the only one, it was a favorite on bestseller lists. I listened to it on audio and highly recommend experiencing it this way. It’s a game changer having Michelle Obama read the book to you herself. I felt like I was having a chat with an inspirational mentor (one can dream). Whether you like her or not, I truly believe her autobiography has words of wisdom for anyone.
2. Dare to Lead by, Brene Brown
| shop here |
I think EVERYONE should read this book! It’s a game changer for how to approach relationships, communication, and vulnerability. It’s technically a book about leadership, but I believe it can help improve relationships of any kind. I read through this book so slowly because I wanted to take notes the whole way and really soak it in. I’ll be reading all of Brene Brown’s books and will re read this book as well!
3. Save Me The Plums by, Ruth Reichl
| shop here |
I loved this book so much! Ruth writes about her time at Gourmet magazine and it’s so much fun! I felt like I was going on the journey with her and I never wanted it to end. I gobbled up the book like a delectable chocolate cake, then forced myself to slow down to truly appreciate every flavor, texture, and layer. If you have any interest in the magazine world, you’ll love this memoir!
4. Time After Time by, Lisa Grunwald
| shop here |
A magical love story that literally transcends time. It reminded me of one of my all time favorite books, The Time Traveler’s Wife. I sped through this book in two days, forcing myself to slow down because I knew I’d be sad when it was over. I rooted for the characters to have a happy ending while antagonizing over what I even felt a happy ending was for them. I felt utterly invested in what happened to them. Such a fun, moving, and beautiful read! Plus, if you love NYC, this book basically reads like a love letter to Grand Central Terminal.
5. The Map of Salt and Stars by, Zeyn Joukhader
| shop here |
WOW. This book is just, wow. A story about a Syrian refugee family, it’s as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. The author writes in a uniquely lyrical fashion. The author has synesthesia, a condition where is stimuli heightened in his perspective and he sees words as colors.
I was initially scared to read this book because I worried it would be too sad, but Joukhader does an amazing job of avoiding gratuitous sadness and skipping detailed descriptions during the harder moments. Plus, the book is told from the perspective of a young girl which adds a lightness to it. There’s no way around it, what happens to the family is heartbreaking, but it just doesn’t beat you over the head with how sad it is.
This is a story that stayed with me for a long time after closing the pages of the book. I wasn’t able to pick up another book for several days afterwards. This is a must read.
I did some research on the author and was very interested in his unique background. He explores topics of being a first generation Arab American, coming from a multi religious background (his father is Muslim and his mother Christian), being transgender, and more. I can’t wait to see what he writes next.
6. The Power of Moments by, Chip and Dan Heath
| shop here |
There’s no denying that some moments are more impactful than others. But do you know what makes a moment memorable and how to intentionally create memorable moments? There are 4 defining features of epic moments and this book walks through each one in detail, provides case studies, and shows you how to implement it yourself.
Whether you read this book to have an impact on your relationship, to improve your business, or to live a more meaningful life, I hope you walk away buzzing with ideas and possibilities like I was. While this is a book of non fiction, the authors are powerful storytellers and the book reads easily and quickly. I sped through it, while learning something new on every page.
I borrowed this book from the library, then quickly bought a copy as I knew I needed it in my personal library.
7. The Stationary Shop by, Marjan Kamali
| shop here |
This book is so heartbreakingly beautiful, I encourage you to read it. The story opens with an elderly woman who is on her way to ask her first love one question, “why”. From there, the novel spans a 60 year love story that unfolds across two continents – present day America and 1950’s Iran. I don’t want to say much more to give the story away, but it’s so beautiful. Please check it out!
8. This Is How It Always Is by, Laurie Frankel
| shop here |
One of the best fiction books I’ve read this year. It’s so beautiful written and gives you a lot to think about. There were so many passages I stopped to reread several times because I wanted to commit them to memory. This book touches on so many complex topics, making it the perfect book club read.
Rosie and Penn are parents to 5 kids and as happens with parenting, forced to make some impossible decisions. One such decision, has the family keeping a giant secret. The title comes from the idea that parents often have to make terrifyingly important decisions about their kids with not enough information.
I’m purposefully not giving away a lot of details here, because I think this is a nice book to go into blind and let the story unfold for you, but you can always look up a book synopsis. Trust me on this one, read it. If you’re part of a book club, read it with your book club.
You can check out all 81 books I read in 2019 HERE. I encourage you to check out the post, because I read SO MANY amazing books! There are 35 books I gave a 5 star rating to and plenty of others I gave a 4 star rating to. As I said, it’s been a great reading year!
I’d love to know your favorite books of 2019! Share in the comments below.
Leave a Reply