In some of these categories it was really hard to limit myself to 2 picks, but these books are all ones I wanted to make sure got some mention this year. Many of them have gotten plenty of buzz already, but I'm here to tell you they're worth it! (And then a couple at the end that were so not worth it that I couldn't help mentioning - and in those ones, therein lies the danger of reading advance-reader copies, with not a lot of vetting done yet...)
Literary fiction
The Great Believers: The tragedy of the AIDS epidemic in the gay community as a whole, and the view at its effects on individual lives in specific, was eye-opening, heartbreaking, and so compassionately done. I fell in love with the characters. 4.5/5 starsThe Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls: A family and social justice drama with a hint of secrets that unravel to really propel the plot. I loved the perspectives of the different sisters, and there were some emotional bits that just will stick with me for a long time, which pushed it to 5/5 stars
Historical fiction
Circe: who knew retelling of Greek mythology could be so engrossing, or give you so many girl power feels? 5/5 starsDaisy Jones and the Six: a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional rock band that is so dang addicting, you definitely don't need to love music or the 1960s to love this book. It lived up to the hype for me! 4.5/5 stars
Mystery/thriller
The Lost Man: The premise of a man dying of dehydration in the Australian outback - while in easily accessible distance of his car with a trunk full of water bottles - is intriguing as is, but then Jane Harper expertly unfolds the secrets and the backstory of this family with the most perfect slow-burning pacing. 4.5/5 starsNever Have I Ever: I love a domestic/suburban mom story with secrets and twists and turns, but the key is that I have to actually like the main character... and this is the best entry I have read in this little sub-genre yet. So many good twists and turns. 4/5 stars
Romance/rom-com
Evvie Drake Starts Over: a second chances type romance with the absolute best banter I have encountered. Just all the way through a delight to read. 4.5/5 starsThe Flatshare: romance with a fun premise of a man who works night shift and a woman who works days sharing an apartment - without having actually met. But then, of course... Perfect amount of quirk and emotional trauma made for a root-for relationship that I didn't want to stop reading about. 4/5 stars
Memoir
I Miss You When I Blink: great essays about everyday life as a woman/mom - and then when she is basically me (hard-core perfectionist, work-from-home editor), I couldn't not adore it. Really appreciate how she put into words experiences and feelings that I have as a woman/wife/mom. And she's funny, to boot! 4/5 starsInheritance: a memoir of finding out via DNA test, after both of her parents had died, that her father wasn't actually her biological father. Really fascinating emotional journey, and since it's told in a compressed time period of about 1 year, it makes for propulsive reading (or listening - I enjoyed the audiobook). 4/5 stars
YA
American Royals: the BEST kind of swoony YA romance, with such a fun premise: that George Washington actually became king, rather than president, and now modern-day America has royals, with the first queen preparing to take the throne. So fun I couldn't put it down, and I cannot wait for the sequel. 4.5/5 starsFrankly in Love: Frank Li tries to balance his first-generation immigrant status/parental expectations with his desire to be a teenager in love. Great dialogue and characters; reminded me of Emergency Contact in some ways, which was one of my top YA picks of 2018, so I loved it immediately. 4/5 stars
Middle grade
The War That Saved My Life: kind of a WWII, pre-teen version of Eleanor Oliphant - prickly character with a lot going against her, but you can't help but fall in love and root for her to overcome these things and find love/her place in the world. 5/5 stars Dear Sweet Pea: read this in one day - a story about a girl whose parents are going through a (very amicable) divorce, and she's just trying to find her place in this, and find her voice. Very sweet and charming. 4/5 stars
Audiobook
Becoming: Michelle Obama's memoir is so well written and so inspiring and so fascinating when you get to the behind-the-scenese of campaigns and White House life. I laughed, I cried multiple times, and I felt like I was missing a friend when she stopped reading in my ears... 5/5 starsTalking to Strangers: Malcolm Gladwell's work is always fascinating, and this audiobook is produced like a podcast, with interview snippets, music, etc. Really engaging listening, and a great topic, examining our interactions with people we don't know and the societal ramifications. 4/5 stars
Least favorites
Only Ever Her: supposed to be a domestic thriller type book, but I was kind of bored, and the characters' motivations just didn't make sense. A shame, because I love other books by this author. 2/5 starsPretty Guilty Women: Billed as a Big Little Lies that takes place over one wedding weekend at a California resort, I can definitely see the comparison - except that to me it felt like a rip-off, with no likeable characters and some big inconsistencies in their actions or the plot in general that could have used better editing... (Ebook provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review) 2/5 stars
If you're interested in seeing some other books I read and what I thought of them, you can check out my full list on Goodreads, and my posted blog reviews (or my 2018 top picks!). And now I would love to hear what your top books of 2019 were, as I plan my early 2020 reads...
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