Books I Read in 2019

Last year, I set the unrealistic goal of reading 52 books. I ended the year with 19 checked off my list. Although this was way short of my goal, it was actually the most books I had read in a year up until that point. This year, I set a more attainable goal of 30 books, and am happy to announce that I hit this right on the mark! Here is the yearly roundup, in order of completion:

1. Autism’s False Prophets by Paul A. Offit*

2. Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi

3. Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

4. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

5. Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi

6. Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

7. Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi

8. Shadow Me by Tahereh Mafi

9. Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi

10. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo*

11. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo*

12. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo*

13. Wilder Girls by Rory Power

14. The Sh!t No One Tells You by Dawn Dais

15. I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

16. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

17. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin*

18. Reveal Me by Tahereh Mafi

19. Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

20. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

21. Scythe by Neal Shusterman*

22. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman*

23. The Toll by Neal Shusterman*

24. Looking for Alaska by John Green

25. The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

26. A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi*

27. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

28. Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

29. A Doll’s House by Henry Ibsen

30. Detective Cross by James Patterson

*These are the books I would very highly recommend.

Since I did so much traveling this year, I opted for mainly e-books (via the Barnes & Noble NOOK app). I’ve also found e-books to be easier to read while breastfeeding, as I only need one finger to turn the page on my phone. This would explain the extremely small handful of books pictured. Although it does save paper and space, I am a sucker for a physical collection of novels, so I will likely end up purchasing additional copies of the must-read titles on my list—I’ve already started doing so by buying the Arc of a Scythe box set even though I already own the e-books. I couldn’t help myself…the covers are just so stinking gorgeous!

The best book, by far, was The Toll by Neal Shusterman. Oh. My. Goodness. This entire series (Arc of a Scythe) is an absolute must-read. I would say it is one of my favorite YA series of all time (and I am not exaggerating!). Expect a full review on these books soon, but in the meantime, go read them!

Here are my recommendations based on your interests:

If you like contemporary YA fiction/romance, you should read A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi.

If you like utopian fiction and violence, you should read Scythe by Neal Shusterman.

If you like YA fantasy and adventure, you should read Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin or Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

If you like enlightening nonfiction, you should read Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell, or The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates.

I feel like I should crank it up a notch for 2020, so my goal is 50 books. Wish me luck!

What was the best book you read in 2019? Comment below!