My Favorite Books of 2019

I meant to publish this yesterday for Top Ten Tuesday.

Instead, after three family Christmases and a miserable four-hour ride in a cramped truck, I stayed in bed and read all day.

As a consequence, some last-minute books snuck their way onto my Top 10 list.

It’s a Cinderella story and a plot twist all in one!

Texts From Jane Eyre and Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Daniel M. Lavery*

I liked this book enough to gift copies to my friends.

The Little Women conversation was very gratifying. I felt seen.

Laurie + Jo or Single Jo. These are the only options.

Get Friedrich out of here.

 

* Lavery initially published this book under a name he no longer uses, hence the lack of accompanying book image.

 

Magic For Liars by Sarah Gailey

Technically, I finished this at 12:45 AM on January 1st, 2020.

Since I read the bulk of it in 2019, I’m counting this as a 2019 read.

I appreciated this book so much.

So many books I read have interesting premises but no soul.

This book had a lot of feelings in a world that I didn’t want to leave.

I know I read this on the LAST DAY of 2019, so recency theory is at play, but this book had one of my favorite endings of the year.

Bittersweet, just the way I like it.

Also…THERE WAS A BI BOI. Or a pan boi.

Either way, a NON-MONO BOI.

 

How to Be Alone (If You Want to and Even If You Don’t) by Lane Moore

This book touched some really deep places in me.

It gave me closure for an awful 2017 friend breakup that I hadn’t been able to process.

I am forever grateful.

 

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell

I don’t want to oversell one of the plot twists, but…

…I SCREAMED.

I read a lot of great graphic novels in 2019. This was the best one.

The emotional honesty was really refreshing.

 

Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake

(CW: rape, sexual assault)

I had to lock my feelings about this book in a box and put them away. Otherwise, I would not have been able to function.

This book has nuance and commentary and excellent representation.

It’s heartbreaking and so well-done.

This book gave me the words I needed to come out, so of course it’s going on the list.

 

Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper

(CW: racism, rape, misogynoir)

Every single one of the sentences in this book is a gorgeous work of art.

I finished this book very recently and I’m struggling to verbalize the impression it left.

All I can say is, “Wow.”

If you want a comprehensive understanding of intersectionality, this is your book.

 

Astro Poets: Your Guides to the Zodiac by Alex Dimitrov and Dorothea Lasky

I chose a number of “fun” books for this list because they made me laugh and provided a helpful distraction.

Dimitrov and Lasky gave me a joyful breakdown of the zodiac, which was what I needed after the chaos of NaNoWriMo.

This book was fun and fast and helpful. It earned a spot on my “Nonfiction/Reference” shelf.

 

In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado

(CW: physical and emotional abuse)

Super ambitious, very well done.

I’ve never read a memoir in this style; Machado killed it.

This book was creative without being gimmicky and very brave in its content.

I am in love with the writing style.

 

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

WHAT DO I EVEN SAY??

This book covered a lot of territory, but it did it right!

The ending ACTUALLY made me weep. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS.

This book gave me so much hope for 2020.

My heart is full.

 

Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson

This is the only new favorite I reread this year.

The rep is SO GOOD.

The anxiety rep is really moving, but what really got me was the on-the-page demisexual rep.

Johnson likened demisexual attraction to turning on a dimmer switch, which made me cheer. Yes! Accurate! This is how it feels!

Then Martin the Surprise Bi described his attraction to different genders and I loved it. More bi bois!

I’m so glad this book came out.

That’s my list. I’ll have more 2019 posts coming in the next few days.

See y’all later. I’m off to watch Cats.