This year I read 64 books. Of those, ten were on Kindle, two were a mix of Kindle and audio, four were on paper, and 48 were audio. I need to spend less time on my phone in the evenings and more time with my Kindle or paper books. My best month was May, with 8 books. (This corresponds with the month I decided to run a marathon, but it does not correspond with the months with my highest mileage, June and July. Those months I read six books each.)
Of the books I read, this year, here are my top ten percent:
- The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton and Laura Hardin. Stop everything you are doing right now and read this book. I read this for my book group, and it ended up being one of the best book group discussions I've ever head. Eric even joined in since he had also read the book at my insistence.
- Lovely War by Julie Berry. I loved this way more than I thought I would.
- Maybe You Should Talk to Somebody by Lori Gottleib. Everyone needs a therapist.
- The Wildlands by Abby Geni. If you liked Where the Crawdads Sing, check out Abby Geni's books. I need her to write some more.
- The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. This author hasn't failed me yet.
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This was my favorite book in 2019. It didn't fail me on the re-listen.
As an interesting note, three of the books in my top ten were for my local book group (#1, #3, and #5).
January
1. Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo* - This was a fun read. I thought it was a really cute story with surprising depth. I look forward to reading or listening with my kids.
2. The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton and Laura Hardin* - This was such an amazing and important read. Stop reading this blog post and go read that book.
3. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough* - I loved considering American history in the view of Americans visiting and living in Paris. It made me want to visit Paris and study more art.
4. Unnatural by Angela Armstrong* - I really liked this one. I thought some of the downsides of the post-apocalyptic world were a bit heavy-handed, but I'm eager to find out where this series is going.
5. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel* - The idea of being a hermit living in the woods is romanticized a bit, but this man's story is so interesting.
February
6. The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller - Such an interesting story of a refugee family trying to reunite after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Her wealthy family was different than so many refugees in that they had savings and personal friends and other connections to help them. Still, the difficulties and trials were real. (This was an Amazon FirstReads book.)
7. What It Is Like To Go To War by Karl Marlantes* - I first became interested in this book after seeing Ken Burns's documentary about the Vietnam War. The author of this book was interviewed extensively in the series. The end of the series included a list of authors and books, so I added this to my list. This book was hard to listen to, but I think it makes so many good points about what war should be, and what we need to do for our soldiers before, during, and after combat.
8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling* - Listened with the boys, and it was so fun to watch their reactions. Also, the Priori Incantatem chapter gets me every time.
March
9. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow* - This is a great history book, but I prefer David McCullough. It was good for me to get the facts on Alexander Hamilton because the musical rearranges some key events.
10. Supernova by Marissa Meyer* - A very fun conclusion to this series. Again, I am impressed that this series has so much depth considering it's kind of a silly topic (superhero wars). When we read the first one for book group, most hadn't read it because it's kind of long and hard to get a hold of. When I updated my status on GoodReads for this one, I saw that a few of my book group friends have also finished the trilogy, and now I want to talk to them about it!
11. My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella - I read my first Sophie Kinsella book about a year ago and described it as a perfect beach read. This one I actually managed to start reading on a beach (and finished reading in a bath). It was entertaining, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I've Got Your Number. I definitely needed something lighthearted and distracting for this last week (quarantine, home school, earthquake, moody weather).
12. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy - It took me a bit to get into this one, but once I did, I really enjoyed it.
April
13. A Warning by anonymous* - As one who despises President Trump, I don't think there was anything new or shocking here. There is a bit at the end about how important it is to have Trump ousted via election rather than congressional removal, and I thought that should have been at the beginning. I was tempted to bail in the book much earlier because it was just preaching to the choir for me.
14. Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary* - I am just perpetually sad Beverly Cleary wasn't a part of my childhood, but I'm happy to share her with my children. We listened to this one on audio while doing a puzzle and while driving.
15. Lovely War by Julie Berry - Loved this book in so many ways. Delightful writing, great story. The end (the VERY end) surprised me. It was lovely.
16. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist* - It's a series of essays, and it reads like one. A bit repetitive, but there was some beautiful stuff here.
17. An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage* - This book is like an anthropological look at food. It was so interesting.
May
18. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson* - Loved it the first time. Loved listening to it this time with Eric. It is hilarious. We listened to this while doing puzzles and going on evening walks together during quarantine.
19. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing* - Started on Kindle, then it expired, and I finished it on audio. It really is an amazing story. I probably could have used some visuals to better understand the ship, the layout of the land and the ice, etc.
20. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris* - Beautiful story. Even though the cover says it's based on a true story, I did not realize it until the notes at the end. I loved it and raced through the audio in a couple of days.
21. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill - This one was for book group, and I loved it! It was a bit tricky to follow sometimes, but I spent most of the book not knowing where it was going. I loved the idea of hope conquering sorrow.
22. Try and Make Me by Ray Levi and Bill O'Hanlon - I started this over two years ago. It's got some good stuff in it, but like a lot of parenting books it's a bit of a slog.
23. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls* - Listened to this one with the boys because Eric's parents wanted to show them the movie, but I thought they should read it first. I get why it's so popular. I'd love to read a text copy sometime.
24. The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey* - Francis Perkins was such an incredible lady! I did get a bit bogged down in the political machinations in this book, but she is a pretty cool woman you've probably never heard of.
25. Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo* - Another sweet read by this great author.
June
26. Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary* - Listened this one mostly with all the kids, but then I finished it off with Trixie. The boys were bummed that they didn't get to hear the end of it.
27. The Endurance Handbook: How to Achieve Athletic Potential, Stay Healthy, and Get the Most Out of Your Body by Philip Maffetone - Way too long for the advice it gave. A mix of good, practical advice, and some kookier stuff that probably needs more evidence to support his claims.
28. The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson* - I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Bill Bryson is the best. Plus, this one resulted in me joking with Eric about castration a few times. Double win.
29. The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman by Margot Mifflin* - Such an interesting story. The author had a bit of an anti-religion agenda, but overall I thought she did a good job of sorting fact from fiction in the various records about this interesting woman and her time living with the Mojaves.
30. Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin* - I don't normally listen to suspense or mysteries, but I wanted something a little more lively than my typical history audiobooks to listen to during a really long run. I found myself being pulled into well after my run was done and will probably go on a suspense-genre spree now.
31. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - This one really dragged for me until about the last third. Then I loved it. I'm glad I hung in there.
July
32. His Perfect Wife by Natasha Bell* - Meh. I'd hardly classify it as a suspense or thriller. It was rather dull for that category. It has interesting themes, but it was pretty dark.
33. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson* - Not his best. Australia is amazing and dangerous.
34. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb - I loved this book. I loved all of it. I missed my book group's discussion about it, which makes me very sad. I want to talk about this book forever. Also, you probably should talk to someone. Therapy is the best!
35. What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon - I initially started this because I got it for free from Amazon. I didn't love it, so I put it down for a while, not even realizing that it was a pick for my book group later in the year. It took so long to get into, but I really loved the way it wrapped up.
36. Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry by Mary Higgins Clark* - Continuing on my suspense-while-running kick. I liked this one. Cleaner than most. A little easy to call, though.
37. The Guest House by Abbie Clark* - Really engaging, but laughably implausible.
August
38. The Wildlands by Abby Geni* - I loved everything about this book. The writing, the reader, the characters, the plot. It was just so beautifully done.
39. It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump by Stuart Stevens* - I agreed with most of what this guy says, but he didn't offer much in the way of solutions. It was definitely a book for people who like to stay in the echo chamber.
40. Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland by Jonathan M. Metzl* - This is a thoughtful, well-researched book. I would like to have read more about any conflicting data or studies. Surely they are out there. Ignoring them weakens his arguments.
41. The New Jim Crow* by Michelle Alexander - Such an important book and topic. It was pretty repetitive, though. I think, to be more appealing to a broader audience, this should be done as a podcast of about 3 hours.
42. Echo by Pam Munoz-Ryan* - Such a good audiobook. I listened with my boys, and they liked it. This was for my book group, and I'm hopeful my people like it as much as I did.
42. Echo by Pam Munoz-Ryan* - Such a good audiobook. I listened with my boys, and they liked it. This was for my book group, and I'm hopeful my people like it as much as I did.
September
43. Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey* - This audio kept me interested and engaged during my marathon. I finished it a couple of days later. I knew who the bad person was pretty early on, but I didn't identify all of the big reveals.
44. The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor - I thoroughly enjoyed this one, even though it is a historical-fiction love story. I though it would be cheesy, and of course it was a bit, but I actually really liked it.
45. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson* - Not my favorite of his. Enjoyable, but not as enjoyable as others.
46. The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni* - This author only has three novels out, and two of them are top notch. The stories are so compelling, but they aren't frantic. This one reminded me a lot of Where the Crawdads Sing. The writing about nature is just beautiful.
47. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton - Just a beautiful, delightful, twisting read. I loved the history, the genealogy, and the mystery. I am looking forward to reading more by her.
48. The Split by Sharon Bolton* - Meh. It was fine. I may be getting a little tired of this genre.
October
49. A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh* - Loved the West Coast of New Zealand setting and the Kiwi narrator. The end was rather absurd and rushed.
50. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer - I'll be reading the second one just as soon as I can.
51. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens* - I begged Eric to listen to this one, and he did. Then I needed to listen again, and I loved it just as much as the first time, possibly more.
52. And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall* - There were so many aspects of this one that I liked, especially the characters and their back stories. The actual plot of the missing person being investigated fell very flat for me.
53. Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell* - I loved this book a few years ago and even put it in my top ten percent for 2014. I encouraged Eric to listen to it, and then I followed suit. This book is so dark and hard to read.
54. Revival by Stephen King* - This was my first Stephen King book. The writing was phenomenal. The story itself was great. The spook factor was non-existent. It just wasn't remotely scary to me.
55. Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart - This one was for book group, and I liked it. I wasn't gung-ho for it, but it was fine.
November
56. Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card* - I read this one in 2013 and remembered it quite clearly. Still, I thought it would be a good one for a Halloween. I liked it a lot, even knowing what was going to happen. (Sometimes I can't remember what will happen, but this one was very memorable to me.)
57. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George* - I really enjoyed listening to this with my sons. They liked it a lot too.
58. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale* - I liked this one, but I didn't love it. It was fun discussing in my online book group.
59. Whistle in the Dark by Emma Healey* - Such a good story about a mother's relationship with her daughters. It was a bit long, but as a mom it really resonated with me.
60. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate* - I read this exactly one year ago, so the timing of listening to it with my boys this year was kind of funny. I enjoyed listening with them and with Eric. It was over the girls' heads.
61. The Burglar by Thomas Perry* - This was a good suspense book for running. It was a good amount of plot excitement and crime-sleuthing.
December
62. Death Benefits by Thomas Perry* - I've hit upon an author I seem to enjoy. I like that his books are more focused on crime solving (especially financial crimes).
63. Vanishing Act by Thomas Perry* - I like this author enough that I've started a series of his. I thought this one is good. I like the protagonist, although the ending fell a bit flat for me. Nonetheless, I'll dive right into the next one.
64. Dance for the Dead by Thomas Perry* - The second in the Jane Whitefield series. Crime/suspense novels are fun to run to.
*Denotes audiobooks.
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