My goal for 2019 was to read 75 books which I have exceeded. Out of all those books, there were many favorites. It wasn’t easy to narrow it down. I wanted to do a top 10 list but it ended up being more. I just read so many books I really loved in 2019.
I have a lot of books I’m planning on reading in 2020 and can’t wait to keep sharing what I read in the new year. I would love to hear your favorite books of the year in the comments section.
Favorite Books of 2019
Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
This was an incredible novel about family, first love, grief, and betrayal that will touch the hearts of both mothers and daughters.
Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.
Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.
Being a mother of a teenage girl this book captivated me from the first chapter and I flew through it. Just couldn’t put it down. The characters just draw you in and you care about them and what is happening.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
After hearing that this was Promising to be the debut novel of the season The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. I knew I wanted to read it and I could tell why it was so popular. It was so good!
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger
I get lots of emails on books that are popular or recommended to me and this was one of them. I didn’t know if I would really get much out of this book but I wanted to give it a read.
I’m so glad that I did because this was a fantastic read. It was super interesting to read bob’s life working in entertainment and eventually running Disney.
He shares tons of great advice and information about being successful as well as lots of interesting behind the scenes information about running Disney and interactions he had over the years.
Do it Scared by Ruth Soukup
In Do It Scared, popular blogger and podcast host Ruth Soukup will help you to:
- Identify your own unique “Fear Archetype” – the specific type of fear that keeps you stuck – and learn how to conquer it.
- Dare to start thinking bigger about your life and your goals.
- Learn how to seek out honest feedback to accomplish big things.
- Embrace the core beliefs you need to overcome different types of fears.
- Discover why our magical idea of “balance” is totally overrated and let go of the guilt, once and for all.
Equal parts inspiration and tough love, Do It Scared combines easy-to-implement tips with the motivation to start making real changes that lead to big results. Get ready to get off the sidelines and jump into your own life as you dare to Do It Scared.
Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
This book was highly recommended by Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy and she always has good recommendations so I wanted to give this book a read.
Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week of junior year at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. It’s been barely two years since her mother’s death, and because her father eloped with a woman he met online, Jessie has been forced to move across the country to live with her stepmonster and her pretentious teenage son, and to start at a new school where she knows no one.
Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago, she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?
In a leap of faith—or an act of complete desperation—Jessie begins to rely on SN, and SN quickly becomes her lifeline and closest ally. Jessie can’t help wanting to meet SN in person. But are some mysteries better left unsolved?
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
This was a perfect easy summer read. Nik goes to a baseball game with her boyfriend when out of the blue he decides to propose on the jumbo screen. After she rejects him publicly for good reason. They had only been together for 5 months and he didn’t even spell her name right. She doesn’t know how to get out of the stadium with the camera crew approaching.
Carlos and his sister watched the whole thing from nearby seats and come to Nik’s rescue and get her out of there. They end up wanting a rebound relationship but will it turn in to more? This book is charming and a fun read about love, friendship and beginning to believe in yourself.
Girl Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
I got so much out of this book. I loved her first book Girl Wash your Face and in my opinion, this book was better. There is so much great advice and a lot of inspiration from this book. I am a big fan of Rachel and follow her on social media and find her to be very uplifting and honest.
Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young
This story is set in the near future at an all-girls private high school that is way more than it appears to be. This thrilling young adult book has been described as Westworld meets the Handmaid’s Tale. It will be continued in later books in the series and I can’t wait. Book 2 comes out in March.
The Au Pair by Emma Rous
Seraphina and her twin brother were born one summer at their family’s estate within hours their mother had thrown herself off the nearby cliffs and the nanny fled leaving their town to gossip and spread rumors. Now after the death of their father Seraphina goes looking for answers. Especially after seeing a photo of her parents and older brother on the day their mother died with only one baby when there should have been two. Who is the baby in the photo and what really happened that day?
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
This book will keep you guessing. It is one of my favorite thrillers that I’ve read. A story about a man, his girlfriend and his mother who won’t seem to let him go. If you like suspenseful books then you will enjoy this book. I read it so quickly because I just couldn’t put it down.
Maybe you Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Psychotherapist Gottlieb employs an unusual two-pronged approach to show us how therapy really works, and to examine how we grow, change, and connect to each other. First, Gottlieb introduces us to four of her patients, taking us inside the room to show us what happens in their sessions. But Gottlieb is also in therapy herself, thanks to a sudden breakup, and through her eyes, we get the patient’s perspective as well. I so enjoyed getting to know the people in these pages, session by session, and rooted hard for them as they worked through the process. Part memoir, part educational glimpse into the profession: if you like to learn something from the books you read, and you enjoy a good story, well told, add this to your list.
