Top 2019 Books per Genre and 2019 Stats!

2019 was a year unlike any other!

My reads this year felt kind of all over the place, especially the first half of the year. I was trying to pump out books – not even really enjoying them as much as I could – because I was going to become a mom in July and wanted to meet my 2019 goal before my son was born.

I can DEFINITELY tell the difference between my book choices before and after his birth. The latter half of the year had way more books that I feel like were memorable and enjoyable, but whether that has anything to do with my state of mind, the books themselves, or the non-pressure I felt to read and meet my goal, I have no clue.

Without further adieu,

Here are my 2019 Stats and Fav reads broken down by genre!

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Overall, I read 21,052 pages in 62 books
>Shortest book – Victorious Emotions by Wendy Backlund (128 pages)
>Longest book – The 7.5 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (667)
>Most popular book (on Goodreads) – The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
>Least popular book (on Goodreads) – P.S. Goodbye by Tari Faris (novella #0.5 in her Restoring Heritage series – just released this fall!)
>Average Rating Given – 4.1
>Highest Rated on Goodreads – Shifting Atmospheres by Dawna DeSilva
>First Review of the Year – The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

FAVORITE READ IN:

Contemporary Fiction – How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper
Fiction – The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Horror – The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal
Thriller – The Whisper Man by Alex North
Crime/Mystery – Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Historical Fiction- Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Sci-fi/Fantasy – Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Romance – Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
Self Help – Raising Giant-Killers by Bill and Beni Johnson
Memoir – The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
YA (Young Adult) – Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake
Christian Fiction – You Belong with Me by Tari Faris

There are many MANY more reads that are not listed that I would definitely recommend, especially in the contemporary fiction and historical fiction genres! Some honorable mentions include:

Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter in Paradise series

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

One Day in December by Josie Silver

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris

And we can’t forget some honorable mentions for my favorite genre – thriller/mystery! (although I will say this year was not the best year for thrillers. Some of my favorite authors let me down :/)

Magpie Murders and The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz

For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt

The Au Pair by Emma Rous

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

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I hope this list helps you find your next favorite read or even encourages you to pick a book out of your comfort zone! 🙂

Goodbye 2019, and Hello 2020!

It’s gonna be a great year for Books!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

 

 

Becoming Us: Using the Enneagram to Create a Thriving Gospel-Centered Marriage by Beth and Jeff McCord

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why!

I’ve been working on this book for a few months now, and not until I actually got to the Enneagram part at the end did I really start to connect with it.

Do you ever feel baffled by the person sleeping beside you, how they process, communicate, and view the world around them including you? Wouldn’t it be nice if we had an instruction manual to help us understand and connect with our spouse – and others – better?

Beth and Jeff McCord have created a novel that not only uses the Enneagram to help discover more about yourself, but your spouse as well, through a Christian/Gospel lens.

***

The first part of this book is mostly about Beth and Jeff’s marriage: their own struggles, miscommunications, discoveries, and more before and after they began to study and apply the Enneagram to their own lives. To be honest, this part of the book was pretty easy to read, but I didn’t necessarily feel connected personally to their story. I didn’t really see myself or my husband in Beth or Jeff; however, some of the principles and “assumicide” moments they experienced I could relate to.

Once they began to talk more specifically about the Enneagram and each type, breaking down their strengths, weaknesses, and how each type can be seen through the Gospel, I felt like the book really picked up and became applicable.

I am giving this book 4/5 because of the ending specifically, but also for its ease, relatability, and approachability.

If you have never read about the Enneagram, or if you have, but not through the lens of the Gospel, then check out Becoming Us today! (You don’t have to be married, either!)

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Self Help/Marriage/Christian/Nonfiction/Relationships/Enneagram

 

 

The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal

My Rating: 5 Stars

Here’s why!

This book has been on my “To Be Read” shelf for quite some time – ever since I found out about it! Rhett and Link’s humor is all throughout this novel that is mostly about the secret horrors that happen in a small town, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rex and Leif are best friends that live in Bleak Creek, North Carolina, a typical small Southern town filled with God-fearing folk whose judging glares are masked behind their smiling, friendly faces. To keep up the façade, any kind of “troublemaker” in town gets sent to the Whitewood School, a local reformatory where teens get straightened out and “changed” for the better.

One day, Rex and Leif’s friend Alicia gets in trouble and finds herself sent to Whitewood’s School by Mr. Whitewood himself. Can Rex and Leif help their friend by uncovering what’s really happening at the reformatory? Will any of the adults believe what they find? And how will they be able to pick a place to sit during lunch without Alicia there to fend off any unwelcome people who try and sit with them as they try to establish their status in the hierarchy pyramid known as high school?

***

As a huge fan of Rhett and Link’s YouTube channel “Good Mythical Morning,” I couldn’t wait to dive into their first fiction novel. It came out in October, but I just now got a chance to read it because I got it for Christmas; however, the wait was worth it! (And I got to read it side-by-side with my sister so that was fun!)

The story is very creative, flows nicely, and Rhett and Link’s voices definitely come through in the writing – and in their characters! The book is considered “horror” but has a lot of light-heartedness throughout so it doesn’t feel very scary. The ending has the “creep” factor that you want in a thriller/horror novel, though. Props to R&L for this amazing first novel and I can’t wait to see what else this creative team comes up with next!

That is why I am giving this book 5/5. The creativity, storytelling, the ease at which the book flows, and their ability to blend humor and horror, with a dash of nostalgia makes this book hard to beat.

If you are a lover of Rhett and Link already – or better yet if you don’t know who they are! – check out this book today!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller/Fiction

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why

This was my December 2019 Book of the Month! You can always (well, a lot of the time) rely on BOTM to have a great thriller/crime novel in their monthly mix.

Two sisters working the same streets for two different reasons. Michaela “Mickey” Fitzpatrick is a cop for the Philadelphia police department, patrolling the streets that are famous for drug deals, sex, and addiction. On “the Ave” is where Mickey’s younger sister, Kacey, has found residents: selling her body to feed her heroin addiction. Although the two sisters don’t speak anymore, they keep tabs on one another, honoring the choices they each have made. But when Kacey goes missing around the same time that a string of missing girls/murders begins, Mickey becomes obsessed with not only finding her sister – alive – but with finding the murderer, putting her life and career on the line.

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Like I mentioned, this was my December 2019 Book of the Month selection and I enjoyed it! I think it took me a while to get into because this is my third “murder mystery/thriller” in a row, but this book definitely had a different vibe to it. I thoroughly enjoyed the cop/police aspect to the story and Mickey is a great main character. Liz Moore did a great job balancing the “Now” and “Then” sections of the book to give you a better overall view of the sisters and their relationship. The last 100-120 pages was beginning to really pick up and build suspense, but I felt the climax was a let down, and then the book just ended. I can see what she was doing with the ending and there were some concluding moments, but for how strong the rest of the book is, I thought the ending could’ve been better.

I am giving this book 4/5 because of the storytelling, the plot line, the realistic/relatable characters, and the overall “vibe.”

If you want something new, this book definitely has a feel of its own!

HAPPY READING 🙂

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Crime/Fiction

Victorious Emotions: Creating a Framework for a Happier You by Wendy Backlund

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why!

I have been working on this book for a while and finally finished it, just in time for the year to come to a close. This has been a great “devotional” that was applicable and had great engaging questions!

Are you tired of trying hard to be happy? Happiness can be a default emotion. Even if we have unhappy circumstances around us, we can build beliefs that will always bring us back to joy. This book also explores the power of our beliefs/mindsets and creating new strongholds!

***

I love the Backlunds. Their view on positive thoughts and declarations definitely shaped how I viewed the power of our words/tongue. When I graduated from BSSM, I knew I needed to grab one of their books to take with me and Wendy’s book had just come out.

This book was so timely for me. I love her practical applications, how short the chapters are, and the different ways I was challenged in my own thinking throughout the book. I will definitely be returning to this book again and again for reference and refreshment.

I am giving this book 4/5 because of the ease of the chapters, the applicable questions at the end of each chapter, and the positive, encouraging approach Wendy uses to talk about some hard topics.

This book is very refreshing and reflective and would be perfect for the start of the new year!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Christian/Self Help/Religion

Watching You by Lisa Jewell

My Rating: 3 Stars

Here’s why!

This is my first Lisa Jewell book, although I’ve had her book The Girls in the Garden on my shelf for over a year now! I know she is a renown thriller author, but I might need to give her another chance with a new book.

Josephine “Joey” and her husband have just moved in with her brother and expecting sister-in-law after a whirlwind romance to one of the nicest neighborhoods in Bristol, England: Melville Heights. But even in this “uppity” area there are secrets. But who would be capable of murder? And why?

***

Honestly, I wasn’t exactly sure what to rate this read, but landed on 3/5. There were some plot lines I found interesting, but some of the descriptors Jewell used were a bit odd. Again, this is my first book by her, so I was kind of caught off-guard. There is a lot going on in this book plot wise, lots of exposition happening, and I thought there were a few elements Jewell highlighted that felt unnecessary. At one point I was getting annoyed with one of the plot lines with Joey – the main character – and just wanted to get to the good stuff! I started to question “when is this murder actually going to happen?”

I am giving this book 3/5 because it is definitely not the best thriller I’ve ever read, but I did enjoy parts of it. I guess I just thought the book was going to go a different route, but after a while I was more invested. Would I try Lisa Jewell again? Yes. Did I think her ending was predictable? Somewhat.

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Fiction

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why!

This is my third Elin Hilderbrand book this year, just getting into her works this past October, reading Winter in Paradise and What Happens in Paradise. When I saw this one, I knew I wanted to read it and it was definitely what a expected: a lighthearted, easy-to-read novel that just happens to be about a murder.

It’s the wedding of the century: beachside on the island of Nantucket, no expense spared, and family and friends galore! However, the Otis-Winbury wedding will Not be remembered by the amazing decor or delicious food, but the body that washes up on shore the morning of the wedding. And it’s not just anyone – it’s the maid of honor. Now, everyone is a suspect. It’s up to the Chief of Police, Ed, and Detective Nick to figure out what has happened and who is responsible; but in the midst of trying to uncover the truth, other secrets/lies are also brought to light.

***

Man did I speed through this read! I am beginning to feel like Elin Hilderbrand is becoming an author I can rely upon – like Liane Moriarty – where I know when I see their name on the cover, I can trust that I will like the book (most of the time anyway.)

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely, but felt like Hildenbrand rushed the ending. I think I’m used to a bigger twist or “ah-ha!” moment in a thriller/murder mystery novel so when we actually find out what has actually happened, there isn’t much of a *gasp!* but more of a *huh*. I think part of it is the way the reader finds out – with who discovers the truth and how; but I did like the last chapter when we are in the perspective of the person who has died leading up to their death.

I am giving The Perfect Couple 4/5 because of the speed in which I read it, the plot line, and storytelling. It reminded me of Into the Water by Paula Hawkins because you don’t really know what has happened until the very last page. A solid, entertaining read from a reliable author.

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Fiction/Mystery/Chick Lit

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

My Rating: 3 Stars

Here’s why!

I picked this book up at a local thrift store, remembering it had previously been a Book of the Month selection, and decided to give it a chance. About halfway through the book, I looked up some reviews for it, Many people complained about the multiple timelines and characters, but that wasn’t my issue: I thought the book was going to go in a completely different direction than it did.

In the summer of 1862 a group of artists go on a month long holiday to the esteemed – and remote – Birchwood Manor along the Thames to be inspired, create works of art, and let their creativity flow! However, by the end of their trip, a woman has been killed, another had disappeared, and a prized heirloom has gone missing.

Now, in 2017, antique-restorer/historian Elodie Winslow uncovers a leather satchel, a sepia photograph of a mystery woman, and an artists sketchbook with a drawing of Birchwood Manor. Are these “clues” connected to the murder and the events of that horrid summer? Who is the mystery woman? And why does Elodie feel an eerily connection to this Birchwood Manor?

***

This book messed with me so much. The multiple narrators, characters, and timelines were a bit confusing at the beginning, but I was able to keep them all straight in my head. This was my first Kate Morton book and I appreciated the way she was able to make all the timelines and characters connect in one way or another. The ending was the best part because all the storylines finally intersected. Plus, since you knew all of the backstories, it was fun to see them layer together; however, the journey getting there was loooong.

Since I have never read a Kate Morton book before, I’m not sure if the layout of the book is her “style” of writing, but if I would’ve known that the main storyline with Elodie wasn’t going to be majority of the book, I would’ve gone about reading/viewing the book entirely differently. I was so ready to dive into a historical fiction/mystery, but the book ended up being more so about the”backstories” than the present day timeline which was a huge bummer for me – and took me by surprise! I do think this aspect also shaped my rating and experience with the book as a whole.

I am giving this book 3/5 because overall the story itself isn’t bad, but I think my perspective/mindset going into it was all wrong for what I was about to read. I did find myself enjoying parts of it, especially once I understood what was happening and gave in to Morton’s storytelling, which is why I am giving it a 3 and not a 2.

If you enjoy lengthy backstories, historical fiction, and really getting a chance to know your characters, check out The Clockmaker’s Daughter!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Fiction