It was a bit of slow year for me in terms of reading. I typically read around 50 books each year, and in 2019, I racked up only 33 (should have been at least 35 but I jumped ship on two after getting most of the way through them, which I NEVER do). I attribute this to a busy new job with a much longer commute than my previous job. The shorter list of books is complemented by the 38 audio books I listened to, which I’ve also reviewed.

TOP FIVE BOOKS OF 2019

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett: Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors for a reason. I always find her books to be completely engrossing and this was no exception. As a self-proclaimed protective older sister, I loved the relationship between the main character and his protective older sister. Patchett expertly balances dysfunction with familial love.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead: I waited a really long time to get this book from the library and was a bit concerned that with all the hype, I would be disappointed. That could not have been farther from the truth. Compulsively readable, and with a surprise at the end that I did not see coming, it’s also very short and a quick read.
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman: Hoffman is another one of my favorite authors. Her books often have a supernatural element to them, which I recognize is not for everyone. To me, this novel spoke to the resiliency of women as well as to the particular ways in which women, through a combination of empathy and strength, can make a difference.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood: This is the rare book that I couldn’t wait to read and actually really enjoyed. I love the original, I love the series on Hulu and I really like the book. I won’t say more for fear of spilling details.
Daisy Jones & the Six/The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: When time is tight and you’ve got a million things on your mind, sometimes it’s nice to read a good, old-fashioned page-turner. Both of these books were that for me. Fun characters told in a compulsively readable way.

Honorable mention: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. I loved the writing in this book, but it didn’t make my top five.

A few random things I learned while reading/listening to books this year.

Bill Blass sounds like a real mensch. Two very different books mentioned his tendency to help those in need with jobs and/or money.
Both Demi Moore (Charleroi) and Samantha Power (not sure which neighborhood) lived in the Pittsburgh area as children. Didn’t we all?

Several books from authors whose earlier novels I really loved (Julie Orringer, Karen Thompson, Tea Obreht) disappointed me this year. In fact, I didn’t even finish reading Obreht’s Inland. The other book I got much of the way through before abandoning was Three Things About Elsie, which was a book club pick and since I sat through the discussion I decided I didn’t need to go back and finish the book.

Here’s the complete list of books I read in 2019. I’ve bolded the ones that remember liking.

American Duchess – Karen Harper
Becoming Mrs. Lewis – Patti Callahan
Circe – Madeline Miller
City of Girls – Elizabeth Gilbert
Daisy Jones & the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid
Evvie Drake Starts Over - Linda Holmes
Georgia – Dawn Tripp
Less – Andrew Sean Greer
Miracle Creek - Angie Kim
Mrs. Everything - Jennifer Weiner
Normal People – Sally Rooney
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong
The Age of Light - Whitney Sharer
The Art of Losing – Lizzy Mason
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls –Anissa Gray
The Dream Daughter – Diane Chamberlin
The Dreamers – Karen Thompson
The Dutch House – Ann Patchett
The Flight Portfolio – Julie Orringer
The Golden Child – Claire Adam
The Golden Hour - Beatriz WIlliams
The Last Book Party – Karen Dukess
The Last Romantics – Tara Conklin
The Lost Vintage – Ann Mah
The Nickel Boys – Colson Whitehead
The Secrets We Kept Lara Prescott
The Seven Husbands of Eleanor Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Stationary Shop - Marjan Kamali
The Testaments - Margaret Atwood
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters – Balli Kaur Jaswal
The World that We Knew – Alice Hoffman
We Were the Lucky Ones – Georgia Hunter
You Think It, I’ll Say It – Curtis Sittenfeld

You can find my 2019 audiobook reviews here.