2019 Reading List
Here is my other annual new year post; my (somewhat) annotated reading list. This year I read 66 books, which is down from 2018's total of 89. Since 23 books is a pretty significant difference, I admit to spending some time figuring out why. I think there are two reasons. The first is that in 2018, I spent a ridiculous amount of time reading light, fluffy, candy-like mysteries. Some of those I read at the end of the year were so poorly written that I decided to give them up and focus on reading better writing this past year. The thing about light, fluffy, candy-like mysteries is that I can crank through one in just a couple of days. Finishing a book every two days or so really does help the amount of books read in a year. Reading better writing means that it takes me a bit longer to read it.
The other reason behind the lower total is R. For much of last year J. and I were getting very little sleep. Since I do most of my reading at bedtime, if I am exhausted then I'll read one page and be asleep. Reading a book one page at a time is pretty slow going. And those were the nights where we actually got to sit in bed and read. Even this was not a given for quite a bit of 2019.
There were also 13 books which I started and decided not to finish. This number, that of books started but set aside, grows higher each year. I think I have less and less patience to spend precious reading time on a book I don't like.
Without further ado, here is my list. A couple of notes about abbreviations. After each book I will list its genre... M = mystery, F = fiction, NF = non-fiction, YA = written for young adults, RA = read aloud. I will add * or ** after books I particularly enjoyed and recommend. The single asterisk is for books which I enjoyed, but they weren't quite A+ books. If you can get them from your library, then by all means, check them out. the double asterisks are for A+ books. They are worth buying in order to read. Obviously, the amount of these books will be rather small in any given year.
Oh, one more thing. I will link to each title through my Amazon Associates account. This means if you click through to see the book and you end up buying it through that link, I receive a very small percentage of the sale. Very small, but greatly appreciated. I also have linked to any blog posts which I have written about any of these books.
Ready? Here we go.
1. And Then You Dye - Monica Ferris (M)
- I must have been in the middle of it when the new year rolled around, as this is part of the silly mysteries of the previous year.
2. Behind the Crimson Blind - Carter Dickson (M)
3. The Dollhouse - Fiona Davis (F) *
4. Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day - Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (NF)
5. Casting Off - Nicole R. Dickson (F) *
- This had me researching Gansey sweaters, and if I had more time, I would probably have tried knitting one.
6. The Mortal Word - Genevieve Cogman (F) 88
- This is part of the Invisible Library series which I love. It's just plain, good fun.
7. The Storyteller's Beads - Jane Kurtz (YA - F - RA) **
-Set in Ethiopia in the 1980's, it tells the story of a country that I knew little about. It is a pretty painful story, but told extremely well. We read it when we were learning about Ethiopia.
8. Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies that Heal - Rosalee De la Foret (NF)
9. Belleweather - Susanna Kearsley (F) *
10. Fodor's Travel: Amsterdam with the Best of the Netherlands (NF)
11. The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam - Chris Ewan (M)
12. Letters of a Woman Homesteader - Elinore Pruitt Stewart (NF)
-It sounded as though it had so much potential, but it was a slog. I'm not actually sure why I finished it.
13. The Good Master - Kate Seredy (YA-F-RA)
14. Incredible Wild Edibles: 36 Plants that can change your life - Samuel Thayer (NF)
15. My 'Dam Life: Three Years in Holland - Sean Condon (NF)
16. The Chaperone - Laura Moriarty (F) *
17. The Hidden Life of Trees: The Illustrated Edition - Peter Wohllebben (NF) *
18. The Wheel on the School - Meinderd DeJong (YA-F-RA) **
- One of my favorite read alouds. Buy it and read it to your children.
19. The Secret of Fiery Gorge - Wilson Gage (YA-F-RA)
20. The Clockmaker's Daughter - Kate Morton (F)
21. George H. Morris Teaches Beginners to Ride: A Clinic for Instructors, Parents, and Students - George Morris (NF)
-Useful even if George Morris is an ass.
22. The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan (YA-F)
-I am definitely not the target audience, and was reading for school-related things.
23. The Lost City of the Monkey God - Douglas Preston (NF) **
-One of those non-fiction books which read like fiction. Highly interesting.
24. Enter Three Witches - Caroline B. Cooney (YA-F-YA) **
-A highly unusual retelling of the MacBeth story. We all loved it.
25. The Keeper of Lost Things - Ruth Hogan (F) *
26. Early Riser - Jasper Fforde (F)*
- Not my favorite Jasper Fforde book, but entertaining and unusual as always.
27. The Blue - Nancy Bilyeau (F)
28. Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better - Brandt Hansen (NF) **
- I blogged about this book.
29. The Golden Tresses of the Dead - Alan Bradley (M) *
- The most recent Flavia de Luce mystery.
30. The Library Book - Susan Orlean (NF) *
- Interesting, though a big slow in parts.
31. Blessed are the Misfits - Brandt Hansen (NF) **
- I may like this one better than his first (#28)
32. In the Market for Murder - TE Kinsey (M)
- The fact that I cannot remember a single thing about this book without looking it up should probably tell you something.
33. Death in a White Tie - Ngaio Marsh (M) *
- If you like mysteries, take a look at this one. I was engrossed by it, but then again, it is Ngaio Marsh.
34. Pigeon Post - Arthur Ransome (YA-F-RA) *
- Part of the Swallow and Amazons series. It's not my favorite, but it's still good.
35. The Man Who Planted Trees: A Story of Lost Groves, the Science of Trees, and a Plan to Save the Planet - Jim Robbins (NF) *
- Interesting, in a depressing sort of way.
36. Needles and Pearls - Gil McNeil (F)
37. The Bronte Plot - Katherine Reay (F)
38. Craftfulness: Mend Yourself by Making Things - Rosemary Davidson and Arzu Tahsin (NF)
39. Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook - Aimee Buckner (NF) **
- Highly recommended for teachers, homeschooling and othewise.
40. Chasing Vermeer - Blue Balliett (YA-F-RA)
41. The Summer Before the War - Helen Simonson (F)
- Parts were interesting, but parts were very slow going indeed.
42. The Jane Austen Project - Katherine A. Flynn (F)
- Time travel for historical purposes is done so much better by Connie Willis.
43. The Lost Girls of Paris - Pam Jenoff (F) *
44. Dear Mrs. Bird - A. J. Pierce (F)
45. Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Semple (F) **
- I didn't expect to like this, but ended up loving it very much despite it being something I wouldn't normally pick up.
46. We Didn't Mean to go to Sea - Arthur Ransome (YA-F-RA) **
- One of the Swallows and Amazons books, one of the best, in my opinion.
47. The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister (F)
48. Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement - Rich Karlgaard (NF) **
- I found this highly interesting.
49. Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness - Leslie Verner (NF) *
50. The Life Giving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming - Sally and Sarah Clarkson (NF)
51. The Egypt Game - Zilpha Keatley (YA-F-RA)
52. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis (F) **
- If you've never read anything by Connie Willis, you should. This was a re-read.
53. A Better Man - Louise Penny (M) **
- The most recent Inspector Gamache book. Start the series if you haven't yet.
54. The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek - Kim Michele Richardson (F)
- I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it, either. I still can't put my finger on why.
55. The Year of Living Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling - Quinn Cummings (NF)
- I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. I picked it up in the library on a whim, and expected to read a chapter or so and put it down. I read the whole thing. Pretty amusing if you've every homeschooled.
56. The Golden Goblet - Eloise Jarvis McGraw (YA-F-RA) *
57. Momento Mori - Ruth Downie (M) *
- The latest of the Medicus series, which I recommend.
58. Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield (F) **
- One of my favorite books of the year. A richly told story.
59. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto - Michael Pollan (NF) **
- I truly think everyone should read this. Extremely interesting. You won't look at your plate the same way again.
60. The Brain's Way of Healing; Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity - Norman Doidge (NF) *
- If you are interested in brain stuff, this is your book. The brain is weird. Fascinating, but weird.
61. The Judge Hunter - Christopher Buckley (F) *
62. The Secret Life of Violet Grant - Beatriz Williams (F)
63. The Candy Cane Caper - Josi S. Kilpack (M)
64. Christmas Cake Murder - Joanne Fluke (M)
- This book and the one before it were because I was looking for something light and Christmasy. Well, I don't think I can do poorly written mysteries anymore. Neither of these were well-written, and this one was just plain bad.
65. The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey (F) **
- I loved this. It's a beautiful story, beautifully told.
66. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors - Sonali Dev (F) **
- I didn't expect to love this, but I did. I'm not sure I even know why, but spent nearly all of one day of vacation finishing it. I think I was just in the mood for a good story with a happy ending. Be sure to have Indian food on hand if you read it.
And actually, as I was sitting here, tediously creating links, I was staring at the bookcase in front of me, I read 67 books, because I forgot one. One that was sitting there on that bookcase. So,
67. The Apothecary's House - Adrian Matthews *
-This is one of several books set in Amsterdam which I read in preparation for our trip last spring. How does one forget to record a 700 page book?
The other reason behind the lower total is R. For much of last year J. and I were getting very little sleep. Since I do most of my reading at bedtime, if I am exhausted then I'll read one page and be asleep. Reading a book one page at a time is pretty slow going. And those were the nights where we actually got to sit in bed and read. Even this was not a given for quite a bit of 2019.
There were also 13 books which I started and decided not to finish. This number, that of books started but set aside, grows higher each year. I think I have less and less patience to spend precious reading time on a book I don't like.
Without further ado, here is my list. A couple of notes about abbreviations. After each book I will list its genre... M = mystery, F = fiction, NF = non-fiction, YA = written for young adults, RA = read aloud. I will add * or ** after books I particularly enjoyed and recommend. The single asterisk is for books which I enjoyed, but they weren't quite A+ books. If you can get them from your library, then by all means, check them out. the double asterisks are for A+ books. They are worth buying in order to read. Obviously, the amount of these books will be rather small in any given year.
Oh, one more thing. I will link to each title through my Amazon Associates account. This means if you click through to see the book and you end up buying it through that link, I receive a very small percentage of the sale. Very small, but greatly appreciated. I also have linked to any blog posts which I have written about any of these books.
Ready? Here we go.
1. And Then You Dye - Monica Ferris (M)
- I must have been in the middle of it when the new year rolled around, as this is part of the silly mysteries of the previous year.
2. Behind the Crimson Blind - Carter Dickson (M)
3. The Dollhouse - Fiona Davis (F) *
4. Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day - Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (NF)
5. Casting Off - Nicole R. Dickson (F) *
- This had me researching Gansey sweaters, and if I had more time, I would probably have tried knitting one.
6. The Mortal Word - Genevieve Cogman (F) 88
- This is part of the Invisible Library series which I love. It's just plain, good fun.
7. The Storyteller's Beads - Jane Kurtz (YA - F - RA) **
-Set in Ethiopia in the 1980's, it tells the story of a country that I knew little about. It is a pretty painful story, but told extremely well. We read it when we were learning about Ethiopia.
8. Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies that Heal - Rosalee De la Foret (NF)
9. Belleweather - Susanna Kearsley (F) *
10. Fodor's Travel: Amsterdam with the Best of the Netherlands (NF)
11. The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam - Chris Ewan (M)
12. Letters of a Woman Homesteader - Elinore Pruitt Stewart (NF)
-It sounded as though it had so much potential, but it was a slog. I'm not actually sure why I finished it.
13. The Good Master - Kate Seredy (YA-F-RA)
14. Incredible Wild Edibles: 36 Plants that can change your life - Samuel Thayer (NF)
15. My 'Dam Life: Three Years in Holland - Sean Condon (NF)
16. The Chaperone - Laura Moriarty (F) *
17. The Hidden Life of Trees: The Illustrated Edition - Peter Wohllebben (NF) *
18. The Wheel on the School - Meinderd DeJong (YA-F-RA) **
- One of my favorite read alouds. Buy it and read it to your children.
19. The Secret of Fiery Gorge - Wilson Gage (YA-F-RA)
20. The Clockmaker's Daughter - Kate Morton (F)
21. George H. Morris Teaches Beginners to Ride: A Clinic for Instructors, Parents, and Students - George Morris (NF)
-Useful even if George Morris is an ass.
22. The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan (YA-F)
-I am definitely not the target audience, and was reading for school-related things.
23. The Lost City of the Monkey God - Douglas Preston (NF) **
-One of those non-fiction books which read like fiction. Highly interesting.
24. Enter Three Witches - Caroline B. Cooney (YA-F-YA) **
-A highly unusual retelling of the MacBeth story. We all loved it.
25. The Keeper of Lost Things - Ruth Hogan (F) *
26. Early Riser - Jasper Fforde (F)*
- Not my favorite Jasper Fforde book, but entertaining and unusual as always.
27. The Blue - Nancy Bilyeau (F)
28. Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better - Brandt Hansen (NF) **
- I blogged about this book.
29. The Golden Tresses of the Dead - Alan Bradley (M) *
- The most recent Flavia de Luce mystery.
30. The Library Book - Susan Orlean (NF) *
- Interesting, though a big slow in parts.
31. Blessed are the Misfits - Brandt Hansen (NF) **
- I may like this one better than his first (#28)
32. In the Market for Murder - TE Kinsey (M)
- The fact that I cannot remember a single thing about this book without looking it up should probably tell you something.
33. Death in a White Tie - Ngaio Marsh (M) *
- If you like mysteries, take a look at this one. I was engrossed by it, but then again, it is Ngaio Marsh.
34. Pigeon Post - Arthur Ransome (YA-F-RA) *
- Part of the Swallow and Amazons series. It's not my favorite, but it's still good.
35. The Man Who Planted Trees: A Story of Lost Groves, the Science of Trees, and a Plan to Save the Planet - Jim Robbins (NF) *
- Interesting, in a depressing sort of way.
36. Needles and Pearls - Gil McNeil (F)
37. The Bronte Plot - Katherine Reay (F)
38. Craftfulness: Mend Yourself by Making Things - Rosemary Davidson and Arzu Tahsin (NF)
39. Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook - Aimee Buckner (NF) **
- Highly recommended for teachers, homeschooling and othewise.
40. Chasing Vermeer - Blue Balliett (YA-F-RA)
41. The Summer Before the War - Helen Simonson (F)
- Parts were interesting, but parts were very slow going indeed.
42. The Jane Austen Project - Katherine A. Flynn (F)
- Time travel for historical purposes is done so much better by Connie Willis.
43. The Lost Girls of Paris - Pam Jenoff (F) *
44. Dear Mrs. Bird - A. J. Pierce (F)
45. Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Semple (F) **
- I didn't expect to like this, but ended up loving it very much despite it being something I wouldn't normally pick up.
46. We Didn't Mean to go to Sea - Arthur Ransome (YA-F-RA) **
- One of the Swallows and Amazons books, one of the best, in my opinion.
47. The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister (F)
48. Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement - Rich Karlgaard (NF) **
- I found this highly interesting.
49. Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness - Leslie Verner (NF) *
50. The Life Giving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming - Sally and Sarah Clarkson (NF)
51. The Egypt Game - Zilpha Keatley (YA-F-RA)
52. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis (F) **
- If you've never read anything by Connie Willis, you should. This was a re-read.
53. A Better Man - Louise Penny (M) **
- The most recent Inspector Gamache book. Start the series if you haven't yet.
54. The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek - Kim Michele Richardson (F)
- I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it, either. I still can't put my finger on why.
55. The Year of Living Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling - Quinn Cummings (NF)
- I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. I picked it up in the library on a whim, and expected to read a chapter or so and put it down. I read the whole thing. Pretty amusing if you've every homeschooled.
56. The Golden Goblet - Eloise Jarvis McGraw (YA-F-RA) *
57. Momento Mori - Ruth Downie (M) *
- The latest of the Medicus series, which I recommend.
58. Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield (F) **
- One of my favorite books of the year. A richly told story.
59. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto - Michael Pollan (NF) **
- I truly think everyone should read this. Extremely interesting. You won't look at your plate the same way again.
60. The Brain's Way of Healing; Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity - Norman Doidge (NF) *
- If you are interested in brain stuff, this is your book. The brain is weird. Fascinating, but weird.
61. The Judge Hunter - Christopher Buckley (F) *
62. The Secret Life of Violet Grant - Beatriz Williams (F)
63. The Candy Cane Caper - Josi S. Kilpack (M)
64. Christmas Cake Murder - Joanne Fluke (M)
- This book and the one before it were because I was looking for something light and Christmasy. Well, I don't think I can do poorly written mysteries anymore. Neither of these were well-written, and this one was just plain bad.
65. The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey (F) **
- I loved this. It's a beautiful story, beautifully told.
66. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors - Sonali Dev (F) **
- I didn't expect to love this, but I did. I'm not sure I even know why, but spent nearly all of one day of vacation finishing it. I think I was just in the mood for a good story with a happy ending. Be sure to have Indian food on hand if you read it.
And actually, as I was sitting here, tediously creating links, I was staring at the bookcase in front of me, I read 67 books, because I forgot one. One that was sitting there on that bookcase. So,
67. The Apothecary's House - Adrian Matthews *
-This is one of several books set in Amsterdam which I read in preparation for our trip last spring. How does one forget to record a 700 page book?
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