In 2019 I read twelve books and listened to the audiobooks of twelve more. This does not count the picture books I shared aloud with my students or read to my own children. These are books I read simply because I wanted to, because their premise intrigued me. Twenty-four books doesn’t sound like all that many. I know lots of people who read more. But, I did a few other things this year, as I’m sure you have. Reading, is not a contest, at least, not if you don’t want it to be.

Next year I’m challenging myself to spend less time on Facebook and more time reading. Not because the number twenty-four disappoints me, but because mindless scrolling isn’t improving the quality of my life and a book probably could. So, less phone, more books.

As I looked back over the list of my books read, (you can check out the entire list here) there isn’t one title that I was unhappy to revisit. They were all good books, but some, as they always do, rose to the top. Below you will see my favorites of the year and the impact they had on me. I’ve organized the titles in genre/age groups, but other than that, it is a random list. Rest assured, any book you pick from this list will be a good read, whether they are found at the top or the bottom.

Go on, read through the list and then pick out your favorite. Go find that gift card you just opened for Christmas and give yourself the gift of a great read. Also, feel free to drop the title of your favorite 2019 read in the comments! I’d love to add it to my 2020 pile of books to tackle.

Happy holidays and happy reading!

Amanda

The Word Nerd’s Favorite 2019 Reads*

(* Note, very few of these books actually came out in 2019, this is just the year I read them.)

Middle Grade

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise By Dan Gemeinhart

Middle grade is a sweet spot for me. I taught sixth grade for a decade and through that experience I learned that sixth graders live with one foot in childhood and the other in the realm of their upcoming teenage years. They hypothetically know a lot about the world but have yet to experience it for themselves. They have heard the words that label grown up situations and problems but are unable to fully understand them. (A lot of grown-ups still feel this way. I know I do sometimes!) Books for middle graders explore difficult topics in a way that is gentle, yet authentic. In this book Dan’s characters face death, divorce, abuse, identity, poverty and more. But at no point in time did I ever encounter words that were inappropriate for a twelve-year-old child. Honest, entertaining, heartfelt, curiosity-prodding… these are words I would use to describe this genre/age bracket and also this book. I openly wept at the end and didn’t regret a single tear. This story is so good. So good.

Young Adult

American Royals by Katharine McGee

What if George Washington had said yes when his soldiers asked him to be king? What if America was a monarchy? This is the premise of American Royals. In 2019, Beatrice Washington is set to become the first queen of America. Up until now, the first son of the King would be the new ruler, but before he died, her grandfather changed the rules. Now the first born, no matter their gender will be the next in line for the throne. Beatrice is well prepared, confident and a great candidate for the role of ruler. She will be a good Queen, maybe even a great one. But her parents and the country are convinced she is missing one thing. A husband, or at least, a fiancé. Everyone will feel better if she has a man by her side. This is where things get complicated. This book is YA in every sense. Romantic blunders, friendship trials, sibling rivalries, but it sets itself apart with it’s unique alternate historical past. Well known historic events, figures and speeches are slightly twisted to make this new reality realistic and I enjoyed those moments as much as I did the story of this soon-to-be Queen. Very entertaining, in many facets. I can’t wait for the sequel.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

Willow Dean Dixon’s town revolves around two things: high school football and the Texas Blue Bonnet Beauty Pageant. Her mother runs the later and for 6 months of every year her house, mother and life are inundated with sequins, crowns and choreography. Even though Willow Dean is confident, has a best friend and is happy with exactly who she is in life, she’s overweight, and no one considers Willow Dean pageant material. When her severely obese aunt dies, Willow Dean finds an old pageant registration form in her aunt’s belongings, and wonders at what her aunt’s life would have looked like if she hadn’t been afraid… if she hadn’t held herself back. Suddenly, doing the pageant seems like something worth doing. Without even really trying, Willow Dean gets three other “misfits” to join the pageant and together, they turn their little Texas town upside down, in all the best ways. I loved the way this book made me think about value, and what value we all have. If you are looking for a book about friendship, first love, first impressions, heartbreak, humor, or a book about someone who stands up for what they believe in, then this one’s for you.

P.S. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and for about two weeks had to consciously watch myself for slipping vowels. I loved the southern accent of the narrator, but an hour a day with her in my ear had my own Midwest accent fixin’ to disappear.

Adult Fiction

The Queen of the Tearling (series) by Erika Johansen

If you liked Game of Thrones (I mean, like if you actually read them) then this would be another great series for you. Instead of seven major story lines to keep straight however, you only have to manage three. When I first started reading this series, I thought it was taking place in the past. The characters were living in a feudalistic society and I felt certain I was reading about the middle ages. However, when I read further, I discovered, that no, it wasn’t in the past, it was the future. We had just screwed up everything so much, that we were back to horses and farming, paying tithes in harvest and in this story, humans. The Kingdom of the Tearling, owed one hundred humans to the Red Queen every month, and ten of them must be children. There was a lottery. Every month. It’s an awful picture to present readers right from the start, but it gives you so much to root for when Kelsea Glynn steps on the scene and wants to change it all. I could go further with my description of this book, talking about time travel and paranormal elements, but I fear they would only turn you off. It’s complicated, and it’s not. What you should know is this is a great story about the power of good and evil, and about the damage wrongs can do when no one will work to set them right. If you are looking for a series that is just a bit different that the norm, something that is part queen and castles, part secret societies and grand visions, part loyalty and honor… then give The Queen of the Tearling, The Invasion of the Tearling and The Fate of the Tearling a try.

Artemis by Andy Weir

Artemis is a city, the first city, on the moon. Artemis is glamorous. It is an expensive place to vacation and you have to be near royalty to be able to afford to live there. Visitors can visit historical sites such as the first moon landing location and even head out onto the surface of the moon for a spacewalk. There are casinos and hotels and luxury stores. But not everyone in Artemis is rich. It takes a whole lot of worker-bees to maintain the exquisite illusion of elegance, class and wealth. Enter Jasmine Bashara, a mail courier. Jasmine dreams of being rich. Not filthy rich, but well off enough to live in her own apartment with a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping space bigger than a coffin… which cost several pretty pennies in Artemis. When a job for a wealthy client comes up and with it an offer to make her wealthier than her wildest dreams, she can’t say no. And there’s where it all goes downhill. This book is intriguing, exciting and so much fun. A scientific Ocean’s 11 on the moon.

I’m very happy I listened to this book, because I think otherwise the scientific terminology would have been too much work to physically read. While listening, the technical descriptions were manageable… even if I didn’t understand them in theory, their intricate presence did not take away from the story. (I know my family members who are engineers would even say that their factual capabilities would even add to the story… but I can see how, for some, they might detract as well… so be warned.)

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner

This newest book by this beloved author may be her best. Society places a lot of pressure on women… to be and do it all, for everyone, but rarely for themselves. This book follows to sisters, Jo and Beth, and their attempts to meet the demands society and their family places on them. They follow two very different and difficult paths, but always manage to stick together. Mrs. Everything starts in the 1950’s and travels forward until the 2016 Presidential election.

“As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after? ”

— Book Blurb

I really enjoyed this book and the sisters in it. I think that readers who like historical fiction and/or women’s studies topics will find all sorts of things to like about this book.

Adult NonFiction

The Lost City of the Monkey Gods By Douglas Preston

This book explains what happens when you take a modern-day Indiana Jones styled foray into the thick jungles of Honduras with scientists, archaeologists (one of my first career aspirations!), military personnel and a few local guides. I was fascinated by the planning and scope of this holy grail quest to find a legendary lost city as well as the explanation to why its people abandoned it. The answer both horrified me and blew my mind. A MUST READ.

Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

I poetically waxed on with all sorts of caffeinated enthusiasm about this book in a March blog post, but the down and dirty version of my love for this book is this: getting shit done feels good. Dreaming big and working to achieve those dreams is amazing and hard and fulfilling and draining. It often earns you praise, but sometimes it forces you to be the target of confusion and guilt… and while sometimes those emotions come from yourself, sometimes they come from other people who don’t understand what you are trying to do. This book is a pep-talk, from a great friend or mentor, telling you to hang in there, to keep fighting. This book tells you it is okay to dream the life you want, and you should not feel ashamed for going to get it. I needed to hear those sentiments and that’s why Rachel Hollis’ most recent book made my top ten list this year.

Writing

Hope in the Mail by Wendenlin Van Draanen

It is actually a bit of a teaser to put this book on the list because it doesn’t actually publish until 2020. But never fear, on January 14th you can have your very own copy of this insightful writing advice book by one of my favorite authors. Stay tuned for an in-depth review. I’ll post it on my blog during release week and then once you’ve read my glowing praise, you can rush to pick up a copy. If you are afraid you’ll forget (or are exceptionally excited – you should be!) you can pre-order it now.

Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living Edited by Manjula Martin

I’ve been at this writing thing awhile now, but there is still so much I do not know. Scratch was an education in the ways of the writing world that don’t appear in craft books or online advice… at least not often, and definitely not as candidly from such reputable sources. Through the essays in this book I learned the actual amount of big time contract advances, I learned about the debt that often comes with making the decision to earn and MFA, I learned about the grit and guts and often poverty level way of living it takes for some writers to MAKE IT.

“Scratch honestly addresses the tensions between writing and money, work and life, literature and commerce. The result is an entertaining and inspiring book that helps readers and writers understand what it’s really like to make art in a world that runs on money—and why it matters.”

— Book Blurb

I would highly recommend that any writer, no matter their stage in the game, read this book as a way to ground themselves in the reality of this business, because make no mistake, it is a business. You don’t have to agree or want to follow the path of any author within its pages, but at least, you will know the paths some writers have taken and the destinations at which they have arrived as a result. Then, you can make your own decisions. I found this book invaluable. It was one of few books I checked out from the library, and most likely, I’ll end up purchasing a copy for myself so that in a few years when I read it again, I can mark it up they way I wished I could have with my borrowed copy.

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