2019 Book Recommendations

I read 120 books in 2019. This was surprising given that my previous all-time high of 117 had been during a year where I was on sabbatical and then had a flexible consulting gig that I held down while I traveled the world. Apparently having steady work hours, a comfy couch, and a supportive partner are just as conducive to reading as hours on buses, dorm beds, and unilateral freedom.

My favorite reads of 2019 are below, organized into non-fiction, heavier fiction, lighter fiction, and thrillers. Even if you don’t normally like thrillers, check out that section for my favorite of the whole year. I also threw in a couple more at the bottom that I loved but that didn’t make the best-of-the-best cut.

Best Non-Fiction

A Good Provider is One Who Leaves by Jason DeParle — This book is a look into worldwide migration that spans three decades. It follows one Filipino family from Manila through work experiences in several countries, ending in Texas. While it details what overseas work brought to and took from the family, it also delves into the push and pull factors of migration around the world. This one was captivating and I didn’t want to put it down.

The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis — This one I did want to put down, if only because it provides so much grisly detail about the failure to launch that happened at the beginning of the Trump administration. This well-researched book lays out the lack of transition planning and execution through the lenses of the US Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, and the US Department of Energy. The details in the book are even scarier than you can imagine, but it did leave me feeling moderately comforted about the numerous civil servants working for the federal government doing their best to keep things on the rails.

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy — You know that there is a massive opioid crisis in the United States, and that it has hit rural America and the Rust Belt particularly hard, but why did it happen? This book explains the absolutely flagrant targeting that took place by Purdue Pharma to distribute as many opioids as possible to regions facing job loss and poverty. It also profiles those addicted to opioids and their families, as well as the counselors, law enforcement officers, doctors, and others doing their best to fight addiction their communities.

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing — This is one book everyone might have read already, but I finally got around to it. Although I do felt like this dragged a little in places, I was totally fascinated by the author’s description of the daring group who set out to reach the South Pole in 1914. If you want to be reminded that you live a life of mediocracy and comfort, and that some among us have absolutely insatiable drives to do unimaginable things and ovaries of steel, please pick up this book.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand — A battle for open-ocean survival, fighting sharks, and enduring prisoner-of-war camps. I feel like a lot of US WWII history lessons focus on the Eastern Front, so I really appreciated this in-depth, gripping story about a group of US soldiers who crashed into the Pacific in 1943. I love books that keep me enthralled with a great storyline but also teach me a lot, and Unbroken was definitely that.

Best Memoirs/Biographies

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado —I’ve never read a book like this book. It has a totally unique narrative structure that takes you through the high highs and low lows of the author’s abusive relationship. You’ll feel like you are there with her as she falls in love and as the cycle of domestic violence plays out over and over. I appreciate that this book wrestles with the topic of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the LGBTQ community. Although IPV in LGBTQ relationships is quite prevalent, it doesn’t fit neatly into the common narratives of domestic violence. I found the ending of this book particularly satisfying.

Becoming by Michelle Obama — This is another I’m probably the last one in the world to read, but that library queue was loooooong. My mom listened to this one on audiobook and several times texted me that she was crying in the car because of the stories Michelle was telling. I appreciated that this was not a book about Barack — there are plenty of those. This is really about what shaped her into the dynamic woman she is, and how she fought to hold on to herself while the man she married was working in the White House.

The Only Girl in the World by Maude Julien — A dark memoir about a young girl, Maude, who grew up incredibly isolated (really, imprisoned) on a French farm. Her father believed she was destined for greatness and put her through ever more horrific tests of mental and physical strength and endurance. Devoid of affection and love from her father and her mother, who her father had adopted as a child, Maude plots to escape the hell she lives in. This was a very hard book to read but it’s also a fascinating story about an incredibly brave and extraordinary woman.

Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigations of a Lifetime by Ron Stallworth — This book would have benefitted from a stronger editing hand, as the writing is not the strongest. However, I thought that the storyline about a black police officer working undercover to bring down racist groups in Colorado in the 1970s was an important read for our time, since white power groups are seeing a scary resurgence. Ron’s bravery and sense of humor in the face of serious adversity is uplifting.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot — I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to reading this book, which tells the story of the cells that were stolen from a poor Black women that went on to change the face of medical research. While I feel like the book dragged a bit, I was impressed with the author’s research and tenacity to chase the story, and my mind was pretty blown by what I learned.

Best Heavier Fiction

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker — This is the Me Too novel we need. While this book probably portrays the extreme end of sexual assault and harassment in offices, it also clearly highlights some of the very common experiences of women in the workplace. The cast of characters are really well-developed and you root for them all despite their flaws. Men, please pick this one up.

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane — Two policemen end up living side by side with their families. They each have a young child, and they grow up together and fall in love. The story delves into the macro- and micro-dramas of the two families over a period of decades, with a focus on mental health issues. A sense of foreboding hangs over this one. It’s a dark story about what happens to us in childhood and the impacts those things can have far into the future.

Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks — Absolutely listen to this book of heartwarming and creative short stories by Tom Hanks, narrated by the author on audiobook. This book feels good for the soul. Thank me later.

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir — This was the first book I read in 2019, but it stuck with me. Remember the Duggars? This book follows Essie, the 17 year old daughter of an evangelical reality TV show family headed by a mega-church preacher dad. When Essie becomes pregnant, the family, and the show’s producers have to deal with the reality behind the picture-perfect piety of the family. This one gets dark, but you will cheer for the inimitable Essie all the way.

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering — This book. If you’ve ever been drawn into a relationship with someone who was not good for you, yet you couldn’t stay away, you’ll relate to Tell me Lies. A college girl meets a college boy and their toxic push and pull lasts through their move to New York post-graduation. Uncomfortably realistic, I couldn’t put it down.

Best Lighter Fiction

Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston — Fluff at its very best. This is a story about the son of the US President and the Prince of Wales falling in love. This book essentially plays out in a world where Hillary Clinton won the 2016 election, so it’s fun on many levels.

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid — This is essentially the movie Almost Famous in book form, so what’s not to like? In the late 1960s, a Janis Joplin-esque singer is paired up with a band by her record label to lift both their profiles, and sex, drug, and rock’n’roll chaos ensues. The writing takes some getting used to, as it’s in oral history form, sort of like a script. However, it’s a good rollercoaster ride and another one with a great ending. I also really enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by the same author.

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker — I love a good post-apocalyptic novel, and this one is almost that. It’s set in a college town in present-day California, where a strange hyper-contagious illness begins in the dorms and takes over the town. The people who get sick fall asleep and stay asleep. They show heightened levels of brain activity, but no one knows what they’re dreaming about. The book follows several people as they fight to stay awake, as well as the government’s attempts to contain the spread. It’s is written in a dream-like fashion that matches the content, and isn’t as unsettling as most contagion/apocalyptic novels.

American Royals by Katharine McGee — Weirdly, another book about royalty, which is not usually my thing. This young adult book imagines an alternate reality where George Washington became king of “America” and the country is ruled by sovereigns in present-day. It provides little pieces of historical context that illustrate how the country would have been different under crown rule, and focuses on the dramas and adventures of the royal children and their friends. Really juicy and fun, and the first of a yet-to-be-released series.

Best Thrillers/Mysteries

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips — My favorite book of the year. It’s hard to even categorize this one as a thriller or a mystery because it’s such a beautiful piece of writing. The book starts out with the kidnapping of two young girls in Kamchatka (familiar to anyone who has played Risk) in the far east of Russia. The book unfolds from there, with each chapter a sequential month from a different viewpoint of someone who lives in the community. I felt like I learned a lot about this remote part of the world from the book, and the way each chapter was intertwined yet totally unique and unexpected just had me hook, line, and sinker.

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite — A darkly funny, satirical book about a young woman who kills her boyfriends, and the sister who helps her cover it up. I loved the setting in Nigeria and the relationship between the sisters. This one is truly weird and wonderful.

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva — I absolutely thrived on the set-up of this book. Contestants on a reality show are sent into the woods, cut off from society, to face a series of challenges. While they are there, society starts to break down, but the cast members believe that it’s all a part of the show. What’s real, and how do we let TV manipulate us? Great for my fellow post-apocalyptic fans.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware — A woman receives an invite to the bachelorette party of a former friend she hasn’t talked to in ten years. It takes place at a remote cabin in the woods. For some reason, she still goes. This book is not a tour de force, and the female characters are laughably juvenile and catty for grown women. However, I stayed up late to tear through this one and would recommend it when you want a quick and slightly unsettling read.

The Others

Other books that really caught my attention in 2019 are:

• Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America by Tommy Tomlinson
• The Valedictorian of Being Dead: The True Story of Dying Ten Times to Live by Heather Armstrong
• The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin
• Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness
• The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld
• Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
• Normal People by Sally Rooney
• Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxanne Gay
• Rough Magic: Riding the World’s Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-Palmer