Top 19 Books of 2019

As we begin to wrap up our year of 2019, here's my rundown of the best 19 of '19, in no particular order. Almost all of the selections on this list received a five star rating from me. Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments!

Mystery

Liz Moore's "Long Bright River," although it has a release date of January 2020, has been chosen and is shipping out in December for members of the Book of the Month Club as an early release. You'll want to get your hands on this one as soon as possible. This novel tells the story of sibling relationships and opioid addiction against the background of Philadelphia, exploring themes of addiction, corruption, justice, and familial ties. Moore outdoes herself here. This novel is almost 500 pages, but you will never find yourself wishing it was shorter. This one may be a little like cheating, but I can't wait any longer to sing its praises!



Thriller

"The Silent Patient" is a thriller you may have heard about earlier this year. Michaelides' narrative centers around a psychiatrist seeking out a high-profile patient. The narrator desires to give therapy to a famous painter who murdered her husband. This thriller is a wild ride to say the least and there's no way you'll see the ending coming. So good that I read it all in one sitting. Make sure you clear your day calendar for this one!






Literary Fiction

This novel felt like a mix of "Big Little Lies" and "The Escape Room" (featured lower on this list). This novel merges a murder mystery and the essence of the #metoo movement. Social commentary on the experience of women, in the workplace and in daily life, is a theme throughout the novel. Any woman reading the experiences of these characters will feel seen. Compelling and so important as a widely read narrative of this year.






True Crime

"American Predator" was the true crime book of the year. Why didn't anyone tell me to move it to the top of my TBR as soon as it was released? Who knows, but they should have! It is compelling and will scare the pants off of you. Murders with no rhyme or reason, committed completely randomly, will have you looking behind you in dark parking lots. Read this one right now. If this doesn't win Goodreads' Nonfiction Category award this year, I will riot.






Horror

Mona Awad's "Bunny" is a genre bending novel that is horror and satire rolled all into one. Awad creates an experimental horror novel that takes allegory to a whole new level. This isn't for everyone and there is quite a bit of animal harm in the novel if this is a trigger for you. However, the experience of saying "what in the hell am I reading?" a bunch is worth the ride. The critique of academia found in this novel is so brutally honest and anyone remotely near the world of academia should pick this one up.





Thriller

If you're looking for a mindless, exciting read, look no further than Adrian McKinty's "The Chain." Upon release, this novel gained more buzz than I could have ever imagined. If you have children, this one will definitely scare the pants off you. This thriller follows a game, where parents have their children abducted and are inducted into "The Chain," where they must abduct a child for their own to be released. You can see how antics might ensue. This one will have your blood racing and your fingers bleeding from how fast you're turning those pages.




Literary Fiction

This highly anticipated sequel to "The Handmaid's Tale" is, dare I say it, BETTER than the original. Told in alternating viewpoints, these female narrators are kickass. You will definitely want to reread the original before diving into this one, as characters do overlap. This book was stylistically so different from any other Atwood that I've tried to read. I've wanted to be an Atwood fan but have always found her prose overly "intelligent" in the past. With this novel, I can finally be her biggest fan. She is reaching a wider audience with the style and prose and it is the best Atwood I've ever read.




Horror

This horror novel is more on the literary side of life. You may have already guessed it - the narrator's sister is a serial killer. This novel is dark, yet sprinkled with laugh out loud moments. Intensity builds and this short read will have you powering through the find out how it ends. The pacing is perfect and Braithwaite deserves all the accolades thrown her way.







Horror

In the most amazing horror short story collection I've ever read, Evenson brings the creep factor. Some of these stories will have you thinking about them months later. Check out "Born Stillborn" to get a good feeling about what this collection brings to the table. Evenson utilizes literary language and devices to create stories that linger with you, not only because of the creep factor, but for something much deeper, much more psychological. Each story is so dynamic, touching on human nature and the depth of the soul.





Thriller

"The Escape Room" is a ride through the high-rolling lives of investment bankers with a mystery tied right in. You'll want to cancel all your plans, because once you start reading this one, you won't stop. A group of investment bankers are called to an elevator escape room. They will quickly learn that it isn't really an escape room, but rather a revenge ploy.







Literary Fiction

As you can read at https://wanderingsofaliterarycolor.blogspot.com/2019/07/review-maurice-carlos-ruffin-is-genius.html, this novel is a genius racial satire published at precisely the right time in United States history. Ruffin gives us the story of an African-American father who will do anything to have his son "demelanized." Chaos ensues.






Poetry

Fixating on our obsessions with true crime, victims, and the possession of women's bodies, Gatwood is just absolutely phenomenal. This may even be the best book of poetry I've ever read.

"Maybe I am tired / of hearing people talk about the murder / of girls like it is both beautiful / and out of the ordinary."






Literary Fiction

This literary masterpiece follows women in a recovery facility, facing their eating disorders. This novel is arresting and heartbreaking. It is not overly emotional, but finds a way to be just the right amount. I cannot praise this novel more. This should be required reading, especially in this time of hate speech and non-belief in mental illness. I have never read a more compelling, intense, and accurate view of eating disorders and the support systems behind recovery.





Thriller

Riley Sager dominates the month of July every year he releases a new thriller. 2019 was no different. Following "Final Girls" and "The Last Time I Lied," "Lock Every Door" is a thriller for those already hooked. If you haven't checked out Sager, start with his debut novel and work your way from there. It is worth it to read them in order, as I feel the first is the absolute best. Sager never fails to give me a twisty ride where I'm always guessing where the truth lies.





Non-Fiction

Taddeo weaves together the stories of three women, exposing their sexual lives, which aren't always the prettiest. Taddeo keeps the names in Maggie's narrative true to real life. As a reader, I enjoyed this as I could look up the court case and read about it after finishing the book. These women's stories are resounding and important for Taddeo to put out in the open like this. Justice for Maggie.






Historical Fiction

This historical fiction novel follows a fictional band in interview style, asking each member about their history. The characters become so real and the dynamics between the group members are palpable. I am not a historical fiction reader, but this novel is a home run. Daisy especially is such a character that the reader will follow her anywhere, just as her fans would.







Literary Fiction 

This is not your typical sci-fi dystopian novel. It is much more literary than that. This novel is a slow burn and the journey of a town through an unexplainable tragedy. You won't get too connected to any of the characters and there are many. You'll only be experiencing the sickness as others do. The ride is quite worth the effort you have to put in to hang on. There isn't much plot, but stick with it for the slow burn.






Science Fiction

I can't write a "best of" list without including Blake Crouch. Crouch is the master of sci-fi in my book. He does it again and again, this time with a twisty, turny thriller of epic proportions. The concepts that this man can think of are insane to say the least. I can't say much without spoiling it, but I was very lucky to have read this one ahead of its release this past year.







Non-Fiction

For the lover of all things psychiatry, psychology, and mental illness, this non-fiction book explores the history of how we perceive mental illness. Cahalan, the author of "Brain on Fire," a previous yearly bestseller, really does her research for this one. You'll feel smarter after the first page.