MY FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2019.
It’s that time of year again when I start getting very sentimental, nostalgic and wanting to wrap the year up in photo albums and favourites lists. I love having ways of being able to look back over the year and in the future being able to remember what my highlights were, how I spent my time & what I managed to achieve. I thought I’d use this post as a small way to recap on 2019 by sharing with you my favourite reads of the year because there has been some standout books and some new all time favourites–
The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls
Something I read early on in the year and something that has stuck with me ever since, The Glass Castle, is not only one of my top reads of the year, it’s also become one of my all time favourites. I often reach for memoirs, I love being able to have insight on different life experiences and having that insight straight from the person who lived through it really interests me– The Glass Castle is a completely absorbing memoir that took me right into Walls’ childhood & into all of the different settings that made up her childhood– the vivid way the Walls writes her story made it such a compelling read that I haven’t been able to get out of mind since I first read it and I can’t wait to revisit it again soon.
The Starless Sea, Erin Morgenstern
The Starless Sea was my most anticipated release of the year and it definitely lived up to expectations– as The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern’s first novel) is my favourite book I was really looking forward to seeing something new from my favourite author but there was definitely a part of me that was worried I’d be comparing the two books. As soon I started reading I knew there’d be no problem! The Starless Sea is everything and nothing like The Night Circus– it’s whimsical and mysterious and so beautifully written but has it’s own unique vibe which is unlike anything I’ve ever read before– I never wanted to put it down– no question one of my favourite reads of the year.
One of the most interesting and insightful memoirs I’ve read, I had to include it in this list of my favourite books– in Becoming, Michelle Obama takes us through from her childhood growing up in Chicago to her time in the White House and there was not one chapter that wasn’t facsinating and funny and inspirational and heartwarming. If you have the chance to listen to it on audiobook then I would 100% recommend it, it added so much more to my experience reading this book.
The People in the Trees, Hanya Yanagihara
Hanya Yanagihara became one of my favourite authors a couple of years ago when I first read A Little Life so I was really looking to picking up her debut novel– The People in the Trees. As with A Little Life, Yanagihara’s way of crating and developing a story is unlike anything else I’ve read & the characters she writes aren’t always likeable or relatable but the way she writes them is so complex it just adds so much to how compelling the story is. The People in the Trees is a hard book to sum up in just a few words but it’s a story of morality and immortality and what happens when cultures collide– I think it’s one of those books that works best not knowing what to expect when going into it. After reading this back in the summer there was no doubt that this was going to be one of my favourites of the year and that Hanya Yanagihara is for sure one of my favourite authors.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong
The book on this list that I read most recently and a contender for most beautifully written– On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous– was one that I’d heard a lot of hype around and for good reason– it’s raw and honest in the way it touches on issues such as race, war, masculinity and familial relationships. It was a story that I found it hard to drag myself away from, it’s lyrical prose has such a captivating quality that can almost feel dreamlike. I love a book you can be totally absorbed in and the Ocean Vuong’s storytelling is just genius, I’m very excited to see what he writes next.
I would love to hear all about what you enjoyed reading this year and what your favourite books of 2019 are so feel free to tell me all about them below– I’m always looking for recommendations. If you want to keep up to date with the things I’m reading or what my reading goal is for 2020 then make sure to follow along on Goodreads. I hope you all have a lovely start to the new year!