The Stranger Beside Me – Ann Rule
Kicked off 2019 with this bulky paperback book about Ann Rule’s friendship with Ted Bundy, and a fairly comprehensive retelling of Bundy’s crimes.
And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready – Meaghan O’Connell
The latest in “parenting isn’t easy and here’s why” feminist literature. A much-preferred wave of self-help books coming closely behind the “to be a perfect mom, you gotta use Pinterest” fad.
The Princess Diarist – Carrie Fisher
You’ll have a hard time reading this memoir in any voice but hers. Worth a read for any fan of Star Wars, but well-read even if you have no backstory.
The Power – Naomi Alderman
Women now have great power, a greater power than men ever had. What are the societal and political ramifications?
“It doesn’t matter that she shouldn’t, that she never would. What matters is that she could, if she wanted. The power to hurt is a kind of wealth.”
Naomi Alderman
Circe – Madeline Miller
A retelling of Circe for fans of mythology or anyone who just wants to embrace a good story. My favorite audiobook of 2019.
Nine Perfect Strangers – Liana Moriarty
Fans of Big Little Lies will like this novel by the same author. Easy to read, quick-paced, with just the right air of mystery (albeit a bit more surface-level than other books of hers).
Heavy – Kiese Laymon
Continuing the memoir binge of 2019 with Kiese Laymon’s reflections of being black in a morally corrupt America. Strong personal narrative and story-telling.
The Man on the Mountaintop – Susan Trott
An Audible original that originally I listened to sporadically but I couldn’t get out of my head. A man at the top of the mountain, a holy man who gives wisdom. Each story provides a lesson.
The Manager’s Path – Camille Fournier
My favorite book about management/business in the last few years and when I finished reading it I realized it had been written by a woman which made it twice as sweet. A must-read for anyone in the tech industry.
“As you go through various stages of your career, you’ll start to realize how much uncertainty there is in the world. It’s a pretty universal truth that once you get the job you thought you wanted, the enjoyment eventually fades and you find yourself looking for something else. You think you want to work for that cool startup, and you get there only to find it’s a mess. You think you want to be a manager, only to discover that the job is hard and not rewarding in the ways you expected. In all of this uncertainty, the only person you can rely on to pull through it is yourself.”
Camille Fournier
Exit West – Mohsin Hamid
A love story during times of war that manages to both be sweet and dark without being overly saccharine.
The Myth of the Nice Girl: Achieving a Career You Love Without Becoming a Person You Hate – Fran Hauser
Another favorite business book of 2019 that, despite the somewhat questionable title, manages to stay away from being yet another live laugh love girl-boss! snore fest. Highly recommended.
“If you take a risk and it doesn’t go as planned, welcome to the club.”
Fran Hauser
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable – Patrick Lencioni
A leadership fable in which the CEO needs to step in and fix a broken team. Each piece of the story breaks down another dysfunction and the CEOs attempt to resolve.
“Trust is knowing that when a team member does push you, they’re doing it because they care about the team.”
Patrick Lencioni
Digital Minimalism – Cal Newport
I enjoyed this book about digital minimalism that advises ways to reduce the dependence on technology without being so preachy as to suggest that we should avoid it completely.
Still Just Kidding: A Collection of Art, Comics, and Musings – Cassandra Calin
A collection of comics from one of my favorite instagram-found artists, highly worth the cost of purchasing, a fun coffee table book, and inspiration for drawing.
The Good Girl – Mary Kubica
Continue your binge of murder mysteries with The Good Girl. Questionably OK, but I think I was thrown by the Audiobooks not-so-great rendition.
Spectra – Ashley Toliver
Poetry! Not easily summarized. A pretty read.
All Marketers are Liars – Seth Godin
I like reading Seth Godin and I liked this book. It’s a good introduction to marketing for those familiar or unfamiliar with how it works, and offers good advice for even those who want to better self-market themselves.
The New Rules of Pregnancy – Adrienne L. Simone
The second in my feminist pregnancy readings of 2019, curious but bridging a bit close to privileged white feminism as to be gently condescending.
Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life – Cleo Wade
Gen Z and fans of Rupi Kaur will enjoy this book. Quick-paced musings on living better.
Carrie – Stephen King
Slowly reading and re-reading my way through Stephen King, starting with Carrie. Hard to believe this book was pulled from the trash.
How to Become a Straight-A Student – Cal Newport
Trying other Cal Newport books after enjoying Digital Minimalism. This one didn’t hit straight on for me since I’m not in school, but would be good for someone just about to start college.
The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels – Michael D. Watkins
Another 2019 favorite in the business genre of navigating new challenges in your fresh career move – be it a promotion or a switch in industry. This book would benefit from yearly re-reads for reminders and adjustments.
Recursion – Blake Crouch
One of my favorite authors and favorite books of 2019. If you were a fan of his previous book, Dark Matter, you’ll like this book just the same if not more. Once you read this, head back and read Wayward Pines.
“Life with a cheat code isn’t life. Our existence isn’t something to be engineered or optimized for the avoidance of pain. That’s what it is to be human – the beauty and the pain, each meaningless without the other.”
Blake Crouch
The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Heather Morris
I put off reading this well-reviewed book for a while because it looked sad. Spoilers: it was sad. I like reading historical fiction (or non-fiction) about this period of history and if you do too, you’ll enjoy this story.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? – Maria Semple
Another book I put off reading, this time because it was too well liked. I got tired of hearing about it before I could even get a chance to read it. An enjoyable read with a fresh ending.
Domestic Girlfriend Vol. 1 – Kei Sasuga
Had to read this nutty graphic novel after watching a youtube review of it at a friend’s house. Hilarity and a back-door entry into graphic novel soap.
Gwendy’s Button Box – Richard Chizmar, Stephen King
A short and sweet novel I read on our honeymoon about a girl named Gwendy who gets a box, with a button. Those scared from Stephen King’s spookier novels will like this not-so-spooky-but-still-spooky shorty.
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
To prepare for seeing Margaret Atwood speak I blessed myself with a much belated first-time reading of The Handmaid’s Tale. No review necessary – it’s a classic!
The Testaments – Margaret Atwood
It was fun reading these books one after the other which not many people likely had the opportunity to do. I wish that I hadn’t seen the Hulu series in-between. The book is still a strong followup to the original, a hard feat.
The Institute – Stephen King
I threw my read-king-in-order plan to the wind to read The Institue. A solid 7/10 King. A solid and original storyline with a sprinkling of horror.
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know – Malcom Gladwell
A reflection of how we interact with people we don’t know with a few very pointed examples. The Audiobook version (which I listened to) contains actual audio samples which add to the experience.
American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time – Tracy K. Smith
Fifty contemporary poems to help you explore your latest and greatest favorite poets. Keep it by the bedside and read one per night.
Dunce – Mary Ruefle
Another new favorite, and a good place to dive in if you’re looking for poetry in the new year.
The Cabin at the End of the World – Paul Tremblay
Supremely creepy, well written, unique.
Imaginary Friend – Stephen Chbosky
Same as above. Supremely creepy, well written, unique. But I’ll top this off by saying this may be my favorite book of 2019. I had to stop at multiple points throughout the book and remind myself I wasn’t reading a Stephen King / Joe Hill mashup. The premise is fresh and the writing (character development and plot) drive you through this thick book. Fans of horror should add this as a must read.
