Best Books So Far in 2019

Everyone is has done one of these posts. So here I am with mine. 😛 I enjoy reading them and have gotten recommendations from a few, so I hope you all will get as much out of mine too. 🙂

These are the books I’ve read in the first half of the year and have given the highest ratings. I’ll start at January and work my way to July. Rereads are not included.

Not all are my favorites, but I’ll indicate which are as I go along.

City of Dragons by Robin Hobb

★★★★☆ 1/2

Summary: An epic fantasy story, City of Dragons is the third and shortest book in the Rain Wild Chronicles in which we follow the dragons and their outcast caretakers as they seek the fabled city of Kelsingra.

Why I like it: I loved it for the development we get in the plot and characters. And that’s all I’ll say because this is third book so anything else would be a spoiler.

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy

★★★★★

Summary: A nonfiction book that focuses on the opioid crisis in the U.S. Macy discusses how it began, how it was allowed to grow, and the actions being taken to help those affected.

Why I like it: I listened to the audio book, which is narrated by the author, and found it easy to follow, which was amazing to me because I was still adjusting to the format at the time. The book is very informative and the subject is timely. I also like how it’s written because it was easy to digest. This is one of my FAVORITES of the year so far.

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

★★★★☆ 1/2

Summary: A nonfiction book about Elizabeth Holmes, founder and former CEO of Theranos, a Silicon Valley healthcare startup. With her company, Holmes claimed to have created a machine that would revolutionize how blood is tested. However, the machine never worked, a fact she failed to share with those who invested in her company.

Why I like it: This was such a thrilling read! I didn’t expect that because it’s nonfiction, but some crazy shit happened at the company, especially the extreme lengths it went to prevent former workers for talking about its operations. I was gripped the entire time I read and could hardly put the book down. This is one of my FAVORITES of the year so far.

The Little Red Wolf by Amélie Fléchais (illus.)

★★★★☆ 1/2

Summary: An illustrated children’s book that’s inspired by Little Red Riding Hood.

Why I like it: The Little Red Wolf is such a sweet and charming read. I loved the protagonist, loved the twist in the plot, and loved the illustrations, which are beautiful. This is one of my FAVORITES of the year so far.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

★★★★★

Summary: A historical fiction novel with a touch of magical realism that’s based on the Russian fairy tale.

Why I like it: The prose is beautiful and the setting is breathtaking because of it. Now I’d like to visit Alaska.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

★★★★☆ 1/2

Summary: A sci-fi novella narrated by an android who’s sent to an uninhabited planet to protect a group of scientists who are there to conduct surface tests.

Why I like it: The protagonist’s personality kept me hooked and made me complete the story in a day. All Murderbot, the protagonist, wants to do is to be left alone to watch TV shows all day.

Middle Passage by Charles Johnson

★★★★★

Summary: A historical fiction novel with a touch of fantasy that’s set in the U.S. in 1830 and is about a former slave named Rutherford Calhoun, who boards a ship headed to Africa to purchase slaves so that he can escape his debtor and a woman intent on marrying him.

Why I like it: It was a quick read, but it tackles important topics about slavery and the plight of Africans in the Americas. I liked the protagonist’s personality, which made reading his observations quite fun, and the writing. This is one of my FAVORITES of the year so far.

Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro

★★★★★

Summary: A middle-grade horror novel about a girl who moves to an old house with her father and older brother for the summer so that her father can fix a cuckoo clock there. The story is more creepy in certain places than scary.

Why I like it: I didn’t expect to enjoy this one as much as I did, but the story kept me curious about how it would all end, and at the end, it made me wonder what the next book would be about. I also liked the magical creatures (the good ones) and liked the menacing woods that surround the house and slowly creeps closer to it.

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

★★★★★

Summary: The second novel in a middle-grade fantasy series about a girl who everyone thinks is cursed but when taken to a different world, she learns she’s special, but dangerous.

Why I like it: I loved this installment because the world expands in it. We experience more of Nevermoor, which made it more appealing to me. This is one of my FAVORITES of the year so far.

Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda

★★★★★

Summary: The second volume in a high fantasy comic book series about a girl trying to learn more about her mother and the monster inside her.

Why I like it: The story is still interesting and entertaining to me, and I like how the plot progresses in this one. It made me more curious about the world. And, of course, I love the illustrations. This is one of my FAVORITES of the year so far.

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

★★★★★

Summary: A self-help book about how to work toward achieving your goals.

Why I like it: I listened to the audio book, which is narrated by the author, and found it very inspiring and uplifting. I completed it quickly because I couldn’t stop listening and immediately went out and bought the book.

That’s all my best reads for now.

Let me know below what’s your top 2 best reads so far.

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