What are the BEST BOOKS you've read in 2019?

[hermetic]

This is a traditional thread for you to use to list the most outstanding books you read during the year of 2019. They don't have to be books that were published in 2019, just whatever books you've read in 2019 that strike you as particularly noteworthy - the kind of book that will stick in your mind for a long time to come.

[woodsprite]

1. Last night the whole family read "Goodnight Trump" after dinner.

I think that will be my favorite of 2019, even after another 363 days.

In real books, I just started "The Tattooist of Auschwitz".

Picked it up on holiday. We shop when it rains so we had ample time to browse, plus we tend to frequent book stores both used and new. Never get out of one without spending $100 or more for the 4 of us.

[japple]

3. I really liked "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" but that was last year!

[Ohiogal]

2. My favorites were

“A Gentleman In Moscow” by Amor Towles
and
“Watership Down” by Richard Adams

[japple]

4. OMG, Watership Down is a favorite of my from eons ago...

a perennial favorite. I have A Gentlemen in Moscow on my list, too.

[pscot]

5. All The Light We Cannot See

stands out. The Ill-Made Knight by Christian Cameron, for fans of epic, medieval violence, was an exciting read.

[mainstreetonce]

6. An American Marriage

So good I want everyone I know to read it.

[Phentex]

13. I think it's one of our book club selections...

I got it for Christmas last year but haven't read it yet. Glad to know you liked it!

[Ohiya]

7. So far..

Last edited Sat Apr 6, 2019, 06:13 AM - Edit history (2)

The Witch Elm by Tana French
Gentleman from Moscow - Amor Townes
The Overstory - Richard Powers
Unsheltered - Barbara Kingsolver
Under the Midnight Sun - Keigo Higashino

[hostalover]

8. A Man Called Ove--absolutely delightful. It's a library book, but it's going on my

birthday list so that i may reread it at my leisure!!

[hermetic]

9. Absolutely

That is such a delightful tale.

[Ohiya]

10. The movie was also good.

[japple]

11. Over the Plain Houses by Julia Franks

http://southernlitreview.com/?s=Julia+Franks

This is one of the most beautiful, satisfying books I have read in a long, long time.

[More_Cowbell]

12. I really liked The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Published in the UK as the 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea, going back and forth among perspectives and jumping back and forth in time. But I thought it was fascinating.

It reminded me a bit of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, a book that was similarly polarizing.

I read a lot, like 3 books a week, mostly mysteries and SF/fantasy. It's not often that I read a book that is wholly new in its execution.

[lounge_jam]

14. Zadie Smith and Gregory Mankiw

I'd pick the following:

1. Swing Time by Zadie Smith
A truly contemporary work, yet deeply rooted in the British novelistic tradition, which makes this a remarkable novel. I doubt if there is another deep and accurate novel about the "here and now," the zeitgeist. Smith has also made it clear that she'd like to take the novel form forward by keeping it deeply rooted in the way things are today. Not many writers are attempting that. It is thrilling to read a record of the everyday.

2. Principles of Macroeconomics by Gregory Mankiw
This is not fiction, but I have really enjoyed reading this so far. I began a couple of months back and haven't finished it yet; but it still makes it to my list. It is informative and accessible, and gives great ideas.

[japple]

15. Colson Whitehead's book, The Nickel Boys

The Nickel Boys." IMHO, this man is one of the best American writers working today.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/20/colson-whitehead-reality-is-kids-shot-by-racist-cops
The Nickel Boys, like many novels about black American history, is a horror story, grotesque and gothic. Set in the 60s, it follows Elwood Curtis – young and idealistic – as he works diligently under the watch of his strict grandmother to win admission to a local college, only to have that future wrenched away from him because of an innocent mistake. He’s whisked away to the “Nickel Academy” where he does his best to resist being brutalised and hatches an escape plan with his cynical pal, Turner.

You can compare this case to what happened in Catholic orphanages or in aboriginal camps,” Whitehead observes. “Any place where you have corrupt, malevolent authority figures who can exert their will on the innocent and powerless, then you’re going to have this: the school as a plantation.” The ease with which these metaphors connect slavery to the present day is, he believes, very telling. “In terms of institutional racism and segregation and white law enforcement attitude towards black people: you can say something from 1850 is true for now.

[yellowdogintexas]

16. I define best as books which stay with me for a while

I read a LOT. I have difficulty falling asleep at night and often curl up in bed with my Kindle and a cat or two and read until I fall asleep.

Storm Over Paris William Ian Grubman A great tale about the Nazi Occupation of Paris, an art dealer and his gifted artist son, and a magnificent story about swindling Hitler and Goering out of the art with some clever actions and help from minor characters.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky Mark Sullivan Another great WWII story set in Milan. A reluctant young man becomes a smuggler of Jews and other refugees across the Alps. He is recruited by the Americans to infiltrate the occupation. It is a nail biter and it is based on true events.

The Snow Gypsy Lindsay Jane Ashford. This one is set during the Spanish Civil War and is set in a fairly isolated village. Rosa (English) searching for her brother who was lost in action in Spain, Lola (Spanish Gypsy) rescues a baby from the arms of her dying mother, witnesses the massacre of her own family and flees, swearing to never return..until a plea for help from a stranger prompts her return.
Rose, Lola, and the child set out on a journey from the wild marshes of the Camargue to the dazzling peaks of Spain’s ancient mountain communities. As they come face-to-face with war’s darkest truths, their lives will be changed forever by memories, secrets, and friendship. This book stayed with me for weeks.

Marigny Street Annie Rose Welch Another first in series book. This was a lyrically written story, set in one of my favorite locales: New Orleans. Dreams, some enchanting, some shattered, and some healing, a chance encounter with a movie star... It is a lovely book, and I am looking forward to the succeeding novels.

There are several series that I follow which involve various lost treasures of the ancients, secrets in the Vatican, lots of Templar lore, Mary Magdalene and more. The best part is that each of the authors has a different take on the same item. Ernest Dempsey, J Robert Kennedy and David S Brody. These are all lots of fun with some really great characters.

I have been in and out of Malcolm Nance's second book but it scares me so I have to put it down for a while

[sueh]

17. I really enjoyed The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. I couldn't put it down!

https://www.lisasee.com/books-new/the-island-of-sea-women/

THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN offers up an evocative tale of two best friends whose bonds are both strengthened and tested over decades by forces beyond their control. Set largely on the remote Korean island of Jeju, THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN follows Young-sook and Mi-ja, girls from strikingly different backgrounds who bond over their shared love of the sea. Working in their village’s all-female diving collective, the two friends come of age in a community where gender roles are anything but typical. Here, women are the primary breadwinners, the heads of household in all but name, and yet, as Mi-ja and Young-sook come to realize, there are limits to their control that can prove devastating.

[japple]

18. The Overstory by Richard Powers was one of the best books I've ever read.

I think it is a very important piece of writing about the environment and modern culture and how the two are entertwined.