2019 in Books
In 2016, I set a goal to read 100 books. I have no clue if I reached that goal because I didn’t keep a list of the books I read. In 2017, I started keeping an annual reading list, accompanied by short reviews, on my website. Thankfully, I’ve kept up that habit— and I have read more than 100 books each year.
I didn’t get off to a strong start in 2019, so I don’t have the exact dates for some of the early reads.
I’m adding this to my website in 2024, so I’ve lightly edited some of my commentary from 2019.
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
finished February 1, 2019
The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm by Christopher Paolini
finished February 2, 2019
The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne
finished February 2, 2019
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
finished February 9, 2019
Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce
This book is yellow and the title is spelled out in typewriter keys, so of course it caught my eye in the bookstore. It was a very good story about World War II and women and journalism and friendship.
finished February 14, 2019
The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
I stayed in the World War II era for this really good historical fiction novel about the widows of men who had attempted to assassinate Hitler.
finished February 16, 2019
Clear Springs by Bobbie Ann Mason
This memoir by a Kentuckian was wonderful. This copy of my book is autographed by Bobbie Ann Mason, with a really sweet note about her also being a former Kernel staffer.
finished February 18, 2019
Maggie, A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane
I read this book for my political science class about social and political movements. It’s a very short novella about the conditions of the working class in the twentieth century.
finished February 19, 2019
Allegiance by Gurney Norman
I currently have Gurney Norman as a professor, and I’m also working on a project about him for one of my journalism classes. We were talking last week about the project when he told me to take an advanced copy of his book that’s about to come out, read it and get some ideas, then bring it back in a couple of weeks. So I got to read Gurney’s very good new book before it’s even officially out.
finished February 20, 2019
George’s Mother by Stephen Crane
This was another novella I read for my political science class.
finished March 4, 2019
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
I’ll always remember this book as one of the first big books I read in 1st grade. I hadn’t reread it in many years, so I recently did.
finished March 9, 2019
Shadow Me by Tahereh Mafi
This novella was from the perspective of one of the best characters in this series. It was so good, and I have so many questions. Thank goodness the next book comes out in less than a month.
finished March 10, 2019
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
I reread this modern-day adaption of Sherlock Holmes to prepare for the fourth and final book in the series, which just came out.
finished March 10, 2019
The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro
finished March 11, 2019
The Case for Jamie by Brittany Cavallaro
finished March 12, 2019
A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro
finished March 13, 2019
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
I actually really liked this book, though I had to read it for a class. What I don’t love is that it’s currently 2:12 a.m. and I’ve read 200+ pages of it today because I have a project due on it in two days.
finished March 19, 2019
Personal History by Katharine Graham
I reread Katharine Graham’s autobiography for a class project about her. One of my favorite books.
finished March 25, 2019
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
I adore everything that this author ever writes.
The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore
I loved this book! It was very informational but also very easy to read. It was all about the creation of the Wonder Woman comic book character, which intersected with women’s suffrage movements and other cool things in the 20th century.
Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi
This was definitely a set-up book– the fifth in a six-book series. But, just like everything Tahereh Mafi writes, it was very, very good.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
finished April 9, 2019
Brilliant Bylines by Barbara Belford
This was an anthology of important female journalists throughout history. I read it for a research paper for my history of journalism class, and I really enjoyed it.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
finished May 3, 2019
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
finished May 6, 2019
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
finished May 7, 2019
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
finished May 8, 2019
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
This book was excellent. It was such a fun read– written in letters, which is cool because my friend and I wrote a book in letters in middle school.
finished May 9, 2019
Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? by Tina Cassidy
I really enjoyed learning more about Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, and the fight for women’s suffrage in the United States.
finished May 10, 2019
The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman
This is a delightful little novella by a man who is quickly becoming one of my very favorite authors.
finished May 10, 2019
And Every Morning, The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
If you need convincing that you should take the time to read every word that Fredrik Backman has ever written, read this wonderful novella and you’ll be convinced. He is such a beautiful craftsman of words.
finished May 10, 2019
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
This is a really excellent novel.
finished May 11, 2019
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham
This is a really good and informative survey of some of the most pivotal moments and movements in United States history. It’s also very hopeful– a good reminder that no matter how dire things may seem, there are people who are trying to better the nation and world.
finished May 15, 2019
The Little Red Chairs by Edna O’Brien
I liked this book, but it wasn’t my favorite. It was a little weird. But I enjoy reading more of Edna O’Brien’s stuff because I studied her while in Ireland last summer.
finished May 22, 2019
Florida by Lauren Groff
Short story collections are not typically my cup of tea, but I did enjoy this book. I was most excited that I purchased it from Book-A-Million for only $6.50 because it was a used book– but in perfect condition.
finished May 23, 2019
The Swamp by Michael Grunwald
This book took me FOREVER to read. I read it because I wanted to get some background on Florida before starting my internship at a Florida newspaper. Parts of it were interesting, and parts of it were really not. Now I desperately need to read a good novel.
finished May 31, 2019
The Only Woman in the Room by Heather Terrell
I really enjoyed reading this book about a woman who endured and accomplished a lot in her lifetime. I always enjoy historical fiction that allows me to learn.
finished June 2, 2019
The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason
This was a really good book about World War II, written by a Kentucky writer that I’ve gotten to meet a couple of times.
finished June 4, 2019
Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
Though this book did not come close to how much I love The Book Thief, one of Zusak’s other book, this book is brilliant as well. I’m amazed by people who artfully break the rules of traditional fiction writing.
finished June 7, 2019
Promise Me, Dad by Joe Biden
I enjoyed this sad book about Vice President Biden’s loss of his son to cancer. It made me realize how little I paid attention to current events in high school because I don’t remember the death of his son nor many of the political things he mentions in his book.
finished June 8, 2019
Bringing Down the Colonel by Patricia Miller
This was a really interesting book about the Breckinridge family and about the gendered double standard of promiscuity in the 1800s. It’s always fun to read about important people from the Bluegrass.
finished June 9, 2019
Southernmost by Silas House
This was a really thought-provoking novel, written by a Kentuckian.
finished June 10, 2019
Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer
Don’t read this book unless you have enough money in your bank account to leave immediately after finishing on an adventure.
finished June 11, 2019
The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kieman
I bought this book in Knoxville a few months ago because Oak Ridge is very close to Knoxville. I enjoyed this book, but it’s not one of my favorite historic books I’ve read.
finished June 16, 2019
The Firm by John Grisham
I read this in one night. I think I finished it very early in the morning before I went to sleep. Mysteries are really fun to binge read.
finished June 17, 2019
Divergent by Veronica Roth
I hadn’t reread this in a long time, so I wanted to revisit the series.
finished June 20, 2019
American Lion by Jon Meacham
Again, I enjoyed this book, but it’s not my new favorite biography or anything. It is nice to read about an era of American history that I’m not very familiar with.
finished June 22, 2019
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
This is the second book I’ve read of hers, and she is very, very good at making you care in people’s ordinary lives. Her writing about daily life is gripping, almost like it’s a mystery.
finished June 23, 2019
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
The beautiful cover art on this book has made me want to read it for a while. I finally picked it up at an awesome secondhand bookstore in Jacksonville, and it is an excellent novel.
finished June 24, 2019
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
finished June 25, 2019
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
finished June 26, 2019
Harry Potter, A History of Magic: A Journey Through Charms & Defense Against the Dark Arts
This is a short novella that gives more background information about two subjects that Harry Potter and other Hogwarts students learn in school. While all of the information was pretty interesting, my favorite part was the sketches and original notes of J.K. Rowling’s from when she was working on the books.
finished June 27, 2019
Harry Potter, A History of Magic: A Journey Through Potions & Herbology
finished June 28, 2019
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
I eagerly buy books by Irish authors ever since I visited Ireland. This was a really good novel. Now I need to watch the movie, which stars Lady Bird herself.
finished June 30, 2019
The Brethren by John Grisham
My parents love all of Grisham’s legal thrillers, and there are a lot lying around my grandparents’ house, so I’ve been reading them. I love getting into a long novel and reading it very quickly.
finished July 2, 2019
The Huntress by Kate Quinn
I cannot overemphasize how much I loved this book. Probably the best book I’ve read in 2019. Absolutely brilliant. It’s a World War II historical fiction novel, but it’s unlike any other World War II historical fiction novel I’ve read.
finished July 4, 2019
Gray Mountain by John Grisham
I was really enjoying this book, and then it just… ended. Maybe he’s setting up for a sequel? I don’t know. It was really good, but I wanted more.
finished July 7, 2019
Ali by Jonathan Eig
I figured it was time for me to finally learn more about one of the most famous Kentuckians of all time. This is an excellent biography; it reads like a novel. I admire Ali for a lot of things, but I also learned while reading that he was a pretty terrible person for at least the early part of his life/career.
finished July 12, 2019
Gone Too Long by Lori Roy
Gram, Pop and I went to Lori Roy’s book signing at The Bookmark in Neptune Beach, which I really enjoyed. This was a good mystery read.
finished July 13, 2019
Strange Alchemy by Gwenda Bond
I checked several of Bond’s books out from the library because I realized she’s a young adult author who lives in Lexington. I really enjoyed this retelling of the Roanoke colony legend.
finished July 14, 2019
Autumn by Ali Smith
This is a weird but compelling novel.
finished July 16, 2019
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
I’ve been meaning to read this forever. I enjoyed it, though from dramatic commercials for the TV show, I was expecting more drama. I’m sure the TV show has gone beyond what’s in the book. I did enjoy the book.
finished July 19, 2019
Fallout by Gwenda Bond
This is a young adult novel about Lois Lane– written by an author who lives in Lexington! I enjoyed this series so far and still need to get the third one.
finished July 20, 2019
Double Down by Gwenda Bond
finished July 21, 2019
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
I decided to reread this, which is quite the undertaking, and I didn’t read as much as normal in the last couple weeks. It was honestly good to slow down with this book, but it’s very satisfying to be done with it now.
finished August 9, 2019
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I’ve been hearing about this novel all summer, and I finally read it– it one day, basically. It was a really, really good novel.
finished August 10, 2019
Lassoing the Sun by Mark Woods
This memoir was written by a columnist at the Florida Times-Union, where I interned this summer. It’s about visiting about 12 national parks over the course of a year, and about losing his mom during that time. It’s very good.
finished August 14, 2019
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
I’ve been meaning to read this book, and I want to watch the show on HBO, too. I read this in one night because it’s the kind of mystery that you binge read.
finished August 14, 2019
The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
I picked this up for a couple dollars at a discount book store, and it was really good. It’s a mystery and a love story and links together present day (well, the ’90s) and Shakespeare’s time.
finished August 15, 2019
The President Is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton
I didn’t really like this book. I’ve been wanting to read it for a while, and I finally checked out the ebook from my library. I’m glad I didn’t buy it because I would’ve been mad. Maybe it’s because I read it more sporadically on my phone, but it just didn’t pique my interest. It read more like a political statement– which wouldn’t be a bad thing if the plot held up, but I don’t think it did.
finished August 20, 2019
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
This has been my favorite movie for more than half my life and one of my favorite books since I finally read it several years ago. It’s on my yearly reread list just like Harry Potter.
finished August 21, 2019
Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi
I’ve already read this book once this year, but it was way earlier this year. This series is always fun to revisit, and I just wanted a quick, fun novel to read this week.
finished August 22, 2019
Becoming by Michelle Obama
I really enjoyed this memoir. I’ve read so much about past presidents and first ladies, so it was really, really interesting to hear the story of a modern-day first lady.
finished August 24, 2019
Let Me Die in His Footsteps by Lori Roy
When I met Lori Roy, she told me that she wrote a book set in Kentucky. It was a good novel, though the complexity of the characters was more interesting than the mystery plot itself.
finished August 30, 2019
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
This had been on my grandma’s reading list on her fridge for a long time, so after she read it, I read it. It’s a really good novel about family.
finished August 31, 2019
In Pieces by Sally Field
I really enjoy reading memoirs written by people in the television and movie industry. This was a really good book, also with lots about mother-daughter relationship.
finished September 6, 2019
The Professor’s House by Willa Cather
I read this book for my 1920s American literature class. This is probably one of my favorite “old” novels I’ve read for a class.
finished September 10, 2019
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
I also read this book for my 1920s American literature class. It lost me for a little bit in the middle, but I really enjoyed it.
finished September 24, 2019
The Carrying by Ada Limon
I just read this book of poems in one sitting. I adore Ada Limon.
finished September 24, 2019
The Girls by Emma Cline
This novel was inspired by the Manson murders. It was a good read.
finished who knows when
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
This was an excellent, excellent book. Chanel Miller is a victim of sexual assault, but she is also a writer and a doodler and an amazing person. Throughout the whole trial, she was anonymous, but she decided to tell her whole story to the public.
finished October 1, 2019
The Tyrant’s Tomb by Rick Riordan
This is part of Riordan’s most recent Percy Jackson spin-off. A 8-year-old boy was buying it the same time I was buying it– on the day it was released. But so was another girl around my age, so I’m not the only who got hooked when I was in elementary school and keeps coming back for every new book.
finished sometime in early October, I’m getting worse at this
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
I read this book in one day– it was an ebook on my phone, so I could read it throughout the day, such as when I was eating dinner but couldn’t stop reading on my phone. It was a really good mystery.
finished October 5, 2019
Reveal Me by Tahereh Mafi
This was another novella in the Shatter Me series, and it was really good. I’m so ready for book six to come out in March– but not really, because then the series is over.
finished October 8, 2019
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I haven’t read this book since high school, but how could my 1920s American literature professor not require us to read this book?
finished October 9, 2019
The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan
This was a good biography of an Irishman who also fought in the American Civil War. I really enjoyed it.
finished October 12, 2019
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
This was a very good novel that did not follow the narrative structure rules, and it was better for it. The story was told all out of order, but perfectly.
finished October 18, 2019
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
This was an excellent novel. EXCELLENT. I finished it while sitting on the beach and said aloud to my friends, “That was SO good.” Then, a moment later, I said, “UGH.” They said, “It makes you mad that the book is good?” I said, “Yes, I wanna write a book this good!”
finished October 21, 2019
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
I met Tayari Jones a few weeks ago and had only read her most recent novel, so I read this one, which I really enjoyed. She also tells stories in a really interesting way.
finished October 24, 2019
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
I started rereading these when I was very stressed about my future (I still am, to be honest). Sometimes you just need to read something that comforts you and takes you back to childhood.
finished October 25, 2019
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
finished… I lost track
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
Cane by Jean Toomer
When I started rereading Harry Potter, my plan was that those 7 books would get me to 100 for the year. I forgot that I have an English class and I have to finish those books according to my professor’s schedule.
finished November 7, 2019
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
finished November 22, 2019
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
finished November 24, 2019
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
finished November 26, 2019
A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum
I enjoyed this novel about Palestinian immigrants to New York. Well, I don’t know if enjoyed is the right word, because the story was very sad and frustrating, but it was a good read.
finished November 27, 2019
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
This was the last book I read for my 1920s American literature class this semester. Although Faulkner is weird, I did enjoy this book. It helps that I discussed it with my class along the way.
finished December 5, 2019
Still Running by Nathaniel Northington
I’ve had this book since the spring, when I attended the screening of a documentary about the first black players in the SEC, who played for UK, and met Nathaniel Northington there. He was the very first black player to play in an SEC game, breaking the color barrier in the SEC. He was a very nice man to meet (plus he signed my copy of his book) and this was a good read. I’m proud that UK, while far from perfect in its racial history, was part of this historic event.
finished December 6, 2019
The Nix by Nathan Hill
I thought this was an excellent novel. I checked it out as an ebook from the library, and only after I was a few pages in did I notice it was almost 1300 pages (about 750 in print). But I read it on the bus, while waiting in lines, etc. so I read it really quickly. It was really good– and reminded me how good a book is when a writer can make a book about rather ordinary people interesting.
finished December 11, 2019
The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin
I enjoyed this novel. It’s about relationships between siblings and starts when they’re kids and goes through their deaths. It was really interesting to me because now that my siblings are all adults or teenagers, I’ve been thinking about what we’ll be like together in 10 years and so on.
finished December 18, 2019
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
This was a really good memoir. I’d heard about how good it was for ages and finally read it.
finished December 22, 2019
I am C3PO: The Inside Story by Anthony Daniels
This memoir by the man who played C3PO was an interesting read. It starts with a New Hope and goes all the way through Rise of Skywalker. I liked the inside look at the movie business but I got a little lost– this is more a book for hardcore fans who can recall very specific details from the movies.
finished December 20, 2019
The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
I really, really enjoyed this weird book about a weird family. But really, it was just about family.
finished December 30, 2019
These Truths by Jill Lepore
This was a really good, really long history of the United States. This is the second book I’ve read by Jill Lepore and I really like her writing style. This book offered a lot of insight into what contributed to the way American politics are today.
finished December 31, 2019
When We Were the Kennedys by Monica Wood
I read this book sometime last fall. I thought about it on Jan. 27, 2020 and realized it never made its way onto this list. I thought about it because today the whole country grieved Kobe Bryant, and experiencing collective guilt while also experiencing personal guilt is interesting. And that’s what this memoir is about: Wood’s father died when she was a child, very shortly before JFK died. Now I’m wondering how accurate this count is, since I likely have forgotten to add more books to this list. My organization was not great in 2019, I guess.