It may come as no surprise to anyone who’s known me for longer than 30 seconds that I am incredibly picky. I mean when it comes to books, of course.
I tend not to give a whole ton of five stars in a year, because … well, I’m terribly hard to please. To me, a five-star book is one that I’d be more than happy to read again, and I’m not a re-reader, so it has to really impress me in some way or other.
I’ve read so many books this year that there were bound to be a decent number of 5-star reads, so I thought, hey, everyone keeps throwing their favorite reads onto my TBR, why shouldn’t I return the favor?
Don’t mind that sound. It’s just your TBR, weeping in the corner. You’re welcome. Rest assured, mine’s right there with it. We, um, probably shouldn’t leave them there too long. Whole “chance to plot an uprising” thing, you know?
Disclaimer: not all of these books were published in 2019. I just happened to read them in 2019.
And since I live in a cave under a rock in the middle of nowhere, sometimes that means I’m wildly behind on reading books I should’ve read years ago. You’ll have to forgive me. I didn’t know any better.
This week’s Top Ten Seventeen Tuesday is favorite books I read in 2019. I decided to go with not necessarily my favorites (I hate having to choose favorites), but ones I gave five stars to.
Which happened to be exactly seventeen books, so we just threw that “Top Ten” part of it right out the window. Oh, look at it go. Fly away, little number. Be freeee.
Nevernight Chronicles
✿ Badass assassins in training, doing what assassins do.
✿ Animals made out of shadows (which, let’s be honest, is easier that way)
✿ TRIC. Just … Tric.
✿ Lead female who kicks ass and doesn’t care enough to take your name.
✿ Large, intricate plot that keeps you guessing.
✿ Enough sarcasm to overdose on. But in a good way.
✿ Will destroy your feels until you’re a husk of a human with a tattered, withered soul and you forget what it feels like to see the sun.
The Ghost Collector
✿ So. Many. Freaking. Emotions.
✿ Wonderful mid-grade about loss and healing.
✿ Based on Cree beliefs.
✿ Touches on deeper topics like culture vs. assimilation.
✿ Super cute story of a girl who collects ghosts like Pokemon.
✿ Ghosts come in all different forms. Sometimes furry!
Steel Crow Saga
✿ Fullmetal Pokemist or, if you prefer, Pokemon meets Avatar: the Last Airbender.
✿ Totally conflicted world trying to piece itself together after a devastating war.
✿ Oh, the banter! The sarcasm! The verbal confrontations!
✿ F/F romance with two strong women who should just realize already they were made for each other and accept it.
✿ Super sweet, but also kinda weird, brother/sister bond.
✿ Soulpacting with animals! Which is the coolest form of Pokemon, if I do say so myself.
The Illuminae Files
✿ AIDAN, your friendly local homicidal AI, but now with feelings.
✿ Twists and turns that you’ll never see coming.
✿ Dramatic teenagers being just that, but also sarcastic, because they’re professionals.
✿ A large cast that it’s impossible not to fall in love with.
✿ Super unique formatting that really brings the book to life.
✿ Full cast audiobook that’s really engaging.
Rebel of the Sands
✿ Strong female lead who doesn’t have time for y’all’s misogyny, thanks.
✿ DJINN! I will read any book with djinn, and so should you.
✿ Lots of really unique powers.
✿ Massive war with pretty major stakes and no holds barred.
✿ Sweet romance between two equals who clearly care about each other.
✿ But she will punch you if you get in her way again, dude.
The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind
✿ That title. Definitely that title.
✿ Non-stop action, sarcasm, attitude, and explosions.
✿ Super fun reluctant hero who doesn’t want any part of this mess.
✿ Lots of humor and wit.
✿ Cool powers that I’m totally not jealous that I don’t have.
✿ ADULT SUPERHERO-ISH BOOK. Why aren’t there more of these?!
Things My Son Needs to Know about the World
✿ 100% true horror story of a man being held hostage by a small, noisy creature.
✿ I suppose also called parenting, but it doesn’t have the same ring.
✿ You should read everything by Fredrik Backman. He’s worth it.
✿ Personal, but also relatable, because parental suffering is mostly universal.
✿ Hilarious narrative that’ll sometimes catch you off-guard with emotions, until you don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Maybe both.
The Night Tiger
✿ Historical fiction based on Chinese/Malaysian mythology and lore.
✿ Magical realism murder mystery.
✿ Has a weretiger. How cool is that?
✿ Sort of surreal and open-ended, so you have to draw your own conclusions on the more magical aspects.
✿ Dark, spooky atmosphere where no one is safe.
Gideon the Ninth
✿ Lesbian necromancers in space.
✿ Gideon is made up of 80% sarcasm, 5% off-colored humor, 5% saltiness in general, 5% general malice towards other sentient things, 3% pure innate sword skill, 1% mystery, and 1% dirty magazines.
✿ Enemies forced to work together is one of my favorite tropes.
✿ Massive murder mystery where everyone is fair game and you never know who’s next.
✿ Incredibly high stakes. Go big or go home. Ha, just kidding. Going home isn’t an option. It’s like cake or death … but we’re out of cake.
A Monster Calls
✿ No, it’s fine, I didn’t need my heart anyway. I wasn’t using it. Sure, just brush it under the heel of your boot.
✿ A monster book like no other. There are multiple monsters in this, and they take different forms.
✿ A lesson, a warning, and maybe a little emotional healing, all wrapped into one.
✿ Beautifully written book on an ugly, difficult topic.
The Toll
✿ Something would have had to go horribly wrong for this book not to have made this list.
✿ I’ve only shouted about this series 23438532 times. Are you even listening?
✿ Oh, you know, teenager founds an entire religion, like you do.
✿ Goddard tries to take over the world, like he does.
✿ Honestly, just go read it, okay?
Nevermoor
✿ Next generation of Harry Potter, but with less plot holes and more whimsy.
✿ Incredibly fun magical world that has a dangerous, scary underbelly that is all too easy to stumble into.
✿ Large variety of powers and abilities.
✿ Something sinister is definitely going on here, and I intend to find out what it is.
✿ Jupiter North. That’s enough of a reason to read this series.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
✿ Definitely didn’t think I’d enjoy this book as much as I did.
✿ Two super sweet teenagers who deserve the world and instead get each other. Meh, close enough.
✿ Dante is the teenager I wish I had been, made from fluff and stuff.
✿ Aristotle is probably closer to the mouthy, confused teenager I was.
✿ Dante’s parents are the parents I want to be.
✿ Wow, this book just reminds me of all my shortcomings.
The Library of the Unwritten
✿ Tough, no-nonsense librarians playing the hero.
✿ Making all of us librarians look good.
✿ Yet another conflict between Heaven and Hell … with a slight twist.
✿ Turns the idea of good and evil on its head.
✿ Forbidden books! The best kinds of books.
✿ Books coming to life, which wow, is terrifying, but also kind of cool.
The Boy With the Butterfly Mind
✿ ADHD rep! Oh my gosh, I feel so seen.
✿ Really touching story of a broken family and found family.
✿ Kids being kids which is so freaking frustrating.
✿ But okay, they’re also kinda cute and sweet and what are these feels?!
Marrow Charm
✿ Barely existing underworld meets dystopian overworld … but with magic.
✿ These creatures are so freaking creepy, and it’s super cool.
✿ Humans didn’t destroy the world for a change! Magic did.
✿ But … I mean … it’s kind of a fair trade for magic …
✿ More depth and darkness than I expected.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely
✿ The sort of damsel in distress we deserve.
✿ You know, the sort who hits their kidnappers with a crowbar.
✿ Strong female protagonist who just happens to have cerebral palsy.
✿ Obviously not going to let that slow her down.
✿ Much darker than the original and I freaking love it.
✿ Beauty & Beast retelling that flips the original on its head.
ive read one book off your list the ghost collector and feel the EXACT SAME WAY. it was absolutely stunning.
I feel like our taste is the same and I hate you because I have to add so many of these to my tbr especially the girl who could move sh*t with her mind. THAT TITLE GODDAMN. it draws me. fantastic post sammie.
I’m glad you liked it, too. <3 It was a really random find on NG for me, and I'm so thankful I gave it a try!
Muahaha did you not read the opening? I WARNED YOU. You're welcome. 😛
I agree with so many of these! I love the Rebel of the Sands series and Nevermoor. I can’t wait for book three! I also have only read Scythe, but there is a long wait list at the library.
Yeeees, it’s coming soon! I’m loving the covers for it, too, so far.
Wait lists are the bane of my existence at this point.
Awesome list, Sammie! And of course I see several books on this list that I am kicking myself for not reading yet, like A Curse so Dark and Lonely and The Library of the Unwritten. I wish I could read faster!!
Ugh, tell me about it. I did some blog hopping this morning and had to stop because now I have FOMO hard. I need speed reading like Reed from Criminal Minds, please and thank you lol.
Love this list! I need to read Nevernight SO BADLY it’s ridiculous. So many of these books were on/will now be added to my TBR, so thanks for that hahaha. Happy reading!
Muahaha, you’re welcome! My supervillain power is making people’s TBRs magically multiply until they’re smothered under its weight. It’s a very effective strategy for taking over the world. 😉
Hahaha effective 😂 I’m not sure my TBR needed any help, but your strategy is working 😂
Marrow Charm and The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind both sound excellent! *adds them to her to-read list*
Also you referenced Eddie Izzard! Yay!
I’m so glad you got the Eddie Izzard reference! You’re clearly my sort of people. <3
I hope you enjoy them when you get a chance to read them!
Many, MANY of these are already on my TBR. So at least I don’t have to cry too much about the added weight of new TBR books. 😉 I’m really hoping to get to Illuminae and/or The Night Tiger in 2020. Happy New Year!
I feel like we read a lot of similar books, so our TBRs are probably kindred angry spirits at this point. xD I cannot stress how much I recommend reading Illuminae next year. 😛 Don’t be like me and put it off just because haha.
Kindred Angry TBR Spirits. I like it. 😀
I’ve been told that Illuminae works best as a physical book, so I’ll have to make a point of looking for it next time I’m in a bookstore.
Yes, I definitely recommend reading Illuminae as a physical book! The audiobook was really good, though, too. Full cast. But the print experience was still my favorite.
I really liked Rebel of the Sands when I first read it, and I’m glad you did too! Also, how excited are you for the Curse So Dark and Lonely sequel?
I sort of already read A Heart So Fierce and Broken. xD I was super excited! And then I got an ARC, and I was ultra excited! haha. I cheated. I hope you get to read it soon, though. 😉
I’m so picky too, I only had one true 5 star read! I do have a few 4.5 stars that might still become 5 stars if I ever re-read them. I enjoyed the format of this list, bullet-points always help haha. I LOVE that you read so many fantasy books this year, that’s one of my goals for next year! (I almost only read thrillers this year which was also fun). I would love to get to the Illumine files, The nevermore series, a monster calls and the library of the unwritten! I hope your last day of the decade (!!!) is great and I wish you a lovely 2020 with amazing reads <3 🙂
My TTT.
I think the difference is I don’t use half-stars, so if I find it between a 4 and a 5, I normally round it up. :3
Funny, I actually started using bulletpoints because I’m long-winded and it helped to organize my thoughts, but people seem to like them, so … yay for accidentally stumbling on to something? xD
Honestly, I cheated. Fantasy is my thing. Especially YA fantasy. I highly recommend more fantasy in your life! It’s brilliant. Have a lovely 2020 and happy new year!
I totally relate to scarcely giving 5 stars. It’s so hard to find “perfect” reads that I fall completely head over heels in love with. Maybe I’m just too critical? I blame college. 😅
So far, the only book I’ve read on your list is Rebel of the Sands and that was like 4 years ago so I don’t remember much. But wow, now I wish I had read all of these books; you make all of them sound amazing! Also, have I mentioned that I love your bullet point list reviews? Hmm, I might have to try that strategy on my next monthly wrap-up or something because I tend to ramble otherwise and no one loves a big chunk of text…
I hope 2020 brings you lots more 5-star reads and new favorites! 🙂
Here, here! It’s all college’s fault. xD
Thanks, I’m glad you like it. <3 It's as much for me as everyone else, because boy can I ramble lol. It's harder to ramble with bullet points.
I hope you have a great 2020! Happy near year!
Things My Son Needs to Know About the World sounds like such a great read. I’m going to try to find a copy of it!
My TTT.
I hope you enjoy it! There were so many relatable moments, and even the ones I didn’t relate to were at least funny or touching. It was definitely a different side of Backman, which I like. Now he has to do another one when his son moves out. That’s just the rules. xD
I had 20 five-star reads this year. I think I’m a bit too liberal with them. 😉 I just picked up A Curse So Dark and Lonely on kindle so I’m excited to read that one in 2020. Great post!
Happy New Year! My TTT
Orrrr you’re really good at choosing books that you know you’ll love! Clearly a skill I haven’t quite mastered yet. That was one of the last books I read in 2019. I hope you enjoy it!
Illuminae was a fun read. I need to finish the series some day. Great list here! 🙂
If you liked the first, I definitely recommend re-reading it and then reading the rest of the series. 😉 Totally worth it.
P.S. Thank you for visiting my TTT. 🙂
This is a great list!! Many of them I’ve either read and liked already or are on my TBR! And yes, I understand your picky-ness, I’m just like that! 😉
Thanks! I hope you get to read the others soon. 😀 Glad to know I’m not the only picky one out there. xD
I read and loved Nevernight. I need to read the sequels. Thunderhead, The Toll, and The Illuminae Files are all on my TBR list! Some of my favorite reads from 2019 include (besides Nevernight) The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, The Farseer Trilogy and Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb, and The Wicked King by Holly Black.
Totally need to read the sequels! The journey just gets better after Nevernight.
I enjoyed The Wicked King, too! I can’t wait to read Queen of Nothing.
I love the Illuminae and Rebel of the Sands series. They both stressed me out so much!
In a good way, I hope. xD I definitely was stressed waiting to find out what the heck happened to my poor darling characters.
A Monster Calls is one of my favorite books ever! I loved Aristotle & Dante too.
Nevermoor, yes! A monster calls is so great.
And The Night Tiger just sounds so interesting.
Have you seen the cover for the third one?! I think I’ve asked you this before, actually. Forgive me. I’m just so excited, I can’t even. xD
Yes green <3
It’s been like almost three years since I read Rebel of the Sands, but it was so good.
Yes! She has a new book coming out this year. Did you see?! The cover is absolutely breathtaking, and I’m just so excited for it.
I did. I don’t know a thing about it, but I’m excited!
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