Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books I Read In 2019

 

Our final Top Ten Tuesday of 2019, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is all about our favorite reads of the year. What better way to close out the past twelve months of reading?

As we head into a new year and a new decade today, we’re all probably looking back not only on what we read, but how we spent our time. While I can’t say I’m leaving the 2010’s without some regrets, one change in my life I’m really happy about is this blog.

At the end of 2018, I received some books from Penguin as part of a pre-release discussion group and I was immediately hooked. Soon I explored my options to continue reviewing books and now I receive advanced reader copies (ARCs) of books from several publishers. The journey from that first discussion group to this blog has been an extremely gratifying one.

Thank you to all of you for coming on this journey with me and hopefully we’ll be doing it for years to come! So as my last post of 2019, let’s talk about my favorite reads of the year. Happy New Year, readers!

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The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes

What a surprise this book ended up being! Released by one of my favorite publishers at the moment, Angry Robot, The Imaginary Corpse is the debut novel of Tyler Hayes. I’ve been lucky enough to not only have the chance to read his incredible book, but was able to interview him and then a few months later meet him in person at a book signing.

Hilarious, emotional, and full of some seriously impressive world building, if you haven’t already read this book go buy it now. It’s AMAZING. Read my full review here!

The Return of King Lillian by Suzie Plakson

So hey did you guys know I like Star Trek? I know, it’s not like I ever talk about it. One of the characters I loved most in the series was K’Ehleyr, a very sassy half-Klingon whose story arc in The Next Generation was far too short. I even use her name in a few Star Trek based groups I’m in that require nicknames and avatars. So imagine my delight when I found out the woman who played her, Suzie Plakson, also wrote a fantasy novel!

I bought The Return of King Lillian out of pure love for her character (and the others she played on different Trek series), but it was another wonderful surprise of a book. It was witty, whimsical, and a lot of fun to read. I’m so glad to have stumbled across it and even more glad to have been able to meet the author earlier this year to get it signed and gush in person about how much I loved it.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

A book that is bound to be on most of people’s TTT this week, The Testaments was hands down one of the biggest literary events of the year. It took over three decades for us to find out what happened to Offred after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale but it was definitely worth the wait.

I had a little trouble getting the actual book in my hands, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely loved the book, so much so that when I found out the actress who plays Aunt Lydia in the television adaptation narrated the audiobook, I didn’t hesitate to devour it again. The second time around I noticed a few plot issues, but honestly it was such an incredible piece of fiction that I have no problem suspending my disbelief. Especially not when you have Aunt Lydia right in your ears.

In October I was able to attend a lecture with the unparalleled author herself and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. She even answered one of my questions!

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

A total powerhouse of a novel, The Light Brigade utterly blew me away. Already an author with a lot of buzz after The Stars are Legion, Hurley has definitely proven herself to be a voice to watch within science fiction. In my opinion, this should have won Goodreads’ best sci-fi novel of 2019. Read my full review here!

The Exiled by David Barbaree

Another book I received as an ARC, The Exiled was a fascinating and bloody tale of political intrigue in ancient Rome. Everything culminated with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the author’s descriptions of that harrowing event were gripping, fully transporting me to the chaos and destruction that took place. Read my full review here!

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

My favorite new-to-me author of 2019. As a fan of science fiction, it’s impossible to not know this author’s name, but John Scalzi’s books were some that I hadn’t gotten around to reading yet. I started with Red Shirts then immediately read several more of his books, especially those narrated by my top audiobook narrator, Wil Wheaton.

Old Man’s War was an astounding piece of military science fiction and I’m so upset to not have read it sooner. It was clever as hell, but also well written and full of emotion and non-stop action.

The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray

Released in 2012, The Diviners is the cat’s pajamas. The Roaring 20’s really come to life in this series, starting with its amazing first installment. I’m not sure how it took me so long to finally read it, but boy am I happy I did. It sure was swell!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book SHOOK ME. Lord, the feels after I read this one. I wasn’t fully expecting it to go the way it did, but The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo really got to me, right down to its evocative final words. Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote the book that got me started on my blogging and reviewing journey (Daisy Jones and the Six) so I already had a soft spot for her, but this novel just shows that she is a very talented writer. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

I will continue to shout from the rooftops about this powerful non-fiction novel until the day I die. Virginia Hall is a name that everyone should know. This American woman’s bravery and determination during WWII are some of the reasons the French Resistance was as successful as it was.

Overcoming physical disability, societal expectations, and cultural differences to fight against the rise of the Nazis, Hall is a woman who seems to have been forgotten in the history books. After getting to know more about her in Sonia Purcell’s account, it seems that Hall would probably prefer it to be that way, but she really needs to be someone that we all learn about in school.

The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey

My TTT ends with what is arguably the best book series ever written. Sorry, but you can’t change my mind. While the first book Leviathan Wakes is easily my favorite one, each subsequent novel I’ve read is still an astounding bit of science fiction. Plus, Crisjen and Bobbie give me life.

I made it to book six this year before I finally had to stop myself so that I could keep this series going a little bit longer. The ninth and final book is due to be released soon and I have no idea what I’m going to do with myself once I finish all the books.

The world these authors have created is one I quickly fell in love with, with equally compelling characters filling it. Honestly, The Expanse series is one of the things keeping me going when everything in our own world gets overwhelming. And the TV series is just as good! I can never thank these authors enough for gifting us with these treasures.

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I’m so lucky to have read this many fantastic books in 2019. Have you read any of these? Which books made it to your TTT? Let me know in the comments!