See also:
See this post for my favorite poetry books of the year.
See this post for my favorite children's books of the year.
And see this post for this year's stinkers.
Overall this was a great year for reading, but it wasn't difficult to choose my favorite 20 books out of the 200 I read. The cream just rose to the top this year.
My Top Ten (Percent) of 2019
Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend, Kevin Kwan
Perhaps I should have chosen just one of these, but I decided that they both deserved a spot in the top ten. Of all the books I read this year, this series (I'm saving the third one for the new year) surprised me most. Funny, outrageous, and well-written, I just loved these. I listened to the first and read the second. The audio was very good.
As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, Alan Bradley
My love for Flavia knows no bounds, but she seldom ends up on my top ten. I can't explain that. I made myself choose just one of the three books from the series I read this year, and I chose this one because it takes Flavia out of her element and plunks her down at an all-girls school in Canada. The strong sense of place made it especially memorable.
The Satapur Moonstone, Sujata Massey
While I didn't love it as much as the first book in the series (read my review here), I am so loyal to the series, though we're only two books in, that I could not not include it. This one was perhaps more unbelievable and involved more thrill than the first, but I loved the adventure just the same.
20 Years in the Secret Service, Rufus W. Youngblood
God bless the men and women who guard the president and his family. What a difficult and thankless job. This is the memoir of a young secret service agent who served Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. It was originally published in 1973, but was re-released in 2018. A wonderful, intimate book.
At Home: Sarah Style, Sarah Richardson
Sarah Richardson is my spirit animal. Or something like that. I love her work and I loved this book. It's Sarah at her best and shows some of the rooms from her wonderful show, Sarah's House, which I have wanted to see again for years.
Daisy Jones & The Six, Taylor, Jenkins Reid
This one surprised me so much I had to give it a place on my top ten. Written in documentary style, it shows the unraveling of an "it" band in the 1970s. I found it very real to life and enjoyed it so, so much.
Dreyer's English, Benjamin Dreyer
This could very well be my favorite book of the year. This comprehensive guide to grammar, punctuation, and the rest, is written in an engaging and approachable way. I loved, loved, loved it. It could be used as a reference guide, but you'll miss so much of the charm if you don't read it cover to cover.
Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
I think I like this one even more the further I get from my reading of it. I liked the quiet tone of it so much. The movie captures that quiet very well, too. I'm glad I finally got around to this one.
In the Unlikely Event, Judy Blume
One of the most readable books of the year for me. Its plotting was swift, and I never wanted to put it down. Although her Summer Sisters disappointed me, this one was so, so good.
Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson
A stunning book about justice and mercy written by a man who has spent his life trying to right the wrongs done to mostly poor black Southern men and women who were abused by the justice system. Written with such empathy and an almost utter lack of bitterness.
Maybe Your Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb
This one is every bit as good as all the reviewers say it is. It's a smart book, and there is much to take forward into your introspection of your own life.
Once Upon a River, Diane Setterfield
One of the first books I finished this year, and I found it lovely and generous and wonderful. There's a touch of magical realism (at least I think there is), and I loved every page of it.
Outer Order, Inner Calm, Gretchen Rubin
I didn't expect much from this little book, but I ended up finding it very helpful. Knowing different people approach decluttering in different ways, it's full of wonderful and varied tips to help you. One of the more helpful books of its ilk--and I've read most of the ilk.
Saints for All Occasions, J. Courtney Sullivan
I loved this book about two sisters who become estranged after a lifechanging event. One becomes a wife and mother, the other a cloistered nun. Very well written and engaging.
Sea Stories, Admiral William H. McRaven
I so wish my father were still around to receive this book for Christmas. I loved it. McRaven tells about his years in the Navy and Special Ops with a series of wonderful, honest, wry, heartwarming stories.
The Library Book, Susan Orlean
One of the best straight nonfiction books I've read in ages. This is the story of the 1986 arson fire that consumed 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more in the Los Angeles Public Library. It's wonderful, especially if you happen to work in a library.
The Lost Man, Jane Harper
Jane Harper is one of my favorite authors, and this is one of her best. Her writing conjures up such a strong sense of place, one of my very favorite things in a book. This takes place in the vast, desolate Australian Outback. Perhaps my favorite of her three books.
The Matriarch, Susan Page
I enjoyed this book perhaps more than Barbara Bush's own memoir. It's not comprehensive, but it covers everything, and it was written with Mrs. Bush's cooperation. It was an honest look at one of the more outspoken first ladies in recent memory. I adored the book.
The Sun Does Shine, Anthony Ray Hinton
This is the true story of Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent 30 years on Alabama's Death Row. It was riveting, and his outlook was astounding. A must read.
And a bonus:
The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes
I finished this late in the year, and I probably would have replaced Girl with a Pearl Earring with it, but I'm sort of beyond thinking about last year's reading at this point. I liked this one very much, and it was just the right book for my end-of-year restless monkey brain. It had much more substance than I expected, and it almost read itself.
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