This blog is a recap of all of the books I read in 2019. The books are separated into 4 categories: 5/5 books are my top choices for the year. 4/5 books were really good but didn’t make the cut as a favorite. 3/5 books were good and I glad I read them, but I could have skipped them. 2/5 books I didn’t enjoy reading very much.
Each book has an affiliate link and a short description. I also tagged each book using the following categories: suspense, chick-lit, Christmas, dogs, personal development. This will help you find books that match your interests more. Click here to see my 2019 reading challenge on Goodreads, which will help you easily add any of these books to your to-read list. I hope you find something good to read!
5/5 Books
Of the 31 books I read, 6 came out at the top of the list. I have If the category and description interest you, I highly recommend reading!
One Day in December (Chick Lit): Not only my last book of the year but one of my absolute favorite books of the year. This was an adorable love story that was cheesy in the best way possible. The author did a great job of winding all the character lines together to have you rooting for all of the characters at the same time.
Oogy (Dog): Dang this book made me cry. If you have a thing for Pitt bulls or rescue dogs in general, this is a must-read. As a warning, the pieces that talk about Oogy’s history in being a bait dog in dog fighting are hard to read, but this made me research bait dog rescue foundations in hopes of saving my own pup. That’s how good this book was.
How To Break Up With Your Phone (Personal Development): I loved this book so much I wrote a blog and recorded a podcast on the topic. This book gave me easy to implement action steps that helped me use my phone less. If you feel like you need to cut back on your smartphone use, this is a must-read. I listened to this as an audiobook and it was the perfect book for my commute.
The Girl I Used To Be (Suspense): What a creepy but fantastic book. I definitely felt the panic that Gemma felt through the book as more memories and evidence come to her, but that just made me want to read the book even more. I also didn’t see the ending-which makes this a truly perfect suspense book for me.
No Judgements (Chick-Lit) This was my top fluffy book from the year. It is a total chick flick book but I loved every page of it. I felt like I was on Little Bridge Island, experiencing Bree’s life with her. It’s got love, beachy feels and small-town vibes-my favorite things in a chick-lit book.
The Boy (Suspense): I was captivated by the entire book and absolutely shocked at the ending. This book follows the murder of a young boy and tries to figure out who was responsible. I thought I knew and was proved wrong multiple times, which kept me reading.
4/5 Books
There are 9 books at this level. I really enjoyed these books and again, if you see one in a category you like to give it a try!
Christmas Town (Christmas): This was such a cute book that was heartwarming and perfect to get me in the Christmas mood. It pulls at the heartstrings a little bit but you end up being so happy for Lauren and how she spends her Christmas in the end.
The Christmas Shoes (Christmas): If you have heard the song or seen the Hallmark movie the Christmas Shoes, this is the same storyline. It made me cry, and hard. It’s such a good reminder of what is important in life, especially during the holiday season.
An Unwanted Guest (Suspense): This book was suspenseful and really good. So many murders in one book, so much to keep track of. The only reason that I didn’t give this 5 stars is that it was a little too far fetched to be super believable.
A Dog Named Christmas and A Christmas Home (Christmas, Dog): This was the perfect Christmas duo. You fall in love with Todd and the dog named Christmas and you find yourself rooting for both throughout both books.
Surprise Me (Chick-Lit): I loved this book. I found myself siding with Sylvie, laughing along the way and I ended up loving my own husband even more (so cheesy I know but so perfect).
The Flatshare (Chick Lit): Another top pick from the year. I so badly wanted Tiffy and Leon to meet and fall in love and I genuinely enjoyed the way the book progressed.
The Wife Between Us (Suspense): You completely understand the obsession of the main character in this book. You want to scream at her to leave it alone but you also understand why she can’t. It’s her husband and the obsession of the “new” woman controls her life and has you turning the pages as fast you can.
Look For Me (Suspense): One of my favorite books from the year. I love DD Warren’s character and I found myself rooting for her throughout the book. A family is brutally murdered and you honestly don’t know if the missing 16-year-old is a very lucky survivor or the cold-blooded murderer.
3/5 Books
There are 11 books at this level. While I enjoyed these books and think they are worth reading, they are not so good that you need to run out and buy them.
LA Candy Series (Chick-Lit): These were definitely a fluffy read but I enjoyed the storyline and flew through all three books.
Virtually Perfect (Chick-Lit): This was a good beach read book. There was some drama in the book but nothing too serious, making it an easy book to read.
The Last House on Sycamore Street (Suspense): This book isn’t a typical definition of suspense but I wasn’t sure how else to classify it. It was an underrated book. The author did a good job of keeping me confused but interested in Julian and Grace’s past.
Everything I Never Told You (Suspense): I know this book was tedious for some people to finish, but I found it to be a great suspenseful read. It ties in culture and family history in a way that was easy for me to understand.
After Anna (Suspense): This book was a page-turner and when Anna shows up murdered, you feel for Maggie and don’t know if you should trust Noah. While it wasn’t a top pick for me if you like these storylines it is a great choice.
The Puppy That Came for Christmas (Dog): I enjoyed reading Megan’s recap of her experience in raising dogs that would one day be a service dog for people with disabilities. Although the dog does arrive at Christmas, it is much more a dog book than a Christmas book.
Stay (Dog, Chick-Lit): This was a cute book, but I found myself getting annoyed with the main character and how unresponsible she was. She purchased her dog online from Russia for an unbelievably high price, which was frustrating to me. I also couldn’t really follow her childhood and how it impacted her as a person now.
Under the Table (Chick-Lit): This was another fluffy read and while not my favorite, I was still rooting for the main character at the end of the book.
Lessons From Lucy (Dog): This was a sweet book and I fell in love with the old pup Lucy. Dave is a fantastic writer, his style just isn’t one I normally go for. That is the only reason this book is lower on my list.
2/5 Books
There are 5 books at this level. I hate giving books such a low rating. Just a note, if I really don’t like a book I just don’t finish it. These were books that I enjoyed enough to finish but don’t really love.
Own Your Everyday (Professional Development): This was a professional development book and while the message was good, I could have just read a blog post to get the same information. I did not need to spend time reading the whole book.
The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down (Professional Development): This book was good, but again could have just been a short story. You don’t need to read the whole book to get the main message.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Personal Development): I really wanted to like this book, but it didn’t flow well and I found it to be much too choppy to enjoy.
The Christmas Dog (Christmas, Dog): I loved the concept of this story and I really did not like the main character. She made it hard to love this book.
NPR Driveway Moments: Dog Tales (Dog): This is a collection of short stories from NPR. It was good but much more my husband’s scene.