Best Books of 2019

Hi, friends! This is definitely one of my favorite posts this year. I can’t wait to hit publish on this one. In 2019, I read 32 books. My goal was 32, so I hit that on the dot! I know it’s not quite the end of the year, but I wanted to share this best books of 2019 post early so you can get ideas for the holidays if you have extra reading days around Christmas, or if you’re looking for gift ideas!

I shared a lot of my reading updates on Instagram and Goodreads. If you aren’t following me on either, I recommend doing so now! I’ll continue to use both of these next year to share with you what I’m reading.

Although I read a lot of good books this year – I’m sharing the few that stuck with me and will be stuck in my mind for the next 12 months. I branched out on my reading this year and got into a bit of a historical fiction kick. I also read more thrillers than ever before – oops! A lot of those were based on your recommendations, so thank you! Keep them coming.

I’m going to break down the best books of 2019 by category… but also share my overall faves.

First, I still want to share my favorite books from 2018 – Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Seriously, they top this year’s. I don’t even know if Behind Closed Doors was well written… but it stuck with me. Anyone else feel that way?

THE BEST BOOKS I READ THIS YEAR (TOP 5)

These are ranked in order and I’ve linked to Goodreads on each so you can read a description. They’re also included below by category. I can’t gush about these five enough.

1. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana Rosnay
2. The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
3. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
4. This Tenderland by William Krueger Kent
5. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah – and the sequel here. Just a warning, I cried.

THE BEST HISTORICAL BOOKS I READ THIS YEAR

These are ranked in order, but I still recommend you read all of them. At least add them to your list!

1. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana Rosnay
2. The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
3. This Tenderland by William Krueger Kent
4. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
5. The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
6. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

THE BEST THRILLERS I READ THIS YEAR

This was a new genre for me and I got very into it. Page turners.

1. The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
2. Final Girls by Riley Sager
3. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
4. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
5. The Lost Man by Jane Harper
6. The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
7. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

THE BEST LIGHT READS OR FICTION

These are books you want to read AFTER the thrillers. To bring you back to reality a little bit and make you feel good. I consider my favorite fiction author, Elin Hilderbrand, to dominate this genre.

1. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (fiction)
2. Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center (light read)
3. Night Road by Kristin Hannah (fiction)
4. Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer (light read)
5. Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand (light read)
6. What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand (light read)