10 Books I Loved
I actually wrote most of this post back at the end of 2019 — a few months before the world flipped upside down, and (despite an enormous lack of sleep we were experiencing) I had a really fun and enjoyable reading year. So below are 10 books I loved from 2019. I’ll soon share my top 10 from 2020, and what I’m reading now.
I left the below paragraph just as I had written it back over a year and a half ago…because it was such a spotlight into the season of life we were in — spoiler: Henry sleeps now haha! Hallelujah!
My Top 10 in 2019:
It’s hard to believe I’m even saying this, but 2019 was hands down my best reading year yet! What’s a crazy to me is how challenging last year was — it was busier, emotionally harder and I’m pretty sure it was also my worst year yet in terms of the number of hours I logged sleep-wise (Oh Henry, one day you will sleep!). Don’t get me wrong, it was also a beautiful year — watching Elleanor grow into her beloved role as big sister, snuggling our sweet and wild Henry boy, Phil accepting a promotion at work…really the list goes on and on. If I had to be honest though, 2019 shouldn’t have been my best reading year, but I did a few things that really made it possible:
I identified White Space
I changed my reading format to e-book and audio (for now!).
I made a short-list of books that interested me.
I branched out into something more adventurous.
I made a low stakes/attainable goal for myself.
I think all said and done, I read 17 books — which may not sound like much, but it was a whole heap for me. Below were 10 that I really loved — (* means I listened to them on audio - highly recommend!)
Top 10 from 2019
The Great Alone (*) by Kristin Hannah
Where the Crawdads Sing (*) by Delia Owens
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Next Right Thing (*) by Emily P. Freeman
The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith
The Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
Have you read any of these? I know some of the ones above are either beloved or not so beloved — always interesting to hear different perspectives!