2019 Books

It's here: the top books I've read for 2019. My top books are listed in chronological order of when they were read rather than a definitive number one pick. I listed the top 15 fiction titles, but could have easily done a top 30. The top picks are followed by the complete list of books read in 2019 listed by month. 


Best fiction 2019 - Top 15

1. Talk to Me by John Kenney, 1/9/19
2. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker, 1/9/19
3. Crucible by James Rollins, 1/10/19
4. The Forgiving Kind by Donna Everhart, 1/23/19
5. Cemetery Road by Greg Iles, 3/6/19
6. Run Away by Harlan Coben, 3/20/19
7. Outside Looking In by T. C. Boyle, 4/7/19
8.Miracle Creek by Angie Kim, 4/17/19
9. Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf, 4/17/19
10. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C. A. Fletcher, 4/25/19
11. Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson, 7/24/19
12. The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter, 7/31/19
13. Chances Are... by Richard Russo, 7/31/19
14.November Road by Lou Berney, 11/12/19
15. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, 11/19/19

Short stories - top 5
Tacoma Stories by Richard Wiley, 2/6/19
Orange World and Other Stories by Karen Russell, 5/15/19
Everything Inside by Edwidge Dantica, 8/25/19
Alien Archives by Robert Silverberg, 10/28/19
The Best of Greg Egan by Greg Egan, 10/28/19

Nonfiction top 10
Dannemora by Charles A. Gardner, 2/20/19
The Perfect Predator by Steffanie Strathdee, Thomas Patterson 3/24/19
Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman, 5/8/19
American Predator by Maureen Callahan, 6/30/19
Strange Harvests: The Hidden Histories of Seven Natural Objects by Edward Posnett, 8/7/19
The Day It Finally Happens by Mike Pearl, 9/16/19
The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson, 10/8/19
A Pilgrimage to Eternity by Timothy Egan 10/13/19
The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe, 10/13/19*
American Epidemic by John McMillian, 10/13/19**

 2019 Books

January – 14 books

1. The Hollow Middle by John Popielaski, 382 pages, 1/4/19, so-so

2. The Lost Puzzler by Eyal Kless, 528 pages, 1/6/19, highly recommended

3. She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge, 368 pages, 1/6/19, highly recommended

4. Talk to Me by John Kenney, 320 pages, 1/9/19, very highly recommended **

5. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker, 320 pages, 1/9/19, very highly recommended **

6. Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher, 272 pages, 1/10/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

7. Crucible by James Rollins, 480 pages, 1/10/19, very highly recommended *

8. I Invited Her In by Adele Parks, 432 pages, 1/10/19, recommended

9. The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley, 352 pages, 1/16/19, very highly recommended *

10. Once a Liar by A.F. Brady, 384 pages, 1/20/19, highly recommended

11. The Forgiving Kind by Donna Everhart, 352 pages, 1/23/19, very highly recommended **

12. When You Read This by Mary Adkins, 384 pages, 1/24/19, very highly recommended*

13. What We Did by Christobel Kent, 320 pages, 1/27/19, recommended

14. Remember Me by D. E. White, 384 pages, 1/27/19 recommended

February - 11 books

15. Tacoma Stories by Richard Wiley, 272 pages, 2/6/19, very highly recommended, short stories *

16. American Pop by Snowden Wright, 400 pages, 2/6/19, highly recommended

17. The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas, 336 pages, 2/10/19, recommended

18. The Next to Die by Sophie Hannah, 416 pages, 2/10/19, highly recommended

19. Never Tell by Lisa Gardner, 416 pages, 2/15/19, very highly recommended **

20. The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin, 368 pages, 2/15/19, very highly recommended*

21. Dannemora by Charles A. Gardner, 272 pages, 2/20/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction*

22. Call Me Evie by JP Pomare, 368 pages, 2/20/19, highly recommended

23. We Must Be Brave by Frances Liardet, 464 pages, 2/24/19, recommended

24. Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson, 320 pages, 2/27/19, highly recommended

25. The Altruists by Andrew Ridker, 320 pages, 2/28/19, very highly recommended **

March -11 books

26. Fallen Mountains by Kimi Cunningham Grant, 256 pages, 3/6/19, very highly recommended*

27. Cemetery Road by Greg Iles, 608 pages, 3/6/19, very highly recommended **

28. And Then You Were Gone by R. J. Jacobs, 288 pages, 3/10/19, highly recommended

29. Fall Back Down When I Die by Joe Wilkins, 256 pages, 3/12/19, highly recommended

30. The Liar's Child by Carla Buckley, 288 pages, 3/13/19, highly recommended

31. The Study of Animal Languages by Lindsay Stern, 240 pages, 3/14/19, recommended

32. Run Away by Harlan Coben, 384 pages, 3/20/19, very highly recommended*

33. Cheer Up, Mr. Widdicombe by Evan James, 288 pages, 3/20/19, highly recommended

34. The Perfect Predator by Steffanie Strathdee, 352 pages, 3/24/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction*

35. The Last Second by Catherine Coulter, 464 pages, 3/27/19, recommended

36. The Editor by Steven Rowley, 320 pages, 3/28/19, highly recommended

April -16 books

37. Lights All Night Long by Lydia Fitzpatrick, 352 pages, 4/3/19, highly recommended

38. A Wonderful Stroke of Luck by Ann Beattie, 288 pages, 4/3/19, recommended

39. Outside Looking In by T. C. Boyle, 400 pages, 4/7/19, very highly recommended **

40. Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer, 384 pages, 4/7/19, recommended

41. The Last by Hanna Jameson, 352 pages, 4/10/19, highly recommended

42. Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline, 400 pages, 4/14/19, recommended

43. Alice & Gerald by Ron Franscell, 330 pages, 4/14/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

44. Miracle Creek by Angie Kim, 368 pages, 4/17/19, very highly recommended*

45. Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf, 368 pages, 4/17/19, very highly recommended**

46. Alice's Island by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, 400 pages, 4/21/19, so-so

47. The Better Sister by Alafair Burke, 336 pages, 4/24/19, highly recommended

48. Earthbound by Paul Falk, 205 pages, 4/25/19, so-so

49. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C. A. Fletcher, 384 pages, 4/25/19, very highly recommended**

50. Strange Tales of World Travel by Gina and Scott Gaille, 240 pages, 4/28/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

51. The Innocent Ones by Neil White, 404 pages, 4/28/19, highly recommended

52. The Invited by Jennifer McMahon, 368 pages, 4/28/19, highly recommended

May -12 books

53. The Red Daughter by John Burnham Schwartz, 288 pages, 5/5/19, recommended

54. The Book of Flora by Meg Elison, 332 pages, 5/5/19, recommended

55. The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine, 320 pages, 5/5/19, recommended

56. Light from Other Stars by Erika Swyler, 320 pages, 5/5/19, highly recommended

57. Year of the Orphan by Daniel Findlay, 288 pages, 5/8/19, recommended

58. Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman, 208 pages, 5/8/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction **

59. The Night Window by Dean Koontz, 432 pages, 5/12/19, very highly recommended *

60. Orange World and Other Stories by Karen Russell, 288 pages, 5/15/19, very highly recommended, short stories*

61. If She Wakes by Michael Koryta, 400 pages, 5/16/19, very highly recommended

62. Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries by Kevin Sullivan, 364 pages, 5/19/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

63. How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper, 336 pages, 5/22/19, very highly recommended *

64. The Last Thing She Remembers by J.S. Monroe, 416 pages, 5/23/19, highly recommended

June -19 books

65. Whatever It Takes by Jessica Pack, 256 pages, 6/4/19, recommended

66. Trace: who killed Maria James? by Rachael Brown, 304 pages, 6/4/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

67. Temper by Layne Fargo, 352 pages, 6/5/19, recommended

68. Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson, 896 pages, 6/5/19, highly recommended

69. Kathleen Hale Is a Crazy Stalker by Kathleen Hale, 176 pages, 6/6/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

70. Above the Ether by Eric Barnes, 240 pages, 6/9/19, highly recommended

71. The Paper Wasp by Lauren Acampora, 240 pages, 6/9/19, highly recommended

72. The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister, 400 pages, 6/12/19, highly recommended

73. Tiny by Kim Hooper, 368 pages, 6/12/19, highly recommended

74. Man of the Year by Caroline Louise Walker, 304 pages, 6/12/19, recommended

75. Those People by Louise Candlish, 368 pages, 6/16/19, recommended

76. The Starter Wife by Nina Laurin, 352 pages, 6/16/19, highly recommended

77. The Cutting Room by Ashley Dyer, 448 pages, 6/19/19, very highly recommended *

78. The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda, 352 pages, 6/20/19, very highly recommended *

79. The Not Good Enough Mother by Sharon Lamb, 200 pages, 6/23/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

80. Big Sky by Kate Atkinson, 400 pages, 6/26/19, very highly recommended *

81. The Disappeared by Amy Lord, 368 pages, 6/26/19, recommended

82. The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger, 464 pages, 6/30/19, highly recommended

83. American Predator by Maureen Callahan, 304 pages, 6/30/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction *

July -16 books

84. The Girl in the Woods by Patricia MacDonald, 240 pages, 7/4/19, so-so

85. Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin, 368 pages,7/4/19, highly recommended

86. Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger, 288 pages, 7/4/19, highly recommended

87. The Liar's House by Carla Kovach, 328 pages, 7/7/18, highly recommended

89. The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele, 336 pages, 7/7/19, recommended

90. Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin, 327 pages, 7/15/19, highly recommended

91. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, 208 pages, 7/16/19, highly recommended

92. Buried by Ellison Cooper, 368 pages, 7/15/19, highly recommended

93. The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickson, 352 pages, 7/18/19, recommended

94. Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman, 352 pages, 7/19/19, very highly recommended **

95. Gravity Is the Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty, 416 pages, 7/21/19, highly recommended

96. The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal, 368 pages, 7/24/19, very highly recommended *

97. Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson, 352 pages, 7/24/19, very highly recommended **

98. The Escape Room by Megan Goldin, 368 pages, 7/25/19, highly recommended

99. The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter, 464 pages, 7/31/19, very highly recommended **

100. Chances Are... by Richard Russo, 320 pages, 7/31/19, very highly recommended**

August -18 books

101. Someone We Know by Shari Lapena, 304 pages, 8/4/19, recommended

102. The Betrayed Wife by Kevin O'Brien, 464 pages, 8/4/19, so-so

103. Lost You by Haylen Beck, 320 pages, 8/4/19, recommended

104. Strange Harvests by Edward Posnett, 336 pages, 8/7/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction *

105. The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney, 432 pages, 8/7/19, recommended

106. The Victim by Max Manning, 336 pages, 8/11/19, so-so

107. The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware, 352 pages, 8/11/19, highly recommended

108. We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White, 304 pages, 8/14/19, highly recommended

109. Radio Dark by Shane Hinton, 130 pages, 8/14/19, recommended

110. Trust Me When I Lie by Benjamin Stevenson, 352 pages, 8/14/19, highly recommended

111. The Swallows by Lisa Lutz, 416 pages, 8/18/19, recommended

112. The Retreat by Sherri Smith, 352 pages, 8/18/19, recommended

113. Stolen Things by R. H. Herron, 368 pages, 8/18/19, so-so

114. The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs, 384 pages, 8/21/19, highly recommended

115. The Warehouse by Rob Hart, 368 pages, 8/22/19, very highly recommended *

116. Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat, 240 pages, 8/25/19, very highly recommended, short stories**

117. After the Flood by Kassandra Montag, 432 pages, 8/29/19, highly recommended

118. Scan Artist by Marcia Biederman, 240 pages, 8/29/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

September -16 books

119. Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard, 304 pages, 9/2/19, very highly recommended

120. The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man by Dave Hutchinson, 336 pages, 9/2/19, highly recommended

121. The Nature of Life and Death by Patricia Wiltshire, 304 pages, 9/3/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

122. Ice Cold Heart by P. J. Tracy, 320 pages, 9/10/19, highly recommended

123. The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld, 272 pages, 9/10/19, highly recommended

124. The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger, 384 pages, 9/16/19, very highly recommended

125. The Day It Finally Happens by Mike Pearl, 304 pages, 9/16/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction*

126. When I Got Out by Peter Seth, 464 pages, 9/17/19, recommended

127. The Liar's Sister by Sarah A. Denzil, 276 pages, 9/17/19, recommended

128. Entanglement by Andrew J Thomas, 312 pages, 9/23/19, highly recommended

129. Full Throttle by Joe Hill, 496 pages, 9/23/19, highly recommended, short stories

130. Sarah Jane by James Sallis, 216 pages, 9/24/19, highly recommended

131. You Can See More From Up Here by Mark Guerin, 436 pages, 9/30/19, highly recommended

132. The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen, 288 pages, 9/30/19, recommended

133. One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski, 352 pages, 9/30/19, recommended

134. Half Way Home by Hugh Howey, 240 pages, 9/30/19, recommended

October - 16 books

135. The Lying Room by Nicci French, 432 pages, 10/1/19, highly recommended

136. A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie, 384 pages, 10/7/19, highly recommended

137. The Forest City Killer by Vanessa Brown, 328 pages, 10/7/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

138. Sassafras by Trish Heald, 322 pages, 10/7/19, recommended

139. The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson, 464 pages, 10/8/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction *

140. Invisible as Air by Zoe Fishman, 416 pages, 10/11/19, very highly recommended *

141. A Pilgrimage to Eternity by Timothy Egan, 384 pages, 10/13/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction *

142. The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe, 272 pages, 10/13/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction*

143. American Epidemic by John McMillian, 304 pages, 10/13/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction **

144. Sudden Traveler by Sarah Hall, 128 pages, 10/21/19, recommended, short stories

145. Interference by Sue Burke, 320 pages, 10/21/19, very highly recommended *

146. Alien Archives by Robert Silverberg, 404 pages, 10/28/19, very highly recommended, short stories *

147. The Best of Greg Egan by Greg Egan, 736 pages, 10/28/19, very highly recommended, short stories *

148. Let Justice Descend by Lisa Black, 336 pages, 10/28/19, very highly recommended

149. Disaster's Children by Emma Sloley, 320 pages, 10/29/19, so-so

150. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell, 352 pages, 10/29/19, very highly recommended *

November - 13 books

151. Days of Future Found by Mary Wark, 330 pages, 11/4/19, recommended

152. The Empty Nest by Sue Watson, 290 pages, 11/4/19, recommended

153. Cold Country by Russell Rowland, 232 pages, 11/5/19, very highly recommended*

154. November Road by Lou Berney, 320 pages, 11/12/19, very highly recommended **

155. Peter Watts Is An Angry Sentient Tumor by Peter Watts, 320 pages, 11/12/19, highly recommended, essays

156. Carrie Fisher: A Life on the Edge by Sheila Weller, 416 pages, 11/13/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

157. The Andromeda Evolution by Michael Crichton, Daniel H. Wilson, 384 pages, 11/13/19, very highly recommended**

158. The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg, 304 pages, 11/18/19, recommended

159. The Lying House by Rick Mofina, 512 pages, 11/18/19, highly recommended

160. Single by K.L. Slater, 342 pages, 11/18/19, recommended

161. Old Bones by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, 384 pages, 11/19/19, very highly recommended **

162. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, 432 pages, 11/19/19, very highly recommended **

163. How The Dead Speak by Val McDermid, 416 pages, 11/30/19, highly recommended

December - 15 books

164. Anyone by Charles Soule, 432 pages, 12/2/19, highly recommended

165. Lost Tomorrows by Matt Coyle, 368 pages, 12/2/19, highly recommended

166. The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters, 280 pages, 12/3/19, so-so

167. Shatter the Night by Emily Littlejohn, 320 pages, 12/8/19, highly recommended

168. If You Tell by Gregg Olsen, 428 pages, 12/8/19, very highly recommended, nonfiction

169. The Wives by Tarryn Fisher, 336 pages, 12/12/19, very highly recommended

170. Good Girls Lie by J. T. Ellison, 464 pages, 12/16/19, highly recommended

171. The Playground by Jane Shemilt, 384 pages, 12/16/19, highly recommended

172. Inside the Hot Zone by Mark G. Kortepeter, 336 pages, 12/17/19, highly recommended, nonfiction

173. Hide Away by Jason Pinter, 368 pages, 12/17/19, very highly recommended *

174. The Heap by Sean Adams, 320 pages, 12/26/19, highly recommended

175. The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright by Beth Miller, 327 pages, 12/26/19, so-so

176. The Prized Girl by Amy K. Green, 384 pages, 12/26/19, highly recommended

177. Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, 352 pages, 12/31/19, very highly recommended *

178. The Tenant by Katrine Engberg, 368 pages, 12/31/19, highly recommended