15 Books From My 2019 To-Read List

Regular readers of My Cup of Cocoa know that I tend to read a lot. I set a goal each year to finish 50 books and always surpass that number. In January 2018, I posted my top 20 to-read list for the year. The post, like most of my book and reading related pieces, was a popular one. So I thought, why not make a top to-read list for 2019 and also review how I did with last year’s lineup. 

 

 

 

A Quick Review of 2018’s To-Read List

Out of the 20 books I most wanted to read last year, I only got to 11 of them. The rest are still sitting on my to-read list. Five of them made my top 20 reads of 2018 (see that list here) and three more would have placed in the top 25 if my list had been that long. Two of the books from last year’s list turned out to be mildly disappointing and I never finished them.  My top to-read list for 2019 only has 15 titles. Maybe I’ll be more likely to get through them all that way.

 

Top 15 on My To-Read List in 2019

My to-read list on Goodreads.com currently has 105 titles on it. Coming up with my top 15 took a little time. I recently added several titles after spending hours in my favorite bookstore ever, Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon. There’s nothing like browsing a great bookstore for gaining book list inspiration. The books on my top 15 are the ones I’m most looking forward to reading. Maybe you’ll find some inspiration here too.

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1.The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter by David Sax

This book has popped up on my radar several times, most recently on a trip to Portland, Oregon. I finally added it to my to-read list because every time I see it I think: “Wow! That’s sounds interesting.” I’m someone who prefers real books to digital, a handwritten journal/planner, and post-it notes over a reminder from an app. So I figure this book is for me.

 

2. Early Riser: A Novel by Jasper Fforde

I have loved everything I’ve read by Fforde and this is his newest stand alone novel. No wonder it’s high on my list for 2019. The setting is in an alternate reality where the human population of earth hibernates in Winter with the exception of a few who look after all of the rest. All of Fforde’s work has mystery, intrigue, and a large dose of humor. This book sounds like it follows those patterns as well.

 

 

 

3. The Golden Tresses of the Dead: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley

Bradley is another one of my favorite authors. I love the Flavia de Luce series and this is his latest offering. Flavia is a teenage girl in post World War Two England who has a love of chemistry, poisons, and solving mysteries. In this new novel, Flavia and her family celebrate the wedding of her sister, Ophelia. Just when all seems to be going well (for a change), a human finger is found in the wedding cake. If you haven’t read any of this series, start with the first (and possibly my favorite) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery.

 

 

4. The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Susan Orlean is an investigative journalist. In 1986, a fire started at the Los Angeles Public Library that burned for more than seven hours and consumed more than 400,000 books. As of this day, the question remains as to whether or not the fire was arson. Orlean ties together the investigation of the fire with other interesting library history and tales. If you’re a fan of books and libraries, this might be a good read for you too.

 

 

5. The Map of Salt and Stars: A Novel by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar

This novel was published in May 2018 and I only recently heard about it. The story ties together the lives of two Syrian girls living 800 years apart. One is a modern day Syrian refugee. The other is the daughter of a medieval mapmaker. If you love a great story and want learn more about the history of Syria and its people, try this book. Oh, and the cover art is gorgeous!

 

 

 

6. The Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel by Heather Morris

Perhaps you’ve heard of this New York Times bestseller. It’s only been on my to-read list for a month or so. I don’t know how I overlooked it. I’ve been a fan of World War Two historical fiction since I was a teenager. This novel is based on interviews with Holocaust survivors. It tells the story of a Slovakian Jewish man who was forced to work at Auschwitz tattooing his fellow prisoners. It sound like a horrifying tale, but it also contains a sweet love story. I’m really looking forward to this read.

 

 

7. Us Against You: A Novel (Beartown) by Frederik Backman

Backman is the author of one of my all-time favorite books, A Man Called Ove: A Novel. This is his newest book and is the second in the Beartown series. The setting is a small town in a deep forest where the people live for their local hockey team. But all is not well in Beartown these days and the hockey team may soon be disbanded. It is a story of community, loyalty and friendship.

 

 

8. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

My teenagers loved this young adult fantasy novel and it’s been on my list for a while. Hopefully, 2019 will be the year I finally get to read it. It’s half of a duology that also includes Crooked Kingdom: A Sequel to Six of Crows. The main character, Kaz, is described as a criminal prodigy. He joins together five other misfits and thieves to pull off a dangerous, but lucrative heist. Sounds good, right?

 

 

 

9. The Baker’s Secret: A Novel by Stephen P. Kiernan

Another novel set in World War Two, this story is about a young baker in Normandy, France who dares to feed her village bread made with flour meant for the occupying German troops. She doesn’t simply offer her neighbors food and nourishment, she also gives them hope and courage. I love this kind of story!

 

 

10. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

You might recognize Black’s name from her previous young adult and children’s fantasy books. I know her from the Spiderwick Chronicles that my kids loved. This latest novel takes place in Fairfold, a town where humans and Faerie folk live together. Their history is complicated and often turbulent. Hazel and Ben, human brother and sister, live in Fairfold. Throughout their childhood, they’ve told stories to each other about the Faerie boy who sleeps in a glass coffin near their home. He is a prince who is not like the other cruel faeries and they are his knights. But one day, the boy wakes up and everything changes.

 

 

11. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk: A Novel by Kathleen Rooney

Lillian Boxfish is an 85 year-old retired advertising executive in New York City. One evening, Lillian decides to go for a walk that takes her over 10 miles around her beloved city. She ends up meeting people from all walks of life. Lillian’s life experience ranges from the Jazz Age to the AIDS epidemic, from the Great Depression to the advent of Rap and Hip Hop. This novel is described as a “love letter to city life.”

 

 

12. Bridge of Clay (Signed Edition) by Markus Zusak

Zusak is the author of one of my very favorite novels,The Book Thief. This is his newest novel. It has had some mixed reviews, but I have to give it a try. The story revolves around a family of five brothers growing up together and learning how to survive in the world without their father.

 

 

 

13. Once Upon a River: A Novel by Diane Setterfield

I loved Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel, but didn’t care for her follow-up book. So I’ve decided to give her another try with this latest novel. It takes place on a dark and stormy night in an ancient pub along the Thames River. Sounds good already, right? In bursts a seriously wounded stranger and in his arms the lifeless body of a small girl. Hours later, she comes back to life. A miracle! Three families want to claim her as their own and for their own reasons. In this book, Setterfield combines folklore, magic, myth suspense, and even romance.

 

 

 

14. The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk W. Johnson

This true crime story sounds fascinating. Johnson writes about a heist that took place in 2009 at the British Museum of Natural History. The objects of the thief desire? Hundreds of rare bird specimens. The Feather Thief reads like a crime novel and looks at the topics of obsession, destruction, and the beauty of nature.

 

 

15. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

This is the one book from my 2018 Top to-read list that I still really want to read. I love Neil Gaiman’s writing and stories, but this book is a little intimidating. Apparently, it’s only 304 pages, but it just looks much thicker than that. I keep wanting to pick it up and read, but just haven’t done it. Hopefully 2019 is the year I get to it, because I’ll be pretty embarrassed to have to add it to my 2020 to-read list.

 

 

 

I’ve already finished one book in 2019. The Dinner List: A Novel by Rebecca Serle. My recommendation is read it, but have tissues on hand. I didn’t put it on my top to-read list because it’s already been read. But I just picked up two more books from my local library this afternoon and plan on starting them soon. The first is number one on this year’s list and the other is number nine. My plan is to get through the list before I get distracted by other books. Does anyone else have that problem? “Ooh! Look at that book! I want it.”

What books on on your top to-read list this year? Have you read anything lately that you’d recommend? I’m always on the hunt for another great read. Please share your ideas in the comments section below.

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