2019 Book List

I set my goal for the year pretty high at 55, the highest to date. And I came really close. But 52 books in a year is not too shabby for me!

I shared the list of books I read throughout the year, but waited to compile all of my reviews/thoughts for this post. I thought about reviewing them as I read them, but I often think about books for weeks after and formulate my thoughts over time. So here is my yearly book list post :)

1. The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson // I really liked this book. It was so interesting to read about how the brain develops and works. It gave me a lot of insight into my kiddos' brains, and gave me a lot of good things to think about when approaching different parenting situations. 

2. Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery // Just continuing to make my way through the series! I realized that I don't remember these later books as much, but I enjoyed this one. It was a little different; Anne didn't seem "herself" but was rather more mature and less impulsive. So that seemed a little off {compared with the Anne we all know and love}. But I still really enjoyed the book.

3. The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber // This story was unreal. It blows my mind how this guy was able to get away with killing so many of his patients in so many different hospitals. The book itself was not the best delivery, but the story itself was interesting enough to keep my attention.

4. Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott // I don't agree theologically with this author {and to be honest, am not really sure where she is spiritually}, but she is a phenomenal writer. And I enjoy listening to her read her books. But I will say that I was pretty disappointed with this book. For a book that was supposed to be about hope...it sure was depressing haha. She talked more about alcoholism and fighting for sobriety and all the horrible things that cause us to lose hope. There was very little on how to actually feel hope.

5. I Know You Know by Gilly MacMillan // I liked this book....until the end. Whomp, whomp. The end just ruined it for me. The story was interesting, and I liked how it was a different way of telling the story {by incorporating a podcast}. She provided a lot of detail throughout the book, and then the end just felt rushed and random. It just didn't fit with the rest of the book and fell flat. 

6. The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King // If only more people were like Fred Rogers... we saw the documentary about his life, so I thought it would be fun to read a biography. He was just such a fascinating person! I got the audio book on this one, which was read by Levar Burton {Reading Rainbow, anyone?} and it just took me back to my childhood :)

7. The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani {Sam Taylor, translator} // Disturbing. Creepy. Weird. This book was awful. When I picked it up, I didn't realize it was translated from French. So maybe it is better in that language? I don't know. I thought this book was awful. I should have stopped reading it.

8. The New Strong-Willed Child by James C. Dobson // I recently had a conversation with a friend about this author. I remember listening to his radio show with my parents when I was younger, so I decided to read one of his books. I don't know what made this the "New" version, but I struggled with this book. While I could get on board with some of the big picture principles {our role as parents to train up our children, disciplining, teaching our children about authority, etc}, I just couldn't get on board with the overall message. The tone was often very condescending of other parenting methods {A LOT of parenting books are, and it drives me crazy}. Overall, I didn't feel like it was overly helpful for the parent of a strong-willed child. Other than helping parents feel like they weren't alone, there wasn't a lot of practical advice. It was basically "it stinks to have a strong-willed child. Be consistent. It will get worse before it gets better. Spank them. Good luck." Outside of spanking, there were no other options given. For being a Christian book, he used Bible verses, but did not make strong biblical arguments.

9. 1st to Die by James Patterson // This was a totally random choice. I really enjoy mysteries and want to find a good mystery series to follow, so I decided to give him a try. This is the first of the Women's Murder Club series, and I enjoyed it. There was some language and some questionable scenes {I say questionable only because they weren't overly graphic}, so I will have to wade through these carefully and decide if I should stick with them. But for a quick, entertaining read, it's worth continuing with the series.

10. You Carried Me: A Daughter's Memoir by Melissa Ohden // She has a powerful story. She is the survivor of a failed abortion, and this book is her journey to finding answers about her beginnings. It read a lot like a blog post and wasn't overly organized, but I appreciated her story and how she turned her circumstances into an opportunity to help others and speak for the voiceless.

11. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote // I tried another book from the true crime genre and it was good. This was supposedly the first of its kind, a true crime book written like a novel, and it's the bar for a lot of the genre. It was interesting that Harper Lee had a hand in influencing the writing. It took me awhile to wade through the story, because there was so much detail. But overall, the writing was intense and gripping. I think it's going to be hard to find others like it.

12. Columbine by Dave Cullen // This book was absolutely fascinating. I read Sue Klebold's book a couple of years ago, and she had recommended this book as a thorough and detailed account of the events. I was 14 when the tragedy happened, but I remember all of the media coverage for the months following. It was interesting to see so much more behind the scenes on what actually happened and how that differed from what we saw in the news. As a forewarning, it's a pretty raw read; very detailed and, at times, graphic, and it includes a fair amount of language {as referenced by the shooters in their journals and videos}. The book details what happened, the psychology of the shooters, and how the tragedy affected the community.

13. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas // This was a fiction book about a girl who moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood she lives in, and the fancy prep school she attends in the suburbs. It was different from what I usually read, and the language and writing style took some getting used to, but it had an important social and political message. I do think it kind of ended abruptly, without a solid resolution, even with the main character's own thoughts/ideals. But overall it was a good book.

14. The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth // I had a good run of books, so I guess it was time for a flop. It kept me interested enough to finish, but at the end, I just felt "eh." I kept reading, because I was interested in the story line of the character with PPD {some of what she described felt similar to what I experienced in my own struggle with PPD}, but the book just fell flat. The "twist" was not what I expected, which was good, but the stories of the other neighbors just didn't fit in well enough.

15. The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need from Grownups by Erika Christakis // We had been talking about whether or not we would put Eli and Maddie in preschool, so I was looking forward to reading this book. There were a lot of good thoughts in this book, but unfortunately the delivery made it difficult to find her ideas useful. She used the word pedagogic in almost every paragraph, and it was just TOO much. She was often very negative regarding the current state of American preschools, which may be warranted, but her solutions often seemed too idealistic and/or were non-existent. It wasn't a bad book, and I was able to take away a few good thoughts as we look ahead to preschool for Eli and Maddie, but overall it wasn't exactly revolutionary.

16. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides // This book fell flat for me. The writing was not that great, the characters were not likable, and the "twist" was ridiculous. It just seemed unrealistic and never seemed to redeem itself.

17. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan // A lot of people really liked this book and were excited when the movie came out. So I decided to give it a try, and it just wasn't for me. The characters were all insufferable and annoying. There were racial slurs, derogatory and crass dialogue, and I just didn't find any of the storyline funny. There were endless descriptions of designer this and couture that. Definitely won't be reading the rest of the series.

18. The Au Pair by Emma Rous // This story was just ridiculous. The entire thing was wholly unbelievable, and there were so many plot holes. I was intrigued by the premise and the fact that the story focused on twins...but I had a really hard time finishing this book.

19. The Want-Ad Killer by Ann Rule // We were watching a 20/20 episode {because we're cool like that}, and they mentioned that Ann Rule is one of the most popular and prolific true crime novelists. And since I have started looking for some good true crime books, I decided to give her a try. She is a really great writer and presents her research of the case really well. This story didn't really interest me that much, but I have gathered that this is not her best work, so I will be trying another one to see if I like her other work. 

20. Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar // This was the story of the German woman who followed her Gypsy family to Auschwitz and was asked to run its "kindergarten." While the descriptions of the Nazi's treatment were repetitive, the story was really interesting. Overall, I liked this book.

21. 2nd Chance by James Patterson // So I have to admit that these are not overly amazing books. The writing is entertaining, but they're kind of like the murder mystery version of cheesy Lifetime Movies. And I am really enjoying them haha. Judge me if you'd like. This one had a little more language than the first, so we'll see how the series continues. 

22. An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks // There were parts of this book that were interesting; the psychological piece of the story was intriguing, but the execution wasn't that great. I kept thinking that the big plot twist would come and would make all the crazy pieces fall together. But instead, the story was just bizarre and disconnected. It got really slow and I thought I was nearing the end, only to learn I had several chapters left to go. It was just entertaining enough to finish, but I wouldn't recommend it.

23. 11/22/63 by Stephen King // This was a complete diversion from what I usually read. It's about a time traveler who attempts to prevent the JFK assassination. It didn't sound like something I would enjoy, but I tried it anyway, and I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it was 800+ pages, I found the story intriguing. The only reason I couldn't give it a higher review on Goodreads is because they talked throughout the entire book about how saving Kennedy would change everything in history for the better. He wasn't saved until the very end of the book, and they barely hinted at how history was changed {no Vietnam, which I admit is big}. Perhaps I don't know my history well enough, but for all the hype around it, they didn't really explain why it was such a big deal to save this one person and alter the course of history. Also, warning: there is A LOT of language in the book. 

24. Educated by Tara Westover // This is a memoir of a young woman who grew up in an isolated, eccentric family, and it's the story of how she leaves her family to receive a fairly impressive education. The book highlights mental illness and emotional/physical abuse. For me, there was a lot of disconnect in this book {they grew up poor, but somehow always seemed to have money for things; her feelings on her religion and how it played a role in her family life; how many crazy accidents they had and yet no one died}. I am by no means arguing her personal experiences, it was just such a wild and crazy story that it was hard to believe at times. And that made reading it just ok for me.

25. The Last Stone by Mark Bowden // This was called a "masterpiece of criminal interrogation." And no doubt, the detectives were dedicated and persistent. But the criminal was just dumb; he hung himself because he couldn't stop talking. Props to the detectives for getting a conviction. But this book was endlessly repetitive. And there were a lot of typos, which is a personal pet peeve.

26. Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh // For all my introvert friends: this is SUCH a good book! I felt like he was writing about my life, and I found myself nodding along, saying "yes! exactly that, yes!" throughout the book haha. He talks about what it means to be an introvert, and what that specifically means within evangelical church culture. It provided so much biblical freedom for how God created introverts to be, without giving them a free pass to ignore the commands of scripture {loving others sacrificially, serving, evangelism, etc}. 

27. 3rd Degree by James Patterson // Book #3 in the Women's Murder Club series. This one was about a city-wide terror plot. Again, it's not winning any literature awards, {and 100+ chapters is just silly}, but if I want to get lost in a mindless story, this series is my current go-to. 

28. Choosing to SEE:A Journey of Struggle and Hope by Mary Beth Chapman // Her story is tragic and raw, and I appreciate her honesty regarding her experience with grief. I couldn't help but cry when she recounted losing her young daughter. I appreciated their story of adoption and enjoyed reading about how they developed their adoption ministry Show Hope. Unfortunately, the book was not written well, and the second half was just a reprint of several blog posts. 

29. Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp // This is hands down my favorite book of the year and the best book I have read on biblical parenting. It gives a big picture, gospel view of parenting, and I found myself nodding my head, saying "amen," and wanting to highlight pretty much the entire book. This is going on my "to read again" list, and I think it should be read by every Christian parent. I really need to read it every year. SO GOOD.

30. The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman // I struggled with whether or not I liked this book. I actually enjoyed her writing, but felt like she wasn't a very good story teller {can that even happen??} I liked the storyline of the mother trying to find the daughter she placed for adoption. But the supposed "love story" just seemed silly and made me roll my eyes on multiple occasions. Probably won't be reading another book by this author.

31. Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry // I had heard bits and pieces of her story, so I was really interested to read her book. The gospel is so beautifully presented on every page, and I could easily replace her specific idol with any of the idols in my own life. It's a beautiful redemption story of how she found Jesus to be better than anything this world has to offer.

32. Becoming by Michelle Obama // Mrs. Obama is such an articulate and classy lady, so it was no surprise that her book was written the same. I enjoyed learning her story and getting a tiny peak into her life as the first lady. While there are many things that distinguish her life as very different from the average American {like hiring a personal chef to cook healthy meals for her family, even before the white house}, she seems relatable and down-to-earth in many ways. An enjoyable and interesting read.

33. Maid by Stephanie Land // It's always difficult to rate a memoir, because it feels like you are praising or criticizing someone's personal story. But this book was nothing like it advertised. It was supposed to be a "beautiful and gritty exploration of poverty in America." An important topic that should be exposed and discussed...but this book did not do that. While the author detailed her story of working as a maid as a single mom, I found it incredibly difficult to root for her. Her circumstances were difficult, yes. But she never seemed to take any personal responsibility, constantly blamed others for her own poor choices, and didn't seem to work as hard as she kept saying she did {25 hours a week is not going to pay the bills...for anyone}. Her story left me with so many questions... I really disliked this book and had a hard time finishing it, simply because she was exhausting to listen to.

34. 4th of July by James Patterson // Book #4 in the Women's Murder Club series. And this one tanked. It was so bad! If the next one is this bad, I might be saying so long to this series.

35. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond // This book takes a raw, in-depth look at people on the brink of eviction. It attempts to humanize both the families and landlords in the eviction process. It shows the complexities of eviction and poverty, and how that becomes a cycle for those renting in the inner-city. I think overall it is a good and important read. My only issue is that all of the personal stories of eviction were of people who were making poor life choices {drugs, crime, refusing to work}. The author could have made a better argument regarding the cycle of poverty, had he included stories of people who were working hard to change their circumstances. I believe the author's solutions are over-simplistic, and I will always struggle with the absence of personal responsibility. But I would still recommend the book to open discussions on an important issue.

36. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane // This book started really slow. Then it got a little more interesting, so I thought it would get better. But it really just got slow again. It wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't a very interesting story, and it ended pretty abruptly and strangely {given the whole book}. 

37. Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments by Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler // SO GOOD. Every Mama should read this book. Review here.

38. The 5th Horseman by James Patterson // Book #5 in the Women's Murder Club series. This had the potential to be better than the last...the writing started out better. But then there were HUGE plot holes and a random storyline that made no sense. So I think I'm done. 

39. No-Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson // This book was very similar to The Whole-Brain Child {see #1}. I appreciated how the book emphasized that discipline is mainly about teaching and that it's important to connect with our child before disciplining. It was, however, very repetitive, especially in the first half of the book. It would have been more useful in a condensed version.

40. Cinder by Marissa Meyer // Book 1 of the Lunar Chronicles. This was SO outside of what I normally read. I actually picked it up, read the first page, and returned the book, because it started talking about cyborgs, and I was like "nope." But I decided to venture out and read something new...and I'm glad I did, because I actually enjoyed this strange little book! Haha. It was Cinderella meet Star Wars meet...Hunger Games? I don't know- it was strange, but it kept my interest enough to finish it, so that's gotta count for something, right? It was creative, for sure. I actually am intrigued enough to want to read the next book.

41. The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware // This book was ridiculous. The characters were completely unlikeable, it was organized in a strange way {it was supposed to be a letter, but ended up being a forever-long narrative}, and the "suspense" was so predictable and contrived. This was almost a DNF, and when I did finish it, I wish I hadn't.

42. Decision Points by George W. Bush // Any/all political leanings aside, I really enjoyed this book. I usually don't like to read about politics, but I am fascinated to hear "their side of the story" when it comes to our presidents. President Bush shared how he made decisions in the Oval Office, sharing both convictions and regrets. He seemed humble enough to admit mistakes, and his book shows a man who always just wanted to do the right thing. An interesting read.

43. The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield // This book was REALLY convicting to my little introvert, hermit personality. But it was so good. She is the queen of hospitality...almost to an extreme {if there is such a thing}. So while I don't think everyone can open their homes quite like she does, it is certainly humbling to think about more and better ways to serve our neighbors.

44. The Defense by Steve Cavanagh // This was a little bit different of a thriller...part Law and Order and part Mafia, which actually turned into a pretty interesting read. It's a little bit on the unrealistic side {I mean, the con-artist lawyer outsmarts the Mafia and they don't just kill him}, but it was well-written and held my attention. I'll be interested to read some more of Cavanagh's books.

45. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman // If I could describe this book in one word, I would say it was "tedious." I appreciated how a somewhat socially awkward woman attempts to work through her issues and ends up finding unexpected friendships in the process, but it was really grating to hear her describe {and complain about} every tiny detail of her day and life. The author attempts to make her charming and witty in her awkwardness, but it just fell flat. This book just wasn't for me.

46. A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena // This book was supposed to be a thriller, but it fell pretty flat in suspense. It just wasn't very believable, and the end was just silly. I wouldn't recommend.

47. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain // I wanted to like this book...I'm an introvert so I thought I would cheer along all the amazing insights into my personality as I read. Unfortunately, I had to weed through statistics and studies {that I wasn't completely convinced were totally applicable}, and there were endless stories and anecdotes. Perhaps this would be a good reference for an extrovert wanting to know more about an introvert. But I failed to see any new ideas on the power that I supposedly have in an extroverted world.

48. You Can't Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded) by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias // Another attempt at learning how to parent a strong-willed child...I feel like this book had a few practical examples for specific situations, and overall I could get on board with the principles presented in this book. The author claims to be strong-willed herself, but I wasn't wholly convinced. This book wasn't necessarily the breakthrough I was looking for, but I did gain a little more insight into how a strong-willed child ticks.

49. Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp // What to say about this book...I found it incredibly confusing. The first 1/3 was actually good; it focused on how discipline should focus on a child's heart, instead of behavior. He talks about helping a child recognize their need for Christ and highlight the sin/idols in their hearts...a good focus on the gospel! But the last 2/3 of the book focused more on his methodology, and this is where I really struggled. His main methods of discipline are communication {wholly on board!} and "the rod" {spanking}. While I am not wholly anti-spanking, I cannot get on board with his justifications and supposed biblical support for it. He goes so far to say that God commands spanking {I don't believe He does} and that all other methods of discipline are unbiblical. Frankly, his views on authority seem skewed. So I just would never feel comfortable recommending this book.

50. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer // Book 2 of the Lunar Chronicles. I surprisingly liked the first one {see #40}, so I decided to continue reading the series. This book was Little Red Riding Hood meets Star Wars meets Twilight {Team Jacob, because of the wolf??} Haha, again, a silly read, but an overall good story.

51. Cress by Marissa Meyer // Book 3 of the Lunar Chronicles. My continued journey through this series. This book introduced a Rapunzel-like character to the cast of cyborgs and wolves :)

52. Winter by Marissa Meyer // Book 4 of the Lunar Chronicles. I just couldn't stop myself. This was a little bit of a Snow White-ish story, though the dwarves were missing from it haha. This one seemed to drag on a little too much, but it was still a fun read. I will say, I made the mistake of listening to the audio book on this one...and the audio made me laugh too much. Don't listen to the audio; just read the actual books.