Discussion: What I Learned From Reading 200+ “Best Books Of 2019” Lists

It took me a solid three months of searching the blogosphere, Pinterest, YouTube, newspapers, magazines, award lists, and bookstore websites, but I finally did it. I read/watched every single “Best Books of 2019” list I could find. Why did I do it? Mostly FOMO. I don’t want to miss something amazing. Also, I have a book obsession (obviously) and insatiable curiosity about what people are reading. Which books are memorable? Which books are people buying? Which are the best of the best? I don’t think I can answer those questions, but I noticed some trends, and I found some under-hyped books that I want to read in 2020. Let’s get into it.

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2019/2020 Book Trends

Cute, Quirky, Funny, Modern Romance

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Enemies-To-Lovers

People were definitely reading to escape in 2019. (I can’t imagine why.) I saw tons and tons of humorous romances. Readers loved The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, which stars two sworn enemies who go on a honeymoon together after the bride and groom get sick. Another 2019 favorite was Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. It’s about a public rivalry and private romance between the Prince of Wales and the son of the US President.

Beautiful Writing

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Ultra-Detailed Historical Fiction

Let’s look at the opposite end of the spectrum from “cute, quirky, funny, and modern.” What did the super-serious literary people love in 2019? I saw a lot of literary historical fiction. The two historical books I noticed the most were Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I actually saw Crawdads so often that it became the first book I read in 2020. I’m pleased to report that it lives up to the hype. It’s a bit pretentious and far-fetched, but it has memorable characters and beautiful descriptions of the North Carolina coast. It’s about a semi-feral “Marsh Girl” who is accused of murdering a small-town sports hero in the 1960s.

Daisy Jones is a novel that I’m eager to read. It’s about the breakup of a fictional 1970s rock band. It’s so realistic that some reviewers had to Google the band to double-check if it was really fictional. Since the book is written in interview/transcript format, reviewers say the audiobook is excellent.

This next book didn’t get much hype in the blogosphere, but it did get the attention of award committees and professional book critics. My local bookstore declared it their favorite novel of 2019. It’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. The book is written as a letter from a queer Vietnamese man to his illiterate mother. It’s supposed to be honest, compassionate, and poetic.

Very Human Nonfiction

I was thrilled to discover several “best” nonfiction books that blend history, psychology, nature, and religion. Those are my favorite topics to read about. A book that appeared EVERYWHERE is Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. I’ve actually read that one! It chronicles the author’s childhood in a survivalist compound with her religious extremist parents. I felt slightly voyeuristic while reading it, but it’s an edge-of-your-seat memoir that you won’t believe is true. I think it deserves the hype.

A 2019 nonfiction favorite that I haven’t read (yet) is The Only Plane In The Sky: An Oral History Of September 11, 2001 by Garrett Graff. The author uses interviews with more than 500 witnesses to tell the story of 9/11 as it was experienced. The synopsis says it’s “the historic narrative of how ordinary people grappled with extraordinary events in real time.” It sounds depressing, but reviewers love it.

Under-hyped Books That I Want To Read

The best part of looking at 200+ “Best Book” lists is discovering interesting-sounding books that very few bloggers are talking about. Here’s what I added to my must-read list.

Under-Hyped Fiction

Sealed by Naomi Booth sounds absolutely terrifying. It’s a modern fable/eco-horror about a disease that causes people’s skin to grow out of control. If you’re infected, all the openings in your body will become sealed with skin. The main character is a pregnant woman who escapes to the mountains in an attempt to avoid the disease. When you’re pregnant, you definitely don’t want your openings closed . . . .

10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World by Elif Shafak. Elif Shafak is an author I’ve been meaning to read for years. Her work gets amazing reviews. This novel was listed for the Booker Prize, but I didn't see many bloggers talking about it. The story follows the last 10 minutes 38 seconds of a murdered Turkish woman’s life.

The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea sounds like my kind of historical fiction. It’s set in 1600s Iceland and stars a woman in an arranged marriage. Her husband’s first wife died mysteriously, and he forbids his new wife from speaking to the neighbors. When the new wife starts hearing voices in the attic, she wonders if the isolation is driving her insane.

Under-Hyped Nonfiction

Unfollow: A Journey From Hatred To Hope by Megan Phelps-Roper. If you’ve been on this blog before, then you probably know about my cult obsession. This memoir is written by a woman who was raised in the Westboro Baptist Church and decided to leave. I’m even more excited about this book because I recently watched an excellent documentary series called Why We Hate. The author was interviewed on that show. She told a story about how joining Twitter changed the way she saw the world. Her book sounds fascinating.

Becoming Unbecoming by Una is a memoir in graphic novel form. It’s about victim blaming and what it was like to grow up in Yorkshire while the “Yorkshire Ripper” serial killer was murdering women.

My Time Among The Whites: Notes From An Unfinished Education by Jennine Capò Crucet is an essay collection by a Cuban-American author who feels like a fish out of water in the US. It’s supposed to be thoughtful, hilarious, and massively controversial. I want to know what the drama is about.

That’s what I learned from months of sifting through the Internet. What about you? Do you read “Best Books” lists? Have you read any books after seeing them on someone else’s list?