Top Ten Tuesday – Favorite Books of 2019

Today’s Topic: Favorite Books I Read In 2019

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

I’m actually jumping the gun a bit this week as I usually cover my favorite books in my end of the year review. But, these books are good enough to mention twice, so lucky you. Also, I’ve included some books here which I had to brutally cut out of my end of year review.

For my full reviews on some of these titles, please click the title link.

Carry Me Home – A gorgeous historical romance debut with a unique setting by an Australian author. This book literally made me ache.

Whose Waves These Are – Few authors can write with such poetical lyricism and also tie together the past and present in such a beautiful way. There’s such detail and complexity in this ultimately simple story.

Suffering the Scot – I’ve long enjoyed this author’s historical rom-coms. But in her newest release she balances that humor with great sensitivity and thoughtfulness in a story of a woman longing to break free of societal and family expectations.

What the Wind Knows – One of my favorite authors upped her game with absolutely gorgeous story-telling in every way.

Fawkes – Loved the creative storytelling and genre mash-up of this book. It shattered all my pre-conceived notions.

Drawn by the Frost Moon: Love the War Woman – Rarely have I read a book that does a better job of turning a villian into a hero and that also shows the feminine side of a female warrior.

Marilla of Green Gables – The “pre-quel” I never knew I always wanted that managed to honor the original author and her beloved series.

The Girls in the Picture – I had no expectations and was happily surprised by how much I loved this fictionalization of two of Hollywood’s early female trail blazers. I also loved how it brought the early film industry to life.

In Spite of Lions – This is another book I went into blind and found myself pleasantly surprised by how fascinating I found the subject material. Based on the lives of David and Mary Livingstone and tribal chief Sechele, this really made their story come alive.

Shadow Among Sheaves – The biblical story of Ruth is a a familiar one. But this re-imagines  it up by placing it in Victorian England. Turning the main characters into a British land-owner and an Indian widow gives a fresh spin on this tale.

Beautiful in His Sight – This one introduced me to a major historical event I had never heard of before, namely the Halifax Explosion of 1917. Not to mention, it features a beautiful and redemptive romance which proves that appearances aren’t always what they seem.

Wooing Cadie McCaffrey – This rom-com novel was sweet. But I appreciate that it tackles the notion of cinematic rom-com tropes and the unrealistic ideas of romance that they build up.

Fearless – This author writes incredible stories in my favorite era (medieval). But this is definitely one of her best yet. It turns the assumptions about men’s and women’s roles as well as the idea of what it means to be a warrior upside down.

The Long Walk – I waited a long time for this sequel to one of my favorite novels of 2017. It was totally unexpected, with a change in tone and setting, but it was soooo good!

Pretty Face – This is the book that turned me on to Lucy Parker, one of my favorite author discoveries in 2019.

The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter – Pretty much any and every book written by Mimi Matthews is guaranteed to be a favorite, but I really liked this redemption story between a good but guarded woman and the rake who befriends her.

Lovely War – This one barely squeaked in at the last minute. I just finished reading it. It’s such a creative way of telling not one, not two, but three love stories. I love that it manages to include some of the Greek gods as narrators. (Review to come)

What were some of your favorite books of the year?

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