books read in twenty-nineteen.

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-  THE WONDERING YEARS - know mccoy

i have listened to knox + jamie's podcast - the popcast - for two years. i enjoyed this book a lot. i have always been interested in pop culture. knox has the perfect brand of humor. this isn't a typical "christian book". you won't find christianese or quippy phrases to slap on a t-shirt. he thoughtfully explores the intersection of faith + pop culture.


-  THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW - aj finn

hmm. another books about a drunk woman who suffered some sort of trauma. this book was okay. it kept my interest enough that i finished it. and that's all i really have to say about it.


-  HE SAID/SHE SAID - erin kelly

this book made me so angry. i was hooked until about 80% of the way through. and then. THEN. a "plot twist" happened, and gahhhhhhhhh. i was borderline livid. (i know this is fiction, but it unnerved me so much.) i finished this book, set my kindle down, and breathed out a frustrated sigh. the way it ended made me dislike the book so much. UGH. just... ugh. i thought about this book for months + months after i finished it. i came to this conclusion: i didn't hate the book, just the decisions that one of the characters made in the book.


-  ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET - judy blume

i saw someone talking about judy blume on one of the socials. i had never read one of her books, so i chose this one. it was fine. i probably read it way too late in life to really appreciate it.


-  THE MAGIC OF MOTHERHOOD - ashlee gadd

this book made me cry the most out of all the books i read this year. in case the title didn't give it away, this is a book of motherhood essays that are thoughtful + beautiful + heartbreaking in the best way.


-  STATION ELEVEN - emily st. john mandel

this book has been everywhere, on every list. and i get why. it was so good. the writing, AH. emily is gifted, + i'm delighted i get to read her books.


-  EDUCATED - tara westover

this book is bananas. it reads like fiction, but it's a recollection of tara's life growing up in a survivalist home. quite frankly, there are parts of the story i find hard to believe. BUT i think it's because the stories she recounts are just insane. her parents didn't trust the government or the education system or doctors or hardly anyone but themselves. it was wild.


-  WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING - delia owns

this was a popular release this year, and i have an unpopular opinion. i did not like the ending. it took me months to figure out why. i came to this conclusion:  i need more details on the OMG moment at the end of the book. i don't want to give spoilers, so i'll just leave it there. the rest of the story was really good, but i think if i had a detailed account of that moment (not the why- i get that part) then i could form a concrete opinion.


-  THE MOTHER-IN-LAW - sally hepworth

this book surprised me. it was on anne bogel's summer reading guide, so of course i added it to my TBR list. this book so brilliantly encompasses the complexities of how we perceive the world around us, especially with those we interact with. this book still makes me think, even six months later. it also made me really grateful for such a welcoming mother-in-law.


-  ASK AGAIN, YES - mary beth keane

this was another good one! the characters were delightful. the family dynamics were so well written. i kept turning the pages + staying up late for "just one more chapter".


-  RECURSION - blake crouch

DANG. best book of 2019, for sure. i am so amazed that someone can come up with a story so unique, so compelling, + so complex.


-  THE THOUSAND-DOLLAR TAN LINE (veronica mars #1) - rob thomas

this was the year i fell in love with veronica mars. first i binged the tv show, then the movie, the hulu series, and then the books. eeeekk, this series is so, so good. her wit + sass are my favorite. i wish they would write more books or another season or something.


- MR. KISS AND TELL (veronica mars #2) - rob thomas

i have nothing but good things to say about this book as well. if you love veronica mars, you will like the books. period.


-  THE LAST TIME I LIED - riley sager

this was another good thriller. kept me turning the pages + guessing until the end. i really liked the twist!

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my goal for this year was 12 books. i exclusively read on my kindle paperwhite. i used to scoff at e-readers, and then i became a mom. these days, reading usually happens after everyone goes to bed.

if you're interested, here is my goodreads profile. it has bookshelves for all the books i've read in recent years as well as books i want to read. i also have a bookstagram account. this is not something i keep up with or am trying to gain followers or anything of that nature. it totally stems from this great idea i had to combine two of my favorite things: books + blooms. i also wanted to show a different side of the bookstagram world. you mostly see actual, physical books that people share about, but i wanted to offer a look at the other side of the spectrum: e-books! i use my local library to check out books on my kindle, and it is so wonderful + free!