Top 19 Books 2019

I read 52 books this year! I still can’t believe I read this much! My goal of 36 books was totally surpassed. Most of my book recommendations come from Modern Mrs. Darcy and various podcasts. Here are my favorites for the year.

Non-Fiction Books

So many people I follow wrote books this year! These are just a few of my favorites. I did a deep dive into the Enneagram this year and still have a couple more books in my TBR pile that I want to read but Ian Cron’s book is a great introduction.

If you need a good reboot in 2020, I highly recommend Atomic Habits. His approach is the most doable I have ever found. I am convinced that our lives our made up by our small daily choices.

Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman
Placemaker by Christie Purifoy
The Road Back to You: An Ennegram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
The Middle Matters: Why that (Extra)Ordinary Life Books Really Good on You by Lisa-Jo Baker

Memoir Books

I haven’t read that many memoirs before but I absolutely loved reading them this year. It was hard to pick my favorites but here are my top 5 picks for this year. These women are all amazing in different ways and I learned so much from their stories. My thoughts keep returning to these books again and again.

I actually went back and read all of Ruth Reichl’s books after reading Save Me the Plums. She is an amazing writer and includes recipes in all of her books.

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindberg
Miracles and Other Reasonable Things by Sarah Bessey
Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl
Educated by Tara Westover
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

Fiction

I have not read very many mystery books in the past but I absolutely loved reading through the entire Inspector Gamache series. It was wonderful getting to know the characters more each book in a familiar setting. I also discovered Charlie Lovett and can’t wait to read his other books.

All of the Inspector Gamache books by Louise Penny
The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay
The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
The Gown by Jennifer Robson

Cookbooks

Cooking daily for a family of 10 requires renewed inspiration from time to time. These books encouraged me to try some new things and taught me how I could cook better.