This year I relied a lot more on audiobooks and e-books. I used to be adamantly opposed to e-reading, but I've discovered some things about e-books that I really like:
- The ability to highlight passages and search, even when the book is from the library
- Being able to take screenshots of quotes I love
- Having a book with me everywhere I go without having to remember to grab it on the way out the door or have it occupy space in my purse
- Being able to read in the dark
- Not having to make a trip to the library to obtain or return my books
I still enjoy reading a hard copy, but I have made space in my life for e-books and no longer prefer one over the other.
Audiobooks have been great for keeping me entertained while I'm doing household tasks or driving for long periods of times. It's nice to be able to enjoy a book while working on other things, and it's kind of fun to set the 15 minute timer and fall asleep to the sweet serenade of a British narrator.
Here is the list of books I read in 2019. I have given a star rating to most of them, which matches my rating on Goodreads. Occasionally I finish a book and choose not to rate it. Sometimes this is because I'm not sure how I feel about it. Other times it's because I don't feel I can rate it fairly (maybe I have a bias that makes me more or less critical of a work, or maybe I read the book with half my brain on).
One thing to note about my reading list is that it isn't filtered for content. In other words, don't put your trust in me to lead you to wholesome literature. There's plenty of that here, but there are also a lot of books with strong language and heavy themes. In years past I've been more selective about the content of what I read, but this year I let that slide. The British narrators are partially to blame. Nothing sounds inappropriate when it's said in a British accent! The 'F' word sounds cute, and serial killers appear dainty.
Oh, but the books... here they are:
After the Flood by Kassandra Montag***
Almighty by David Butler****
Bird Box by Josh Malerman*****
The Book of Mormon
Born to Change the World by Brad Wilcox****
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James****
A Case for the Book of Mormon by Tad R. Callister
Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter by Emily Belle Freeman
Columbine by Dave Cullen*****
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch***
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker****
Dreams as Revelation by Mary Jane Woodger***
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman****
Even This by Emily Belle Freeman****
Faith is Not Blind by Bruce C. Hafen & Marie K. Hafen****
A Fall or Marigolds by Susan Meissner***
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson***
The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin***
Good as Gone by Amy Gentry***
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
The Heavens are Open by Wendy Watson Nelson***
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
The Holy Invitation by Anthony Sweat***
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh****
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara****
I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware**
Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison***
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo***
Living the Parables by Hank Smith*****
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite**
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty**
The Priesthood Power of Women by Barbara Morgan Gardner****
Redeemer by David Butler
Refugee by Alan Gratz*****
Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen****
Scythe by Neal Shusterman****
Seekers Wanted by Anthony Sweat*****
Silent Souls Weeping by Jane Clayson Johnson****
Smoke & Summons by Charlie N. Holmberg***
The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan*
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel****
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood****
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman****
True Places by Sonja Yoerg***
Voice Lessons for Parents by Wendy Mogel***
When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz***
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens***
Why We Love Serial Killers by Scott A. Bonn****
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Here are the books I started but didn't finish:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
The Holy Spirit by Robert L. Millet
The Dinner by Herman Koch
Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Promise Not to Tell by Jayne Ann Krentz
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
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I'm sure I'll have at least two more books to add before the end of the year.
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