It’s always one of my favorite parts of finishing a year: looking back at a year’s worth of completed books. A reading list tells the story of my year—every story I read was a literary journey of its own. Each book is imprinted with memories and thoughts of my life at that time of the year.
But what makes a book a “favorite”? Well, if it raises thought-provoking questions, pulls me deep into the story like a lovely warm hug, is drenched in aesthetic, tells a compelling tale that makes me stay up way past my bedtime even if I have to get up early the next morning, resonates with some inner quandary and leaves me musing and wistful for days afterwards, then I add it to my bouquet of favorite books. These masterpieces are few and far between. Once I find them, they feel like old friends—like stories that I’ve known forever. These are the ten books I read in 2019 that were immediate favorites.
The Clockmaker’s Daughter // Kate Morton
My real name, no one remembers. The truth about that summer, no one else knows. In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames.
But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe's life is in ruins.
Anything Kate Morton writes is gold, but I’m not exaggerating to say The Clockmaker’s Daughter is her best novel. Told through three different time narratives, excellently interweaving a fascinating cast of characters, the story revolves around a captivating secret of what happened on a fateful day in 1862 when one woman is killed and another disappears. The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a spellbinding tale that deals with themes of time and timelessness, truth and beauty, and finding light in the darkest of times.
Where the Crawdads Sing // Delia Owens
For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969 when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl.
But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautiful and poignant historical fiction novel that is part coming-of-age story, part murder mystery. The way Delia Owens writes, she draws you into the intrinsic world of Kya Clark as she grows up alone in the marsh. Owen’s own love of nature permeates the story and fills it with a richness that’s rare in modern novels. This is both a modern classic and a perfect book club read.
Bridge of Clay // Markus Zusak
The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s disappearance.
At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge—for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle.
Since the publication of The Book Thief in 2005, Markus Zusak has spent the last thirteen years crafting Bridge of Clay. Although he clearly struggled to bring his vision to life in this book, I think he succeeded in telling a story that’s both masterfully written and intriguing in an elusive way. I’d stake this one on my favorites list just from a writing standpoint, but the story is equally powerful.
Before I Fall // Lauren Oliver
For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—“Cupid Day”—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.
However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.
If you could live the last day of your life over again, what would you do differently? In Before I Fall, eighteen-year-old Samantha Kingston lives the last day of her life seven times. She begins as a selfish, cruel, thoughtless girl obsessed with her own popularity, but by the end she sacrifices everything to put her past faults to rights. Sam’s story is the most dramatic character arc I’ve ever read, and somehow the book manages to be both heartwrenching and heartwarming all at once.
From the minute I finished this book back in January, Before I Fall was an instant favorite for me. Not because of the spotless morality—in fact this was a frightful wake-up call for my homeschooled self to the realities of the modern high school scene—but because of the message you’re left to ponder after the last page.
The feeling I had after finishing this book—the awareness of life passing and the impact of the smallest actions everyday—is a feeling I’ve never been able to replicate outside of reading this. Whenever I find myself in a rut in life, feeling like my day to day life has no impact and is stuck in routine, I turn to this book to remind me how short life is, and how meaningful the smallest moments can be.
Empire of Storms // Sarah J. Maas
The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.
With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.
It took me the better part of the year to get through Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series. I’ll admit that I was skeptical when I started, since the first book felt cliche and unoriginal, but by the time I got to Empire of Storms (the fifth book in the series) I was blown away. A story of epic proportions, Empire of Storms is far and away my favorite book in the Throne of Glass series. There were so many moments—the sea dragon battle, the arrival of the Thirteen, uncovering the prophecy, the final showdown—that had on the edge of my seat. Aelin is a fantastic heroine; every time you think she’s cornered, she pulls another card out of her sleeve. This novel has so many great examples of what J.R.R. Tolkien called eucatastrophe: just when it seems all hope is lost, goodness prevails.
Six of Crows // Leigh Bardugo
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . .
A convict with a thirst for revenge
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager
A runaway with a privileged past
A spy known as the Wraith
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes
Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
Six of Crows is about as perfect as a fantasy novel can get. Centering around a magical heist, the story is a masterful web of twists and turns, full of suspense and witty banter and a unique twist on the fantasy genre. It’s a wild ride and by far the best fantasy I’ve read in years.
If We Were Villains // M.L. Rio
Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
This book is simply soaked in dark academia ambiance. A murder mystery, told in two timelines, If We Were Villains unravels the mystery of what happened during the senior year of these theatre students, uncovering the secrets that changed all of their lives forever. Before we move on, I’ll just asterisk a quick content warning here, because this is by no means a clean read and I struggled to put this on my favorites list for that reason. In spite of that, though, this is still one of my favorite books of the year. M.L. Rio writes masterfully crafted thriller, full of twists and turns, that took my breath away and kept me up to the wee hours of the morning.
The Scorpio Races // Maggie Stiefvater
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
With the flavor of Misty of Chincoteague and the stakes of The Hunger Games, The Scorpio Races is a rare, ambient novel that will haunt you for days even though it feels as cozy as a mug of hot cocoa. It’s set in the windswept cliffs and raging seas of the island of Thisby. Although the book is named for the deadly annual races that take place every November, the story explores the ancient understanding between the ancient Capaill Uisce water horses and the bleak isle of Thisby. It’s a beautifully written story with two extremely likeable main characters and several sequences that are so intense you can’t put the book down. All that to say, I can’t explain how much I love The Scorpio Races, except to say it stayed with me for weeks afterwards and I can’t wait to revisit Thisby again.
Girl, Wash Your Face & Girl, Stop Apologizing // Rachel Hollis
“I believe we can change the world. But first, we’ve got to stop living in fear of being judged for who we are.”
Rachel Hollis has seen it too often: women not living into their full potential. They feel a tugging on their hearts for something more, but they’re afraid of embarrassment, of falling short of perfection, of not being enough.
In Girl, Stop Apologizing, Rachel Hollis sounds a wake-up call. She knows that many women have been taught to define themselves in light of other people—whether as wife, mother, daughter, or employee—instead of learning how to own who they are and what they want. With a challenge to women everywhere to stop talking themselves out of their dreams, Hollis identifies the excuses to let go of, the behaviors to adopt, and the skills to acquire on the path to growth, confidence, and believing in yourself.
These two companion books by Rachel Hollis were exactly what I needed to hear this year. Girl, Wash Your Face unravels the lies we believe about ourself, the lies that stop us from living the lives we want. Girl, Stop Apologizing motivates us to stop wasting our life trying to please everyone and instead work hard to turn your vision of a meaningful life into reality. Both books are powerful and I can’t recommend them enough for anyone who wants to live a more intentional and motivated life.
Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith & Art // Madeleine L’Engle
In this classic book, Madeleine L'Engle addresses the questions, What makes art Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian artist? What is the relationship between faith and art? Through L'Engle's beautiful and insightful essay, readers will find themselves called to what the author views as the prime tasks of an artist: to listen, to remain aware, and to respond to creation through one's own art.
Although I haven’t finished this one yet, Madeleine L’Engle’s book of essays is already going to be one of my most annotated books of the year. I could probably underline the whole book, it’s that powerful. If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to struggle with the concept of being a Christian artist and how to find meaning in what we do. Creating art is a divine gift. By creating, we act in the image of our Creator. Walking on Water is helping me understand the beautiful mystery of what it means to create art.
<3 Olivia Grace
