2019 Book Review

One of my favorite travel accessories is a good book to keep me company on a flight, bus ride, or on the beach. I have always been an avid book reader and after tracking the books that I read last year, I wanted to do it again. I set myself a goal of 52 books to read. I managed to come pretty close with a total of 47 books.

Below is my 2019 Reading List and review. I am always looking for new book suggestions! What was your favorite book that you read in 2019? If you like my 2019 book review, please check out last year’s list.

*This post contain affiliate links in which I will earn a small commission. As always, all of the below opinions are my own and I wouldn’t recommend anything that I didn’t enjoy myself.

Book	Review
	Identical triplets - Rose, Eliza, and Phoebe, all fall in love with Angus, the boy next door. What happens when Angus falls in love with them with more than one of the them at the same time? This book is about love and the bond of sisters. It was a quick and easy read but I just didn’t like it. Some of the plots seemed a little far-fetched and I didn't like the women competing for the affection of the same man.
	8 years after Julie is kidnapped from her bedroom, she walks right back through her front door. But her story doesn’t quite make sense, is it really Julie or is someone pretending to be Julie? At points, this story can be a bit confusing to try to grasp what actually happened to Julie but the author does bring it full circle and make it very clear at the end. I thought I had it figured out but I didn’t see the ending coming. Worth reading if you like psychological thrillers.
	Liane Mortiarty is one of my favorite authors, her books include Big, Little Lies. Nine Perfect Strangers is about 9 people signing up for a 10 day health retreat with some unorthodox treatments that are meant to change their lives. Or has the owner of the retreat just lost her mind? The book is about 9 people’s struggles and their efforts to get their lifes back on track. It was a little kooky but I enjoyed it.
	True Crime Story by James Renner was in my top 5 books of last year. This year, Amy, My Search for her Killer is again in my Top 5. This book is a true story about James Renner quest to find Amy’s killer. He says he fell in love with Amy as a child and has been obsessed with the case ever since. As a news reporter, he was given the chance to write an article about her case which turned into a book. I love the way James walks the reader through his thought process of investigating and his theories on who may have done it. Unfortunately as of January 2019, Amy’s case is still unsolved. They recently ran a 3 hour tv special on her case if you want to learn more.
	A true story about a writer who decides there are no eligible men in London and that she must travel the world to find her soul mate. With the help of her friends or “date wranglers”, she lines up 80 dates around the world. Many of them are crazy blind dates stories that make for a good laugh. I enjoyed the sheer craziness that the author puts herself through to find a man. I liked the premise of this book more then the book itself. The first few chapters were hilarious but the book got too long for me.
	28 years ago, Charlie and Sam watched their mom get murdered in the kitchen. Sam was shot and buried alive but managed to survive while Charlie ran. Another tragedy 28 year later, bring them back together and forces them to relive their past. Will they be able to handle the truth of what happened? This book draws you in and makes you want to piece together the full story. I highly recommend it if you like mysteries.
	11 year old Melody is extremely smart but nobody knows. She was born with cerebral palsy and can’t walk or talk but she has a photographic memory. Will she find a way to communicate? Will she find a way to make friends with the other fifth graders? This book is actually a young adult book that as on the truck. I read it in pretty much one sitting and loved it.
	This is the true story of how Lale’s life as a prisoner in Auschwitz. Through lots of luck, he is given the job of Tattooist which comes with better accommodations and more food rations. Lale is a true romantic and falls in love with a girl he is forced to Tattoo. If you enjoys books about World War II then you will love this book that gives another perspective on life in Auschwitz and what you do to survive. This was in my top 5 favorite books of the year.
	A brief history of humankind and how we have evolved. I had heard great things about this book but I just couldn’t get into it. It was like 100 essays that might have been interesting on their own. But I found it difficult to continuously read and get through. I also felt there were some spots he over explained or repeated himself.
	Reading the title, you assume The Other Woman is a scorned ex-girlfriend or mistress. Yet it’s Emily’s future mother-in-law, Pammie, that will stop at nothing to stop her son, Adam, from marrying Emily. What do you do when you find the man of your dreams but can’t stand his mother? The book is an easy read and I was surprised by the ending. I liked it but I have loved others in the genre more.
	Quinn and Graham have seemingly perfect marriage to their friends and family. But at home, Quinn is falling apart as they struggle to conceive a child. Can they find a way to save their marriage? I think this book would be a great read for anyone woman that has struggled with fertility or enjoys romance novels. I enjoyed it and rooted for Quinn and Graham to find a way to make it work. They may not be perfect but they seemed perfect for each other!
	After a tragic accident, Anna suffered from PTSD. Her PTSD manifested into a full-blown case of agoraphobia where she is scared to death of leaving her house. So her newest hobby becomes spying on her neighbors. So what happens when Anna swears she witnessed a murder but no one will believe her? Is she in danger herself? Very quick read with several twists and turns that will keep you guessing. A great book if you like psychological thrillers.
	I don’t follow politics so I probably knew less then the average citizen about Michelle Obama before reading this book. Michelle is role model for many and after reading her book, I really look up to her. She could have been a hotshot lawyer making great money but she gave it up to make a real difference in her community. She didn’t want to be in politics but she believed in her husband and what he hoped to accomplish so she put her feelings aside. It was a very interesting book and makes you want to be a better role model.
	The book starts out like the famous movie, The Breakfast Club, with a jock, popular girl, criminal, bookworm, and outcast gossip blogger in detention. But the book takes a dark turn from the popular 80’s movie and the Blogger dies before the end of detention. Since he was about to post salicious gossip about the other four, everyone believes the killer is one of them. Who murdered him and why?? This book keeps you guessing and I liked the plot. However it did feel more like a Young Adult book with the target audience being teenagers.
	I had never heard of Rachel Hollis before reading her book. I recognized the title in the library of my NCL cruise and decided to give it a shot. It is a quick, light-hearted book. I love how Rachel can be the first person to make fun of herself. She doesn’t claim to be perfect or anywhere close but shares tips on being the best version of yourself. She is very real and relatable and shares some good tips. It is worth putting on your reading list. Word of caution - Rachel is very religious and talks about her faith throughout the book so that may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
	I was grieving the loss of Luke Perry, a.k.a my crush from 90210, Dylan McKay while aboard a NCL cruise. Since I couldn’t bingewatch 90210 with my old roomie to get over my loss, I thought Jennie Garth’s autobiography would be the perfect way to get my Luke Perry fix. The book was very light on 90210 and talked about all of Jennie’s life. I don’t normally read celebrity bios but this book served it’s purpose in my time of grief. Does anyone else grieve the loss of actors like they are an actual friend?
	This book started out as cringeworthy, I had a hard time getting through the first 1/3 of the book. I wanted to yell at the main character, Sarah to get over Eddie who she fell in love with over the course of a week and then he ghosted her. She continuously reaches out to him like a crazy person and you just want to shake her and tell her to snap out of it. But as the book progresses, you find out about Sarah’s past and the reason that Eddie never reached out and you start cheering for them to end up together. It had a very slow start but I found myself really getting into the book.
	An abortion clinic is held hostage by a man seeking revenge for his daughter’s abortion. The story moves in reverse chronological order starting with the end of the day and finishing with the beginning of the day. As always, Jodi Picoult narrates the story so that you get the viewpoints of all of the characters. You see why some of them are Pro-Choice and other Pro-Life and the arguments for both. Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors but this book just wasn’t one of my favorites. Normally one of my favorite parts of her book is that she gets you to empathize with both sides of hard issues. But I had a hard time finding any empathy for the radical Pro-Life characters in the book.
	Grace and Matt were neighbors in college that were friends but ending up falling in love. After college, they went their separate and after 15 years apart, they run into each other on the New York Subway. Will they rekindle their love or will issues from their past keep them apart? As their love story unfolds, you root for them to get back together. I don’t read many romance novels but this was a quick and easy read.
	Kerri Rawson’s world comes tumbling down on February 25, 2005 when her father Dennis Radar was arrested for murder. It turns out that he was the famous BTK serial killer that had tortured Wichita, Kansas for 30 years and had killed 10 people. Kerri’s family was shocked at the news. Their father was a church going man and sure he had a temper but they couldn’t fathom the crimes he committed. It was very interesting to read the letters between Kerri and her father while he was in jail. If you like true crime and are interested in psychology then this is the book for you.
	Lowen agrees to co-write the rest of Verity Crawford’s book after she is injured in a car crash. While looking through Verity’s notes, Lowen finds a chilling autobiography full of family secrets. Lowen is falling for Verity’s husband and if she shows him the manuscript, will he fall out of love with his wife and in love with Lowen? Or would the truth destroy him? If you love psychological thrillers, then read this book! It was in my top 5 favorite books of the year.
	Kya’s mom left when she was six followed quickly by her older siblings leaving her alone with her negligent father. Kya only went to school one day in her life and instead lived in the marsh. She was known as the marsh girl and was outcasted by the whole town. She becomes a murder suspect of the former high school football star. Was she smart enough to pull it off or was everyone in town prejudice towards her and suspecting her for no reason.
	What happens when a husband and wife decide to spice up their marriage by becoming serial killers together?? Will they be smart enough to get away with it or will they eventually turn on one another? The main characters were deplorable but I was drawn into the craziness of the story.
	Emiline had a traumatic childhood that she has tried to forget but then her roommate convinces her to read the latest best seller. After reading one chapter, Emiline knows it is a book about her life and the only person that could have written it was her first love that disappeared from her life 12 years ago. Can she bare to revisit her past? Will she stay with her boyfriend or go back to her first love that left her so many years ago? I found Emiline’s story moving and I was rooting for her happy ending the entire time. The book brought me to tears while reading it on the beach. If you are looking for a good romance novel, this is it! It's in my Top 5 favorite books of the year.
	Cassie is an alcoholic flight attendant who routinely sleeps with a new man in every city. She doesn’t think she has a problem until one day she wakes up in Dubai next to a dead man. Could she have killed him? Or did she sleep through him getting killed? Was he a spy? I had a hard time really getting into this book. I didn’t like the characters and it felt long.
	Katy is a reporter that is sent to Napa to cover millionaire RJ Lawson. While her interview doesn’t go as expected, she falls in love with Jamie that works at the winery. Can their love last in the real world? This book was a little too predictable and unbelievable for me to really get into.
	A random book at the hostel I was staying at. An action-packed mystery but it wasn’t one that I really got into. It was part two of three books and finished on a cliffhanger but I wasn’t interested enough to read the next book.
	Alicia shot her husband five time in the face and then doesn’t speak a word after. She is in a mental hospital and Theo comes to becomes her psychologist and has grandiose ideas of being her savior and getting her to speak. Is it possible Alicia is innocent? The story is more complicated then given at a first look. It was a very unpredictable book but I didn’t love the ending.
	It took me a little while to get into this book but then I loved it. A behind the scenes look at a rock n roll band and their arguments and turmoil. But underneath it all, it is a love story that makes the band so great. Just maybe not the love story that you expect. One of my favorite books of the year.
	Nikki signs up to teach writing to the widows in her Sikh community in London. But winds up teaching them a “creative “ writing class featuring erotic stories. The erotic stories were well erotic. At times, I felt like I was reading soft core porn. Outside of the stories was an interesting inside look to the Indian community and what arranged marriages can be like. This book has a bit of everything, culture, romance, and even mystery.
	Layla disappeared without a trace 12 years ago and now that her sister is set to marry her ex-boyfriend, clues start coming in that Layla is back. Is she back to stop her sister from marrying her ex or is someone playing a cruel joke? A unique psychological that will keep you at the edge of your seat. I raced through this book and it was one of my favorite psychological thrillers of the year.
	Do you believe in love at first sight? After Laurie sees Jack on a snowy day in December, she instantly falls in love and spends a year searching for him. So what happens when Laurie finally sees him again but it’s as her best friend, Sarah’s date. This was my favorite romance novel of the year and I had a hard time putting down this book.
	This book follows the Perez family’s journey as they were forced to leave Havana in 1958. After her grandmother’s death, Marisol goes back to Cuba finding out all the family secrets while there. I typically like historical fiction but I had a hard time getting into this book. I almost quit reading it halfway through which is something that I rarely do.
	Ellie Mack goes missing at the age of 15 and 10 years later, her mother, Laurel, starts dating a guy whose daughter has striking similarities to Ellie. Is there some sort of connection or is Laurel just grasping at straws. What happened to Ellie and will she ever come back? The mystery is a little disturbing but had an interesting ending.
	When a hi-tech millionaire wife disappears, he decides to build a robot that is a duplicate to replace her. His hope is that the robot can get into the mind of his wife and solve the mystery or her disappearance or does he hope to just keep all the good parts of his relationship? The premise of the book sounds a little crazy but we live in a world this could become reality in our lifetime. It made me think of the ramifications of having your life mimicked by a robot. This books sounds weird but it was very interesting and had many good twists and turns.
	Based on the brave women that served their country as spies during World Word I. They risked their lives for their country and gained some powerful intel along the way. This book is set in 1947 when Charlie St. Clair is looking for her long lost cousin but instead finds Eva who was formerly a spy. They form an unlikely friendship and Eva’s story is told through flashbacks. I loved this book and the spectacular women it was based on.
	What happens when the secret you have been hiding since you were a teenager is about to be exposed by a stranger and ruin the life and family you have built? Would you succumb to the blackmail or fight back? What if Amy finds herself in this predicament and fights back. It was a quick read and had some good twists. I would highly recommend it.
	Lucy and Joshua are sworn enemies that are vying for the same job at a small publishing company. But sometimes there is a fine line between love and hate. What happens when Lucy starts falling for Joshua? Is he using her or does he feel the same?? It a entertaining and quirky book that was an easy read.
	What do you do when you end up with both a husband and finance at the same time? Emma finds herself in this predicament when husband that disappeared and was thought dead shows up four years later. So which is her true love, her husband or fiance? This book was a quick and easy read but I just didn’t love it. It would be such a horrible predicament and it seems like everything was tied up so quickly when it would be such a mess in real life.
	The true story of the gold medal winning 1936 rowing crew. This story really focused on just one of the men in the boat, Joe Rantz, who the author was able to interview. It gave good insight to the coaches and this time of history but I would have liked more insight into the other men in the boat. I also felt like the book was a little long. I enjoyed it but it’s really only for people that like to learn a bit of history along the way. I also enjoyed the insight into Germany and how things were already leading towards World War II.
	Annika has a hard time with social interaction and making friends. She meets Jonathan and he falls in love with her and her quirks. She finally feels like someone understands her. They go their separate ways and run into each other a decade later. Can they pick back up where they left off? This book has you believing there is someone out there for everyone no matter what. I read the book within 2 days and it was a feel good romance novel that I recommend.
	Macy and Elliott fell in love when they were teenagers but after an ill-fated New Year’s Eve they stop speaking. After 11 years, they meet again. Can they put the past behind them and fall in love again? This was a quick read and I liked it for the most part but I really didn’t like the big reveal at the end of the book of what happened on that New Year’s Eve. I rooted for them the whole book and then found myself wishing they didn’t end up together.
	The book follows a family vacationing in Nantucket during the summer of ’69. The oldest daughter is pregnant with twins, the middle sister is rebelling by working on a nearby island, and the youngest daughter is a teenager with her first crush. Meanwhile the mother is distraught while her only son is serving in the Vietnam War. The book is somewhat predictable but a quick and easy read. I enjoyed this historical fiction book.
	Count Rostov is banished to the Metropol hotel in Moscow for treason and this follows his adventures in the hotel. I enjoyed parts of this book but found myself having a hard time getting into it or following all the characters over the decades.
	An unlikely friendship forms between the new girl in school, Nastya, who hasn’t spoken for the past 2 years and Josh, who has lost everyone in his life that he has loved and has become a loner. What caused Nastya to stop speaking and will she ever start speaking again? Will Josh open his heart again? I really enjoyed this book about overcoming difficulties.
	Marion and Shiva Stone are orphaned when their mother, a nun, dies in childbirth and their father flees the country. We follow the twins growing up in Ethopia and the struggles that come with it. Both twins follow their biological father’s and adoptive families footsteps by entering the medical field. But what will happen when one twin betrays the other? Will they ever forgive one another? I liked the idea of reading a book set in Ethiopia but I never really got into the plot.
	Growing up in Ireland was anything but easy for Cyril. His teenage mother gave him up for adoption after being kicked out her rural Irish hometown and his adoptive parents barely seemed to want a child. We follow Cyril’s life as he deals with being gay in Ireland when it was outlawed at the time. We watch the emotional stunted Cyril grow up and learn to love. I enjoyed the book but it was a bit long.