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Friday, December 13, 2019

My Top 10 Reads Of 2019

Last year I put together an informal favorite reads list at my Birdhouse Books page on Facebook.  It was interesting and thought provoking looking back at my reading trends - and favorites - for the year, so I wanted to share here for 2019.  This is, of course, a highly subjective list, based on my reading preferences.  It is not intended as a critical 'best list," but truly a list of favorites.

10. Lies in White Dresses by Sofia Grant - Historical novel set on a ranch in 1952 Reno, Nevada, where three women wait out their divorce residency.  A lovely look at women's lives, friendships, choices.

9.  No Judgments by Meg Cabot - Women's fiction about an artist who waits out a hurricane in the Florida Keys, only to find new purpose rescuing pets that were left behind during the storm.  First in the Little Bridge Island series.  Light, breezy, and so life affirming!

8.  The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin - Historical fiction about a pilot and Red Cross volunteer stationed in London during World War II.  Second book in the Sunrise at Normandy series.  A love story that wonderfully evokes 1940's Britain.

7.  The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr.  "All love stories are ghost stories in disguise."   A gothic historical novel about a poet, a postmortem photographer, a mysterious chapel made of glass, and a ghost (or two).  An evocative and totally unique book.

6.  Lethal White by Robert Galbraith - Mystery about London detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin, who work together to solve a mystery involving a member of Parliament.  Fourth book in the Cormoran Strike series.  I think this the best book yet in my favorite current mystery series.

5.  The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff - Complex triple storyline historical novel about three women working in Special Operations during World War II.  Dazzling storytelling and such a moving and unusual look at women during the war.

4.  Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts - Historical fiction about Maud Gage Baum's unlikely friendship with a young Judy Garland on the set of The Wizard of Oz.  In a book with Frank Baum and Judy Garland, Maud Gage Baum somehow manages to steal the show!

3.  The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan - Historical novel (with a mystery) about a middle aged woman who travels to London during World War II when her adult daughter goes missing. She becomes involved in a twist-filled adventure as she learns about her daughter's double life.  A perfect combination of cozy mystery and historical suspense.

2.  Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy - Historical fiction about Marilla Cuthbert and her life before Anne of Green Gables.  A fascinating look at a beloved character from children's literature in a novel rich with descriptions that read like poetry.

1.  The Lieutenant's Nurse by Sara Ackerman - Historical fiction about an Army nurse stationed in Hawaii during Pearl Harbor.  A love story and mystery in a book that beautifully evokes 1941 Hawaii.

What were YOUR favorite reads of 2019?   I'd love to hear from you about the books you loved most.


2 comments:

  1. The Galbraith novels always rate very highly for me; I absolutely love all of them!

    Daisy Jones blew me away in a way I wasn't expecting at all. I also loved Where the Crawdads Sing and The Trespasser. I'm also really loving the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd.

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  2. Trish, I enjoyed reading about your favorite books. Where the Crawdads Sing is one I really want to read. I also have not read the Bess Crawford series yet. I am assuming it is a bit like Maisie Dobbs? I love those books.

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