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Raising Our Wild Things

Southern Living - Red Wine Sippin' - Wife - Mom of 3 - Jesus Follower- Mompreneur

January 7, 2020

2019 Book Review + Top 3 Favorite Reads

Well friends it’s officially a new year and that means it is time for my 2019 book review and top 3 favorite reads of the year. This year I read a total of 17 books and had several that I absolutely loved so it makes choosing the top 3 reads of the yer that much harder. Before I dig in I did want to mention that all of the ones I loved that I read (plus others from different years) can be found on my Amazon store front under favorite reads or by clicking here.

The books I read this year are:

  • Every Breath by Nicolas Sparks
  • It’s Better to Raise Boys Than Mend Men by Truett Cathy
  • Sense of Honor by James Webb
  • Water from My Heart by Charles Martin
  • Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
  • The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
  • Long Way Gone by Charles Martin
  • Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
  • The Pact by Jodi Picoult
  • Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
  • The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
  • The One and Only by Emily Giffin
  • Unwritten by Charles Martin
  • The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
  • Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
  • Villa Mirabella by Peter Pezzelli

A detailed review of the first 9 books I read this year can be found here.

Below is the review of the following 8 followed by the ranked order of my top 3 books of the year.

10. Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

  • The second Jodi Picoult book I read in a row I decided to give this one 7/10 stars. I did like this story and read it really quickly but overall liked the previous one I read of hers slightly more than this one. It keeps the theme of PIcoult’s deep stories and tells the story of a dad who kidnaps her mother all unknowingly to the main character. It certainly kept my attention but I didn’t feel it was as gripping as some other books I have read recently.

11. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

  • This one was unique but very good. It is the store of a girl with an abusive dad who grows up in Alaska. It is the story of survival and ends pretty tragically. I gave it 8/10 stars and would recommend it to all.

12. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

  • ABSOLUTELY AWESOME 9/10. If you haven’t already read this one go get yourself a copy to read now. It is the story of the marsh girl who is deserted on the marsh at an early age and on trial for murder. Such a good read.

13. The One and Only by Emily Giffin

  • I love Emily Giffin books but this one didn’t do it for me. I am only giving it 5/10 stars. It was one of my least favorite Giffin’s I have read as it just didn’t excite me. It tells the story of college head college who falls in love with his best friend’s daughter.

14. Unwritten by Charles Martin

  • I gave this one 7/10 it was a little slow at first by ended up being pretty interesting. It is the story of two famous people and a priest who after attempted suicides fake their own deaths.

15. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

  • This one is a top contender for best book of the year. It was AWESOME. I read the entire thing in one day and couldn’t put it down. It is a suspense that keeps you guessing until the very end. Read it and then let’s talk about it. 10/10

16. Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

  • This is the store of a dysfunctional family and a girl who struggles from depression. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. I am giving it 5/10 stars.

17. Villa Mirabella by Peter Pezelli

  • This was a sweet story of a family who owns a bed and breakfast and the wayward son who comes back home. If you are looking for an easy, uplifting read this may be a good one for you. I gave it 6/10 stars.

And that my friends rounds out my year of reading…now without further ado by top favorite three reads of the year are:

  1. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
  2. Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
  3. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Your turn! What was your favorite read of 2019? I need some great suggestions for 2020. Please let us know in comments below.

Posted In: Book Reviews · Tagged: book, book review, books

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About Me
Hello! I am Chelsea. I am the homeschooling mom of 3 and lover of adventures!

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