Top Five Books of 2019

1
Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens
14,305 members
620 reviews
4.1
12 Members
dara85, kristenl, Micheller7, raidergirl3, chgstrom, Leida, vwinsloe, gypsysmom, This-n-That, wandaly, SSLMoody, njdcva
2
Becoming
by Michelle Obama
8,503 members
341 reviews
½ 4.4
10 Members
lauralkeet, terran, bjappleg8, chgstrom, njinthesun, Wassilissa, gypsysmom, julesnstu, SSLMoody, njdcva
3
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
4,583 members
275 reviews
4.1
10 Members
Micheller7, LDVoorberg, N1na, bolero, Leida, edparks, rozymary, dianeham, Eyriu, njdcva
4
The Overstory
by Richard Powers
5,396 members
244 reviews
4.1
8 Members
plaugher, LDVoorberg, blackhornet, EllsieFind, susannah65, kayanelson, Boand, njdcva
Explanations
Boand: By far and away the most original book I have read this year. It is also totally engaging, full of wondrous and shocking information. It made me cry in places but also smile at the wonders of trees. This book has stayed in my consciousness and remains one of my all time favourite reads, not just this year or decade but my entire life.
5
The Great Believers
by Rebecca Makkai
1,985 members
110 reviews
½ 4.3
7 Members
lauralkeet, kristenl, zhejw, karenmarie, njinthesun, BLBera, kayanelson
6
Olive, Again
by Elizabeth Strout
2,075 members
131 reviews
4.2
7 Members
lauralkeet, raidergirl3, shaunie, Copperskye, brenzi, edparks, KatyBee
7
Milkman
by Anna Burns
2,371 members
116 reviews
½ 3.7
5 Members
zhejw, thorold, raidergirl3, jeanned, susannah65
8
The Lost Man
by Jane Harper
1,782 members
118 reviews
4.1
6 Members
rosalita, Bookmarque, rhian_of_oz, tina1969, gypsysmom, ahef1963
9
The Library Book
by Susan Orlean
4,922 members
285 reviews
4.1
5 Members
SeasideBookClub, bjappleg8, chgstrom, Capybara_99, susannah65
10
Gideon the Ninth
by Tamsyn Muir
4,496 members
183 reviews
4.1
4 Members
Aquila, ablachly, bolero, KatyBee
11
Girl, Woman, Other
by Bernardine Evaristo
3,207 members
134 reviews
4.2
4 Members
mooingzelda, zhejw, Travelgem, 123Bush
12
The Raven Tower
by Ann Leckie
1,502 members
85 reviews
4
4 Members
Euryale, rarm, revbean, souloftherose
13
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
by Ottessa Moshfegh
3,080 members
135 reviews
½ 3.6
4 Members
Capybara_99, sturlington, VW_Williams, Eyriu
14
The Remains of the Day
by Kazuo Ishiguro
16,418 members
477 reviews
4.2
4 Members
Edward, cbl_tn, gypsysmom, FranButt
15
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
20,474 members
791 reviews
½ 4.4
3 Members
ksd2, jeanned, mairzy
16
The Road
by Cormac McCarthy
34,496 members
1,407 reviews
4.1
3 Members
NoPlanetB, kara.shamy, 123Bush
17
Unsheltered
by Barbara Kingsolver
2,164 members
114 reviews
½ 3.6
3 Members
JenMDB, EllsieFind, FranButt
18
Circe
by Madeline Miller
12,407 members
480 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
KatyBee, vwinsloe, LyndaInOregon
19
The Nickel Boys
by Colson Whitehead
4,057 members
217 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
KatyBee, kayanelson, kissk0960
20
Warlight
by Michael Ondaatje
2,053 members
104 reviews
½ 3.7
3 Members
mdexter, gypsysmom, FranButt
21
The Secret Commonwealth
by Philip Pullman
1,953 members
63 reviews
4
3 Members
mooingzelda, shaunie, ManWithAnAgenda
22
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
by Kathleen Rooney
1,205 members
85 reviews
3.9
3 Members
Minthe, SeasideBookClub, Copperskye
23
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
by Gail Honeyman
8,868 members
534 reviews
4.1
3 Members
lauralkeet, jeanned, 123Bush
24
Normal People
by Sally Rooney
6,922 members
274 reviews
½ 3.7
3 Members
N1na, susannah65, kissk0960
25
A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza
1,043 members
72 reviews
4
3 Members
kristenl, njinthesun, Laura1124
26
How Long 'Til Black Future Month?
by N. K. Jemisin
1,445 members
50 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
Euryale, gypsysmom, ManWithAnAgenda
27
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
by Abbi Waxman
1,571 members
123 reviews
3.8
3 Members
bearette24, terran, LyndaInOregon
28
Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo"
by Zora Neale Hurston
1,660 members
65 reviews
4
3 Members
oregonobsessionz, karenmarie, Charon07
29
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
44,992 members
2,126 reviews
½ 4.4
3 Members
lottpoet, gypsysmom, 123Bush
30
Iza's Ballad
by Magda Szabó
329 members
14 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
Dilara86, kissk0960
31
The Testaments
by Margaret Atwood
6,182 members
225 reviews
4.1
3 Members
shaunie, gypsysmom, 123Bush
32
The Hours
by Michael Cunningham
12,732 members
231 reviews
3.9
3 Members
plaugher, gypsysmom, 123Bush
33
Beartown
by Fredrik Backman
4,181 members
232 reviews
4.2
3 Members
gypsysmom, JenMDB, SSLMoody
34
Ask Again, Yes
by Mary Beth Keane
2,004 members
91 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Micheller7, wandaly
35
Ducks, Newburyport
by Lucy Ellmann
836 members
29 reviews
4
2 Members
Capybara_99, blackhornet
36
A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini
30,376 members
895 reviews
½ 4.3
3 Members
gypsysmom, EllsieFind, 123Bush
37
Spinning Silver
by Naomi Novik
3,873 members
203 reviews
4.2
2 Members
rhian_of_oz, briarhills
38
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell
by Neal Stephenson
1,496 members
62 reviews
½ 3.4
2 Members
jsburbidge, dhm
39
Between Worlds: Folktales of Britain and Ireland
by Kevin Crossley-Holland
121 members
19 reviews
4
2 Members
aethercowboy, Eyriu
Explanations
aethercowboy: I am a folklore junkie, and I love Crossley-Holland's book on Norse Mythology. Picking this one was a no-brainer.
40
A Gentleman in Moscow
by Amor Towles
9,165 members
520 reviews
½ 4.4
2 Members
rhian_of_oz, chgstrom
41
A Darker Shade of Magic
by V. E. Schwab
7,449 members
324 reviews
3.9
2 Members
ablachly, mairzy
42
Money: A Suicide Note
by Martin Amis
3,297 members
55 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
ibinu, kissk0960
43
East of Eden
by John Steinbeck
23,450 members
424 reviews
½ 4.4
2 Members
chwiggy, 123Bush
44
The Bees
by Laline Paull
1,737 members
128 reviews
3.8
2 Members
bookwoman84, 123Bush
45
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
78,654 members
1,433 reviews
½ 4.4
2 Members
anglemark, ibinu
46
The Priory of the Orange Tree
by Samantha Shannon
6,018 members
101 reviews
4
2 Members
Aquila, tardis
47
My Sister, the Serial Killer
by Oyinkan Braithwaite
3,410 members
250 reviews
3.8
2 Members
norabelle414, souloftherose
48
Children of Time
by Adrian Tchaikovsky
3,622 members
148 reviews
4.1
2 Members
souloftherose, EllsieFind
49
Olive Kitteridge
by Elizabeth Strout
9,928 members
622 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Dilara86, gypsysmom
50
A Memory Called Empire
by Arkady Martine
2,821 members
120 reviews
4.1
2 Members
Aquila, tardis
51
The Silence of the Girls
by Pat Barker
2,396 members
104 reviews
3.9
2 Members
RBeffa, Leida
52
The Grammarians
by Cathleen Schine
470 members
31 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
rosalita, mdexter
53
Rough Magic: Riding the World's Loneliest Horse Race
by Lara Prior-Palmer
205 members
13 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
terran, vwinsloe
54
Henry, Himself
by Stewart O'Nan
195 members
14 reviews
4
2 Members
Copperskye, edparks
55
Black Death at the Golden Gate: The Race to Save America from the Bubonic Plague
by David K. Randall
168 members
11 reviews
3.9
2 Members
oregonobsessionz, Eyriu
56
Recursion
by Blake Crouch
3,273 members
201 reviews
4
2 Members
terran, wandaly
57
Parable of the Sower
by Octavia E. Butler
8,147 members
239 reviews
4.1
2 Members
anglemark, gypsysmom
58
Killing Commendatore
by Haruki Murakami
1,864 members
54 reviews
3.8
2 Members
dianeham, kissk0960
59
Another Roadside Attraction
by Tom Robbins
3,637 members
39 reviews
3.9
2 Members
gypsysmom, LyndaInOregon
60
Magic for Liars
by Sarah Gailey
1,389 members
70 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
tardis, ablachly
61
Middle England
by Jonathan Coe
655 members
27 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Parker51, JenMDB
62
The Topeka School
by Ben Lerner
1,076 members
48 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
Parker51, Capybara_99
63
Washington Black
by Esi Edugyan
2,289 members
135 reviews
3.9
2 Members
gypsysmom, kayanelson
64
Spill Simmer Falter Wither
by Sara Baume
458 members
33 reviews
3.9
2 Members
LDVoorberg, gypsysmom
Explanations
LDVoorberg: So unexpected and interesting! Great nature descriptions and slow unveiling of the protagonist's tale of woe. A story in four parts, as indicated by the title.
65
The Light Brigade
by Kameron Hurley
667 members
32 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Aquila, gypsysmom
66
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
9,857 members
467 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
tina1969, gypsysmom
67
Lab Girl
by Hope Jahren
2,643 members
158 reviews
4.1
2 Members
gypsysmom, EllsieFind
68
Fleishman Is in Trouble
by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
1,285 members
75 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
ablachly, gypsysmom
69
The Martian Chronicles
by Ray Bradbury
16,666 members
324 reviews
4.1
2 Members
gypsysmom, ahef1963
70
Good Omens
by Terry Pratchett
34,807 members
789 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
greeneyed_ives, gypsysmom
71
Big Sky
by Kate Atkinson
1,380 members
79 reviews
3.9
2 Members
Copperskye, gypsysmom
72
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
by Kim Michele Richardson
2,722 members
185 reviews
4
2 Members
shomchick, gypsysmom
73
How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals
by Sy Montgomery
611 members
33 reviews
4
2 Members
gypsysmom, wandaly
74
Never Let Me Go
by Kazuo Ishiguro
22,915 members
938 reviews
3.8
Member
Edward
75
Dubliners
by James Joyce
19,720 members
226 reviews
3.9
Member
Mirabelle
76
Wolf Hall
by Hilary Mantel
13,536 members
652 reviews
4
Member
VW_Williams
77
The Complete Maus
by Art Spiegelman
8,740 members
257 reviews
½ 4.5
Member
Minthe
78
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
by Naomi Klein
5,389 members
129 reviews
4.2
Member
FAMeulstee
79
Lord of Light
by Roger Zelazny
5,179 members
114 reviews
4
Member
SFF1928-1973
80
Winter of the World
by Ken Follett
4,964 members
158 reviews
4
Member
Wassilissa
81
Sing, Unburied, Sing
by Jesmyn Ward
3,968 members
195 reviews
4.1
Member
Charon07
82
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
by Ocean Vuong
3,814 members
133 reviews
3.9
Member
ManWithAnAgenda
83
Falling Angels
by Tracy Chevalier
3,610 members
83 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
Bookmarque
84
A House for Mr Biswas
by V. S. Naipaul
3,452 members
69 reviews
3.8
Member
ahef1963
85
Brothers in Arms
by Lois McMaster Bujold
2,553 members
46 reviews
4.1
Member
soraki
86
Old Filth
by Jane Gardam
2,325 members
140 reviews
4
Member
Laura1124
87
Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson
2,162 members
134 reviews
4
Member
mdexter
88
The Flatshare
by Beth O'Leary
2,092 members
112 reviews
4.1
Member
foggidawn
89
In the Dream House: A Memoir
by Carmen Maria Machado
1,720 members
64 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
sturlington
90
Middlegame
by Seanan McGuire
1,484 members
70 reviews
4
Member
tardis
91
Pavane
by Keith Roberts
1,400 members
44 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
RBeffa
92
No Exit
by Taylor Adams
1,371 members
79 reviews
3.9
Member
tina1969
93
Machines Like Me
by Ian McEwan
1,292 members
57 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
kayanelson
94
Pumpkinheads
by Rainbow Rowell
1,241 members
99 reviews
4
Member
bearette24
95
Assassin's Fate
by Robin Hobb
1,120 members
53 reviews
½ 4.6
Member
mooingzelda
96
The Seagull
by Anton Tschechow
1,118 members
20 reviews
3.9
Member
ibinu
97
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love
by Dani Shapiro
950 members
56 reviews
3.9
Member
Micheller7
98
A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction
by Terry Pratchett
847 members
46 reviews
4
Member
Cynfelyn
Explanations
Cynfelyn: I could so easily choose five Terry Pratchett books as my five favourite books of this year, or of any year, but I really oughtn't. So I'll take this collection of non-fiction to my desert island.
99
Maps of meaning: the architecture of belief
by Jordan B. Peterson
752 members
5 reviews
3.8
Member
aethercowboy
Explanations
aethercowboy: As a fan of Jordan Peterson's rational take on things, I had to read his magnum opus. It is like reading 12 Rules for Life with the training wheels off.
100
James Tiptree Jr: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon
by Julie Phillips
744 members
32 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
anglemark