My Top Reads for 2019

Hi friends...I am sharing my reads for 2019 and then I am narrowing my "2019 Top Reads" down to my 5 Top Picks and then, I will share out of the 5, what my top pick is.  That work?  Hope so!  Let's go.....

First before I get into my reads and ratings...I want to share the devotionals with you that I have enjoyed this past year.


First off

Jesus Lives by Sarah Young

I love Sarah's books...they help to make sense of bible readings while reminding you daily of what is important and how lucky we are!

and secondly, Sacred Reading from the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network- I devoured this one- I hope this group puts out another book...it gave me a deeper dive into the scripture on a daily basis!

So....without further ado...here are my regular reads for 2019 including my TOP PICKS!

1. An Anonymous Girl

By Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks

 In An Anonymous Girl, Jessica is a struggling makeup artist who agrees to participate in a psychological study on ethics and morality being led by a Dr. Shields. It starts as a two-session questionnaire, but she slowly gets drawn into Dr. Shield's extended study...oh boy talk about wondering how you would act if your ethics were compromised...this one kept me on my toes and I flew through it AND it was one of my very first books for 2019- go figure!

2. What Alice Forgot

By Leanne Moriarty

What Alice Forgot follows the life of Alice, a 39-year-old woman who wakes up on the floor of her gym after falling off a spinning bike. Alice awakes in 2008, convinced it's 10 years earlier. She believes she's pregnant with her first child and happily married as she was back in 1998- oh wow- I couldn't stop reading this one either and I had a pain in my heart the entire time- this one stayed with me

3. Defending Jacob

By William Landay

Defending Jacob is an American crime-drama novel written by novelist William Landay. The book was published in January 2012 by Random House. It tells the story of a father dealing with the accusation that his 14-year-old son is a murderer.  I loved that this was set in nearby Newton, MA and I am even more excited that they are making a movie out of it.  It was gripping and kept me on my toes AND it was written like a true story.  Read it today..you won't be sorry!

4. I'll See You Again

By Jackie Hance

"I'll See You Again" tells the story of how Jackie Hance grappled with her overwhelming feelings of loss and how she's found the strength to go on after her three daughters were killed in a car accident caused by the driver- her very own sister in law.  I was obsessed with this story last Spring and watched documentaries and read a few books because I couldn't get over Jackie's strength and how she moved on.  It's a killer but such a great read.

5. I Liked By Life

By Abbie Fabiaschi

Maddy is a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother, host of excellent parties, giver of thoughtful gifts, and bestower of a searingly perceptive piece of advice or two. She is the cornerstone of her family, a true matriarch...

...until she commits suicide, leaving her husband Brady and teenage daughter Eve heartbroken and reeling, wondering what happened.

How could the exuberant, exacting woman they loved disappear so abruptly, seemingly without reason, from their lives? How they can possibly continue without her?

As they sift through details of her last days, trying to understand the woman they thought they knew, Brady and Eve are forced to come to terms with unsettling truths. Maddy, however, isn’t ready to leave her family forever. Watching from beyond, she tries to find the perfect replacement for herself. Along comes Rory: pretty, caring, and spontaneous, with just the right bit of edge...but who also harbors a tragedy of her own.

Will the mystery of Maddy ever come to rest? And can her family make peace with their history and begin to heal?  Oh this one was gripping and lovely and heartbreaking all at once...I couldn't put it down...it almost made my #1 for the year- eek!

So....drumroll....my top pick for 2019 was.......

What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty......

The characters stayed with me...the mysteries kept me turning the pages....and so much clicked with me given the season of life I am in....I loved it.....

Total Books Read in 2019

January    Not That I Could Tell- Jessica Strawser

                 An Anonymous Girl – Sarah Pekkanenand and Greer Hendricks

February    What Alice Forgot- Leanne Moriarty

                 If You Only Knew- Kristan Higgins

March    On Being 40 ish- Kate Bollick and others

          Cancel The Wedding- Carolyn Dingman

April       Fools Rush In- Kristan Higgins

                   Defending Jacob- William Landay

May     I’ll See You Again- Jackie Hance

                The Taconic Tragedy: A Son’s Search For the Truth- Jeanne Bastardi

June   The Love Season- Elin Hilderbrand

         Mrs. Everything- Jennifer Weiner

July    You’ve Been Volunteered- Laurie Gelman

The Silent Patient- Alex Michaelides

August        Will I Ever Be Good Enough- Karyl McBride

            Chicken Soup For The Soul- Answered Prayers- Jack Canfield and others

September      Behind Closed Doors- B.A Paris

                             Confessions Of An Edgy Suburban Mom- Pam Grimes

October      Sparkly Green Earrings- Melanie Shankle

              I Liked My Life- Abby Fabiaschi

November           The Coincidence of Coconut Cake- Amy Reichert

                 Winter In Paradise- Elin Hilderbrand

December             Instant Loss- Eat Real, Lose Weight- Brittany Williams

                    What Happens In Paradise- Elin Hilderbrand
Nantucket Christmas- Nancy Thayer

I would love your recommendations as I continue reading in 2020!  I am keeping the same reading goal and that is to read 2 books per month- hope to stick to it with the other aggressive goals I have too!  Fingers crossed!