I’ve always loved reading; ever since I was young you could find me with my nose stuck in a book. Once I started high school I still kept reading, but much much less than I used to. It’s hard to keep up with all my classes and still make time for books, especially if they aren’t school related or required. As sad as it is, I kind of let reading slide and didn’t read near as much as I’d hoped to last year. I still loved it, but just never made time for it. One of my goals for 2019 was to read more, and I’m happy to say that I’ve stuck with it so far!
Books I’ve Read in 2019
–Hunger Games: Mockingjay // I technically started this in December of last year, but I finished it at the beginning of this month and forgot how good it was! Every so often, I reread the Hunger Games trilogy. It’s just as good the fourth (or maybe fifth?) time around. You pick up on tiny details when you reread books that you never noticed before. Rate: 4.4/5
–What to Say Next // This book is different than any of the others I’ve read this year. It goes a bit deeper and talks about the importance of friendships and kindness and also touches on death, family troubles, and autism. Highly recommend picking this one up! Rate: 4.7/5
–Save The Date // I love Morgan Matson’s books; they are light, easy contemporary reads that immediately suck you in. I waited for almost a year for this book to be released, and it finally came out at the library a few months ago. It was a bit of a let down, probably just because I built it up so much waiting for it to come out, but still a good, simple read! Rate: 4/5
–Everybody Always // This was another book I started last year but finished in January. I’d heard lots of good things about this book, and it definitely did not disappoint! Bob Goff is such a unique person: he loves everyone around him and is such a light for Christ in this world. I’m currently reading Bob’s other book, Love Does, and it’s super good as well. Rate: 4.7/5
–Two Can Keep A Secret // This author wrote another book I absolutely loved last year, One of Us is Lying. When I heard she was coming out with a new book, I immediately added it to my to-read list. I think I finished this in three days, it was great. I’m getting really into mystery books, and I like how it tied the contemporary genre into a crime novel. It was about these two siblings who move in with their grandmother to a strange, creepy town with frequent murders. When their classmate gets killed, they have to figure out what happened before it’s too late. Rate 4.5/5
–The Vanishing Stair // Another mystery/crime book! This is the sequel to a book I read over the summer, Truly Devious. It’s set in a boarding school in Vermont and there’s a super complicated crime story with a huge twist at the end. I would highly recommend reading this series, it takes about a quarter of the book to get into, but once you get into it, you’re hooked. Rate: 4.4/5
Currently Reading
I have a problem of getting way too many books at a time and getting indecisive about which I should read first. The result is me reading multiple books at a time and taking too long to finish them all, ha. I normally don’t read this many at a time, but I thought I’d share:
–As I Lay Dying // This is actually a book I’m reading for my AP English class, but I thought I’d include it. It’s good, but very confusing. If we weren’t reading it as a class with my teacher explaining each chapter, I don’t think I would read it on my own. But it’s actually really interesting, and I’m glad we’re reading it! I can now say I’ve read at least one book by Faulkner, after living in Oxford (his hometown) for over 10 years.
–Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets // Harry Potter is one of those series that I can just pickup and read whenever. I think I’ve read this series eight or nine times throughout the years, but it just never gets old. This time around, I’m not reading them as my top priority, but rather just a few pages when I feel like it. I started this back in the late fall I think, and I’m just now almost done. I like to read a few pages to help me fall asleep at night. It’s nice to go to sleep to because I don’t get super sucked in since I already know what’s going to happen, but it’s relaxing and cozy.
–Love Does // I mentioned this earlier, but I after reading Everybody Always by Bob Goff, I immediately knew I wanted to read his other book. I got this for Christmas and have been reading it kind of slowly as well. I started it at the beginning of the month and am probably 3/4ths done with it. I’ll read a few chapters at a time for a morning devo or before I go to bed. It’s similar to his other book in that it just talks about the importance of loving everyone around us and treating everyone like Jesus would.
–The Unexpected Everything // I’m almost done with this book, I need to just sit down and read for like thirty minutes straight so I can cross it off my list. It’s another Morgan Matson book, so it’s really light and easy to read. I actually read it like two years ago and just really liked it, so I thought I’d pick it up again.
–The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus // I just started this one a few days ago, so I’ve only read the first chapter. So far it’s sooo good tho. I can’t go a page without finding a quote I want to underline and remember. It’s definitely a slower, deeper read, something that makes you think. It’s making me think about how I view God and how he cannot be contained by human descriptions or measures. Crazy.
–A Very Large Expanse of Sea // I just started this last night and I’m already almost halfway done. It’s so good and sucks you in literally in the first chapter. It’s about a Muslim girl trying to survive her sophomore year of high school just a year after the 9/11 attacks. I usually don’t read books like this, but I’m so glad I picked it up. I can’t wait to finish it!
My To-Read List
I’m forcing myself not to look at this list until I finish at least three of the above books, but I’m not sure how long that’ll last ;). I have a running list on Goodreads with book ideas, but these are at the very top. I love using the scan feature when I’m browsing bookstore aisles and then adding it to the list to look at later. I usually try to find books with a 3.7 rating or above, with anything over a 4.0 looking super appealing to me.
–An Anonymous Girl // My dad actually just read this book and has said good things about it, so I’m interested in picking it up. I usually don’t read psychological thrillers like this, but that kind of thing actually really interests me, so I thought I’d branch out and try this one.
–Sadie // I’d had this on hold at the library for a few weeks and it finally just came in, so I can’t wait to read it! It’s another mystery book with kind of a dark murder twist.
–Zero Day // I saw this book in our local bookstore back in early January, and I still haven’t been able to get my hands on it. It’s about the president’s daughter who was abducted as a child and shows back up eight years later, but something seems very off about her…
–Crazy Rich Asians // I saw this movie back in the fall and absolutely loved it, but I’ve still yet to read the actual book. This one seems like the perfect summer read for while laying by the pool in the sun.
–Cold Tangerines // I asked and received this book for Christmas but it’s still unopened on my shelf. Hopefully I can get around to it soon, because just from a few excerpts I’ve read and the description on the back, it looks amazing. It’s about finding the tiny details of everyday life that make it extraordinary.
So that’s what’s been going on with me and books lately! I can’t explain how happy I am to be back into reading again. I’m on such a kick right now and hope I continue to make time for it in the future, even when my schedule picks back up. Any other books I should try?
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