85 books in 2019
For the third year, I set a Goodreads reading challenge (52 books at one a week). And I blew past it to finish 85 books this year! If you’re curious, it’s 27,222 pages with an average of 327 pages per book and reading 1.6 books per week. Follow me on Goodreads.
If you’re wondering how I make time:
- I read very, very fast
- I don’t watch a ton of TV (except when I do)
- I read every single night
- I often take an entire weekend day to just read
- I don’t have kids
The ratings and reviews for all 85 books are below, but I made a few recommendations this year if you’re looking for a good book to read.
If you only read one book on this list
Sounds Like Titanic (memoir)
I promise it will be one of the weirdest memoirs you’ve read and you’ll want to tell everyone about it. She plays (but doesn’t) violin for “the Composer” to his vaguely familiar music that sounds like it’s from a popular movie.
If you like fascinating reads about terrible people
Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America (non-fiction)
We need to band together and take down Koch Industries. But first, we need to understand the enemy.
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber (non-fiction)
Are you skeeved out by Uber and not sure why? Come, find out!
If you like books centered on people and place
The Overstory (fiction)
Seemingly disconnected stories are woven together through everyone’s connection to trees.
There There (fiction)
The stories start and end in Oakland, where life isn’t easy, especially for Native people.
Disappearing Earth (fiction)
Learn about the Kamchatka Peninsula in remote Russia through the people who live there.
If you want to read something that will make you a better person
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy (non-fiction)
We all need to spend more time away from the Attention Economy. (After you finish reading this tho…)
Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women’s Pain (non-fiction)
Just because it’s not explained by medicine, doesn’t mean the pain doesn’t exist. As always, trust women when they share their lived experience.
Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil (non-fiction)
Germans have tried to learn from the horrors of the Holocaust. What have Americans learned from the horrors of slavery?
No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us (non-fiction)
It’s so much worse than I imagined. Painful, but an important read.
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (non-fiction)
Racism was embedded in this country’s founding and has been upheld generation after generation. Stop talking about states’ rights.
If you like weird books that make you say WTF
The Warlow Experiment (fiction)
A man voluntarily agrees to be locked away for 7 years without human contact.
If you’re curious about what else I read, full reviews below. Enjoy!
FIVE STARS
The Overstory, *****
Powers, Richard
For those who love trees and forests and wild imagination. This book warmed my heart.
Freshwater, *****
Emezi, Akwaeke
It’s what happens when the bad voices in your head manage to take control. Watching Ada fight against and then work with those bad voices is captivating.
Educated, *****
Westover, Tara
You aren’t homeschooled when no one does the schooling. Tara’s story, starting as a nearly feral child, is heartbreaking and hopeful.
Stay and Fight, *****
Ffitch, Madeline
I liked the setting — Appalachia. I liked the plot — complicated, yet simple. Or simple, yet complicated. And I loved the characters! Especially Perley and Helen, so carefully considered. Highly recommended!
The Water Dancer, *****
Coates, Ta-Nehisi
Through Hiram’s story I learned the difference between ending slavery for freedom and people escaping slavery to become free. Despite all the mistakes he makes you can’t help but fall in love with him.
Also, I wanted to read it so fast to find out what would happen next, but then wanted to reread parts that were written so beautifully. Enjoy, you’ll love it.
FOUR STARS
Sounds Like Titanic, ****
Hindman, Jessica Chiccehitto
WTF…such a weird book and an awesome book. I have a picture of The Composer in my mind that makes me giggle from time to time.
Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America, ****
Leonard, Christopher
Charles Koch is not a good person and has done harm to our environment, economy and more. But this book humanizes those who inhabit Kochland. I’m impressed by how intelligent they seem, if horribly misguided.
Also, this book is really effing long. That’s cool…it’s just long.
There There, ****
Orange, Tommy
An interconnected story with Native people growing up in Oakland in the 70s-90s. The characters were really well developed.
Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil, ****
Neiman, Susan
The Germans are “working through the past,” an act of collective dedication to right the horrible wrong of the Holocaust. What’s interesting is the author’s comparison to American slavery and following subjugation of African Americans. Not only are we not working through the past, we refuse to look backwards to examine the damage we’ve caused. There are other important conversations about reparations, colonialism and universalism too.
This book makes you think — it’s an academic read and it shakes up how you have conceptually organized these ideas.
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, ****
Isaac, Mike
People asked me why I disliked Uber so much and my answer was vague — misogyny, lack of a moral compass, slave to profits. Now I have all the details I need to be crystal clear why Uber is a morally bankrupt company. Fascinating read about horrible people.
Disappearing Earth, ****
Phillips, Julia
I expected a story about two women who go missing in remote Russia. I got a collection of stories of people living in remote Russia and their connection to the disappearance of two girls. Beautiful.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, ****
Odell, Jenny
1) I was not expecting this to be so academic. In a good way…
2) In the attention economy, we don’t have the luxury of opting out and doing nothing. We must actively opt out and therefore choose something else, not nothing.
3) I am definitely addicted to my phone. :(
The Water Cure, ****
Mackintosh, Sophie
Another dystopian future book…but different. Rather than talking about all the horrible things, she talks about the quiet, soft, ambiguous things.
Tell Me More: Stories about the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say, ****
Corrigan, Kelly
I try to say “tell me more” but I have a feeling “I was wrong” is the thing I need to say more often.
An American Marriage, ****
Jones, Tayari
Love is hard. Life is hard. People are complicated. And the path isn’t clear. But that’s what makes our lives special. I really loved reading this.
Rabbits for Food, ****
Kirshenbaum, Binnie
Memoir-ish fiction? Fiction-y memoir?
The World That We Knew, ****
Hoffman, Alice
During the horrors of the Holocaust, siblings protect their own, people fall in love, heroes do what they have to and a golem dances with a heron. Beauty in the darkness.
Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women’s Pain, ****
Abby Norman
Believe women. Especially when it comes to hard-to-describe pain.
No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us, ****
Snyder, Rachel Louise
The question shouldn’t be why didn’t she leave, but why did he stay. Important book to read.
I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying: Essays, ****
Ikpi, Bassey
My heart broke for Bassey over and over and over again.
The Nickel Boys, ****
Whitehead, Colson
It breaks your heart. You care deeply about Elwood, but all the injustice is unbearable.
My Sister, the Serial Killer, ****
Braithwaite, Oyinkan
Unexpected. A connection between sisters that goes far beyond.
The Testaments (The Handmaid’s Tale, #2), ****
Atwood, Margaret
So many loose ends to tie up. I don’t want to write any spoilers, but it’s telling how much of this story has been shaped by women and their actions.
The Witches of New York, ****
McKay, Ami
Such a fun read. What would it have been like to live as a witch in 1881 in New York City.
History of Wolves, ****
Fridlund, Emily
This is my third or fourth book this year about semi feral kids. The construction of the narrative is fractured in a good way. The characters are unusual and believable.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed, ****
Gottlieb, Lori
I can’t wait to send a copy to my therapist. Bless her for how she’s helped me over the years.
Becoming, ****
Obama, Michelle
Michelle Obama is an amazing woman. This book walks you through how she became so amazing. Being a good person is the perfect place to start.
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, ****
Kendi, Ibram X.
I’ve been waiting for this book, whether I knew it or not. Waiting for a thorough (very thorough) history of how and why racism is persistent and pervasive in the US.
“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be antiracist.” — Angela Davis
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion, ****
Tolentino, Jia
I’ve loved Jia’s writing since her days on Jezebel. A series of weird and wonderful essays about topics so relevant today.
Good Me, Bad Me, ****
Land, Ali
Her mother is a murderer. She had to watch. Who’s good and who’s bad?
Small Fry: A Memoir, ****
Brennan-Jobs, Lisa
Heartbreaking. Bad parenting is painful to hear about.
Watchmen, ****
Moore, Alan
It’s been 20 years since I read this. Still holds up…good, evil, human motivation and deeply held neuroses. Helps put the show in context too.
Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family, ****
Jackson, Mitchell S.
This book was not written for me. That’s a good thing. I kept an open mind and listened.
Motherhood, ****
Heti, Sheila
And I thought that I thought about motherhood a lot.
The Witches Are Coming, ****
West, Lindy
Of course I loved this book, I am 100% the target audience. Can we make this required reading for men on college campuses? That’s who really needs to hear what she has to say. As always, Lindy speaks the truth.
Parkland: Birth of a Movement, ****
Cullen, Dave
His book on Columbine feels like essential reading and now decades later we still have mass shootings, but have evolved how we talk about them and protest unchecked gun rights.
It’s not about repealing the 2nd Amendment, it’s about finding common ground with responsible gun owners and starting there. The MFOL kids are doing the hard work, we need to support them.
Toddler-Hunting & Other Stories, ****
Kōno, Taeko
Female Japanese author writes weird short stories about married couples where things are just a little off.
Proposals for the Feminine Economy, ****
Armbrust, Jennifer
The idea of the feminine economy and feminine-ism changed my life. I can see outside the box and see all our potential to grow. I can’t wait!
Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion, ****
Reitman, Janet
Comprehensive and balanced, she tells the story from start to mid-2000s.
How to Not Always Be Working: A Toolkit for Creativity and Radical Self-Care, ****
Grace, Marlee
A moment to pause and think “what is work and what isn’t work?” Less of a how to and more about prompting you to be intentional about when you’re working.
THREE STARS
Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick, ***
Dusenbery, Maya
Basically “medically unexplained symptoms” means it’s all in your head. We will look back on this time in medical history with shame at how we didn’t listen to women when they said they were sick.
The Warlow Experiment, ***
Nathan, Alix
What an odd book! Just based on the premise — a man voluntary locking himself away for seven years — you know that things will go horribly awry.
Women Talking, ***
Toews, Miriam
Women wrestling with a monumental choice. A man captures the discussion, without being part of the discussion.
The Ash Family, ***
Dektar, Molly
I would have swore it was written by a man. The story is fascinating, but the main character is soft and weak and a little unbelievable (at least to me).
Permanent Record, ***
Snowden, Edward
Thank you to Edward for what he did. And…he has a very high opinion of himself. Just saying…
High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life, ***
Jenkins, Tiffany
A terrifying reminder why opioids are insidious and destructive.
A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy, #1), ***
Harkness, Deborah
Twilight meets Harry Potter meets Interview with a Vampire.
The Personality Brokers: The Strange History of Myers-Briggs and the Birth of Personality Testing, ***
Emre, Merve
Definitely interesting and weird, but not quite as unusual as this book was hyped up to be. INFP if you were curious.
Pilgrim’s Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier, ***
Kizzia, Tom
I tend to romanticize living in the wilderness. This family reminds me that some people are looking FOR something in the wilderness and some are looking to get away from something.
My Friend Anna, ***
Williams, Rachel DeLoache
Wow, that is an intense story of a “friend” screwing you over. Now I want to know more about Anna’s story and what led her down her imposter path.
Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power, ***
Grossman, Pam
Comprehensive, yet engaging. Personal, but not too personal. A witch compendium!
The Marsh King’s Daughter, ***
Dionne, Karen
For something quick and easy, it delivered. The feral child storyline is captivating.
People Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman, ***
Lloyd Parry, Richard
True crime takes a different path when it happens in Japan.
The Girl on the Velvet Swing: Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century, ***
Baatz, Simon
WTF…how could so much crazy stuff happens to one woman?!? This feels very #metoo relevant.
After the Eclipse: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Search, ***
Perry, Sarah
The detailed and profound effect her mother’s murder had on her is hard to read. But the family dynamics and relationship expectations provide context to this complex story that involved so many people.
Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1), ***
Bardugo, Leigh
An easy and fun read, but doesn’t live up to all the hype it got. Stories about magic…of course I’m going to like it.
You Cant Touch My Hair. And Other Things I Still Have to Explain, ***
Robinson, Phoebe
A little humor helps with a tough topic, but sometimes it’s like there’s too much. Props to John Hodgman for reminding me of some of the non-shitty things white people have done.
The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, ***
Gates, Melinda
When Melinda speaks about her own life experiences, the message comes clear and sounds genuine. When she talks of others’ experiences, it can feel a little “white savior” at times.
Women & Power: A Manifesto, ***
Beard, Mary
We’ve been screwed and continue to be screwed. Power might just morph into something new in the hands of women.
Charged: Overzealous Prosecutors, the Quest for Mercy, and the Fight to Transform Criminal Justice in America, ***
Bazelon, Emily
I knew that prosecutors wielded immense power, but after example after example, it’s so disheartening.
Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America, ***
Macy, Beth
I knew the opioid crisis was bad, but now I have the details behind it. We need more empathy, more solutions, less pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets, ***
Dittrich, Luke
I remember first reading about Patient HM in an Oliver Sacks book. His story is even more fascinating as you try to track it back to its source.
The Man They Wanted Me to Be: Toxic Masculinity and a Crisis of Our Own Making, ***
Sexton, Jared Yates
I’m curious who the intended audience is. As a woman, there was lots of head nodding and agreement. And I give the author credit for all the emotional work he has done.
But it seems a little off if the goal is for men to drop toxic masculinity and be a new breed of men. Must be nice to just up and do that while women, POC and other minorities fight for all the opportunities we can get.
For me, it seems important to also focus on dismantling the patriarchy and white supremacy to make room for a new breed of humans on more equal ground.
How Not to Fall Apart: Lessons Learned on the Road from Self-Harm to Self-Care, ***
Eijk, Maggy Van
She’s right. Everything is better when you can pet a dog.
Work Wife: The Power of Female Friendship to Drive Successful Businesses, ***
Cerulo, Erica
To my favorite work wives, Amie and Megan! I couldn’t have done it without you.
Fleishman Is in Trouble, ***
Brodesser-Akner, Taffy
I struggled for a bit, but I’m glad I powered through. Funny, sad and too true at times. Relationships, and especially marriage, are hard.
How to Be a Woman, ***
Moran, Caitlin
This book would have been super handy when I was a teenager.
Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles, ***
Kitaiskaia, Taisia
Baba Yaga is wise and won’t sugar coat life’s challenges.
The Institute, ***
King, Stephen
It felt like reading candy. It’s been decades since I read Stephen King. Not much has changed, for good and for bad.
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee, ***
Cep, Casey
An odd structure. Harper Lee isn’t introduced until halfway through the book. Because none of her papers are available, it seemed like a lot of guessing how things fit together.
Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo”, ***
Hurston, Zora Neale
The notes at the end spend a ton of effort trying to discredit Hurston’s research. Which kind of puts a damper on the amazing storytelling.
The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One (Women Are Some Kind of Magic, #2), ***
Lovelace, Amanda
I accidentally read poetry. And it was pretty good. And feministy angsty.
How to Be an Antiracist, ***
Kendi, Ibram X.
It feels weird to only give this three stars. The subject matter is important, even essential. The parts of the book that didn’t relate back to his personal story were dry.
TWO STARS
Watch Me Disappear, **
Brown, Janelle
I didn’t really like any of the characters and the plot twists seemed too unlikely. Quick beach read, not that I was on a beach.
Conversations with Friends, **
Rooney, Sally
I didn’t like it. But I also read the whole thing so I didn’t not like it either. None of the characters were likeable.
How to Date Men When You Hate Men, **
Roberson, Blythe
I should have read this in my 20s. She’s pretty accurate with her conclusions on dating.
Juliet the Maniac, **
Escoria, Juliet
It feels weird to give a low rating on something that feels like a memoir (but it’s a novel) and is very raw. But it feels like I’ve read this book, or a similar book before.
American Messiahs: False Prophets of a Damned Nation, **
Morris, Adam
It centered more on the what of these movements, rather than the why. And then in the epilogue, he outlines the why that spanned all of the stories — seeking a “better” world through community.
Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession, **
Bolin, Alice
Part teenage diary, part pop culture voyeurism, part painfully academic paper and part ode to Joan Dideon.
Outside Looking In, **
Boyle, T. Coraghessan
I liked the chapters narrated by Joanie so much better than those of Fitz. Turns out early psychopharmacology circles were full of misogynist jerks.
Eileen, **
Moshfegh, Ottessa
I usually like a dark story, but this was darker than most. I waited and waited for something to happen and then BAM it happens all at once and not how I expected.
White Elephant, **
Langsdorf, Julie
I don’t remember how this made it on my To Read list. But it brought suburbia way too close. And again, not liking any of the characters. Meh.
The Trial of Lizzie Borden, **
Robertson, Cara
So many details… perhaps too many and I like long books. But I did learn (how did I never know) that Lizzie was found not guilty.
They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South, **
Jones-Rogers, Stephanie E.
Important. White slave owning women had a vested stake in the institution of slavery. But a bit long.
ONE STAR
The Catholic School, *
Albinati, Edoardo
Of the 75+ books I’ve read this year, this is the ONLY one I haven’t finished. The misogyny is thick. The protagonist is nauseating. Feels like it was written for incels.
I feel like I’m allowed to write a review since I read half of a 1000+ page book, hoping I’d find something redeeming.
Now go read! Enjoy!
