Top 5 Books of 2019

Welcome to The Motley Reader! A place for fellow readers to enjoy my thoughts on the books I'm reading. My reading list is very eclectic. One week I may be reading a biography and the next it will be the latest YA fiction. Sometimes I enjoy romance, and sometimes I like a good murder mystery. I never know what type of book I may end up reading. Sometimes what I read is good, and other times not so much. I share my thoughts in the hopes of helping others make good reading choices for themselves.

Last year I read 100 books. My original goal was 50 but due to a few interesting circumstances, I exceeded that goal in a big way.

One of those circumstances was the March Reading Challenge, an event I participated in at my previous job as a librarian. During this time, the library challenged the students to see how many books they could read during the month of March. I also participated and engaged in a friendly, albeit heated head to head challenge with the other librarian.

The other, was moving from one state to another for my husbands promotion, thereby leaving me jobless and in a new town away from my friends. Finding myself with not much to do is a perfect excuse for hiding away with my nose in a book. Not that I ever need an excuse to read. Oh and we now live by the water, excellent reading atmosphere!

As I got closer to my goal, and being away from my friends and looking to connect, (I'm really not upset over moving, really I'm not...) I started posting my thoughts on the books I read on my Facebook page.

Now that I'm finished I thought since reading 100 books there may be a few that stood out more than others and I thought I'd share them with you.

5. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

This was part of the March Reading Challenge and I'll admit I chose it because it was small and I'd never read it before. I think I read it in about three days, if not less. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Usually when I read a classic literature book, it often falls short of my expectations. However, this was not the case with this book. 20,000 Leagues is a fabulous science fiction adventure story. Verne's imagination is astounding and this book was way ahead of its time. He is the original science fiction writer, and is credited with creating the genre before people even knew what it was. Highly recommend for all ages.

4. I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

I have read everything Lawhon has written to date. My favorite was Flight of Dreams, a historical fiction novel set on the Hindenburg. Many of you will remember me talking repeatedly about this book and the Hindenburg after reading it. After finishing Flight of Dreams I wanted to read everything I could about the Hindenberg. Lawhon's books have a way of doing that to you, and this newest I Was Anastasia does as well. This book is the story of Anastasia Romanov and the rumor surrounding the murder of her entire family during the Russian Revolution. But it is also the story of Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be Anastasia perpetuating the rumors of her survival. Lawhon uses an interesting technique to tell the story. She starts at the present and works backward through the history of both woman. This book kept me on edge the entire time and again made me want to read more about he Romanov family and Anna Anderson. Highly recommend for adult readers or high school.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

I have seen all of the Harry Potter movies and I have enjoyed them. Up until this past year, I had never read the books. Although it was a little weird reading the books when I was already familiar with the story, I was determined. Now, people who read will always say that the book was better than the movie, and that is most always true. However, in this case, this book was better than the movie in ways that you will not understand unless you read it. There is so much more to the story folks! And -spoiler alert--- the final battle scene is actually much more visually exciting and satisfying than in the movie. Highly recommend for all readers.

2.  Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple

This book got a lot of hype when it first came out. It was so popular that it was eventually made into a movie. Typically I do not read books that get a lot of hype, at least not right away. But, someone requested my thoughts and suggestions on a "funny" book and this book came to mind. Yo! I read this book in 48 hours! (sorry my Jersey is showing a little) I simply could not stop reading. The writing style, the flow, the quick and speedy dialogue, the story---it made for a great read. And bonus...it was funny! Highly recommend for adults, especially women.

1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Ok, so I don't think there is any surprise here. I raved about this book after finishing it. This was also a book that received a lot of hype when it was first published back in 2011. I'm so glad I finally read it. Magic and a circus, romance, and a contest to end all contests. This is the type of book that stays with you long after you have finished it. There are times even now when I imagine the black and white circus tents pitched in a field surrounded by torch light, hazed with magic, the smell of caramel and chocolate wafting around it and the laughter of children echoing in the dark night.--I know, that is a bit dramatic, but it's just that kind of book.

Well, there you have it. Out of 100 books, these are the top five that I liked the most. I hope you enjoyed stopping by and visiting The Motley Reader.