When it comes to books, the year was a brilliant. Debut writers and veteran authors alike gave us stellar writing that made us feel something and, in turn, dominated most of the must-read and best-seller lists. 2019 gave me some of my favorite books of all time. Some made me laugh, a lot of them made me cry, and a few of them left me in awe.
Here 10 books from 2019 that approach wildly different subjects, but will all stop you in your tracks. It wouldn’t be right to finish the year without highlighting these gems, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
That's Mental: Painfully Funny Things That Drive Me Crazy About Being Mentally Ill by Amanda Rosenberg
Amanda Rosenberg is a talented comedy writer whose work has been featured in McSweeney’s, Vox, Anxy Magazine, The Establishment, Funny Or Die, The Hairpin, The Lily, GOOD, and The Mighty. In her memoir, Rosenberg brilliantly balances writing about living with bipolar II, PTSD, anxiety, and depression with palpable vulnerability and humor, while also detailing her experiences with death, familial acceptance, suicidal ideation, and with an approachable lightness. Indeed, her ability to talk about the serious and still be hilarious is masterful.
Once More We Saw Stars by Jayson Greene
In 2015, Jayson Greene’s 2-year-old daughter Greta was struck and killed by a falling brick. This memoir is his stunningly authentic recollection of his resultant grief — but also a touching remembrance of what made Greta so wonderful. Once More We Saw Stars is a journey through the unimaginable that examines how unfair and debilitating death can be while reminding the reader that death does not rob us of who we loved, their imprints on our souls, and how and why we should always, always remember.
The More or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care by Anna Borges
Borges, a senior editor for Self magazine, created an A-Z guide filled with thoughtful, funny, and informative ways to implement self-care into your life. Featuring disparate techniques, Borges is quick to note that there is no one “correct” way to do self-care and that self-care might not necessarily mean to you what it means to others. Some of her recommendations: doing the bare minimum, baths, forcing yourself to picture best-case outcomes, celebrate small victories, an emergency self-care kit, Fika and Hygge intentions, lounging in something comfy, naming your negative voice, recycle happy memories and rom-coms. Just listing those made me feel a tiny bit better about today.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
This book technically doesn’t come out until the last day of 2019, but it's one to preemptively add to your end-of-year list. Such a Fun Age takes us into the world of Emira, a 25-year-old babysitter of a precocious and lovable toddler named Briar Chamberlain. One night while Emira is out with Briar at a local grocery store, a security guard, after being alerted by a concerned patron, stops Emira, a young black woman, and accuses her of having kidnapped Briar, a white child. The entire event escalates (including another patron of the grocery store videotaping the entire exchange) and the security guard will only let Emira leave after Briar’s dad shows up to defend her. Alix Chamberlain, a successful business owner and Briar’s mother, takes this as an opportunity to both help and try to grow closer to Emira — but Emira is dubious of Alix's motivations. What further unravels is a narrative rife with empathy as it explores race, privilege, and what happens when we do the right things for the wrong reasons.
Movies (and Other Things) by Shea Serrano
Movies (And Other Things) is a collection of essays that asks the questions we all should have asked ourselves about many of the most iconic movies and actors of our time. “Which movie had the more intense opening, Face/Off or Finding Nemo?” “Do you want to read an essay about Friday?” And my personal favorite, “What Happened at the Michael Myers press conference?” when Halloween murderer Michael Myers gives an NBA-style press conference. In 30 standalone essays, Serrano crafts in-depth analyses, hilarious insights, and lets his creativity shine all while teaming up with illustrator Arturo Torres (the two worked together on Basketball (and Other things) and The Rap Year Book) to include illustrations that, say, juxtapose characters from different movies into the same illustration (Think Andy from Toy Story in a photo with Andy from Shawshank Redemption.).
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
The Bromance Book Club opens with Gavin Scott, major league baseball player, in the middle of some serious conflict with his wife, Tessa. They’re considering divorce because Gavin recently learned that Tessa has faked orgasms for their entire marriage. This development does not go over well. Realizing that Tessa is the love of his life and how desperately he doesn’t want to lose his family, he confides in his best friend who brings him into a very special kind of book club. At this literary gathering, a ton of macho guys come together and read romance novels in an attempt to learn more about emotional intimacy so that they can be better partners in real life. As a result, Gavin reads and reads and races against time to convince his wife that he’s dedicated to their marriage and wants to fix what he’s been too busy to acknowledge is broken. It’s a slow burn, but worth the time. And the second installment of the series comes out next year!
Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Chloe Brown feels like her chronic illness has historically held her back, so she resolves to make a list of things she wants to do so that she can start living. Her list ranges from fun (enjoy a drunken night out) to scary (ride a motorcycle) to important (travel the world with nothing but hand luggage). Chloe, an admitted computer geek, likes things done her way, but, as she embarks on her new life, she enlists her wildly attractive building superintendent, Red, to help her meet her goals. They seem to get under each other’s skin constantly until they realize that all they want... is to be around each other. Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a rom-com with depth, one that explores living with illness, the benefits of therapy, and how two people can better communicate when they slough off their own rough exteriors.
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Full Disclosure is the YA novel of the year that everyone should be talking about — written by a first-time author who hasn't even graduated college yet. The book brings us into the world of Simone Garcia-Hampton, a high school student who loves Broadway musicals and is just trying to be a teenager. But Simone is HIV+ and learning how to navigate her status with young adulthood and all the questions it brings: crushes, friendship, sex, and other young adult priorities. That becomes increasingly more difficult when someone starts leaving horrible notes in Simone's locker, threatening to tell everyone at her new high school that she’s HIV+. This is a novel about stigma, sexuality, just getting through high school, and taking your identity back when someone tries to use it as an anecdote.
Camgirl by Isa Mazzei
After years of struggling after college and a salacious reputation as a seductress she just couldn't shake, Isa Mazzei decided to try to get paid for being the girl everyone already thought she was. In this incredibly self-aware memoir, Isa Mazzei dives into her search for meaning in young adulthood, her struggles with intimacy and identity, and how she found immense success in her career in sex work when she became a live-streaming video girl. With her descriptive, cinematic, hilarious style of writing, Mazzei's journey of self-discovery is one that is at once insightful and incredibly satisfying to follow.
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
If Jasmine Guillory writes it, I need to have it. The master of contemporary romance, Guillory released The Wedding Party in July. In April, O, The Oprah Magazine reported (while interviewing Guillory) that the novel was somewhat inspired by Doria Ragland, Meghan Markle’s mom! Royal Holiday centers on a woman named Vivian Forest who travels to London to accompany her daughter, Maddie, as she begins working as a personal stylist for a royal (Note: Maddie is the protagonist in Guillory's other royal novel, The Wedding Party). Vivian doesn’t travel a ton, so she’s truly looking forward to an exciting trip. What she doesn’t expect is meeting Malcolm Hudson, a private secretary for the Royal family who is, of course, inherently charming. If you thought love over 50 couldn't be fun, magical, and totally swoon-worthy, you've never read Guillory.
Katie Tamola is a writer based in New York. She loves to write about books and love stuff. Her main food group is sugar, and her work has been featured in Shondaland, Marie Claire, Vice, Refinery29, and Elite Daily. She loves her two dogs very much and she probably loves you, too. Follow her on Twitter at @ktammm.
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