Halfway Through 2019: The Top 10 Books I’ve Read

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I’ll admit, this is my first year since high school *ahem 10 years ago* that I’ve devoted more time to reading. For the last two years, I dabbled in some reading but never made enough time to dive into my books as much as I’d like to. 2019 has been full of changes and new goals, so I thought why not make reading a priority this year?

It’s eye-opening that 2019 we’re already more than halfway through the year! There are still a lot of things I’d like to tackle on my 19 for 2019 list (more on that another time.) However, I am excited about the books I’ve been reading in 2019.

So, without further ado… Here are my Top 10 Books for 2019:

Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date : 2018
Softcover : 427 pages
Genre : Thriller/Psychological
ISBN-10: 978-0-05-267842-3
ISBN-13 : 978-0062678423

I picked this book up in the LAX airport this spring. We were destined for our Hawaiian honeymoon and had some long layovers to wait out. Silly me, I had packed a few other books but, I’m a sucker for a good bookstore, even if it is the airport.

As soon as I picked it up, I really couldn’t stop reading it. The book is full of twists, leaving you wondering if the woman is delusional or has actually witnessed a fateful tragedy. Due to its suspenseful nature, it felt like a pretty quick and attainable read.

I really love to read books that become movies or shows. As the label indicates on the front of the book, it is set to soon be a major motion picture. The film is now set for 2020 and will feature one of my favorite actresses, Amy Adams.

Publisher : Penguin Random House LLC
Publication Date : 2012
Hardcover 278 pages
Genre : Business & Economics - Entrepreneurship
ISBN-10: 978-0-307-95152-6
ISBN-13 : 978-0307951526

Reading this book was a breath of fresh air. Guillebeau knows his stuff and uses examples to inspire any entrepreneur. The advice he gave is practical and persuasive. In fact, it’s partly why I started this blog and a tiny side hustle of selling bookmarks.

He goes beyond the step-by-step approach of building a business and inspires the readers to think about reinventing their approach. One of my own struggles in starting my venture as a full-time blogger has been feeling validated when there already are so many bloggers out there.

If you are trying to get a grip on starting your own side-hustle, I’d highly recommend reading this book. It’ll give you the inspiration you need to get started.

Publisher : Storey Publishing
Publication Date : 2010
Softcover : 214 Pages
Genre : Crafts
ISBN-10: 978-1-60342-477-6
ISBN-13 : 978-1603424776

Call me old fashioned but I love the library. I love to grab a stack of books on a topic I’m interested in, sit down and really study. That’s exactly what I did with this book. It took me only 5 hours to read the entire book. I took a ton of notes that I know will be helpful in the future.

The only downfall of this book is that it is 9-years-old. I know there is newer information out there but Chapin had a lot of well-organized information that can help anyone who wants to build their business.

Illustrations within the book provide extra information that was organized and concise. I also appreciated the insight of other bloggers and crafters along the way. The book was not a sole voice but rather a collection of ideas and insights from other artists and creatives.

Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date : 2014
Softcover : 275 Pages
Genre : Self Help
ISBN-10: 978-0-06-235830-1
ISBN-13 : 978-0062358301

Psychotherapist, Amy Morin crafts 13 tools to equip you in increasing mental strength to help you find success and happiness in life. Not only does Morin share her expertise on mental health, but she also supports her points with real-life examples from her work as a social worker, psychologist, and psychotherapist. The book identifies 13 self-defeating behaviors often associated with stress and how to overcome these obstacles.

If you are looking to improve your mental health or learn to discern your emotions, this book is a good place to start. I personally did find it a little unoriginal at times. Most of the material is something I’ve read elsewhere, but since it’s concise, it has examples and lends itself to some tangible solutions. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to dive into self-help books.

Publisher : Sasquatch Books
Publication Date : 2016
Hardcover : 143 pages
Genre : Journal
ISBN-10: 978-1-63217-096-5
ISBN-13 : 978-1632170965

Alright, so I might be cheating here by calling this a “book.” It is not one you sit down and read. It’s essentially in journal form. You choose a list (you can go in order or like me, bounce around) and identify things on that list that bring you joy.

I enjoyed doing this journal once a week. Being grateful is good for our mental health but I found it more realistic to devote time to reflecting on these things maybe once or twice a week, instead of daily. It is not necessarily a gratitude journal, but it does encourage you to think about things in your life that bring you joy.

You can also get involved on social media by adding #52HappyLists or #52Lists to photos you share.

I was pretty straightforward with my lists but I saw some pretty creative ones on Instagram complete with calligraphy, sketches, etc. You can make the list your own!

I tend to process best on paper so I found these lists to be therapeutic and inspirational. Sometimes an idea would come from a list and open up a whole new set of ideas, hopes, etc.

If you’d like to share your list with the KindlyKal community, use hashtag: #KindlyKal alongside the other recommended hashtags!

Publisher : HarperCollins
Publication Date : 2016
Hardcover : 206
Genre : Self Help
ISBN-10: 978-0-06-288402-2
ISBN-13 : 978-0062884022

Continuing on the self-help journey here, I couldn’t resist this title when I walked by it in Target. It is a bit vulgar, and I’ll admit. The first chapter might be heavy in expletives if you’re sensitive to curse words. As you read the book though, the cursing decreases in the takeaways were abundant. This book has had the greatest impact on my life so far in 2019. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I hosted a book club around it!

Superstar blogger, Mark Manson goes beyond the traditional style of self-help which I find often opts for positivity. Although he does encourage positive thinking, he also advises us not to turn our backs on negative emotions. Aside from some sometimes harsh truths, he also fills the pages with some good laughs.

I was actually surprised to see so many harsh reviews on GoodReads. This book might not be for you. I want to be truthful in what I’m reading, what I like, what I don’t. This book worked for me and although, yes, at times the author may seem a little full of himself, he made some valid and insightful points.

This book helped me re-evaluate some of the “problems” in my own life and actually inspire me to accept that problems are actually good.

“Life is essentially an endless series of problems, Mark,” the panda told me. He sipped his drink and adjusted the little pink umbrella. “The solution to one problem is merely the creation of the next one.”
A moment passed, and then I wondered where the fuck the talking panda came from. And while we’re at it, who made these margaritas?
“Don’t hope for a life without problems,” the panda said. “There’s no such thing. Instead, hope for a life full of good problems.”

I loved Disappointment Panda in the book. You might too, or you might not.

Publisher : Back Bay Books / Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date : June 2004
Softcover : 264
Genre : Fiction - Widowers
ISBN-10: 0-316-77850-8
ISBN-13 : 978-0316778503

I bought this book at the thrift store because honestly, I liked the cover. Yes, I do judge books by their cover. Reading this book was intriguing and emotional.

Goodreads Synopsis:
Paul Iverson’s life changes in an instant. He returns home one day to find that his wife, Lexy, has died under strange circumstances. The only witness was their dog, Lorelei, whose anguished barking brought help to the scene – but too late. In the days and weeks that follow, Paul begins to notice strange “clues” in their home: books rearranged on their shelves, a mysterious phone call, and other suggestions that nothing about Lexy’s last afternoon was quite what it seemed. Reeling from grief, Paul is determined to decipher this evidence and unlock the mystery of her death. But he can’t do it alone; he needs Lorelei’s help. A linguist by training, Paul embarks on an impossible endeavor: a series of experiments designed to teach Lorelei to communicate what she knows. Perhaps behind her wise and earnest eyes lies the key to what really happened to the woman he loved. As Paul’s investigation leads him in unexpected and even perilous directions, he revisits the pivotal moments of his life with Lexy, the brilliant, enigmatic woman whose sparkling passion for life and dark, troubled past he embraced equally. 

The emotion in this book was something I felt drawn to and could identify with. As I read, the story compelled me and like any good mystery, kept me turning the page. My favorite part of this book was the observations of the sweetness of falling in love contrasted with some of the hardships that come in marriage.

As someone who has battled anxiety in my life, I absolutely loved the characters and each surprised me at times. The complications described by Lexy sometimes felt so familiar and real, it brought tears to my eyes. This is a good time to mention, most books don’t make me cry, but this one was very touching to me. Overall, in a good way, this book was not at all what I thought it would be.

Publisher : Scribner
Publication Date : June 2006
Softcover : 288
Genre : Memoir
ISBN-10: 0-7432-4754-X
ISBN-13 : 978-0743247542

When The Glass Castle, hit Netflix as a film, I was so excited to watch it. I had just read the book and was eager to compare the film to the book. The book is actually from 2006 but was another thrift store find that I decided to dive into. A few weeks later, I found out the movie was going to be on Netflix.

I’ll sound like every book-nerd ever, but, the movie wasn’t nearly as good as the book. Both were good but in their own way. The memoir written by Jeannette Walls portrays poverty within a family dynamic. She reminisces about her ever-changing childhood and the struggles with having two unstable parents trying to outrun their poverty and issues. At times though, I felt the book actually felt like a fairytale. The family dynamic is full of disfunction but also so much love.

Throughout the movie, I kept pausing it to tell my husband how it differed from the book or explain the scene in greater detail. He must love me because he seemed pretty interested instead of irritated at all my pausing.

I apologize, I returned this book before making my notes about the publisher, date, etc.

I read this book in just a few hours. The Art of Noticing takes you through 131 ways to spark creativity, find inspiration and discovery joy in the everyday life.

Reading this book was a refreshing reminder to look up from your phone and actually notice what is going on around you. The book takes a lightweight approach to mindfulness, with creative challenges along the way. It is not like any other mindfulness book I’ve read either. A lot of ideas were new and playful for me.

One of my favorite ideas from the book was to learn something new about a familiar surrounding. For example, I always make the same 20-minute drive into town. A lot of it has grown boring and familiar to me. After reading this book though, I began to notice some things that were different. A building, a random street sign in the middle of someone’s field, a broken fence… Suddenly, it became more of a game than a boring commute.

I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a quick and inspiring read. If you think you notice a lot already, I’d challenge you to read this book still.

Publisher : Random House, Inc
Publication Date : 1986, First edition 
Softcover : 311
Genre : Fiction
ISBN-10: 0-385-49081-X
ISBN-13 : 978-0385490818

Save the best for last, right?

This frightening and powerful book has been around for quite some time. I can only assume the book has been popular again due to Hulu adopting it into a TV show. If you do watch the show, the show only follows the book through Season One as there is no second book.

The dystopian future is set in Gilead, which has been established in place of the United States and where women are oppressed in every way. Notably, women’s reproductive rights have been confiscated and they are forced to engage in sex against their will in hopes of producing a child for men of great power in Gilead. This story is very dark and heavy to read. However, I find books under the genre of dystopia to be incredibly intriguing. One of my first sci-fi reads was Brave New World, given to me by my grandparents for Christmas one year.

What have you read so far in 2019?

Share what you’re reading in the comments!