Favorite Reads of 2019! Part 2

I have so many favorites, I tried to be selective but I read so many awesome things! I will also have a honorary mentions post and a worst of post later in January. First, the favorites! In no particular order because I loved them all 5 stars worthy (a couple 4.5 but I had to put them on here because reasons)! I realized I had too many for just one blog post so i'm making it into 2 parts! Part 1 here. I won't go into too much detail about any of them but will say a little bit and link to any more thorough reviews. Part 1 had 1-11 so this has 12-21.

12.

Gender Queer: A Memoir Maia Kobabe

I needed this book 20 years ago. Words can not describe how much I love this book. It's a memoir about growing up and figuring out that one is non-binary and asexual. While I am not asexual, I am non-binary...and while I can look back on my life now and realize I have always been this way, it took until age 30 to find the words. To realize, i'm not a freak. I'm not wrong. I'm not confused (anymore-and if I had had the words and someone else saying "me too" I never would have had to be). That i'm not alone.

I related so much to this. It's someone else's real life story but it made me feel so seen and understood. Words can mean so much. My full review on Goodreads Here.

13.

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

I related a LOT to the anxiety rep! I cried many tears. If I had it physically i'd have hugged the book. Sadly I read it for The Reading Rush so I didn't make time to write a proper review but I still remember it a bit. Kiko, the MC, is half Japanese and her white mother is racist and psychologically abusive. It has emotion, tough themes, and art. Kiko loves art. This book stole my heart and hopefully i'll re-read it one day and give it a proper review. My "review" on Goodreads here.

14.

Feed by Mira Grant

I could've sworn I gave this 5 stars. Oh well it's too late now. I gave it 4.5 apparently. Close enough.

It starts off slow. I'd call it a political thriller with zombies. More politics than zombies but they are there. Post-apocalyptic world with zombies from a virus. Bloggers are basically celebrities now.

That nutshell doesn't do it justice though. I fell for the characters. It made me think a bit, with the way society had become and everything. And then it RIPPED MY HEART OUT.

And man do I love the way it made me think! But I don't want to spoil anything. Some definite "Fuck yes!" moments. It shattered my heart and I need to continue with the series!

Zombies aren't normally my thing so I didn't think i'd fall in love with it the way I did. My review on Goodreads here.

15.

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

I actually knew I gave this one 4.5 before I put it on here but I just had to anyway!

It's about a non-binary teenager named Ben who comes out non-binary to their parents, and gets kicked out. They have to go live with their sister who they haven't talked to in a really long time. It's heart-breaking but also hopeful and so sweet. It meant so much to me reading it the year I came out as non-binary as well. My full review on Goodreads Here.

16.

Stake Sauce, Arc 1: The Secret Ingredient Is Love. No, Really by RoAnna Sylver

I love how the writing is accessible and flows easily, yet manages to deal sensitively with hard topics. I was in a house fire years ago. And while I was saved by my neighbor and physically made it out ok (barely) I have PTSD from it. This book deals a lot with fire, and ptsd. And I loved every bit of it. It's not something that's easy for me to get through. But I absolutely love RoAnna's stories! Well this is the third book of theirs i've read so far (i've also read Chameleon Moon and Moon-Bright Tides-loved both of those as well!).

Just like Chameleon Moon and Moon-Bright Tides it has characters i've fallen in love with and deals with real life issues in a sensitive and healthy way. All without being too long (though i'd gladly spend more time with the characters). And of course it's all with a dash or 2 of fantasy (like vampires in this case).

I don't think i'll ever make it through one of RoAnna's books without at least getting teary. My review (which I just copy/pasted) on Goodreads is here.

17.

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz

Etta. A black bisexual girl recovering from an eating disorder, in love with ballet, not fitting into boxes other people want her to, flawed, human. Etta "kick it in the ass" Sinclair. I fucking love Etta. I read this in 2015, the first time I EVER saw a bisexual character, stated as such, at nearly 27 years old, and I came out as bi at 13 in 2002. It meant so much to me and I was afraid to re-read it. What if it didn't hold up? I shouldn't have been scared. At all. Still loved it so much. My fuller review on Goodreads here.

18.

The Mermaids of Eriana Kwai Series by Tiana Warner

An island at war with mermaids. Characters, plot and themes that I loved. A sapphic romance. I gave the entire trilogy 5 stars! My review of the first book here, the second Here and the third here.

19.

The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World by Jeff Goodell

A very readable, well written and terrifying non-fiction book on climate change. My fuller review on Goodreads here.

20.

Cripple Poetics by Petra Kuppers and Neil Marcus

Beautiful, emotional, touching, engaging. All words i'd describe this poetry book with. It's a love story between two disabled people. It explores disability culture, activism, disability rights, history, disabled bodies. As a disabled person myself so much of it spoke directly to me and I couldn't help but cry. I took my sweet old time with it, not because it was bad, but because I wanted to sit with the words, digest them, and savor them. My review on Goodreads Here.

21.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I found this book to full of love and hope. She doesn't sugarcoat things but also knows the privileges she had growing up being surrounded by love and adults who did everything they could for her, to push her to be her very best and letting her know she could do it. Not everyone has that, and it's something every kid deserves. In fact working to help kids is a big thing with her.

I loved learning about her life. Reading about her and Barack falling in love and having a family, and trying to balance it all with working and making a difference in the world. About how, even with her strength, she is still very much human. Which should be obvious but it's still great to see it.

Michelle is an amazingly strong woman with a big heart and a wonderful way with words. I learned a lot, had emotions, fell in love with people i'll never meet, and annotated the heck outta this book! Definitely a favorite of all time! My review on Goodreads here.

22.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I didn't expect to fall in love with this book, but I did. I ended up relating to the MC. I loved the writing, the mystery, the atmosphere. My fuller review on Goodreads here.

What were your favorite reads of 2019? Have you read any of mine and if so what did you think of them?

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