A couple of caveats: The Best Books of 2019 are neither the Best nor 2019. They are the Best of what I read, and some were not written in 2019.
To earn a 5 from me a book must be entertaining and feature extraordinary writing. Sometimes they are also insightful and emotionally powerful. These met some or all of those challenges.
Washington Black is an engrossing tale of a runaway slave. I learned some things from it, but mostly it’s a lot of fun. A good start to the year.
The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney I read because I enjoyed his November Road last year. I liked this one even more, it’s fast paced, suspenseful, and smart. He’s terrific.
Once Upon a River is a beautifully written picaresque tale of a village in England. Unique and special.
Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout is a linked set of stories about an aging woman and her neighbors in a small town in Maine. Ms Strout is the best portrayer of human emotions that I have read this side of Tolstoy. Read this book, as well as its predecessor Olive Kitteredge and her other recent works.
The 4.5 rated books fell just short of my top ratings. Read them too.
A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself I read because I liked William Boyle’s previous book The Lonely Witness. Like Berney’s books, it’s fast paced and true.
The Maze at Windermere is five stories about Newport, RI. It’s clever, impactful, and full of history. All good.
Big Sky is a crime novel by Kate Atkinson in her series starring Jackson Brody. Atkinson is one of my favorite writers, if she writes it. I read it.
Virgil Wander and So Brave, Young, and Handsome are by Leif Wander. I loved the former, which came out this year, so I read the latter next. Virgil does not have a lot of plot, Brave is more plot-driven. But Enger is an astounding craftsman with our language. If you read just for action they may not be for you, but his sentences are works of art.
I love Laura Lippman mysteries, and Lady in the Lake is my favorite. And she’s a new friend of a friend, too.
I read everything Michael Connelly writes, too. The Night Fire is him at his best, with three of his usual protagonists. He’s the best of the police procedural genre.
Last and deserving of special mention is Miracle Creek by Angie Kim. Angie is my former neighbor and good friend, and Creek is her first novel – and a best seller! And I actually helped her with it ever so slightly. It is distinctive, suspenseful, and powerful, and you will learn a lot from it. So excited for Angie, and eager to read her next one!
Here’s the whole list. Your comments welcome.
- Washington Black 5
- A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself 4.5
- The Silent Patient 3.5
- The Lost Night 3
- The Maze at Windermere 4.5
- Big Sky 4.5
- Gutshot Straight 4
- The Lonely Witness 3.5
- The Long and Faraway Gone 5
- The Man Who Came Uptown 4
- The Feral Detective 3
- Cari Mora 2.5
- Lanny 3.5
- The Dutch House 4
- Virgil Wander 4.5
- American Spy 4
- Miracle Creek 5
- Lady in the Lake 4.5
- The Night Fire 4.5
- The River 3.5
- So Brave, Young, and Handsome 4.5
- The New Girl 4
- Daisy Jones and the Six 4
- Chances Are 3
- Once Upon a River 5
- Transcription 4
- Olive, Again 5
