Created by Sophie @ Beware of the Reader
This is my first Blogmas post and I've wanted to do a collective post for every week of December but I didn't have much free time during the first few weeks. So I just decided to post all of my best picks on the very last day of December - making this my last post for the year 2019.
My blog's also under construction for a bit since I'm giving this a new look once 2020 comes. I've been tweaking this layout to my liking for quite a long time now and I'm almost there.
Anyway here are my best books of 2019.
01. Best YA: We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. I said this before, this book got me interested AGAIN in YA fantasy. It's why I plan on reading YA fantasy again next year.
02. Soul Destroyer/Huge Book Hangover: Rebel by Marie Lu. I mean.. I waited years for this. And it was so worth it that it had a tight grip on me after I finished it.
03. Best Cover Model: Twisted Bonds by Cora Reilly. I love this cover and its model because she gives off the Kiara Falcone - the female MC - vibe from the looks to the color red. Also, it's romance. Hardly any female models are on the covers for this genre.
04. Best Rom-Com: Girl Meets Duke Series by Tessa Dare. Just posting the cover of the first book but I REALLY LOVE THIS SERIES. I'll be posting a series review once the next (and last, I think) book's out.
05. Best Dark, Suspense, Twisted Read: The Camorra Chronicles by Cora Reilly. Just posting the first book's cover like the GMD by Tessa Dare above.. ANYWAY, this is a mafia romance series and of course, it's dark AND twisted (literally the title of the books say it) but I wouldn't categorize it as suspenseful even though some moments *could be*. Still, I LOVE this series.
05. Best Dark, Suspense, Twisted Read: The Camorra Chronicles by Cora Reilly. Just posting the first book's cover like the GMD by Tessa Dare above.. ANYWAY, this is a mafia romance series and of course, it's dark AND twisted (literally the title of the books say it) but I wouldn't categorize it as suspenseful even though some moments *could be*. Still, I LOVE this series.
06. Best Historical Read: Circe by Madeline Miller. I hardly read historical books (most YA fantasy are historical though) but this one was enjoyable and I do love mythology-retellings.
07. Best Contemporary Book: If I'm Being Honest by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka. HANDS DOWN ONE OF MY FAVORITES THIS YEAR.
08. Best First Work: The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty. One of the best books - fantasy especially - I've read this year too
09. Favorite Series: Oxford Series by Lauren Layne. I was actually torn between this and Stiletto but but BUT... this series is the reason why I got into LL's books more. I first read this (even though this is a spin-off of Stiletto) and I got really attached.
10. Best SciFi: The Similars by Rebecca Hanover.
11. Most Expected Book of 2019: Ehh. Aside from Rebel, a lot of my anticipated 2019 reads were surprisingly underwhelming for me.
12. Best Surprise/Discovery: Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus.
13. Favorite Fantasy/PNR: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig. I wouldn't say this is one of my best reads BUT this was really a unique and magical take on The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
14. Favorite Indie Author: I think JLA is an indie author? I don't really know... I mean, I'm not really knowledgeable about this one.
15. Best Romance Author: Lauren Layne. I feel like everyone who's a frequent reader of my blog knows this.
16. Most Original/Atypical Story/Plot: Mmmmm.... The YA (mostly fantasy) books I've read this year. I'm not gonna name them one by one.
17. Best "New to Me" Author: Hafsah Faizal, Cora Reilly, Siera Maley, I didn't include the authors I was already familiar with (maybe last year or the years before that) but then just read their book this year.
18. Most Read Author in 2019: Lauren Layne. This is because I decided to read the rest of her books.
19. Best Covers: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas / The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren / Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne / If I'm Being Honest by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka / The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman / Descendant of the Crane by Joan He / The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine / Romanov by Nadine Brandes (NOTE: Twisted Bonds would've been here too if I didn't already mentioned it above. Also, these books - except If I'm Being Honest - aren't the best I've read this year. Just their covers I found are pretty.)
20. The Most Beautiful/Powerful Writing: Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan. My heart was so heavy the entire time reading this but also so hopeful.
21. Best LGBTQ: Dating Sarah Cooper by Siera Maley. I enjoyed Maley's books and I can't wait to read more by this author (I already have her other books).
22. Best Audiobook: None. I haven't tried audiobooks.
23. Best Plot Twist: The Similars by Rebecca Hanover and The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty. Kinda a tie between both.
24. Best Male Main Character: Archer Hale from Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan. I just wanna give him the biggest hug and let him know how loved he is.
25. Best Female Main Character: Trinity Marrow from Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout. It's not just Trin though, I've come across a LOT of amazing female characters this year.
26. Best Friend's Recommendation: My best friend was too busy with life to recommend - let alone read - me anything lol.
27. Best Ugly Cry: All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover. It's actually a tie between this and Archer's Voice.. also Rebel (because reasons).
28. Best Book to Make a Movie: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. Not really a big fan of book-to-movie adaptations but if I get to pick one, it would be this. Though this will fit more as a TV show.
29. Best Swoon Book: Yours in Scandal by Lauren Layne. ONE OF MY FAVORITE LL BOOKS EVER. I'll be posting my review soon.
30. The Best of the Bests: The ones I mentioned here.
31. Goodreads Challenge: 143/100 books!! I'm pretty proud of this. I actually finished this challenge waaaay early. It's why I read 43 extra books.
And this is my last post for 2019.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!
