It’s March, but time to officially log my favorite books of 2019! If you follow me on Instagram, this might look familiar because each month I post the books I’ve read. Overall, I read 63 books in 2019, mostly nonfiction.
Favorite Books of 2019
No Shortcuts to the Top, by Ed Viesturs
This book reinvigorated my love for mountain climbing. Ed is the first American to climb all 8,000 meter peaks. I was enraptured listening to him tell his tales about climbing the world’s tallest peaks, all without oxygen.
The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown
By some lucky coincidence, we got a rowing machine right as I started listening to this book, so it was super fun to listen to while erging at home! It was a very inspirational story and a well written book. It’s also a fun read for anyone with ties to the PNW or University of Washington.
The Lake House, by Kate Morton
This is my only fiction recommendation of 2019, but it was probably my second favorite book I read all year. Highly recommend.
Outer Order, Inner Calm, by Gretchin Rubin
For some reason, I read a lot of home organizing books and this is one of my favorites (probably because I like Gretchin Rubin’s Happiness podcast). After reading this book, I set it down and cleaned for 12 hours!
When Life Gives You Pears, by Jeannie Gaffigan
I bought this book for my mother in law for Christmas and power-read it in two days before giving it to her. Jeannie tells her story about when she had a pear-sized tumor removed from her brain and how her faith, family, and friends helped her through. I also always think it’s fun to get an alternative view of famous people (her husband, Jim Gaffigan).
The National Team, by Caitlin Murray
We all saw what the 2019 women did, but the women of the national team have been fighting for women’s rights since 1991. A fun read about the women I grew up idolizing (and still do)!
Least Favorite Books of 2019
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t like saying any books are bad, but I do have a handful of books I wouldn’t recommend. I abandoned Life 3.0 (as did the rest of my book club)…The Home Edit seemed self-aggrandizing and unhelpful…I’ll Be There For You didn’t live up to the expectations…The Fountainhead was way too long and winding…Nothing to Prove was nothing to write home about.