Winner: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill: I loved Nina and all of the characters that surround her. Much to her dismay, the extremely introverted Nina discovers she has a family she never knew. How she copes with them, and with a new romance, makes for a great story.
The rest of the best
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler: From the Amazon synopsis: "Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City." The book is funny and makes you root for Amy as she goes on her adventure. But eventually she has to go home. What is she going to change about her life?
House of Salt and Sorrows: This is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Annaleigh's sisters are mysteriously dying, one by one. Her family appears to be cursed. Can she unravel the mystery before another sister dies? I loved this atmospheric story.
A Constellation of Roses: Teenage Trix McCabe's mother abandoned her in a motel. She is surviving by stealing, which she has an unusual affinity for. When her father's family finds her, she discovers they all have certain enhanced abilities, like hers for theft. She is slowly adjusting to life as part of a family when a crisis occurs. Will she stay with the new life, or escape back to the old one? I thought about this book for a long time after I finished it.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely: I love retellings of Beauty and the Beast, and this was a creative one. Harper is a young woman with cerebral palsy living a very uncertain life in Washington DC. One day she sees a woman being attacked, goes to intervene, and finds herself swept off to a different world where she is expected to fall in love with the prince. Harper is not the kind of person who goes along with that sort of plan, and she looks for a way to get back to her home. You also learn the prince's perspective and about his curse.
Seven and 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle: This book made a lot of favorite lists for 2019. It is about a man who comes to consciousness as he is chasing someone through the woods. This is only the beginning of the mystery, as he is forced to relive the same day as a different character each day, until he can answer the question, "Who killed Evelyn Hardcastle?"
Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow: This is the sequel to Nevermoor, one of my favorites from 2018, From the Amazon synopsis: Morrigan Crow and her best friend Hawthorne Swift are now proud scholars in the elite Wundrous Society, but life is far from perfect. Does Morrigan have what it takes to prove that she belongs in the Society?
Greystone Secrets: The Strangers: "What makes you you? The Greystone kids thought they knew. Chess has always been the protector over his younger siblings, Emma loves math, and Finn does what Finn does best—acting silly and being adored. They’ve been a happy family, just the three of them and their mom. But everything changes when reports of three kidnapped children reach the Greystone kids, and they’re shocked by the startling similarities between themselves and these complete strangers. The other kids share their same first and middle names. They’re the same ages. They even have identical birthdays. Who, exactly, are these strangers?" (From the Amazon synopsis)
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry: After loving A Man Called Ove so much, I wanted to tackle some of Backman's backlist. I think his books are better if you know very little about them going in, so I will just say this is a wonderful look at how we deal with loss.
Spinning Silver: This is supposed to be a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, but I think it is more than that. Three plots intertwine as three young women learn how to gain control over their own lives. I loved the characters and the way their stories played out.
Honorable Mentions
Owl Be Home For Christmas: I love Donna Andrews, and I am letting her represent all of the cozy mysteries I enjoyed this year. I love the Meg Langslow series, and this was one of her better ones. Her characters are wonderful, and the setting at an owl conference was interesting - who knew so much passion surrounded the study of owls?
Mule Hollow series by Debra Clopton: I love this series and was happy to discover there were new books in it. I am letting these represent all of the romance novels I enjoyed this year. The series begins with Dream With Me Cowboy, formerly titled The Trouble With Lacy Brown. It is best read in order.
Nonfiction: Three very different books but all great reads.
Save Me The Plums: A memoir of Ruth Reich's time at Gourmet Magazine
Humble Calvinism: A wonderful and convincing description of Calvinism
Atomic Habits: Good discussion of how we form good habits
