My Favourite Books of 2019

Happy New Year's Eve, lovely readers! It's that time of year where - you guessed it - I get to tell you about my absolute favourite books of the year.

Reading Stats

• Reading Challenge Goal: 60
• Number of Books I Read: 66
• Number of Re-Reads: 3
• Most Read Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
• Average Rating: 4

Graphic novels were pretty much the only reason I was able to maintain my Goodreads Challenge this year, given that 2019 was a bit of a bumpy ride. I was able to read a total of 66 books, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without the 29 webcomics and graphic novels I read in between writing my dissertation.

Whilst I've fallen in love with many of these comics, I do miss reading a good old text-heavy book. That's not to say I didn't discover some incredible novels this year, but I've been avoiding picking up any big tomes because I start worrying about falling behind on my challenge. The Goodreads Challenge really worked for me a few years ago in motivating me to read more, but I think it might be restricting me now, which is why for 2020 I am setting my goal to 40 books. Hopefully, this way I will be more encouraged to pick up those wonderful heavy but exciting-sounding books I've been putting off.

Best in Books

Selecting my favourite books of the year was not a challenge in the slightest. These six books really left an impact on me, and I cannot recommend them enough.

1. The Adventure Zone (volumes 1-2) by the McElroys and Carey Pietsch (post) - The Adventure Zone podcast has somewhat consumed my life in the last year, and the graphic novels do them total justice and are SO DARN FUN. The characters are lovable and goofy and the art is so vibrant that it's difficult not to be sucked into this fantastical world. I already know what happens next but I'm still itching to see how Carey Pietsch's art brings it to life in the later volumes.

2. Heartstopper (volumes 1-2) by Alice Oseman (review) - My heart does a happy squeeze with every new page of this series. I have been reading Heartstopper online for the past few years, but having a copy in my hands makes me so smiley and has made me come to appreciate Oseman's soft art style even more. As an artist and storyteller myself, I'm in love with every aspect of this heartwarming and pure romance and I know it is one that I'll be re-reading a lot in the future.

3. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (review) - Green's debut novel is fantastic. Even though the writing style didn't fully click with me, I was thinking about this book MONTHS after reading it. It's got sci-fi and mystery and also frank discussions about the human species and our relationship with the media. I love how Green uses the sci-fi genre to comment on what it is to be human and I can't wait to see how this develops in the sequel.

4. Sadie by Courtney Summers (review) - What a magnificent novel Sadie is. I practically wrote an essay on how good it was (please give my review for it some love - I worked super hard on it). The protagonist is so compelling, the structure is ingenious, and the novel is gripping whilst never sensationalising the darker aspects of the story. And that's not even talking about the audiobook - which is the best I've ever encountered. It's honestly a masterpiece. 

5. Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (review) - Do you ever find a book that feels like your soulmate? That's me with Darius. The protagonist's experience in feeling like a fraud, a 'Fractional Persian', a tourist, are all completely reflective of my personal experience with my culture. Plus the way Khorram shows all the little details of Iranian culture made me feel so seen. But aside from my personal connection with the book, this is an absolutely beautiful story about family, culture, and love.

6. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (review) - Oh this was gorgeous. Just gorgeous. There is so much heart packed in such a tiny book, from lyrical prose to a story filled with adventure and magic. The story brilliantly parallels the themes of oppression and suppression in a way that is both political and emotional. Plus the way Barnhill writes about this strange little family of a witch, a girl, a tiny dragon, and a swamp monster is so charming that not falling a little bit in love with it wasn't an option.

This post was inspired by the Top Ten Tuesday prompt: Favorite Books I Read In 2019. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. I'm also linking up with Perpetual Page Turner's End of Year Survey which inspired the structure of this post (even though I didn't answer all the questions).

How was your 2019 reading year? Have you read any books of my favourite books? What are your reading plans for 2020?