This was a banner reading year for me! I blew away my original goal of 75 books, then continued sailing past 100, and finally landed at 137 for 2019. If you’re wondering how I read so much, I address that in How I’ve read 104 books this year so far.
And if you have a book that you love and want to recommend, please add me on GoodReads!
This year, I binge read (like people binge watch seasons of TV on Netflix) Kristin Hannah, Jenny Han (young adult), the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, and Jodi Picoult. I have a few authors that I love like Elin Hildebrand and Ann Patchett. I read anything and everything that they write.
I also sprinkled in some interesting non-fiction. I got all kinds of diverse recommendations from friends, online lists, and my work book club chat. My favorite book of the year was a recommendation from Theresa. She and I frequent the same library (online and in person). She’s more into audiobooks where I prefer Kindle format but we both love the library.
My 2019 book of the year was Lori Gottleib’s Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. This book caught me by surprise. It’s a non-fiction book by a therapist describing being in therapy interwoven with stories about her own patients. The premise sounds horrible but what you learn early on is that the author is a writer first and a therapist second. The story is so wonderfully told that you are instantly engaged and intrigued. It’s like getting to peek in the mind of a person who peeks in other people’s minds for a living. Lori Gottleib is making the podcast and talk show circuit and now the book is turning into a TV series starring Eva Longoria. Wow! If you want a funny and insightful while relatable book, check it out!
I grew up in Charlotte reading the 
Here is a photo of my BFF Julie holding Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover << Shameless Amazon affiliate link below>> . This photo was taken in 2011. For those don’t know, I’m not a holiday gift giver. I don’t believe in giving gifts because it’s Christmas or your birthday or whatever but that’s a whole different blog. That year, I asked Julie to give me a gift. I asked her to read this book with an open mind and open heart about her financial situation. Julie is a smart girl with a good job but it never hurts to learn more – especially in regards to your finances, right? I’d say that it impacted her life in a very positive way so I’m a big believer in the teachings and process.