As promised, here’s part two of my 2019 reading wrap-up. I’m sorry it’s a little late, but let’s just jump right in to some of the worst and best books I read last year.
Worst Books of 2019
In 2019 I definitely read more books I enjoyed rather than disliked, so much so that I actually struggled to think of five books to make this list. There were three that came to mind immediately (the first three on this list). As for the last two, however, whether they truly belong on this list or not is debatable: I wouldn’t necessarily call them bad books (in fact, spoiler alert, one of them is an Ian McEwan… I’m sorry), but I disliked them enough to put them on here.
I would also like to preface this with a disclaimer that I do not enjoy writing negative reviews about books (and so these reviews will be kept very brief) because I really do recognise and acknowledge the time, effort, and dedication that the authors put into their works. Also, if any of these books sounds appealing to you, please don’t let my thoughts put you off from reading them because your reading experience might differ from mine, and hopefully you’ll be able to get something out of them that I, unfortunately, did not.
The Cellar // Natasha Preston
(1/5 stars)
This book was originally published as a Wattpad story, and despite the bad reputation that these stories usually get, I wasn’t deterred because I believe there are some hidden gems waiting to be discovered on there. Sadly, this wasn’t one of them. I thought it was clichéd and unoriginal, I cringed so hard at the antagonist, and I wanted to scream at just about everyone for their stupidity.
Peach // Emma Glass
(2/5 stars)
If you know me at all, you’d know I’m good with weird. But not this; this was very uncomfortable for me to read for many reasons. I really thought I would enjoy this one because I typically enjoy experimental works, but I found this to be confusing and very messy, specifically with some typesetting issues. I did see the point in these stylistic choices, but it (negatively) affected my reading experience too much. I gave this 2 stars because I actually enjoyed the writing at times (hated it at others, though) and I can’t deny the creativity and uniqueness of this, but sadly those factors weren’t enough for me to enjoy this on the whole.
This Darkness Mine // Mindy McGinnis
(2/5 stars)
I originally gave this 3 stars when I first finished reading it because the story was entertaining enough for me to fly through it. In retrospect, however, I bumped it down to a 2. I picked this one up because I wanted something weird and I’d heard that this was a hell of a weird book. I was sorely disappointed. It wasn’t nearly as dark or as weird as I’d hoped, probably because of the romance-centric plot (which I thought was pretty lame).
Enduring Love // Ian McEwan
(2.5/5 stars)
Keeping this one very brief because I feel really bad for including this one on this list; I almost feel like I’m committing sacrilege but I couldn’t get into this book for the life of me. Now I definitely wouldn’t say that this was one of the worst books I read in 2019, but it’s undoubtedly one of my least favourites. It bored me to death and there’s just something about it I can’t pin down that rubs me the wrong way.
The Female of the Species // Mindy McGinnis
(3/5 stars)
Oof two books by the same author on my worst books of the year list? I’m sorry Mindy McGinnis. However, as I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t say this is a bad book. I thought the first half was pretty strong and I actually really enjoyed this up till the ending (hence the 3-star rating). Actually, now that I think about it, this one probably belongs on my most disappointing books of the year list rather than the worst. The denouement was so bad, though, and it sadly ruined the entire book for me. And yes, even though two of McGinnis’s books are on here, I will continue to give her other/future books a try, but I won’t make the mistake of going in to them with high expectations.
Best Books of 2019
And finally, here we are: my top five of 2019.
One Hundred Years of Solitude // Gabriel Garcia Marquez
(5/5 stars)
Let’s just get this out of the way. If you follow me anywhere, this one probably won’t come as a surprise to you. This book has become my favourite book of all time. I read it back in February and haven’t stopped thinking (or talking) about it. This book spoke directly to my soul and continues to do so till this day. I once said that I couldn’t believe this was written by a human being instead of a god, and that just about sums up the amazingness that is this book. Also, huge praise to translator Gregory Rabassa for so exquisitely capturing the rhythmic, lyrical quality of the original Spanish version — this is prose poetry at its finest. No kidding, I would learn Spanish literally just to be able to read the original text. It’s a work of art, a masterpiece, and the most magical experience. In short, it is THE book you need to read before you die. That is all.
Bunny // Mona Awad
(4.5/5 stars)
Now this is my kind of weird. Of all the books on this list, Bunny is the only one that didn’t get a full 5-stars but still made it to my list of favourites. This is one of the most unique books I’ve read in a while. It was a trip. This will make for a perfect bookclub book because there are so many ways to read it, so many different interpretations. It will leave you with lots of questions and it’s definitely not for everyone (in fact I think more people are probably going to dislike this than enjoy it, which explains its relatively low rating on Goodreads), but I’m so glad it worked for me.
Dark Matter // Blake Crouch
(5/5 stars)
I picked this up when I was in a reading slump and it was one of the best decisions I could have made. If it wasn’t already obvious, I tend to prefer character-driven, slow-burn stories with beautiful/atmospheric writing. This, however, is the opposite: definitely plot-driven, this is probably one of the fastest-paced books I’ve ever read. It’s so different from what I usually prefer but it was so good. I read this in a couple of hours because I couldn’t put it down, so if you’re looking for a new thriller, look no further! It’s super thrilling and entertaining, and it’s one of those books that kind of reads like a movie.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead // Olga Tokarczuk
(5/5 stars)
This story was so special to me. I connected with the protagonist so much, because she’s an elderly woman who prefers the company of animals to humans, and she’s a practicing astrologer who no one takes seriously precisely because of her unorthodox beliefs, as well as her gender. Janina Duszejko, I truly do feel for you. I also really enjoyed the author’s writing style, with the novel’s fable-like prose, and I appreciated the novel’s exploration of highly-relevant contemporary issues (specifically feminism and animal rights). In fact, Janina Duszejko’s name was used in environmental protests in Poland (where the author is from), which proves just how effective and impactful this story really is.
Everything I Never Told You // Celeste Ng
(5/5 stars)
This story hit me so hard. I read Celeste Ng’s other novel, Little Fires Everywhere, back in 2018 and really enjoyed it but I liked this one even more. Ng really has a way of writing characters and human relationships so poignantly. This was difficult to read at times and I teared up multiple times while reading this. I’m a sucker for stories centring around families and this is one of the best I’ve come across. Don’t go into this one expecting an intense mystery/thriller, because that’s not what this is: it reads more like a character portrait/study. It’s one of those quiet novels, slow-burn and gorgeously written but tugs at the heartstrings. The fact that this is Ng’s debut novel astounds me; she has become one of my favourite authors and I will read every future book she publishes.
IN VERBICIDE 