Hey guys! I realized that I never talked much about what I read in 2019 so today I am bringing you a list of my favorites. The books on this list are not exclusive to 2019 releases as I have many books that were published in previous years. These are all books that received five stars from me and are books that I loved. I do have a lot of other books that I really enjoyed but they are not going on this list.
Let's get into it.
BOOKS
1. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black ~ 5 Crowns
This was released on January 2, 2018. This was a book that I had heard so much about but was a little bit worried to read. This is about Jude who was seven when her parents were killed and she and her two sisters were taken away to live in the High Court of Faerie a treacherous place for humans. Now, ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there but most fey despise humans. Especially, Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. And to win a place at the Court, she must defy him and then face the consequences. However, as she gets into the palace intrigues and deceptions and discovers her own capacity for trickery and when betrayal threatens to drown the Courts in violence, Jude will have to make a dangerous alliance to save her sisters and the land of Faerie. Fae books are some of my favorite YA books and I am always looking for new ones to add to my shelves. I loved the plot, the dangerous but interesting characters and the writing and I am excited to continue the series especially since I loved this one so much!
2. Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson ~ 5 Crowns
This was released on May 30, 2017. I have owned this book since it came out because I had never read a Swan Lake retelling before. This is about Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan (The Light Kingdom), who on her eighteenth birthday can finally access her full magical powers. The other kingdom, Dorjhalon (The Dark Kingdom)'s King is plotting to take control over both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn onto the throne a lot sooner than she ever expected. In order to defeat the Dark Kingdom, Evelayn will have to come into her ability to shape-shift and rely on the alluring Lord Tanvir but everyone is not what they seem, and the balance between the kingdoms comes at a steep price. This was such an interesting spin on the Swan Lake story and I ended up loving the characters, and the plot which helped it earn a spot on this list.
3. The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco ~ 5 Crowns
This was released on March 7, 2017. This is the only book on this list that I didn't physically read. I listened to this entire book as an audiobook and I am so glad that I did as it really made it come alive. This is about Tea who accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead and then learns that she is different from the other witches in her family. She is a bone witch which means that she is feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea ends up finding help and guidance from an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training. Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha (a witch who can wield elemental magic), however, dark forces are approaching and Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice. I loved Tea as a character and through this book we got to see her grow up and into her powers through the book which was so cool. I loved this audiobook so much as the narrators were really easy to listen to and brought the story to life.
4. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne ~ 5 Crowns
This was released on August 6, 2016. I never thought that I would have an Adult Rom-Com book on my favorites list but here we are. This is about Lucy and Josh who work together in an office and they say they hate each other. They play juvenile games and compete with each other constantly especially for a new promotion. However, after Lucy starts to get some unexpected kindness from Josh, she starts to wonder if beneath his cold and cruel behavior he is actually a nice guy, with the potential to break her heart. Lucy and Josh's hate-to-love romance was so fun and cute and I loved the banter so much!
5. Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen ~ 5 Crowns
This was released on May 7, 2019. Pirate and ocean books are some of my favorite books in the YA genre and I am always looking for more. This is about Teriana who is the second mate on her ship with her people who are born of the seas and keep all of its secrets. However, when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, she breaks her people's mandate so her friend can escape. Meanwhile, Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, a legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East and he's been hiding a secret since childhood. When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana's crew and threatens to reveal Marcus's secret unless they sail to conquer the Dark Shores. This forces Marcus and Teriana into an unwilling alliance to protect themselves and their families. I loved the strong characters, adventurous plotline and humor.
6. Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins ~ 5 Crowns
This was released on May 7, 2019. I had previously read Royals by Rachel Hawkins and I loved it so I had to read this one and it was amazing! This is about Millie who applies for scholarships to boarding schools to get away from a devastating breakup/misunderstanding. When she gets into one of the world's most exclusive schools, located in Scotland, she discovers that her roommate, Flora, is the actual princess of Scotland and seems to be a total snob. However, soon they end up getting along better than she had hoped and Millie starts believing in happily ever afters again. This book was so cute and I love this whole series so much.
7. We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal ~ 5 Crowns
This was released on May 14, 2019. I was very iffy about reading this book because it had so many bad reviews but I am I did as it is one of new favorite books. This is about Zafira, a Hunter who disguises herself as a man in order to hunt in the dark and cursed forest of the Arz in order to feed her village. Meanwhile, Nasir, known as the Prince of Death, is the son and loyal assassin of the King. As war and the forest of the Arz begin to creep upon the kingdom, Zafira is sent on a quest in order to retrieve a magical artifact that is rumored to restore magic to the kingdom. Nasir has also been sent to retrieve the artifact as well as to kill the Hunter. As an ancient evil has begun to stir, both of them realize that the artifact could be far more dangerous than either of them ever imagined. Everything about this book was done so fantastically well and even though many Fantasy plots include quests, magic and the like, this one managed to stand out.
8. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren ~ 5 Crowns
This was released on May 14, 2019. Another Adult Rom-Com made it onto this list? This is about Olive who believes she is unlucky in everything while her twin sister has things handed to her. When her sister and her new husband get food poisoning (along with the rest of the wedding party/guests), she insists that Olive goes on her all expenses paid honeymoon. Olive agrees but she is mad when she finds out she has to go with her sister's husband's brother, Ethan, aka the person that Olive has had a rivalry with since they met. They agree to go together as long as they don't see each other for most of the vacation, however Olive runs into her new boss while in Hawaii and has to pretend that Ethan is her husband which forces the two of them to spend time together. This was such a cute and hilarious romantic comedy and I love the fake dating trope!
9. Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson ~ 5 Crowns
This was released on August 7, 2018. Mary E. Pearson wrote one of my favorite series: The Remnant Chronicles and since this is set in the same world as that series, I'm not surprised that I loved this one. This is about Kazi, who is a former street thief and a current member of Queen Lia of Venda's Rahtan who is sent to locate General Illarium, who is responsible for the deaths of some of Lia's family members. She goes to Hell's Mouth which is under control of the Ballenger family, and meets Jase, the new Patrei (aka leader) of the family. He is abducted and shackled to Kazi by labour traders and then the plot takes off. This one was more romance and character driven while the first series was more political heavy.
What were some of your favorite books of 2019?
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