Hi there, everyone!
As 2019 (and this decade) draws to a close, I’ve decided to make a comprehensive lists of all of my 5-star reads for this year, and, by proxy, my favorite books that I’ve read this year. Most of these are what’d you’d expect, if you’ve scoured my book tags and reviews, but I know there’s a few that I haven’t talked much about. These are in chronological order of when I read them, though their actual rankings vary a fair bit.
Now, without further ado…this year’s 5-star lineup!
KING OF SCARS–LEIGH BARDUGO
Bardugo’s veritable masterpiece, all at once a rollicking adventure and an exploration of internal conflict, was my first 5-star rating of this year. And…Nikolai. ‘Nuff said.
Read my review here!
THE ILLUMINAE FILES TRILOGY–AMIE KAUFMAN and JAY KRISTOFF
I mean, I read all of these in the span of a few months, and I gave all three books five stars…
For good reason, I think. I doubt that we’ll ever come across a trilogy quite like this in a very long time.
Read my review (Illuminae) here!
NEVERWHERE–NEIL GAIMAN
I’ve been a fan of Gaiman’s work for some time, but I chose this one for an English project, and I fell so in love with the fantastic world-building, as well as each and every character.
Find it on Goodreads here!
ONCE & FUTURE–AMY ROSE CAPETTA and CORI MCCARTHY
A feminist, LGBTQ+ retelling of the legends of King Arthur…need we say more? A wonderfully fast-paced space adventure, reminiscent of Captain Marvel.
Find it on Goodreads here!
HONOR BOUND–ANN AGUIRRE and RACHEL CAINE
Even more daring than its predecessor, Honor Bound is a complex space opera to die for.
Find it on Goodreads here!
TENNYSON: POEMS–ALFRED TENNYSON
Yes, I was/still am that kid who sits in the corner reading depressing, 19th century poetry. Do I regret it? Absolutely not.
Find it on Goodreads here!
AURORA RISING–AMIE KAUFMAN and JAY KRISTOFF
You’ve already sing praise of this one innumerable times, so I’ll just leave it at this: I FOUND MY DREAM BOOK, PEOPLE. THIS IS EVERYTHING.
Read my review here!
THE PIONEER--BRIDGET TYLER
An inventive, heart-pounding sci-fi adventure, The Pioneer was very nearly flawless, and I’m itching to get my hands on the sequel next spring! 😀
Read my review here!
AN ANATOMY OF BEASTS–OLIVIA A. COLE
Delving deeper and growing even twistier than its predecessor, A Conspiracy of Stars, this novel is dazzlingly well-thought out, the prime example of what speculative sci-fi should be.
Find it on Goodreads here!
THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES–RAY BRADBURY
Did I mention how much I love sci-fi? No?
Ray Bradbury is a talent to be reckoned with, able to deftly weave together a thought-provoking story in the span of under 100 pages with ease.
Also, I was today years old when I realized that the hand on the cover has six fingers.
Find it on Goodreads here!
SOUL OF STARS–ASHLEY POSTON
The epic conclusion to the Heart of Iron duology, Poston deftly wraps together a complicated universe of familial bonds and political intrigue. Love, love, love, LOVE…
Read my review here!
FAHRENHEIT 451–RAY BRADBURY
Again, Ray Bradbury. I rest my case.
Find it on Goodreads here!
SPARE AND FOUND PARTS–SARAH MARIA GRIFFIN
A futuristic Frankenstein for the modern age, this is a grossly underrated writing, atmospheric and poetic.
Read my review here!
THE DEMON WORLD–SALLY GREEN
The pulse-pounding sequel to The Smoke Thieves, Green delivers an even more potent punch of her signature world-building and fantasy action.
Read my review here!
HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X–JONATHAN HICKMAN
The newest installment in the legendary X-Men mythology, Hickman weaves a mythical and symbolic world, with a hopeful conclusion and the potential of many mutant tales to come.
Find it on Goodreads here!
LIKE A LOVE STORY–ABDI NAZEMIAN
Would you look at that…I think this is the only historical fiction in this post…
A hearstring-tearing and poignant coming-of-age LGBTQ+ novel. So many feels. INFINITE feels.
Read my review here!
THE TOLL–NEAL SHUSTERMAN
The conclusion to the unforgettable Arc of a Scythe trilogy, this novel is solid proof that Shusterman is a sci-fi author to be reckoned with.
Read my review here!
Man. What a year this has been…
Have you read any of these novels, and what did you think of them? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!
Have a lovely rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!
The Bookish Mutant 