My Personal Faves Read in 2019!

So, I don't typically include my personal opinions on this blog.  I like to stick to list topics and the general opinion of the reading world, as rated by Goodreads users.  But today to wrap up 2019 I'd like to share with you my ten favorite books / series I read this year.  Back to our regular type of list tomorrow, today lets talk about my interest in sci fi / fantasy romance!  I'm only going to include one book or series by an author if I've read more by them, but I'll mention the others I've read too.

Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven - On the unforgiving planet of Dakkar, I did what all the humans in our village did: kept my head down, worked to provide for my family, and I certainly didn’t break any Dakkari laws to risk inciting the alien race’s merciless wrath.
Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for my brother and one careless mistake brings a horde of the nomadic, barbarian Dakkari straight to our doorstep, led by their powerful horde king—a cold, ruthless, battle-scarred warrior demanding retribution.
In order to save my brother’s life, I do the unthinkable.
I sell myself to the horde king as his war prize. I agree to warm his furs, to travel with his horde across the wild lands of Dakkar, and to never see my family again.
But as I struggle with my new reality, I discover that the surly, mysterious, dominant horde king never intended for me to be his concubine…
He wants me as his queen.  Book 1 of the Horde Kings of Dakkar series 

I decided to take a chance on Audible this year in about October.  I had a baby in May and haven't been able to read as much as I wanted to since then.  Getting Audible was a REVELATION.  I also invested in some Airpods and suddenly I'm tearing through 4-5 books a week.  It's wonderful.  Anyway, Captive of the Horde King was the first book I got on Audible and I instantly loved it.  Barbarian aliens?  I am soooo in.  This book had great world building, a wonderful romance, and a plot that kept me listening up late.  As I'm writing this I just realized that book two (Claimed by the Horde King) recently came out and I'm hoping that it's coming to audiobook soon too.

The Choosing by Lucy Varna - Ziri Mokuru has lived her entire life in the rural village of Arden Hollow on the planet Tersi. While her parents are off having adventures and being Very Important People, she's struggled simply to find a place where she belongs. One night, she investigates a disturbance in her home and discovers an armor-clad man sorting through her belongings. Her first thought is for her parents' safety, not to question why this man is in her home late at night without even the courtesy of knocking. After all, no one among the trusting Tersii breaks into someone else's home without a good reason.
Ryn abid Alna has an excellent reason for sneaking into Ziri's home. After years spent scraping together enough vud for the bride price, he's finally ready to steal a wife. One look at Ziri's sweet smile and Ryn decides no other woman will do. She can fix anything she touches, so why not the loneliness he's lived with since he was enslaved as a young boy?
Though Ziri longs for love, she's not so sure she's ready to settle down with the man who kidnapped her, especially after he jumps her into a nest of Sweepers, a sinister alien race bent on mayhem and destruction. As the day draws near when she faces Ryn's family on the Choosing field, Ziri ponders the hardest decision of her life: Fight for Ryn and the place he's made for her in his heart or choose another man as a life mate and risk never knowing love. Book 1 of the Pruxnae series

I got this book as a free review copy on Audiofreebies.com not being sure if I would like it.  Boy did it blow me away.  I loooved it.  I'm a sucker for alien abduction romances and I don't know what weird thing that says about me.  This book had a really interesting culture in it, and the world (galaxy?) building was neat too.  I put the other books in the series on my wishlist!

A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais - Burning alive is nothing compared to the heat of his touch.
There are better ways to break up with a girl than having her roasted at the stake as a witch. Is it any wonder Ysabel has trust issues? She got her revenge, though, and it only cost her a slightly tarnished soul.
Working for Lucifer isn't all bad, until her ex-boyfriend escapes the bowels of Hell and she's forced to team up with a womanizing demon to fetch the jerk back.
As a minion in Lucifer's legion, Remy's seen a lot of things, but nothing can prepare him for the witch with the acerbic tongue - and voluptuous figure. The more she pushes him away, the more determined he becomes to seduce her. However, what's a poor demon to do when he accidentally falls in love and wants to keep her forever?
Welcome to Hell where you're screwed if you do and damned if don't. And just so you know, Lucifer has a special spot reserved for you... Book 1 in the Welcome to Hell series

EVE LANGLAIS! My new author crush!  I read A LOT by her but I picked the Welcome to Hell series as my favorite.  So far I've read books 1-4.  Looking at her other series I think this may be a sequel series to one or more of her other series, but I never felt like I was missing any important information reading these.  They are very funny and very sexy.  I know I keep saying this about all the books... but I loved the world building.  The concept of hell in these books is interesting. 
Close second to these books were the Alien Abduction series, of which I read books 1-5.  Also I'm currently reading the Furry United Coalition books.  I'm on book 3 and they are very fun as well.  I love you Eve Langlais, can't wait to read more!

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri - The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.
When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.
Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance.... Book 1 in the Books of Ambha

Here is one that I actually did read the print version of rather than the audiobook.  I picked up this book while on a very quiet shift at the very small library branch I work at and I think I had binged over a hundred pages before I even left work.  This is a richly detailed fantasy with some romance too, but it wasn't as much the focus in this book as a lot of the other books I read this year.  I haven't gotten to the second book yet, but it's definitely on my radar.  Oh and Tasha Suri is a great follow on twitter!

How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper - Anthropologist Jillian Ramsay's career has taken a turn south.
Concerned that technology is about to chase mythological creatures out into the open (how long can Sasquatch stay hidden from Google maps?), the League for Interspecies Cooperation is sending Jillian to Louisiana on a fact-finding mission. While the League hopes to hold on to secrecy for a little bit longer, they're preparing for the worst in terms of human reactions. They need a plan, so they look to Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where humans and supernatural residents have been living in harmony for generations. Mermaids and gator shifters swim in the bayou. Spirit bottles light the front porches after twilight. Dragons light the fires under crayfish pots.
Jillian's first assignment for the League could be her last. Mystic Bayou is wary of outsiders, and she has difficulty getting locals to talk to her. And she can't get the gruff town sheriff, Bael Boone, off of her back or out of her mind. Bael is the finest male specimen she's seen in a long time, even though he might not be human. Soon their flirtation is hotter than a dragon's breath, which Bael just might turn out to be.... Book 1 in the Mystic Bayou series

Dragons are one of my absolute favorite character types, so this book caught my eye easy.  Add in the fun quirky southern town and a paranormal mystery and I was hooked.  I also read book 2 (Love and Other Wild Things) and I desperately want pie from Bathtilda's Pie Shop.

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon - You'd think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you'd be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they've left their cargo of human women - including me - on an ice planet.
And the only native inhabitant I've met? He's big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me... Book 1 in the Ice Planet Barbarians series

More sexy aliens!  This time with blue skin!  I don't think I would like to visit not-Hoth, not being a fan of cold and snow myself, but Ruby Dixon almost makes it sound worth it with these swoony and fun blue barbarian aliens.  So far I've read 11 of these and I currently have book 12 queued up to read soon.  Also by Ruby Dixon I read book 1 of Fireblood Dragons (Fire in His Blood) - again, sucker for dragons.  And SUPER SPECIAL MENTION - I read Bound to the Battle God and I freaking loved this book sooo sooo much.  So much so that I almost put that as the header here for Ruby instead of IPB.  Seriously, it is so good.  I'm really hoping that turns into a series rather than just a stand alone.  I will be waiting!

Polaris Rising by Jessie Mikalik - In the far-distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three high houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her high house is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.
Ada eluded her father's forces for two years, but now, her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.
When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiance captures her, she'll become a political prisoner and a liability to her house. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.
But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive devil, you may lose more than you bargained for.... Book 1 in the Consortium Rebellion

Ada is my number 1 bad ass space princess...followed closely...or tied with... her sister Bianca in book 2 (Aurora Blazing)  These books are everything I want in a space opera romance and more.  These two I both read in print version rather than in audio, having discovered them before I starting using Audible, but I'm tempted to grab the audio versions just to revisit these wonderful ladies.  Also, Jessie Mihalik is another great follow on twitter!  Can't wait for book 3!

Tamed by the Troll by Tracy Lauren - Once the belle of her village, life took a dark turn for Adelaide upon her parent's death. Plagued by lingering grief, there was not a soul who didn't turn their back on her. They called her angry and spiteful...hell, they called her a monster.
One fateful day Adelaide finds herself alone, lingering on the edge of the perished woods - a cursed and evil place. Without warning, an orc army attacks.
Her village ablaze, Adelaide races into the perished woods, seeking refuge in a place of nightmares. With orcs at her heels, she's desperate to escape. But when the young woman crosses an aging stone bridge in the middle of the cursed forest she's met with an even more fearsome enemy. A troll...one who is determined to save her. Book 1 in the Perished Woods series

This was my second read on Audible!  This is an interesting take on fairy tale creatures and tales in this book and I am totally here for it.  Besides that, this was a great exploration of grief.  I see now that book 2 is out now too, so that will be going on my wishlist.  Also Tracy Lauren has an alien series?  The TBR list never ends....

Wild Blood by Naomi Lucas - Dommik was a monster, a Monster Hunter, and an alpha. Part of an elite group that dealt with the horrors of the universe. At least that was what everyone at the spaceport was whispering as he walked by.
A Cyborg, a hunter, a beast with eyes as dark as the pits of Hell and the stride of a predator. Katalina was a nobody who was intimate with death. It clung to her like a shroud, It followed her like the plague, and infected her like a parasite.
When she overheard that the Monster Hunter needed an assistant, she took the job. And when the Cyborg's eyes caught hers, she knew getting closer to death might just bring her back to life. The Cyborg didn't scare her. So she followed him and left fate up to chance. Book 1 in the Cyborg Shifters series

So...this book actually did make me blush when I tried to explain the premise to my husband.  It's a romance with a cyborg shifter who is part..spider?  It sounds very weird when I try to explain it...but I loved it.  Dommik gives me very Dom vibes and I am here for that.  I also read books 2 & 3, but book 4 doesn't seem to be on Audible from what I remember..but is on my TBR list too.

The Winter King by C. L. Wilson - After three long years of war, starkly handsome Wynter Atrialan will have his vengeance on Summerlea's king by taking one of the man's beautiful, beloved daughters as his bride. But though peace is finally at hand, Wynter's battle with the Ice Heart, the dread power he embraced to avenge his brother's death, rages on.
Khamsin Coruscate, Princess of Summerlea and summoner of Storms, has spent her life exiled to the shadows of her father's palace. Reviled by her father, marriage to Wintercraig's icy king was supposed to be a terrible punishment, but instead offers Kham her first taste of freedom - and her first taste of overwhelming passion.
As fierce, indomitable Wynter weathers even Khamsin's wildest storms, surprising her with a tenderness she never expected, Kham wants more than Wynter's passion - she yearns for his love. But the power of the Ice Heart is growing, dangerous forces are gathering, and a devastating betrayal puts Khamsin and Wynter to the ultimate test. Book 1 in the Mystral series

This was a truly epic fantasy! I loved it! The romance had a lot of ups and downs and will they / won't they that made me verrrry anxious but I was rewarded for making it through.  Book 2, The Sea King is on my radar for 2020!




Wow ok I don't usually write this much of my own opinion and I am feeling verrrry anxious about this, but I hope you've enjoyed hearing about what I enjoyed in 2019.  See you tomorrow with a new list! 

Texas

December 29th, 1845 - Texas becomes the 28th state in the United States of America.  Here are ten books about Texas.

All the Agents and Saints: Dispatches from the U.S. Borderlands by Stephanie Elizondo Griest - After a decade of chasing stories around the globe, intrepid travel writer Stephanie Elizondo Griest followed the magnetic pull home -- only to discover that her native South Texas had been radically transformed in her absence. Ravaged by drug wars and barricaded by an eighteen-foot steel wall, her ancestral land had become the nation's foremost crossing ground for undocumented workers, many of whom perished along the way. The frequency of these tragedies seemed like a terrible coincidence, before Elizondo Griest moved to the New York / Canada borderlands. Once she began to meet Mohawks from the Akwesasne Nation, however, she recognized striking parallels to life on the southern border.

The Autobiography of an Execution by David R. Dow - Near the beginning of The Autobiography of an Execution, David Dow lays his cards on the table. "People think that because I am against the death penalty and don't think people should be executed, that I forgive those people for what they did. Well, it isn't my place to forgive people, and if it were, I probably wouldn't. I'm a judgmental and not very forgiving guy. Just ask my wife."
It this spellbinding true crime narrative, Dow takes us inside of prisons, inside the complicated minds of judges, inside execution-administration chambers, into the lives of death row inmates (some shown to be innocent, others not) and even into his own home--where the toll of working on these gnarled and difficult cases is perhaps inevitably paid. He sheds insight onto unexpected phenomena-- how even religious lawyer and justices can evince deep rooted support for putting criminals to death-- and makes palpable the suspense that clings to every word and action when human lives hang in the balance.

Backroads and Byways of Texas: Drives, Day Trips, & Weekend Excursions by Amy K. Brown - Soak up the breathtaking Lone Star State, one drive at a time From the rustic charm of the Hill Country to the mountains, deserts, and stunning sunsets of West Texas, the plains and canyons of the Panhandle to the sandy dunes of the Gulf Coast, the diversity of Texas will astound you. This revised third edition highlights places of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and historical significance, all the while introducing you to some of the friendliest folks you'll ever meet. There's more to see, do, and taste in Texas than anyone could ever experience in a lifetime, but with this guide you'll never lack for trying! Drives include: " The Rio Grande Valley " The Texas Coast " The Panhandle Plains and Canyons " The Best BBQ in Texas 100 color images and 15 maps.

Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas by Stephen Harrigan - The story of Texas is the story of struggle and triumph in a land of extremes. It is a story of drought and flood, invasion and war, boom and bust, and the myriad peoples who, over centuries of conflict, gave rise to a place that has helped shape the identity of the United States and the destiny of the world.
"I couldn't believe Texas was real," the painter Georgia O'Keeffe remembered of her first encounter with the Lone Star State. It was, for her, "the same big wonderful thing that oceans and the highest mountains are."
Big Wonderful Thing invites us to walk in the footsteps of ancient as well as modern people along the path of Texas's evolution. Blending action and atmosphere with impeccable research, New York Times best-selling author Stephen Harrigan brings to life with novelistic immediacy the generations of driven men and women who shaped Texas, including Spanish explorers, American filibusters, Comanche warriors, wildcatters, Tejano activists, and spellbinding artists--all of them taking their part in the creation of a place that became not just a nation, not just a state, but an indelible idea.
Written in fast-paced prose, rich with personal observation and a passionate sense of place, Big Wonderful Thing calls to mind the literary spirit of Robert Hughes writing about Australia or Shelby Foote about the Civil War. Like those volumes, it is a big book about a big subject, a book that dares to tell the whole glorious, gruesome, epically sprawling story of Texas.

Called to Rise: A Life in Faithful Service to the Community that Made Me by David O. Brown with Michelle Burford - The Dallas police chief who inspired a nation with his response to the killing of five of his officers shares his personal story and his faith in America's potential to unite communities through a dedication to transparency and trust. "The real deal: a real Christian, a real man, a real leader."--Whoopi Goldberg, The View "A front-row seat to the tension between law enforcement and minority residents nationwide."--TheDallas Morning News On July 7, 2016, protesters marched in the streets of Dallas to demonstrate against the killings of unarmed black men by the police. As the peaceful event drew to a close, a sniper opened fire, targeting white cops and killing five of them. Into this charged situation stepped Dallas police chief David O. Brown, who, with a historic new tactical approach, quickly ended the gunman's siege and calmed his community and the nation. In this powerful memoir, Chief Brown takes us behind the scenes of that tragedy and shares intimate moments from his early life: his childhood, in which he was raised by a single mom in a neighborhood poor in resources but rich in love and faith; his college years--cut short when he felt called to save his hometown from its descent into drug-related violence; and, as he moved up the ranks, a series of deeply personal tragedies. His first partner on the job was killed in the line of duty; his younger brother was murdered by drug dealers; and during Brown's first month as chief of police, his mentally ill son was killed by a cop after taking two other lives. Called to Rise charts how, over his thirty-three-year career, Brown evolved from a "throw 'em in jail and let God sort 'em out" beat cop into a passionate advocate for community-oriented law enforcement, rising from crime scene investigator to S.W.A.T. team leader to the head of a municipal police department widely regarded as one of America's finest. Now retired, "America's chief" wants to bring his hard-earned knowledge of Dallas--emphasizing outreach, accountability, and inclusion--to help encourage unity in the nation's hurting communities. Chief Brown believes that we have to band together to engage in the kind of dialogue that can lead to solutions. In place of complaining, we all have to take action--and one first great step is to tune in to what is being said.Called to Rise explores the keys to that dialogue--trust, transparency, and compassion--that have made Brown a leader on the front lines of social change in America.

God Save Texas: A Journey Into the Soul of the Lone Star State by Lawrence Wright - With humor and the biting insight of a native, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower explores the history, culture, and politics of Texas, while holding the stereotypes up for rigorous scrutiny. God Save Texas is a journey through the most controversial state in America. It is a red state in the heart of Trumpland that hasn't elected a Democrat to a statewide office in more than twenty years; but it is also a state in which minorities already form a majority (including the largest number of Muslim adherents). The cities are blue and among the most diverse in the nation. Oil is still king but Texas now leads California in technology exports. The Texas economic model of low taxes and minimal regulation has produced extraordinary growth but also striking income disparities. Texas looks a lot like the America that Donald Trump wants to create. And Wright's profound portrait of the state not only reflects our country back as it is, but as it was and as it might be.

The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain - When Lisa Fain, a seventh-generation Texan, moved to New York City, she missed the big sky, the bluebonnets in spring, Friday night football, and her family's farm. But most of all, she missed the foods she'd grown up with.
After a fruitless search for tastes of Texas in New York City, Fain took matters into her own hands. She headed into the kitchen to cook for her friends the Tex-Mex, the chili, and the country comfort dishes that reminded her of home. From cheese enchiladas drowning in chili gravy to chicken-fried steak served with cream gravy on the side, from warm bowls of chile con queso to big pots of fiery chili made without beans, Fain re-created the wonderful tastes of Texas she'd always enjoyed at potlucks, church suppers, and backyard barbecues back home.
In 2006, Fain started the blog Homesick Texan to share Texan food with fellow expatriates, and the site immediately connected with readers worldwide, Texan and non-Texan alike. Now, in her long-awaited first cookbook, Fain brings the comfort of Texan home cooking to you.
Like Texas itself, the recipes in this book are varied and diverse, all filled with Fain's signature twists. There's SalpicÓn, a cool shredded beef salad found along the sunny border in El Paso; Soft Cheese Tacos, a creamy plate unique to Dallas; and Houston-Style Green Salsa, an avocado and tomatillo salsa that is smooth, refreshing, and bright. There are also nibbles, such as Chipotle Pimento Cheese and Tomatillo JalapeÑo Jam; sweet endings, such as Coconut Tres Leches Cake and Mexican Chocolate Chewies; and fresh takes on Texan classics, such as Coffee-Chipotle Oven Brisket, Ancho Cream Corn, and Guajillo-Chile Fish Tacos.
With more than 125 recipes, The Homesick Texan offers a true taste of the Lone Star State. So pull up a chair-everyone's welcome at the Texas table!

Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers: The Texas Victory That Changed American History by Brian Kilmeade - March 1836: The story of the Alamo is familiar to most: more than two hundred Texians trapped in an adobe mission, and massacred. Though the rallying cry of "Remember the Alamo" rang across the country, Houston knew it was poor strategy to aggressively retaliate immediately. One month after the massacre, he and his army of underdog Texians soundly defeated Santa Anna's troops in under eighteen minutes at the Battle of San Jacinto, and in doing so won the independence for which so many had died. Kilmeade brings one of the most pivotal moments in American history to life.

The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas by Anand Giridharadas - Days after 9/11, an avowed "American terrorist" named Mark Stroman, seeking revenge, walks into the Dallas minimart where Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a former Bangladesh Air Force officer, has found temporary work and shoots him, nearly killing him. Giridharadas traces the making of these two men, Stroman and Bhuiyan, and of their fateful encounter, following them as they rebuild shattered lives. Ten years after the shooting, an Islamic pilgrimage seeds in Bhuiyan a strange idea: if he is ever to be whole, he must reenter Stroman's life. He publicly forgives Stroman, and wages a legal and public-relations campaign to have his attacker spared from the death penalty.

Turning Texas Blue: How to Break the GOP's Grip on America's Reddest State by Mary Beth Rogers - In the 2014 midterm election, Democrats in Texas did not receive even 40 percent of the statewide vote; Republicans swept the tables both in Texas and nationally. But even after two decades of democratic losses, there is a path to turn Texas blue, argues Mary Beth Rogers - if Democrats are smart enough to see and follow it.
Rogers is the last person to successfully campaign-manage a Democrat, Governor Ann Richards, to the statehouse in Austin. In a lively narrative, Rogers tells the story of how Texas moved so far to the right in such a short time and how Democrats might be able to move it back to the center. And, argues Rogers, that will mean a lot more of an effort than simply waiting for the state's demographics to shift even further towards Hispanics - a risky proposition at best. Rogers identifies a ten-point path for Texas Democrats to win at the statewide level and to build a base vote that would allow Texas to become a swing-vote player in national politics once again. One part of that shift starts with local Democratic candidates in local Republican communities making the connection between controversial local issues or problems and the statewide Republican policies that ignore or create them. For example, in a 2014 election in Denton-a Republican suburb-voters approved Texas's first ban on hydraulic fracking. The next day, though, a Republican Texas agency official announced that Texas would not honor the town's vote to ban. No democratic candidate picked up the issue.
Change won't come easily, argues Rogers. But if Texas shifts to even a pale shade of purple, it changes everything in American politics today.

Earthquakes in Fiction

Today in history - On December 28th, 1908, the most destructive European earthquake struck Italy.  Here are ten books that feature earthquakes in some way.

Absence of Light by Zoe Sharp - There you were, just minding your own business, and suddenly the earth split beneath your feet. Everything good, everything familiar tumbles around you in busted shards, or it's ash, or is on fire. That's the scene of the earthquake where Charlie's working, helping to dig out the living and ID the dead. But it's an all-too-apt metaphor for her personal life. Book 11 in the Charlie Fox series 

The Disaster Days by Rebecca Behrens - Hannah Steele loves living on Pelling, a tiny island near Seattle. It's a little disconnected from the outside world, but she's always felt completely safe there.
Which is why when she's asked one day to babysit after school, she thinks it's no big deal. Zoe and Oscar are her next-door neighbors, and Hannah just took a babysitting class that she's pretty sure makes her an expert. She isn't even worried that she left her inhaler at home.
Then the shaking begins.
The terrifying earthquake only lasts four minutes but it changes everything, damaging the house, knocking out the power, and making cell service nonexistent. Even worse, the ferry and the bridge connecting the kids to help--and their parents--are both blocked. Which means they're stranded and alone... With Hannah in charge, as things go from bad to dangerous.

Eight Days by Edwidge Danticat - While Junior is trapped for 8 days beneath his collapsed house after an earthquake, he uses his imagination for comfort. Drawing on beautiful, everyday-life memories, Junior paints a sparkling picture of Haiti for each of those days--flying kites with his best friend or racing his sister around St. Marc's Square--helping him through the tragedy until he is finally rescued.

Goodnight, Boy by Nikki Sheehan - Wake up. Wake up, Boy. I'm bored. Time passes slowly in here, just you and me. It must be lunchtime. He will let us out soon." A tale of two very different worlds, both shattered by the loss of loved ones. Tragic, comic and full of hope, thanks to a dog called Boy. The kennel has been JC's home ever since JC's new foster father locked them inside. As the hours and days pass, JC tells Boy about how he came to his country: his family, the orphanage and the Haitian earthquake that swept everything away. How, after, his foster mother Melanie brought a new light into his life and brought him to her home country. He started to feel normal again. Until JC did something bad, so bad that he and Boy were banished to the kennel. Now their foster father is getting sicker, Melody still isn't home, and JC and Boy realize that they have to try to escape.

In Times Gone By by Tracie Peterson - After getting left at the altar, Kenzie Gifford flees to San Francisco to start her life over, determined never to love again. She's made new friends and has a good job in the office of her cousin's chocolate factory. The only thorn in her side is Dr. Micah Fisher, who insists on pursuing her despite her constant rejection. Then the Great 1906 Earthquake strikes the city, and everything changes. The devastation all around her makes Kenzie reevaluate her outlook on life--and possibly even her feelings for Micah. But then her world is rocked again when her ex-fiancé appears, full of apologies and determined to win her back. But Arthur already broke her heart once. Does she dare trust him again? The sudden arrival of a hidden danger will expose the motivations of all involved, but it could cost Kenzie her life--as well as her heart. Book 3 in the Golden Gate Secrets series 

The Incense Game by Laura Joh Rowland - When a massive earthquake devastates Japan in 1703, even the shogun's carefully regulated court is left teetering on the brink of chaos. This is no time for a murder investigation--except when a nobleman's daughters are found dead from incense poisoning and their father threatens to topple the regime unless Sano Ichiro tracks down the killer.

Not Quite Enough by Catherine Bybee - After an earthquake and tsunami hit the shores of Jamaica, Monica volunteers her trauma skills with Borderless Nurses. Calculating and methodical, Monica creates order out of whatever chaos she finds-- until she finds the perpetually barefoot, impossibly masculine Trent Fairchild. He's a pilot and manages a small fleet of choppers on his adopted island home. Hopelessly drawn to one another, they manage to slip away from the wreckage to get a little closer. And they get a lot closer than expected when aftershocks from the earthquake trap them in their own life-or-death scenario ... Book 3 in the Not Quite series 

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee - Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from poverty in Chinatown, and she gains admittance to a prestigious finishing school through a mix of cunning and bribery. She soon discovers that getting in was the easiest part, and must carve a niche among the spoiled heiresses. When the earthquake strikes on April 18, Mercy and her classmates are forced to a survivor encampment, but her quick-witted leadership rallies them to help in the tragedy's aftermath.

The Renegades by Tom Young - Joining troops to deliver aid to an earthquake-decimated region of Afghanistan, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Parson and his interpreter, Sergeant Major Sophia Gold, confront a Taliban splinter group that is shooting aid workers and everyone who accepts help. Book 3 in the Parson and Gold series 

A World Below by Wesley King - Mr. Baker's eighth grade class thought they were in for a normal field trip to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. But when an earthquake hits, their field trip takes a terrifying turn. The students are plunged into an underground lake...and their teacher goes missing.
They have no choice but to try and make their way back above ground, even though no one can agree on the best course of action. The darkness brings out everyone's true self. Supplies dwindle and tensions mount. Pretty and popular Silvia does everything she can to hide her panic attacks, even as she tries to step up and be a leader. But the longer she's underground, the more frequent and debilitating they become. Meanwhile, Eric has always been a social no one, preferring to sit at the back of the class and spend evenings alone. Now, he finds himself separated from his class, totally by himself underground. That is, until he meets an unexpected stranger.

The Best of the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards - Nonfiction

Best of the Goodreads Choice Awards - Top rated Nonfiction across all categories.

The Adventurous Eaters Club: Mastering the Art of Family Mealtime by Misha & Vicki Collins - Chicken nuggets. Hot dogs. Macaroni and cheese. These are just some of the greatest hits we offer kids at mealtime.
Misha and Vicki Collins totally get it. When their son West was a toddler, he began refusing anything that wasn’t bland and beige. At first, they succumbed, anything to end the mealtime battles. But with sinking hearts they realized fruit snacks and buttered noodles weren’t just void of nutrition, they were setting him up for a lifetime with a limited palate and a reliance on convenience foods.
So, as a family, they decided to lean into what they love best—adventure—and invited their kids to be playful and exploratory in the kitchen. Now, in The Adventurous Eaters Club, Misha and Vicki share how they created a home where mealtime doesn’t involve coercion or trickery, and where salad, veggies, fresh soups, and fruit are the main course. Combining personal anecdotes and practical tips with over 100 creative, delicious, whimsical recipes little hands can help prepare The Adventurous Eaters Club offers readers all the support, encouragement, and practical advice they need to make lifelong adventurous eaters out of their kids.

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow - In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood's most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move, and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family. All the while, Farrow and his producer faced a degree of resistance they could not explain -- until now. And a trail of clues revealed corruption and cover-ups from Hollywood to Washington and beyond. This is the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade accountability, and silence victims of abuse. And it's the story of the women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global movement.

Grace Will Lead Us Home: The Charleston Church Massacre and the Hard, Inspiring Journey to Forgiveness by Jennifer Berry Hawes - A deeply moving work of narrative nonfiction on the tragic shootings at the Mother Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina. On June 17, 2015, twelve members of the historically black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina welcomed a young white man to their evening Bible study. He arrived with a pistol, 88 bullets, and hopes of starting a race war. Dylann Roof's massacre of nine innocents during their closing prayer horrified the nation. Two days later, some relatives of the dead stood at Roof's hearing and said, 'I forgive you.' That grace offered the country a hopeful ending to an awful story. But for the survivors and victims' families, the journey had just begun. In Grace Will Lead Us Home, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jennifer Berry Hawes provides a definitive account of the tragedy's aftermath. With unprecedented access to the grieving families and other key figures, Hawes offers a nuanced and moving portrait of the events and emotions that emerged in the massacre's wake. The two adult survivors of the shooting begin to make sense of their lives again. Rifts form between some of the victims' families and the church. A group of relatives fights to end gun violence, capturing the attention of President Obama. And a city in the Deep South must confront its racist past. This is the story of how, beyond the headlines, a community of people begins to heal. An unforgettable and deeply human portrait of grief, faith, and forgiveness, Grace Will Lead Us Home is destined to be a classic in the finest tradition of journalism.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado - In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado's engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad, and a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing relationship with a charismatic but volatile woman, Machado struggles to make sense of how what happened to her shaped the person she was becoming.
And it's that struggle that gives the book its original structure: each chapter is driven by its own narrative trope--the haunted house, erotica, the bildungsroman--through which Machado holds the events up to the light and examines them from different angles. She looks back at her religious adolescence, unpacks the stereotype of lesbian relationships as safe and utopian, and widens the view with essayistic explorations of the history and reality of abuse in queer relationships.
Machado's dire narrative is leavened with her characteristic wit, playfulness, and openness to inquiry. She casts a critical eye over legal proceedings, fairy tales, Star Trek, and Disney villains, as well as iconic works of film and fiction. The result is a wrenching, riveting book that explodes our ideas about what a memoir can do and be.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller - She was know to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford's campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral--viewed by almost eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time. Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways--there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life. "Know My Name" will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.

No Crumbs Left:  Recipes for Everyday Food Made Marvelous by Teri Turner - As millions of people know, one of the toughest things about completing the Whole30 is figuring out what to eat next, the other 335 days of the year. Teri Turner, creator of No Crumbs Left, has healthful and great tasting answers. Food is Teri's love language, and her approach to getting people into the kitchen, rolling up their sleeves, and cooking is contagious. "Don't be afraid to fail: it's just food," is one of her mantras. Teri's passion is evident on every page of her first cookbook, as she leads readers through a discovery of new flavors and spice combinations and teaches people to trust their cooking instincts. Teri's recipes, most of which are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and Whole30 compliant, are what makes No Crumbs Left so unique. Simple and incredibly delicious dishes such as Pistachio Pesto Chicken Breast, Shrimp Pad Thai, and Spicy Pepperoncini Beef are on the dinner table quickly. The impossibly easy Sugar Snap Pea Salad features two of Teri's signature Magic Elixirs, Green Goddess Dressing and Smoky Pepitas, which are both made in advance and kept on hand to elevate countless meals. Her signature Marinated Red Onions, 999 Island Dressing, Gomasio, and Spicy Almond Sauce are true secret weapons. The Family chapter features the special recipes her own children grew up with and evoke home, love, and motherhood. Teri considers this book a love letter to her mother, and woven throughout are tips and favorite quotes to bring you right into her kitchen, where there is always an extra seat at the table.

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garret M. Graff - Journalist and historian Garrett Graff tells the story of September 11, 2001 as it was lived, in the words of those who lived it. Drawing on transcripts, recently declassified documents, original interviews, and oral histories from nearly five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members, Graff paints a vivid and human portrait of the September 11 attacks. Beginning in the predawn hours of airports in the Northeast, we meet the ticket agents who unknowingly usher terrorists onto their flights, and the flight attendants inside the hijacked planes. In New York City, first responders confront a scene of unimaginable horror at the Twin Towers. From a secret bunker underneath the White House, officials watch for incoming planes on radar. Aboard the small number of unarmed fighter jets in the air, pilots make a pact to fly into a hijacked airliner if necessary to bring it down. In the skies above Pennsylvania, civilians aboard United Flight 93 make the ultimate sacrifice in their place. Then, as the day moves forward and flights are grounded nationwide, Air Force One circles the country alone, its passengers isolated and afraid. More than simply a collection of eyewitness testimonies, this is the historic narrative of how ordinary people grappled with extraordinary events in real time: the father and son working in the North Tower, caught on different ends of the impact zone; the firefighter searching for his wife who works at the World Trade Center; the operator of in-flight telephone calls who promises to share a passenger's last words with his family; the beloved FDNY chaplain who bravely performs last rites for the dying, losing his own life when the Towers collapse; and the generals at the Pentagon who break down and weep when they are barred from rushing into the burning building to try to rescue their colleagues. A tribute to the courage of everyday Americans, The Only Plane in the Sky weaves together the personal experiences of the men and women who found themselves caught at the center of an unprecedented human drama on a day that changed the course of history and all of our lives.

Small Doses: Potent Truths for Everyday Use by Amanda Seales - Comedian, writer, actress, and social media star Amanda Seales is a force of nature who has fearlessly and passionately charted her own course through life and career. Now, in her one-of-a-kind voice that blends academic intellectualism, Black American colloquialisms, and pop culture fanaticism, she's bringing her life's lessons and laughs to the page. This volume of essays, axioms, original illustrations, and photos provides Seales's trademark "self-help from the hip" style of commentary, fueled by ideology formed from her own victories, struggles, research, mistakes, risks, and pay-offs. Unapologetic, fiercely funny, and searingly honest, Small Doses engages, empowers, and enlightens readers on how to find their truths while still finding the funny!

Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II by Adam Makos - Clarence Smoyer began the war as a gentle giant, a factory worker from Pennsylvania coal country reluctant to unleash the power of the Sherman tank he crewed. But as his tank platoon fought its way from Normandy to the Rhine and beyond, and he watched his friends cut down one by one, he learned to kill with deadly accuracy and efficiency. His fight would climax in Cologne, in the shadow of the great cathedral, where he took a shot immortalized by a chance photograph--and where he would later forge a friendship with the German tanker he tragically dueled soon after.

What is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth About Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Rachael Denhollander - "Who is going to tell these little girls that what was done to them matters? That they are seen and valued, that they are not alone and they are not unprotected?" Rachael Denhollander's voice was heard around the world when she spoke out to end the most shocking scandal in US gymnastics history. The first victim to publicly accuse Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor who abused hundreds of young athletes, Rachael now reveals her full story for the first time. How did Nassar get away with it for so long? How did Rachael and the other survivors finally stop him and bring him to justice? And how can we protect the vulnerable in our own families, churches, and communities? What Is a Girl Worth? is the inspiring true story of Rachael's journey from an idealistic young gymnast to a strong and determined woman who found the courage to raise her voice against evil, even when she thought the world might not listen. This deeply personal and compelling narrative shines a spotlight on the physical and emotional impact of abuse, why so many survivors are reluctant to speak out, what it means to be believed, the extraordinary power of faith and forgiveness, and how we can learn to do what's right in the moments that matter most. 

The Best of the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards - Fiction

Closing out the year with a few 'best of' lists.  Here are the best of the best from the Goodreads 2019 Choice Awards - the top rated fiction nominees across all categories.

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater - Ronan Lynch is a dreamer. He can pull both curiosities and catastrophes out of his dreams and into his compromised reality. Jordan Hennessy is a thief. The closer she comes to the dream object she is after, the more inextricably she becomes tied to it. Carmen Farooq-Lane is a hunter. Her brother was a dreamer . . . and a killer. She has seen what dreaming can do to a person. And she has seen the damage that dreamers can do. But that is nothing compared to the destruction that is about to be unleashed. Book 1 of the Dreamer Trilogy

A Crystal of Time by Soman Chainani - A false king has seized Camelot's throne, sentencing Tedros, the true king, to death. While Agatha, narrowly escapes the same fate, Sophie is caught in King Rhian's trap. With her wedding to Rhian approaching, she's forced to play a dangerous game as her friends' lives hang in the balance. All the while, King Rhian's dark plans for Camelot are taking shape. Now the students of the School for Good and Evil must find a way to restore Tedros to the throne before their stories--and the future of the Endless Woods--are rewritten ... forever. Book 5 of 6 in the School for Good and Evil series 

Dark Age by Pierce Brown - For a decade Darrow led a revolution against the corrupt color-coded Society. Now, outlawed by the very Republic he founded, he wages a rogue war on Mercury in hopes that he can still salvage the dream of Eo. But as he leaves death and destruction in his wake, is he still the hero who broke the chains? Or will another legend rise to take his place? Lysander au Lune, the heir in exile, has returned to the Core. Determined to bring peace back to mankind at the edge of his sword, he must overcome or unite the treacherous Gold families of the Core and face down Darrow over the skies of war-torn Mercury. But theirs are not the only fates hanging in the balance. On Luna, Mustang, Sovereign of the Republic, campaigns to unite the Republic behind her husband. Beset by political and criminal enemies, can she outwit her opponents in time to save him? Once a Red refugee, young Lyria now stands accused of treason, and her only hope is a desperate escape with unlikely new allies. Abducted by a new threat to the Republic, Pax and Electra, the children of Darrow and Sevro, must trust in Ephraim, a thief, for their salvation--and Ephraim must look to them for his chance at redemption. As alliances shift, break, and re-form--and power is seized, lost, and reclaimed--every player is at risk in a game of conquest that could turn the Rising into a new Dark Age. Book 5 in the Red Rising Series

Legacy by Shannon Messenger - Sophie Foster wants answers. But after a lifetime of lies, sometimes the truth is the most dangerous discovery. Even the smallest secret comes with terrifying new responsibilities. And Sophie's not the only one with blank spots in her past, or mysteries surrounding her family. She and her friends are part of something much bigger than they imagined--and their roles have already been chosen for them. Every clue drags them deeper into the conspiracy. Every memory forces them to question everything--especially one another. And the harder they fight, the more the lines blur between friend and enemy. Book 8 in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series 

A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie - The chimneys of industry rise over Adua and the world seethes with new opportunities. But old scores run deep as ever. On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal's son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specializes in disappointments. Savine dan Glokta plans to claw her way to the top of the slag-heap of society by any means necessary. But the slums boil over with a rage that all the money in the world cannot control. The age of the machine dawns, but the age of magic refuses to die. With the help of the mad hillwoman Isern-i-Phail, Rikke struggles to control the blessing, or the curse, of the Long Eye. Glimpsing the future is one thing, but with the guiding hand of the First of the Magi still pulling the strings, changing it will be quite another. Book 1 in the Age of Madness series 

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart - Five years. That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation. It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash. Coyote hasn't been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished---the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box---she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it. Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys... Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her "once upon a time" into a "happily ever after."

Supernova by Marissa Meyer - All's fair in love and anarchy... Supernova, the epic conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer's thrilling Renegades Trilogy finds Nova and Adrian struggling to keep their secret identities concealed while the battle rages on between their alter egos, their allies, and their greatest fears come to life. Secrets, lies, and betrayals are revealed as anarchy once again threatens to reclaim Gatlon City. Book 3 in the Renegades series 

Tiamat's Wrath by James S. A. Corey - Thirteen hundred gates have opened to solar systems around the galaxy. But as humanity builds its interstellar empire in the alien ruins, the mysteries and threats grow deeper. In the dead systems where gates lead to stranger things than alien planets, Elvi Okoye begins a desperate search to discover the nature of a genocide that happened before the first human beings existed, and to find weapons to fight a war against forces at the edge of the imaginable. But the price of that knowledge may be higher than she can pay. At the heart of the empire, Teresa Duarte prepares to take on the burden of her father's godlike ambition. The sociopathic scientist Paolo Cortazar and the Mephistophelian prisoner James Holden are only two of the dangers in a palace thick with intrique, but Teresa has a mind of her own and secrets even her father, the emperor, doesn't guess. And throughout the wide human empire, the scattered crew of the Rocinante fights a brave rearguard action against Duarte's authoritarian regime. Memory of the old order falls away, and a future under Laconia's eternal rule -- and with it, a battle that humanity can only lose -- seems more and more certain. Because, against the terrors that lie between worlds, courage and ambition will not be enough. Book 8 in the Expanse series 

The Wicked King by Holly Black - After learning that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her, even as his fascination with her remains undiminished. Someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves. Now she must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan, in order to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world. Book 2 in the Folk of the Air series 

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden - Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen. Reviewers called Katherine Arden's novels The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower"lyrical,""emotionally stirring," and"utterly bewitching." The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her own path in a world that would rather lock her away. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse. Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers--and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all. Book 3 in the Winternight trilogy