Books I Read in 2019

At the end of 2018, I got together with some girlfriends, and one of them showed us her list of books she had read that year. I loved the idea and decided to keep track of the books I read. I’m sure there are apps out there, but I just opened up a note page on my phone and started listing them. I didn’t set a goal for how many I wanted to read, I just wanted a place to keep track. Wanna take a guess how many I read, though? 143!

WHOA!

I kept track of all the physical books and the e-books I read. I listed every book I listened to and all the books I read aloud or listened to with my kids. I only wrote down books that I finished; nothing that I read half way and stopped or only read parts of.

About 3/4 of the way through the year, I read a quote from Mortimer Adler: “Never bother reading anything worth reading unless you’re willing to read slowly and get out of it what you’re supposed to get out of it.” Now, I wasn’t reading just to read, necessarily, but I did enjoy finishing a book and adding to the list.

Was I getting something out of each book? Maybe. Some were read purely for fun (there are often great nuggets of wisdom in fluff books). Others were read as an assignment (and when you drudge through a book it’s hard to find what you are supposed to get out of it). But that wasn’t the point of this experiment. I just wanted to keep track of how many I read.

I decided to set a new goal for 2020. I’m still going to keep track, but this year I’m going to take it up a notch. Instead of just writing down each book title, I’m going to add one take-away–one thing I learned from each book or one thing I want to apply.

Because I’m sure you are curious, I’m going to share my list of books. To give it perspective, I’ve also included if it was an audio or a read aloud. If it’s blank that means I read it. I’ll include links to a few of my favorites and add commentary to some–there’s way too many to do a summary on all of them! My comments are in bold. Plus there are quite a few that just by looking at the title I can’t remember. Please forgive the typos and capitalization.

I’d love to hear what you read in 2019 and if you have any recommendations for next year.

Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo (read aloud)
We love almost anything by this author. She is creative and fun to read.
The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare (audio)
Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (audio)
Another favorite author. This is a prequel to Ella Enchanted.
A Man for all Seasons by Robert Bolt (movie+follow along in book)
The Thief by Maegan Whalen (audio)
The first of a fun series. In fact, this reminds me that I need to finish the series.
High Performance Habits by Branden Brushard (audio)
Love Unending by Becky Thompson (audio)
A very good marriage book with practical principles and applications.
The Brothers by Chris Stewart (read aloud)
This was the first of a series of books I read to the kids. It’s about the plan of salvation and good versus evil.
13 things mentally strong people don’t do by Amy Morin (audio)
Below you’ll see another by this author about how to be a strong parent. I liked the style of her writing.
Teaching your children values by Linda and Richard Eyre (audio)
I’m going to read this one again this year–value by value and work on them with the kids.
Grit by Angela Docksworth (audio)
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (audio)
Another favorite author. Some books aren’t appropriate for young kids.
Refugee by Alan Gratz (audio)
68 rooms by Marianne Malone (audio)
13 things mentally strong parents don’t do by Amy Morin (audio)
12 week year by Moran and Lennington
Here there be dragons by James Owen (read aloud)
A recommended book, but not one that I really liked.
The queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (audio)
The cabin faced west by Jean Fritz (read aloud)
The Crown-the Heir #2 by Kiera Cass (audio)
Body Love by Kelly LeVeque
Changed the way I drink smoothies!
Swarm by Scott Westerfield (audio)
Scary Close by Don Miller (audio)
Arch nemesis by Marisa Meyer (audio)
The Real Boy by Anne Ursu (audio)
Evil Wizard Smallbone by Della Sherman (audio but I slept through some of it on our drive)
A mutiny in time by James Dashner (audio)
Among the Hidden by Margret Peterson. Haddox (audio)
Apex Predator by MT Anderson (audio)
There’s a boy in the girls bathroom by Louis Sachar (audio)
This is one of the many we listened to on our trip to Idaho. Don’t let the title fool you, it was a really good book that we all enjoyed. A good message of being a friend.
The Watsons go to Birmingham by Christopher Curtis (audio)
The eye of Minds by James Dashner (audio)
I love series. This was a fun one.
Gunner Skale by James Dashner (super short audio)
Educated by Tara Westover (audio)
SOO interesting!
Squirrel Girl by Shannon Hale
Another favorite author.
God’s Smuggler by Bother Andrew (read aloud)
I read this one twice!
Outward Mindset by the Arbinger Institute (audio)
Guys read terrifying tales by Jon Scieszka (audio)
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard (audio)
Dragon Rider: the griffins feather by Cornelia Funke
Where Angels fall by Cris Stewart (read aloud)
Lions of Little Rock by Kristen Livine (audio)
So good! Teaches about racism in a way that kids can understand.
Say go be do by Tiffany Earle
Divide and Conquer by Carrie Ryan (audio)
Rule of Thoughts by James Dashner (audio)
The road back to you by Ian Cron (audio)
Endure by Alex Hutchinson (audio)
Game of lives by James Dashner (audio)
The house with a clock in its walls by John Bellairs (read aloud)
I wanted to read this instead of watch the movie, but it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card (audio)
Thirst by Scott Harrison (audio)
An interesting book about a company Scott Harrison set up to bring water to villages in Africa.
God’s Smuggler again (audio)
Here I Stand by Ronald Bainton (audio and read along)
Girl, stop apologizing by Rachel Hollis (audio)
You are probably living under a rock if you haven’t heard of this book. I know it’s not for everyone, but I love it.
Christy by Catherine Marshall (audio)
Sandy’s Book by Tamora Pierce (audio)
This is a series Faythe and I listened to while driving back and forth to dance class all summer. We love it and have found several other books by the same author.
Tris’s Book by Tamora Pierce (audio)
Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman (audio)
The Wizard’s Dog by Eric Gale (audio)
The Trap Door by Lisa McMann (audio)
Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar (audio)
Broken Throne by Victoria Aveyard (audio)
The orphan keeper by Camron Wright
We enjoyed Rent Collector by this author and I wanted to read something else.
Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman (audio)
Daja’s Book by Tamora Pierce (audio)
Portal to Genius by Leslie Householder
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Roweli (audio)
My Story by Elizabeth Smart (audio)
Did NOT like this book at all.
The courage habit by Kate Swobowda (audio)
The fourteenth goldfish by Jennifer Ahold (audio)
Rodzina by Karen Cushman (audio)
Briar’s book by Tamora Pierce (audio)
Snow like ashes by Sarah Raasch (audio)
A week in the woods by Andrew Clements (audio)
Do it scared by Ruth Soukup (audio)
The Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon (audio)
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (audio)
Ice Like Fire by Sarah Raasch (audio)
The Red Pencil by Andrea Pinkney
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (audio)
One mixed up night by Catherine Newman (audio)
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman (audio)
Frost like ash by Sarah Raasch (audio)
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (audio)
Watership Down by Richard Adams (audio)
A place to Stand by Gene Veith
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (audio)
Curse of the ancients by Matt de la Pena (audio)
The Little Woman by Gladys Alyward (read aloud)
The four tendencies by Gretchen Rubin (audio)
I learned a lot from this book. A different kind of personality book.
The Jolly Regina by Kara LaReau (audio)
The Shadow Queen by CJ Redwine (audio)
I love twists on fairy tales or familar stories from the point of view of a different character. This is part of a series of fairy tales.
Wisdom and Teachings of Steven Covey by Steven Covey and 7 Habits for Teens abridged by Sean Covey (audios)
The second sun by Chris Stewart (read aloud)
Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (audio)
I loved this one and went on to listen to everything I could find by the author (which is only one other book).
Fredrick Douglas narrative (audio)
Magic Steps by Tamora Price (audio)
My Ántonia by Willa Cather (audio)
Mere Christianity by CS Lewis (audio and reading)
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (audio)
We listened to several books by her. A little history lesson with a good story.
The friendship war by Andrew Clements (audio)
Another author that we’ve loved. He knows exactly what 12 year old kids are going through and is so creative.
The traitor prince by CJ Redwine (audio)
Speak by Laurie Anderson (audio)
Influencer by Kerry Peterson (audio)
I Robot by Isaac Asimov (audio)
Street Magic by Tamora Pierce (audio)
The river between us by Richard Peck (audio)
First Test by Tamara Pierce (audio)
Page by Tamara Pierce (audio)
Jonathan and I started this series with Faythe and Eprham on the way to Utah. We enjoyed the first 4 books together, then it got a little mushy for Ephram. Faythe and I are working on the rest of the it by ourselves. We’ve had to fast forward a few parts though.
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly (audio)
Everything is Figure Outable by Maria Forleo (audio)
so good!
Armada by Ernest Cline (audio)
The Blood Spell by CJ Redwine (audio)
The Law of Attraction part I by Esther Hicks (audio)
Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool (audio)
Medic by Robert “doc joe” Franklin (read aloud)
This was a book that I thought the movie Hacksaw Ridge was based on. Nope. Still, a good book.
On Fire by John O’Leary (audio)
Squire by Tamara Pierce (audio)
The crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (audio)
yuck!
Green Ember by SD Smith (audio)
Another recommended one that really wasn’t that good.
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (audio)
Inspirational!
Wild Swans by Jung Chang
I had to force myself to finish this one.
The Talent Code by Daniel Coil (audio)
Poorly written.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown (audio)
The losers club by Andrew Clement (audio)
Ox Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark
The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas (audio)
A powerful story about Christianity.
Teaching from rest A homeschoolers guide to unshakable peace by Sarah Mackenzie
Go-Giver by bob burg and John david Mann (audio)
Clear as the Moon by Chris Stewart (read aloud)
Gandhi fighter without a sword by Jeanette Eaton
The fork the witch the worm by Christopher Paloni (audio)
For the children’s sake by Susan Schaffer Macaulay (audio)
By the great horn spoon by Sid Flieshman (audio)
This was recommended by a friend’s kids. I tried to get the kids to read it on their own. Sometimes you have to do things together to realize that it’s good. We’ve since listened to a few more by the same author.
Spelled by Betsy Schow (audio)
The life of our Lord by Charles Dickens (read aloud)
Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan (read aloud)
The little book of hygge by Meik Wiking (fast/skim)
Jingo Django by Sid Flieshman (audio)
The slow down diet by Marc David
Something I needed to read.
Pawn of prophesy by David Eddings (audio)
Another bad recommendation.
Gift from the sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (audio)
Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamilol (read aloud)
We began and ended the year with a Kate DiCamillo book.

Books I Read in 2019

Ashlee

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