I committed myself to reading more in 2019. In the vein of simplifying, I wanted to fill my free time with more enriching activities than just watching TV or scrolling my phone. I decided 4 books per month (one per week) would be my goal for this year. I’m a little behind where I’d like to be but this is what I’ve been able to read or listen to in 2019 so far.

AUDIOBOOKS

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

• This was a mystery/thriller that kept me on my toes the whole way through the book. I don’t want to say too much, because I’d like for you to go into it fairly ignorant. It was super easy to listen to in the background at work.

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

• I struggled listening to this audiobook — not because Neil isn’t a stellar (ha!) narrator — because I was trying to focus too hard on what I was learning. I wouldn’t recommend listening to this one at work. It might be better for a ride or commute home where you’re occupied but not quite as mentally distracted. But I learned a lot more about astrophysics and space than I knew before I began the book.

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley

• I decided to listen to this one on a whim. It came up as a hoopla recommendation. It’s a little dated, but the principles can still apply today and I enjoyed this book. I like to listen to or read finance-related books or podcasts. I always feel a renewed sense of discipline and motivation to meet my goals.

Remembrance by Meg Cabot

• I haven’t ever listened to a Meg Cabot novel as an audiobook. I used to devour her novels as a teenager. This one also came up as a hoopla recommendation. I definitely missed a few books in between this book and the last Mediator series book I read, but I caught up quickly and found myself enjoying reconnecting with those characters and her lighthearted writing again.

BOOKS 

American Like Me by America Ferrera

• I loved this book! I borrowed it over the summer but ran out of time before I could get to it. I came back around to it and I’m so glad I completed it this time. It was so funny, sad, identifiable, relatabale, enlightening. There are too many adjectives. Each essay taught me something different or touched me in a personal way I wasn’t expecting. I think now, possibly more than ever, is such an important time to pick up a book this like one and understand the immigrant and refugee experience through the lens of other people.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

• I decided to read this book after seeing a recommendation from Bustle (who I love, obviously). I loved this book so much. I thought I would enjoy, which is why I borrowed it from the library, but I loved it even more than I expected. It’s told through a series of poems from fictional aspiring poet Xiomara Batista. It touched so many familiar themes and feelings for me as a Latina and former New Yorker, but also made me reflect on these themes through a lens I had never considered before. This might be the book I enjoyed most so far this year.

#TBR

 *My Morning Routine by Benjamin Spall and Michael Xander

Girl Talk by Jacqueline Morz

The Most Good You Can Do by Peter Singer

*This Is Marketing by Seth Godin

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae

*Crushing It! by Gary Vaynerchuk

*Influencer by Brittany Hennessy

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Girl Squad by Sam Maggs

Together We Rise by Various Authors

The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King

We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

*Books with an asterisk were books I began but couldn’t finish because I had to return them before I was able to complete the book. I am pretty disciplined about borrowing books instead of buying them (hashtag: debt free journey). As a result, unless I am able to finish a book in our three week borrowing period, I have to return books I only partially get through because they are popular and have holds on them.

You can clickthrough on these books to purchase them for yourself or to learn more about them. This post is not sponsored. Should you choose to purchase through my affiliate link, I may earn a small percentage of your purchase.

What have you read this year so far? What book or audiobook have you enjoyed most?