Favourite Reads of 2019

another end of year traditional book blog post

I have had a great year reading wise. I’ve read about 22ish five 🌟 this year and have already posted a full rendering of my reading stats for 2019. But this post is just a selection of my favourite reads from 2019.

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Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

This is a special picture book of 86 pages. There is just something about it that if you understand it you will cry. If you don’t get it you will only think its wonderful or cute. Its all about Julian who sees a mermaid and decides he want to be a mermaid too. When he gets home to Nana he dresses up as a mermaid (the cover) with lipstick and Nana’s fern and tulips leaves. Its ends up with Nana taking Julian (costume and all) to the Mermaid Parade in New York (where they live) to be with others like Julian.

I love this book so much 🥰❤️

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The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

This was new and exiting to me! It had dark magic. It had Asian references. It had flashbacks (o more like a flashforward) to something you knew had made her take a deep dark turn but you didn’t know what. And it ended on a cliff hanger! I loved it and the writing. I can’t wait to read the next two books which I already own.

Full review here!

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It’s Not About the Burqa edit by Mariam Khan

It’s is a very insightful book and I learned a lot. I need to buy it and read it again as I feel I have forgotten somethings.

It’s an anthology by Muslim woman about faith, sex, sexual orientation, feminism, fashion and suppression. Most of these stories are written by highly educated Muslim women who know what they are talking about. I’m super grateful for a book like this which I can learn from.

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Trilogy about the Boy by Jon Kalman Stefansson

This was like nothing else I have ever read. The writing style was so different. It was heavy and lyrical with never ending sentences. It was melancholy and sweet and I just realised I have forgotten how it ends… 😂

It’s a beautiful rendering of Iceland in the 1900th century during the spring where the Boy’s life changes completely.

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I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya

There was something about this book which hit a nerve with me. Vivek Shraya has the ability to perfectly describe a feeling I would have felt with the perfect words. She hits the nail on the head so many times I just want to scream!

Vikek Shraya renders her life story from a shy soft boy, to a gay boy, to a trans woman. And how the men around her has changed, how they react to her, and how she reacts to them.

I’m very curious about her other works now as I seem to love her writing.

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Emily Eternal by M. G. Wheaton

This book took me completely by surprise.

I was interested but not really super fussed about it when I picked it up. But I loved it! I loved the main character Emily and how she discovers who she is even if she is only a software. She goes through her journey through others as she is only a consciousness and has no body. It was so cool!

Full review here!

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Do You Dream of Terra-Two? By Temi Oh

I was very exited for this British based Sci-Fi with a focus on mental health and leaving Earth behind. It was a super fascinating take on the whole Sci-Fi genre. Also I love that cover so much, I ended up pre-ordering this book in hardcover cause I liked it so much.

Full review here!

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Why I No Longer Talk To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

This was my first read of the year and I started the year with a bang!

I learned a lot from this book. I learned not to say non-white because it indicates something is lacking which is totally not the case. I learned that if I didn’t really know I should say anything. And I learned that some people ends up being ambassadors even if they don’t want to, like Reni Eddo-Lodge.

It was a very important read and something I will definitely read again to refresh my memory.

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What was your favourite read of 2019?

Have you read any off my list?