Ironically, when I look back at 2019, 10 books stand out. 2019 remains one of my favorite years of reading in recent memory because I read so many great books. It was the first year I really dove back into reading, the year I discovered audiobooks, and the year I fell in love with nonfiction/biographies.
And as I created this post, I realized it’s also because the books represented here tie back to deeply meaningful interest areas, stories, and experiences of mine. There is a story or a tie-in to each of these books. As I wrote this, I realized several things I should share here at some point. So that makes this year particularly special to me.
I shared my Best Books of 2022 post a few days ago, then created a Favorite Reads page, which made me realize I should backtrack and share my favorite reads of 2019, 2020, and 2021 as well. So here we go for 2019, a truly special year of reading. I’m listing these in the order I read them.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
This was the first audiobook I ever listened to. It’s read by the author. Those who know me know I have been interested in sexual violence/sexual assault matters since I was very young. (Which reminds me, I should actually write a post on here one of these days about why/how I became involved in this work.)
You can read her impact statement here. Or you can watch her segment on 60 minutes here:
This book is poignant and heart-wrenching and tells her full story. You may know her as the victim in the Stanford swimmer rape case or the victim of Brock Turner. But few knew much beyond that.
In this book, she powerfully tells her story and her experience working through the courts.
Absolutely brilliant. Recommend you listen to it on audio.
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
I loved this book. I listened to it on audio in 2019, and I bought a hard copy of it later on. It’s one I frequently recommend. I loved the data and the examples Perez wove throughout this to show how the default human is male and the world, accordingly, is designed for men. I am very well-versed in this subject, and I learned a ton while reading this one.
I loved how thorough it was and how it explored various different fields and areas of life, from medical to investments to car design to phone design to street design.
It also does a great job of explaining why we need more data segregated on the basis of gender.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
I think that people would enjoy this one regardless of politics. It centers on her life and her journey with identity, self-worth, self-discovery, relationships, family expectations, family illness, dealing with failure, being in the spotlight, love/relationship, parenting, fulfillment, etc.
Basically, this book has it all. It does talk about politics, obviously, but I wouldn’t say that the book is political per se. Rather, it’s like the title of the book says—about becoming and growing into the person you want to be and are.
I also listened to this one on audio and then later bought the book. It’s read by Michelle, and it’s great. I didn’t read it with the reading guides (like I know many others did).
Put your politics aside if necessary, and give this one a go. I’d also recommend this one on audio.
The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee
This was the first book I read about a North Korean defector. I have since read A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea by Eunsun Kim and In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park.
The author in this book says her story was rather unusual for a Korean defector, and at the time, I didn’t realize how unusual it was. Having read the other two memoirs, I have a better understanding of how unusual her experience was. This was one of my favorite reads of 2019, and it is still one of the books I recommend the most. I think a wide range of readers would enjoy this book.
It is well-written, gripping, informative, well-paced, and intriguing. It also was my first foray into an area I hadn’t read much about before. Like most of the books I’m recommending this year, I listened to this one on audio and then bought the book.
I think this one can be equally enjoyed in audio or in written form.
The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri.
This one was recommended to me by a friend of mine who came over to the states when she was little. She said that this book best captured some of her feelings about being a refugee in America.
So naturally, I was excited to read this one as well. I think this book is an essential one in the story of immigration and refugee rhetoric.
It was one I read very quickly. I also listened to this one on audio. I think this one would be better read than listened to.
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
I also listened to this one on audio, and then I bought the hardback book. I actually reread this book shortly after listening to it on audio as well. I think this one would be great either via audio or written.
This is a great “women’s empowerment” book that I can actually get behind. Many seem too gimmicky, too promotional, too fake, too showy, or too “lean-in”-ish, but this is one that I actually really enjoy (and still do years later).
I would recommend this book to men and women alike, but particularly to women who could use some inspiration or empowerment. This book is very quotable, meaning it’s easy to pull great quotes from, and is also a great read. Something that is rare.
I think this would be a great gift to give to women in your life.
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
I finally got around to reading this one in 2019. I then bought four copies of this book: one for me to keep, audible, one to give away, and one to lend.
In my last year of law school, I spent a year working with the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center via a clinic. There I worked firsthand on cases where people were claiming wrongful incarceration/actual innocence–the very themes of this book. So the topic of this book is personal. (One day I’ll have to write about that.)
Bryan Stevenson is an incredibly empathetic, thoughtful, courageous, and incredible human doing truly good work. I refer back to this book frequently. It’s one that I pull out the most often.
There is also a YA adaption version. You can also view the film, but note that it is heavy and only focuses on one aspect. It stars Michael B. Jordan and Brie Larson. Powerful in all formats.
This book is quintessential in understanding how criminal justice works in our country. I recommend this book all the time for good reason. Give it a read!
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
It always surprises me how many people do not know Malala’s story or only know soundbites. “She was the girl who was shot by the Taliban because she was a girl fighting to be educated.” That’s usually the quick synopsis I give. And that tells you why you should give this one a go, but it also fails to capture all that she did or all the reasons why this book is so powerful.
It is also one of my most recommended books, and it is great in any format.
This book also has renewed relevancy given recent events in Afghanistan; however, even before then, this was one of my favorite reads. It’s another one that I think would appeal to a wide range of audiences.
We are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai
Part of why I love this one is because Malala sets a beautiful example here of “amplifying other voices,” “spending privilege well,” and “passing the microphone.
Here she uses her voice and her platform to shine the light on three other girls’ refugee stories. I like the Goodreads blurb here, which states that Malala uses this book to “introduce[] some of the people behind the statistics and news stories we read or hear every day about the millions of people displaced worldwide.”
That’s what this book does—humanizes the statistics and the plight of refugees. It is compelling and well-curated. I think this book would be good in any format. A great read to talk about refugees.
This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins
Several things drew me to this book. One, I wanted to read more books by Black women. Two, feminism is an area of interest of mine. Three, I wanted to learn more about intersectional feminism. And most importantly, I wanted to read it because a Black friend of mine had called me in earlier by saying something I was advocating for was “white feminism.” I had never heard of that phrase before. That was what really started me down my path to try to be a better human, a better feminist, and a better friend.
Photo by Erik Mclean via Unsplash license
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