As 2019 is winding down, it’s a big season for best-of lists. These are a great tool to see if there were any releases this year that you may have missed. They're are also great for gift ideas for the readers in your family. Reading through the different lists you will find some recurring favorites, but also some under the radar gems. I recommend checking these out below  to find which list best matches your reading vibe- then add those titles to your to-be-read list.

In my opinion, my favorite year end lists are on Goodreads.com. For those who are unfamiliar with the website and app, Goodreads is a place to keep track of what you have read, are reading and want to read. On top of that it is also a great place to read reviews and learn about different books. Their year end lists focus on different genres and age groups and are determined by user’s votes. 

One of the librarian’s resource magazines, Publisher’s Weekly, also puts out a great list every year. Theirs is one of the earliest out and covers a lot of ground. I am always a bit surprised by what is on there, not because the books are undeserving, but because they are good at finding titles that may have flown under the radar that deserve a second look. If you like this one, you should definitely also check out the list at Kirkus.

If you're looking for a library perspective, check out New York Public Library’s list. They break down their picks by different genres. I love that short stories and graphic novels each get their own list. 

Amazon.com, the retail giant, also released their list. In fact they even chose a winner: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. Amazon does break it down by top twenty in each category or genre giving you a lot to look at. I also really like their celebrity picks of the year. They interview different authors like James Patterson, David Baldacci and Louise Penny along with celebrity-turned-authors like Chelsea Handler and Adam Rippon, to give their picks for favorite books of the year. 

Finally, not only are we about to close out the year, but we are also going to be closing out the decade. If thinking about that makes you hyperventilate a little bit, look away to the list of top books from the past ten years on EW.com to remember what great literature we’ve been gifted with.

I hope you enjoy reflecting on your favorite reads of 2019 and fill your list with more To Be Read titles. Remember we still have a whole month to read more, and if we don’t get to it this year, there’s always next. 

If you are looking for more end-of-the-year reading lists from different publications, check out the ones below:

New York Times

Washington Post

Time

Glamour Magazine

Real Simple (This is a huge list!)

Thrillist.com 

Good Housekeeping

Oprah Magazine

Elle




 

Published by on November 29, 2019
Last Modified March 29, 2024