Somehow, even though I was constantly traveling during the last quarter of 2019, I managed to knock it out of the park with a whopping 29 BOOKS. Even I can’t believe it! I finished the year at 82 books (you’ll remember my goal was 75!) and was quite proud of myself even though there were some months where I barely picked up a book (August, I’m looking at you). I’m so excited to do this again for 2020 & discover a bunch of new authors. Also…it bears repeating that I don’t buy books & borrowed almost ALL of these. Our library allows us to borrow e-books which is the BEST. They almost always have a digital copy of a book they don’t carry in the library, so its totally worth it!
54. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: J.K. Rowling
55. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: J.K. Rowling
56. Wild: Cheryl Strayed
57. Rich People Problems: Kevin Kwan
58. Look Alive Twenty Five: Janet Evanovich
59. After the Flood: Kassandra Montag
60. The Great Alone: Kristin Hannah
61. Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All: Allan Gurganus
62. Warning Light: David Ricciardi
63. Unbroken: Laura Hillenbrand
64. The Art Forger: B. A. Shapiro
65. Lilac Girls: Martha Hall Kelly
66. My Sister, The Serial Killer: Oyinkan Braithwaite
67. The Stars Are Fire: Anita Shreve
68. Station Eleven: Emily St. John Mandel
69. A Man Called Ove: Fredrik Backman
70. Where the Crawdads Sing: Delia Owens
71. Flat Broke with Two Goats: Jennifer McGaha
72. The Silent Patient: Alex Michaelides
73. Beartown: Fredrik Backman
74. China Rich Girlfriend: Kevin Kwan
75. Sarah’s Key: Tatiana DeRosnay
76. Us Against You: Fredrik Backman
77. Something in the Water: Catherine Steadman
78. Beyond the Point: Claire Gibson
79. Daisy Jones & The Six: Taylor Jenkins Reid
80. This is Where I Leave You: Jonathan Tropper
81. Sharp Objects: Gillian Flynn
82. Girl in Translation: Jean Kwok
Favorites from this quarter: Harry Potter (obviously), Wild, The Great Alone, Unbroken, A Man Called Ove, Where the Crawdads Sing, Bear Town, Us Against You, Beyond the Point, Daisy Jones & The Six and Girl in Translation.
Wild: I’ve heard so many incredible reviews of this book (haven’t seen the movie yet), and snagged it when I saw it was available in the library. I absolutely LOVED IT. I honestly can’t say enough good things about what an incredible journey you’re taken on via Cheryl Strayed’s writing. I felt like I traversed the Pacific Crest Trail with her and was so sad when it was over. 10/10 would read again.
Unbroken: This. Was. Phenomenal. I couldn’t put this book down – it’s the true story of an Olympic runner who became a Japanese POW during WWII. I got my husband to read this book & he loved it as well. It was so thought provoking and stayed with me long after I finished it. We also watched the movie and it was ehhhhh.
The Great Alone: I couldn’t put this one down! It’s set in Alaska in the 70’s and follows the story of a girl who lives with her parents in a remote town. They learn to be homesteaders and start to fracture apart when her father’s PTSD from the war appears more. The end was SO GOOD. Kristin Hannah also wrote The Nightingale, which I read a few years ago and absolutely loved!
A Man Called Ove: I cannot sing enough praises about Fredrik Backman. The man is a literary genius and I’ve read almost everything by him. I adored this book so much because it reminded me of my Gramp. It’s the sweetest story of a grumpy old man dealing with his neighbors when he really just wants to die. One of my favorites this year!!
Where the Crawdads Sing: I was on multiple wait lists for this book for months and it was fully worth the hype. I loved the vivid imagery & felt like I was WATCHING the book in my head as I read (this happens to me sometimes). It was beautifully written and the story itself was so poignant. Worth the wait!!
Bear Town/Us Against You: See above review for A Man Called Ove ????. This was actually a sequel situation which I didn’t even realize until someone told me!! It’s about a small town that’s dying and fully dependent on a hockey team to revitalize them. The story is told with multiple points of view and you can’t put it down until it’s done.
Beyond the Point: Another one that I didn’t think I’d like as much as I did!! It follows three women through their time at West Point and beyond in the early 2000’s. Set in the US, Europe & Afghanistan, it’s a story of the ties that bind us throughout tragedy & hardship. LOVED IT.
Daisy Jones & The Six: I also had heard a lot of hype about this book and LOVED the way that it was written!! The story was good as well but for me the main attraction was the format of the book itself. The entire story is told in interview format & it’s so. well. done.
Girl in Translation: My mom gave me this book and to be honest I didn’t think I was going to like it as much as I did!! It’s about a young Chinese girl who immigrates with her mother to NYC in the 80’s & their desperate measures to survive and then ultimately thrive. The end has an amazing twist that I couldn’t stop thinking about.
My favorite new author of the year was definitely Fredrik Backman & I’m actually planning on BUYING his books (that’s how much I loved him!). I also loved Taylor Jenkins Reid and have already read another one of her books for 2020! As always, you can follow along at the hashtag #caitlinpagereads on Instagram, and check out my Instagram highlights to see what I’ve read in 2020!
See all previous quarters books here: first // second // third.
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