Best of 2019 - Book Edition

As the year comes to a close it is once again time to reflect back on the books I read and highlight a few that I particularly enjoyed reading this year.

My reading suffered this year. I did not read nearly as many books as I hoped to. I am resolving to fix this in 2020. I did manage to read some pretty awesome books this year though.

Here are my top ten reads of this year (in no particular order). They each link to my review (where one has been written and posted) if you want to see exactly why I loved them.


1 Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

2 Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

3 Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

4 Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

5 The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

6 Transcend/Epoch by Jewel E Ann

7 Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen

8 The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

9 American Royals by Katharine McGee

10 A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer


This list, obviously, includes books released this year and some that were not. My only criteria was that they had to be books I read this past year.

Do you agree with any of the books on list? Feel there is a book I missed this year that I should make a priority to read in 2019? Let me know in the comments.

Best Reads Of 2019 .... So Far

We are quickly approaching the midway point of the year and that means checking in on my reading progress and the books that have stood out so far.

I am always amazed at how fast the year is going whenever I decide to write one of these posts. It seems like it is flying by in particular this year.

I have not read nearly as much as I wanted to. I am already 8 books behind in my Goodreads challenge. I am hoping to refocus my attention on reading and the blog and making some progress this summer.

Taking a look at what books I have read this year has made me realize that I have become quite good at picking books that will appeal to me. I feel like my reading is made all the richer as a result. I still stray outside my comfort zone (especially if friends recommend a book) but feel like I genuinely know what books I will and will not enjoy. This has made picking my ten favourites even more difficult.

Here, in no particular order, are the ten books that have stood out to me during the first half of the year;

1. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

2. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

3. Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

4. The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

5. A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

6. You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn

7. Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

8. Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

9. 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

10. Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen

All of the above books are linked to my reviews so you can discover exactly why they made my list if you so choose. Chase Darkness With Me is not currently reviewed so there is no link for that, but expect a review closer to release date.

I will be curious to see which books make it on to my year end list as the year continues! What book makes your own best of 2019 (at least so far) list? Let me know in the comments!

Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered

Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Release Date - May 28, 2019
Publisher Website - Raincoast Books
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages -  304 pages
My Rating - 5/5

**borrowed from friend to review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

The highly anticipated first book by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the voices behind the #1 hit podcast My Favorite Murder!

Sharing never-before-heard stories ranging from their struggles with depression, eating disorders, and addiction, Karen and Georgia irreverently recount their biggest mistakes and deepest fears, reflecting on the formative life events that shaped them into two of the most followed voices in the nation.

In Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, Karen and Georgia focus on the importance of self-advocating and valuing personal safety over being ‘nice’ or ‘helpful.’ They delve into their own pasts, true crime stories, and beyond to discuss meaningful cultural and societal issues with fierce empathy and unapologetic frankness.

I've been interested in true crime for as long as I can remember. From a young age I knew that bad things could happen, particularly to young women and children, and was always more scared of real life stories than any horror movie. I was raised with a healthy fear of white vans and to favour busy streets instead of secluded short cuts. This grew into wanting to know about the psychology behind murder, and serial killers in particular. This naturally lead to me devouring anything true crime related at an age that was probably inappropriate. This interest in true crime led to the podcast My Favorite Murder.

My excitement over the announcement that Karen and Georgia would be writing a dual memoir was therefore pretty understandable. I was relieved to discover that this book is everything I love about the podcast and more. It's all of the conversation bits, banter, and side bars just fleshed out. It feels like meeting up with an old friend and discovering something new about them while still enjoying the history that is there. This book really is for all of the murderinos out there who eagerly anticipate every new episode of the My Favorite Murder podcast. There are so many inside jokes and nods that it feels like reading an episode of the podcast in the best way.

Both Karen and Georgia put everything into this memoir. They left pieces of themselves bare within these pages and you can feel it as you're reading. Georgia tells the full story about the disgusting man who took pictures of her and it is just a wrenching as you would expect. I wanted to some how protect young Georgia. Karen's stories about her mother were so touching, and her story about being a latch key kid (which is really about her sister) was so recognizable because it reminded me of my relationship with my own sister. They both give so much of themselves that you cannot help but be more impressed by these who funny, brave, talented women.

Both ladies are strong writers, but I was particularly impressed with Georgia's writing. I anticipate it wasn't but it felt like it was effortless for her to get the words down on paper. Karen writes exactly like you think she would. It feels like she has such as strong sense of who she is at this point that it even comes through her writing. They always process horrible things and events through humour on the podcast and they do it again here. The writing captures the same tone and vibe that the podcast does and it just highlights how incredibly real and honest both of these women are.

I've always appreciated their straightforward candor when dealing with mental health and the realities behind it. This book also includes that same message here. There is no shame in admitting you need help or seeking out that help. I also appreciated that while both Karen and Georgia are sharing advice through their sharing of personal stories it never is presented as the one path that can be taken. What works for someone may not work for someone else and they encourage people to find what works for them.

This book made me laugh, made me cry, and ultimately left me incredibly proud to be a muderino. I have a tremendous amount of respect for both Karen and Georgia and that was only solidified through reading this memoir. I devoured this in one sitting and predict many other murderinos will too. Undoubtedly there will be those who pick up the book without having listened to the podcast. Those people may not get it, but it is not for them. As Karen says at each of the live shows, those people can kindly see themselves the fuck out. However, to those who do get it, to those who are obviously my people, prepare to absolutely love this and immediately want to discuss it with others. Stay sexy, fellow murderinos, and don't get murdered.

Waiting On Wednesday ... Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

 The highly anticipated first book by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the voices behind the #1 hit podcast My Favorite Murder!

Sharing never-before-heard stories ranging from their struggles with depression, eating disorders, and addiction, Karen and Georgia irreverently recount their biggest mistakes and deepest fears, reflecting on the formative life events that shaped them into two of the most followed voices in the nation.

In Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, Karen and Georgia focus on the importance of self-advocating and valuing personal safety over being ‘nice’ or ‘helpful.’ They delve into their own pasts, true crime stories, and beyond to discuss meaningful cultural and societal issues with fierce empathy and unapologetic frankness.

I am a huge fan of the My Favorite Murder podcast and I was thrilled when it was revealed that Karen and Georgia would be writing a book. I am expecting this to be a humour filled book with a lot of heart in it as well.

This comes out next May (so we have a bit of wait) but I am really excited to get my hands on this one.

Expected release date - May 28, 2019

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.


BOOK

Cover of Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark (goodreads)

Everyone who knows me is well aware of my obsession with true crime podcasts and My Favorite Murder in particular. The hosts of that podcast, Karen and Georgia, have written a book and the cover was just revealed. I happen to love it!

I love the font choices and the layout. This is a book that really doesn't need anything other than a simple cover so they nailed it!

MOVIE / TELEVISION

Rocketman Trailer

This doesn't come out until next summer but the first teaser was released so that it could take advantage of being shown in front of A Star Is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody.

This is a trailer that hints at both the fun, crazy side to Elton John's story and the more serious elements. Taron Egerton looks great though. It's pretty amazing casting.

Taron Egerton is singing instead of them using a voice track with is an interesting choice. It is possibly my only negative for the trailer. Taron can sing, but Elton's voice is so distinctive that I am not sure it was the right choice. I'll withhold judgement until I see another trailer though.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

This is popping up on a Sunday since I didn't have any books to share this week!

BOOKS

My Favourite Murder Book News (goodreads)

My reaction to the news that Karen and Georgia would be writing a book was nothing short of embarrassing. I was lucky that I was on my break at work and not surrounded by people I have to be professional around.

I love the title so much! I cannot wait to see a cover for this and I hope there are ARCs because I want to read it as soon as I possibly can.

OTHER

A Star Is Born On The Cover Of Entertainment Weekly

The fact that I am super into this movie has been well documented. I was also sort of expecting it to be the cover of an Entertainment Weekly issues sometime before its release. It is even better than I hoped it would be!

Canada, for whatever reason, seems to always be a week behind on Entertainment Weekly issues which means I won't get it until NEXT week but I am so excited to sit down and read everything. The fact that it also happens to be the fall movie preview issues is just icing on the cake.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.