The end of 2019 is almost here, which means it's time
for another post on the top books I've read.
In 2019, I had planned to read around 12 to 15 books
but ended up reading over 30 of various lengths. I started the year fearing self-help and non-fiction books but now I'm addicted to reading more and
learning more.
I have several non-fiction books on my to-read list
and many novels as well.
Check out the list, let me know if you've read any of
these books or if you plan to read them.
Nadaness In Motion's Top Books of 2019
Clarissa's
Warning by Isobel Blackthorn
is a brilliant novel set on the Spanish Canary Island of Fuerteventura! Simply
WOW!
The
book begins with a strong opening both in terms of story and tone. The idea of
the warning is delivered in the first chapter, keeping the reader on edge
throughout the book. There were many beautiful descriptions and quotes in Clarissa's
Warning.
"Despite the wind, there were pockets of stillness and the
ruin exuded a timeless quality. Embedded in its dilapidated stated remained
faint echoes of its history, overlaid with sorrow, as though the very stones
and ancient timbers mourned their former selves, when they were united as one,
strong and proud and true."
"There was a severed leg on my porch."
That's how cozy mystery novel Leg Up by
Annabelle Hunter opens. From the first lines, the reader notices that Larklyn
"Lark" Davis is one of the most sarcastic characters ever. And a
hilarious one too.
Leg Up, the first book in the Lark Davis Mystery Series, is narrated from
Lark's first person perspective, giving the reader a ton of humor and sarcasm,
along with her inner thoughts. Can't wait to read more in this series.
One of the many things I enjoyed about Leg Up
was the pace, which was quite fast, along with the characters.
The Financial Diet by Chelsea Fagan is an interesting and fun book about
the basics of personal finance. Fagan learnt the hard way what it means to have
a credit card, why you can just spend, spend, spend, and why you should have a
credit score.
"Did I have any other plans for
retirement besides "die before my bad money choice catch up to me?"
Of course not."
"Giving a shit about money doesn't
seem fun, but ultimately it's the most liberating thing you can do with your
otherwise chaotic young adult life."
Lost in a Quatrain by South African author
and poet Adiela Akoo is apoetry
collection I'm glad to have across in 2019. I could easily enjoy and relate to
many of the poems in the collection. Akoo even writes about a woman's period in
"Hormonal" which is something,
experienced by billions, few ever talk about.
I related to "Empty
Chairs" and was moved by "Cape
Town 1990" and "New Apartheid."
There were many deep pieces like "Not
Enough," "Broken Winged Bird," "Are YOU Ready?"
"As the Rain Pitter-Pattered," "Wrapped Up," and I must
mention the hilarious story-conversation-power "What's
Up?"
The
first book in a new paranormal cozy mystery series, Designs on Murder by
Gayle Leeson is about Amanda who, on a hunch, starts a fashion business in
Shops on Main, a building housing several other small businesses.
"Gee, that was awkward," she said. "I was sure
you knew."
"Knew?"
"That I'm a ghost."
There,
Amanda discovers her ability to see the place's resident ghost, Maxine
"Max" Englebright. I loved the characters. Max is smart and
hilarious; she constantly lightens the mood and puts Amanda in embarrassing
situations. I would definitely love to read more of this series.
Designs
on Murder has also helped me with a few points I'd
like to edit and fix in personal work-in-progress paranormal cozy mystery.
While I gave this book a 4-star rating, I feel it
deserves a mention in my top books of 2019. Why? Because of the effort
undertaken by author Bharat Krishnan in trying to bring Indian and Hindu
mythology to readers. We've all heard of Shiva and Rishnu but what are their
stories? What are the Hindu gods likes? What are their stories?
Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate tackles all of that and more. Krishnan even includes
comments and why he has included each story in book.
Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate is a middle-grade and children's book of short
stories, although there is one that's a bit bloody. Highly recommended read though.
One of the books I read for National Poetry Month 2019
was Sophie Schiller's On a Moonlit Night in the Antilles, a collection
inspired by the poet's visit to the Caribbean.
Comprising 30 mostly-rhyming poems, On a Moonlit
Night in the Antilles is a must-read picturesque selection of poems,
that paint pictures or tell the history of some of the
Caribbean's historical figures.
Each poem is followed by a colourful illustration by
Skaidra Zayas. I
hope Schiller visits more places and writes about them.
"this is not/ a fairy tale/ there
is no/ princess/ there is no/ damsel/ there is no queen/ there is no/ tower/
there are no/dragons/ there is simply/ a girl/ faced with the/difficult task/of
learning to/ believe in/ herself."
This is how Amanda Lovelace begins her collection of
untitled poems The Princess Saves Herself in this One, which is an
interesting and emotional read. Though the writing style takes a while to get
used to – if you write or read poetry regularly.
The
Princess Saves Herself in this One is divided into 4
parts or stages: The Princess, The Damsel, The
Queen, and You, and involves a lot of experimentation, with some poems
being in bullet-points.
Bellamy
is a creepy short story by author Darcy Coates. The story opens with Leanne who
has returned to the orphanage where she and her brother were placed nearly 30
years prior. We later learn that her brother disappeared from the orphanage and
was never found.
"Thirty years should have been long
enough to forget the home. Thirty years should have been long enough for the
dreams to stop."
Bellamy
scared me and I loved it! There were lots of twists that kept me on edge and
that had me read the book/story in one sitting. I can probably read this
novella over and over.
In Write Your Book in a Flash, Dan Janal takes
the reader through all the stages of writing a book.
While Write Your Book in a Flash primarily deals
with writing non-fiction books. Some of the advice can be applicable to
fiction; like starting where you feel comfortable and how to edit your book.
Update: I've published the review and there are lots of quotes and interesting tips in there. It's 5-star book and reference for anyone planning to write a non-fiction book.
"No one cares how many words your book contains. They care
about reading the right content."
Did you enjoy this post? If you did, please let me know in the
comments below.
And
check out the Previous editions of this post:
