My Top 5 Books of 2019… So Far…

It’s just over halfway through the year already and this throws up a mix of feelings: Will I be sitting here in a few months time wondering how it’s NYE again and will I have any regrets / successes to ponder? And, of course, that panic that I now only have 5 more months to get through my 2019 TBR list! I mean, it’s not like these books literally have to be read in 2019, but I’d like to get through them this year. Personal goals and all that.

Apart from a reading lull around February, I’ve had a great run and read some superbly written books that really made me pause and think. So rather than wait until the end of the year, I thought it would be good to take stock at the around-halfway mark and share with you books I’ve really loved in 2019.

This list is a mix of some books published this year and some not, they’ve all been read by me in the past six months though:

My Top 5 Books of 2019… so far…

(In no particular order. Find the plot synopsis and full review of each book in their title link. * I’ll pop a star next to the ones published in 2019.)

/ * The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

• This is the book that made me reconsider my feelings towards the whole romance genre. Or more specifically, Tiffy and Leon did. Powerful stuff, hey?

/ * Things in Jars by Jess Kidd

• Bridie Devine (very much alive) and Ruby Doyle (a ghost) are two characters I’m never going to forget. Set in Victorian London, Bridie is a private detective and takes on a most unusual case, but it’s her relationship with Ruby that will have you hooked.

/ The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder by Sarah J. Harris

• A truly unique murder mystery told from the point of view of thirteen year old Jasper. He has autism, synesthesia – a condition where for every word, sound, object or person, he sees colours – and a complete inability to recognise faces. He is the only one who can solve a murder and this makes for a truly riveting read.

/ We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

• Chimamanda perfectly articulates everything that’s been buzzing around my head about feminism, and does so in a witty, relatable way.

/ The Corset by Lucy Purcell

• A delicious Victorian Gothic tale with wit, bite and is one of the few books I can honestly say I enjoyed every single page of. It’s my second story set in Victorian London on this list, I’ve clearly found my new favourite genre.

There you have it! An eclectic selection that make up my best of 2019 so far – and all female authors I’ve just realised. Have you read any of these? What books are on your mid-year best of list?