One of my goals for 2019 is to read 25 books, which kinda sounds like a lot but I read 18 last year and really wanted to step it up! I’m currently at 12 books and it’s halfway through the year, so that’s not a bad pace. I alternate between listening using Audible and reading physical books, so if you see * at the beginning of the name, then I listened to that book. These are the 12 books I’ve read so far this year, and my mini reviews on them!

1. *Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (5/5 stars)– I finished 2018 by re-reading the Harry Potter series, and this book rolled over into 2019 but I’m still counting it so 😝 There’s not much to say about HP7 except it’s one of my favorite books of ALL time, and listening to the audiobook is a whole new experience from reading the physical books. My favorite part of the whole series is the Tale of the Three Brothers, and listening to it again gave me so much joy 😁
2. *Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (3/5 stars)– I didn’t mind this book, but I think the audiobook format actually made it not-so-great to me. I listen to books and podcasts at work and the pace of this was a little too slow for me, but maybe the physical copy would keep my attention more. I read this on the recommendation of Karen & Georgia from the podcast My Favorite Murder (MFM) and I totally can see how some people would love this book, it’s just not really for me.
3. *Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell (3/5 stars)– I actually had to look up the summary of this book to write this review because I honestly couldn’t remember what it was about- oops. This book was ok, reallyyy predictable towards the end which is why I didn’t rate it higher, but not a bad book in general. If you read a lot of mysteries like I do, you’ll probably like this book but also might be able to figure out how it ends pretty quickly.
4. *Becoming by Michelle Obama (5/5 stars)– omg I love her so much! 💜 I bought both the hardcover and the audio version because I’m extra lol. I listened to the audio version first because I wanted to hear it in her voice; I loveee when the author reads their own book because I think you get a much better feel for the story they’re telling. Michelle Obama went through a lot in her life and she’s so inspiring to me, so this is a definite must-read!
5. *Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi (3/5 stars)– This book was so different from anything I’ve read in a really long time, if ever. More of a supernatural vibe instead of the crime/mysteries I lean towards, but I kinda liked it. Listening to it at work was a little distracting just because of what was going on in the story, and I found myself having to back it up to catch what happened. Overall, it wasn’t a bad book.
6. *Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen (5/5 stars)– If you know anything about me you know I’m super into true crime, and I love listening to the Murder Squad podcast by Billy & Paul Holes. When I found out Billy was writing his own book, it was a no-brainer that I’d be getting it! I love his way of story telling, and it’s one of those books I didn’t want to stop listening to. I feel like I know him so much better now, and would love to meet him in person. Highly recommend!
7. The Chemist by Stephanie Meyer (2/5 stars)– literally the first non-Audible book I read all year because I’d been trying to finish it since November 2018. It took me like 5 months to read this book because I just couldn’t bring myself to pick it up most days. The beginning was ok, middle was kinda boring to me, and the ending was predictable, soooo not the best. Maybe listening to this would make it easier to get through, but it just didn’t hold my attention like I expected it to.
8. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (3/5 stars)– I borrowed this book from my coworker who said she liked it, and I liked it too. Kinda weird and a little supernatural as the book goes on, but an interesting story about a young girl as she’s growing up and the weird stuff she’s dealing with. I finished it pretty quickly, it took a little over a week just because of work and other stuff I had going on, but this could easily be finished in a weekend or while on vacation.
9. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (4/5 stars)– My first book I borrowed from the library this year! I actually borrowed 4 books at once, not sure why since I don’t get through them as fast as I used to. I really liked this book and definitely recommend it to anyone looking to read a story with a young black woman as the star and not just the star’s friend. She goes through some ish in this book, but it’s pretty relatable and makes you understand the choices she makes (even when you’re sitting there thinking “No girl don’t do that!”)
10. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (5/5 stars)– MUST READ! This is one of those books I think every black person should read, and every white ally should also read. I sat there in my feelings for so much of this book because I 100% understood what Ta-Nehisi was describing. It’s so interesting to learn how other black people grew up, and to see the world through their eyes based on their past experiences.
11. *Evil Has a Name by Paul Holes, Jim Clemente, & Peter McDonnell (5/5 stars)– Back to audiobooks to hear from the other half of the Murder Squad duo. This story about the Golden State Killer and his victims is so heartbreaking but important to listen to. They do an excellent job of showing him for the monster he is while also humanizing the victims and making them more than just a number. I learned about this case from MFM and remember when they caught the guy, so learning the back story on how they did it was really interesting!
12. Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark (5/5 stars)– How could I read books from the Murder Squad guys and not read the book by the girls who started the podcast network they’re on?! (That’s Exactly Right) I pre-ordered the hardcover as SOON as I found out about it back in 2018, and was so excited to get it in! I laughed, I cried, and I heard the whole thing in Karen & Georgia’s voices. Even if you aren’t into true crime, I think this is a must-read for young women coming up in this crazy freaking time we’re living in. SSDGM!

12 books down, 13 to go in order for me to hit my goal! I love listening to audiobooks while at work, so that’ll be how I get through 25 books this year. I’m doing better with setting aside more time to read physical books, and I have a bunch on my bookshelf I haven’t read yet, so hopefully the next set of reviews won’t be mostly audiobooks!

Follow me on GoodReads to keep up with my reading journey in real time; that’s what I use to keep track of how long it takes me to read a book and to see how close I am to reaching my goal 😊