Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week’s topic is Favorite Books I Read In 2019.
2019… I had a goal of reading 150 books and barely finished with 50. However, I discovered a lot of great nonfiction which will be the focus of this list. Some fantasy: A Discovery of Witches trilogy and Scythe trilogy and sadly just two classics: Great Expectations and No Longer Human. It was not a bad reading year, though I wish to read more next year and be more active at this blog as well. Here are my favorites from 2019 & I think I managed to review most of them on my blog.
The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith
This is anti-vegetarian and anti-vegan book. I cannot say liked all parts of this because it was like reading a political manifesto with little scientific proof. But I do believe in questioning what I think is right or what society thinks is right and it does make some excellent points about processed foods and the food industry and what is sustainable.
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
Fake it ’til you make it is not the way. In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood tests significantly faster and easier. Backed by investors, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at $9 billion. There was just one problem: The technology didn’t work.
Leadership in Dangerous Situations by Patrick J. Sweeney
This was a fascinating read. See if you fail as a leader in army or police forces, people die. I think this is a book that we can all learn from. s
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
“Everything in any way beautiful has its beauty of itself, inherent and self-sufficient: praise is no part of it. At any rate, praise does not make anything better or worse. […] Does an emerald lose its quality if it is not praised? And what of gold, ivory, purple, a lyre, a dagger, a flower, a bush?
The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger
“ It’s easy to be optimistic when everyone is telling you you’re great. It’s much harder, and much more necessary, when your sense of yourself is on the line.”
The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity by Douglas Murray
This is again something to read if you want to question everything you know. Gender, race and identity are becoming problematic and it is scary what is happening with social media for example. When did we become so driven to protect equality that we started discriminating?
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck & Everything is Fucked by Mark Manson
Is it cheating to include two books from Mark Manson? Let’s say it’s not.
We live in an interesting time. Everything is better than ever. Yet, somehow everything seems to be irreparably and horribly f*cked—the planet is warming, governments are failing, economies are collapsing, and everyone is perpetually offended on Twitter. So what’s wrong?
First, We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson
This journey is what I do now. I bump along, in fits and starts, on a perpetual path to finding better ways for me and my mate, Anxiety, to get around. It’s everything I do.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
A former international hostage negotiator for the FBI offers a new, field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations—whether in the boardroom or at home.
Putinin trollit: Tositarinoita Venäjän infosodan rintamilta by Jessikka Aro
In Finnish for now but this is being translated into English and other languages. If you thought there is press freedom in Finland, yes but: https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41499789 & https://www.propastop.org/eng/2019/10/25/jessikka-aro-putins-trolls-true-stories-from-the-frontlines-of-the-russian-information-war/
Thoughts? What did you read this year?
Looks like some fascinating reads! I’d be especially interested in The Vegetarian Myth, just to see what the arguments are (I went vegetarian this last year although I do cheat occasionally lol) and The Madness of crowds.
I just feel like we’re being pushed towards vegetarian diet and how few books criticize it. Who knows, maybe I am just too skeptical. Murray’s books are quite fascinating. Not to say he is right in all but he makes good points that I think we are taught not to think about.
Bad Blood sounds so interesting.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
Looks like some fascinating reads! I’d be especially interested in The Vegetarian Myth, just to see what the arguments are (I went vegetarian this last year although I do cheat occasionally lol) and The Madness of crowds.
I just feel like we’re being pushed towards vegetarian diet and how few books criticize it. Who knows, maybe I am just too skeptical. Murray’s books are quite fascinating. Not to say he is right in all but he makes good points that I think we are taught not to think about.
The Vegetarian Myth looks like a thought-provoking read. I’m not vegetarian or paleo. I simply like reading about different theories about how humans should/shouldn’t eat.
My TTT.
That’s pretty much me as well. And when there’s more being written on one diet than other, it makes me wonder.
Bad Blood sounds so interesting.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
The Vegetarian Myth looks like a thought-provoking read. I’m not vegetarian or paleo. I simply like reading about different theories about how humans should/shouldn’t eat.
My TTT.
That’s pretty much me as well. And when there’s more being written on one diet than other, it makes me wonder.
You have such a wide range of books. I tied to be that way at the first part of the year, but then I think I defaulted so purely escapist fiction.
The Vegetarian Myth seems interesting at least in concept, I prefer all arguments to be fact and logic based. Not vegetarian or vegan myself but veganism seems trendy and lots of people can be . . a little religious about actually which isn’t factual or logical. I think I’m just a bit contrarian about everything. I’ll try it . . . after everyone else is bored with it or before and then get bored when everyone else is into.
Haha, oh I love fantasy and science fiction more than anything. I have just difficulties finding any truly good ones.
It is interesting book, though I cannot say it is that much based on “pure” fact or logic. Then again, it is based on her own experiences so that is somewhat factual too I suppose. This is my main struggle with vegetarian/vegan diet. It is so trendy. And if food industry is behind it, it just makes me cringe for now.
You have such a wide range of books. I tied to be that way at the first part of the year, but then I think I defaulted so purely escapist fiction.
The Vegetarian Myth seems interesting at least in concept, I prefer all arguments to be fact and logic based. Not vegetarian or vegan myself but veganism seems trendy and lots of people can be . . a little religious about actually which isn’t factual or logical. I think I’m just a bit contrarian about everything. I’ll try it . . . after everyone else is bored with it or before and then get bored when everyone else is into.
Haha, oh I love fantasy and science fiction more than anything. I have just difficulties finding any truly good ones.
It is interesting book, though I cannot say it is that much based on “pure” fact or logic. Then again, it is based on her own experiences so that is somewhat factual too I suppose. This is my main struggle with vegetarian/vegan diet. It is so trendy. And if food industry is behind it, it just makes me cringe for now.
A great idea to highlight the non-fiction selections. I read Marcus Aurelius thanks to you. I think Charles Murray is good at making a case, but I have not read ‘Madness’.
:) Meditations is a gem. I am reading his other book The Strange Death of Europe at the moment and it is very fascinating. A lot of things I think no one dares to say or think these days.
I LOVED Scythe. I’m hoping to reread the trilogy this year. I also love nonfiction, so the books you read look really interesting to me.
Scythe was so good! Hoping to read some proper fantasy this year.
A great idea to highlight the non-fiction selections. I read Marcus Aurelius thanks to you. I think Charles Murray is good at making a case, but I have not read ‘Madness’.
:) Meditations is a gem. I am reading his other book The Strange Death of Europe at the moment and it is very fascinating. A lot of things I think no one dares to say or think these days.
I LOVED Scythe. I’m hoping to reread the trilogy this year. I also love nonfiction, so the books you read look really interesting to me.
Scythe was so good! Hoping to read some proper fantasy this year.