With 2019 well and truly over, and 2020 seemingly turning out to be another chaotic year, it's high time I look back on 2019 and share some of my favourites from the end of the last decade. This list will be comprised of some of my favourite books, cultural moments (TV/Film/Theatre etc) and moments of 2019.
Books
My 2019 reading year wasn't the best compared to the years since I started using goodreads. That being said, I have picked out 6 books/series that I considered to be my favourites of the past year. I'm going to list them in the order I read them, rather than the order I consider them to be my favourites.
The Heartstopper Series by Alice Oseman
I had never read an Alice Oseman book before I picked up the Heartstopper series and I've now read most of her published work. Who doesn't love a super cute graphic novel about a gay couple? The story is sweet, the illustrations adorable, it therefore is unsurprising that this series became one of my favourites of the year. I cannot wait to read the third volume this year!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Like most people who picked up the Seven Husbands, I was swept away by it. I am a bit hesitant to put it on my favourites list as I didn't love it as much as everyone else and I wasn't 100% with the twist at the end, apart from that I really enjoyed it and I read it in a day. I would love to see a TV series adaptation of this book so badly.
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
I picked this book as a bargain copy mainly because I saw that it had been adapted into a movie with Timothee Chalamet in it. I then became engrossed with how beautifully raw this book was. It is a non-fiction book that deals with topics of drug abuse and addiction, but I couldn't put it down. I still need to watch the movie, but if its anywhere near as good as the book, it will be a great movie.
Strange the Dreamer Duology by Laini Taylor
On my third attempt of reading the Strange the Dreamer duology, I finally fell in love with it and am devastated that I have finished this incredible duology. I cannot recommend the audiobooks enough as I found that it really helped me to get emerged into the world and fully absorb myself in it. I need to read more books by Laini Taylor as Strange the Dreamer swept me away with how beautiful it was.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
This is another book with an amazing audiobook and the only book on this list that I don't actually own a copy of. I know I'm repeating myself at this point, but I was blown away by how good the audiobook was and the ending had me gripped on the edge of my seat. I would love to read another book like this at some point in the future.
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
I have to admit that this was quite possibly my favourite book of the year. I am dying for the sequel that comes out either a day or two after my birthday this year. I haven't felt like this about a book in a very long time. It was just so refreshing and reminded me why I love books, I did not want to put it down.
Culture
2019 was a year for me that I realised how much I enjoyed consuming other medias. This year I had so many TV, film and theatre favourites that I've condensed it down to this small list.
TV
Here is a list of my favourite TV shows from 2019 with a small summary of why I loved them:
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine- After hearing everyone raving about it, I finally watched it and understood the hype.
- Sex Education- Opened up some important topics while having a stelar cast, great aesthetics and amazing characters.
- The Politician- A last minute discovery but a very funny comedy about politics, can't wait for the next series.
- Fleabag Season 2- Phoebe is an icon and I don't need to say anything else.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Finally watched Buffy in most of it's glory (I finished it in 2020) and I have a need to watch it again.
Film
I can't remember how many films I saw in 2019, but the one stand out film of the year was Call Me By Your Name. I adored the book and really enjoyed the film adaptation. Captain Marvel also is worthy of a shout out for being great and female empowerment.
Theatre
The two theatre highlights of the year were Six the Musical and Fleabag. Both have a special place in my heart and if I could, I'd see them both again tomorrow.
Moments
This is probably a repeat of something I've said in one of my previous blog posts, but some of my stand out moments of the year include seeing Bastille live in February 2019 and going to Bruges in August 2019. These are memories I will treasure for the rest of my life and wish I could relive.
So that concludes my 2019 favourites, I hope that 2020 is as good as a year as 2019 was.
All the best,
Carenza x
