The 100 Must Read Books of 2019 according to Time Magazine
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- The best books of the year lists seem to come earlier every year! Here’s my reaction to Time’s list of 100 favourites from 2019. There's also a surprise visit from a foxy friend. 🦊
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Time’s list of 100 Must-Read Books of 2019:
time.com/colle...
Some of my favourites from the list & why I loved them:
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann
• Ducks, Newburyport by ...
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
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Find Me by Andre Aciman
• Find Me (sequel to Cal...
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
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Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
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The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
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Normal People by Sally Rooney
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Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
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Women Talking by Miriam Toews
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Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
• The Best Novel of 2019?
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
• The Testaments by Marg...
Where Reasons End by Yiyun Li
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Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
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The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
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Thank you for taking the time to discuss this list!! And thank you for no ads!!! It’s always a pleasure watching your videos! Love the fox 🦊
Yes to no ads🥰
You're welcome! And, isn't he gorgeous? Such a treat when they wander through my garden.
Fun fact: most yearly awards and lists count things from November - November. I think it’s probably to allow end-of-year lists to actually go out at the end of year instead of needing to wait until early next year when people are over that topic already. So never fear, December books will still be counted - just on next year’s list.
I loved The Dutch House!!! I can’t stop thinking about it. Maeve is unforgettable!
The Patchett books, including The Dutch House, are soooo slow. I think I found 3 new gray hairs reading this. 😴🤷🏻♀️
I couldn’t agree more, specially Algeria Luiselli’s novel... what a missed opportunity... keep up you wonderful channel... your taste is impeccable ❤️
I am so jealous! I read one of Bryan Washington's short stories in The New Yorker and LOVED it. I need to get my hands on Lot. I just bought Magical Negro at the Portland Book Festival and listened to Morgan talk. It is a poetry collection and I am really excited/nervous to read it. It will be coming up for me soon. She also wrote the collection There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce which I think was relatively popular? Jericho Brown was also at the book festival and I also got his book :) Lol and Mira Jacob! I agree, Her Body and Other Parties was amazing, I am excited for her memoir as well. Gonna wait to see what the UK cover looks like though before I buy it, lol.
Yeay, list video again! I love these :) I couldn't comment on your other one as my computer was broken. But, enjoyed it massively. On this list, I think you'd enjoy Laila Lalami, I read other books from her and really like them. I haven't read The Americans, but it's on my list. Plus, UK cover for that is gorgeous :) Well, I wasn't a fan of Queenie, but I guess it's better if you experience for yourself.I was underwhelmed by The Night Circus too, but I'm still curious about The Starless Sea :) At least I have massive fomo! Not on this list, because I think it was published Dec'18, Diane Satterfield's Once Upon A River is a beautiful book. Highly recommend. Happy Sunday!
I seem to be becoming the video list man! But it's so fun to go through them.
Thanks for recommending Satterfield's book. I've seen it around and been curious!
Awesome video! Thanks! Fox video was a great surprise (your cozy garden too). Greetings from Brazil!
Thanks! 🦊
Yay for another list video! Won’t comment except to say Vasily Grossman’s ‘Stalingrad’ has indeed come out in the U.K. this summer - I saw some of the hype and was intrigued enough to buy it. It’s another chunker - almost 1000 pages.
Oh, I must have missed it. Phew! I've got to set aside some time for more epic reading. 😅
Stalingrad is actually a prequel to Vasily Grossman novel; Life and Fate.
Vasily Grossman has other books that are shorter and or short stories.
I loved Ducks, Newburyport so much! Agree, it doesn’t feel long when you’re enjoying the company of the character(s). I’m keen to read Girl, Woman, Other and Olive Again.
Great! Those two are definites for me!
I have read several of these and have many of them on my TBR list. Yes, I think Three Women has been received with lots of controversy, I think because it was advertised in the US as one kind of book when it is really something different. I find critics of a book often don’t look at the book itself but at what they, as a reader, think it will be, and are therefor disappointed or disgusted. We must remember the authors have little to do with how a book is marketed. Thanks for bringing this list to everyone’s attention!
Thanks Eric. You have given me lots of suggestions. One of my favourite books this year was ' Miracle Creek' by Angie Kim. I think you would like it too.
Tricia from Yorkshire
I enjoyed it, too.
Great, thanks. I'll see if I can get a copy.
Just started Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. Really liking it so far. Intrigued (and intimidated) by Ducks, Newburyport, working up the courage to give that one a go.
So glad you're enjoying it and hope you get the courage to read Ducks! :)
Another interesting list. I read and enjoyed Queenie recently, it was an easy read but with much deeper themes ❤️👑 I have looked for Saeed Jones but not sure if it's out in the U.K ... Not an easy one to get hold of although it does look good !! Loved Fox cam 🦊😉 XX
That's great. I should really get to Queenie then. I don't think Jones' books have made it across the pond yet. I do love it when a fox crosses my garden!
I am shocked that the new Leslie Jamison essay collection is not included! I have not read it yet but she is such a terrific writer and it has been well reviewed. I agree that the Chanel Miller memoir is up there. One lesser known memoir in esssays that I absolutely loved is The Edge of Every Day by Marin Sardy, about the schizophrenia that runs through her famiily. It is so intelligent, moving, and beautifully written. Don't know when it comes out in the UK.
I’d like to push you to try Bunny! It’s so good. It’s surreal and brilliant. I think it must be much bigger here in Canada because I believe she’s a Canadian author. It’s about an MFA student who is writing and what she’s writing ends up becoming synonymous with her reality. It’s pretentious and cerebral, and there’s an intimation that the book is her final project, I think? Can’t quite remember. But I’d be interested to hear what you make of it, if you’re ever so inclined.
Thank you so much!
I am so glad to find a booktuber who has similar tastes like mine, even though I am a computer scientist from Lebanon and english is my third language!
Amazing! So glad we can connect. 😊 📚
Hi Eric! Just an fyi: Miracle Creek is out in the UK! It was published by Hodder in mid-to-late July and, if you like Celeste Ng-type novels, I would 100% recommend
Also, 100000% agree about The Nickel Boys. Its reception from the literary community and its prize panels is honestly (and maybe a little dramatically, but I am going there) nothing sort of a travesty
Oh thanks! I must have missed it somehow.
This is a really great list spanning so many different topics. So many books I want to get to. Will be using it and reading from it to find some great new reads.
Great! Hope you find some good books!
Nothing To See Here is very enjoyable. It is a beach book with substance. Next time you want an easy book that is well written, this is it. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson is wonderful. But start with Brown Girl Dreaming. It’s a YA book written in verse. One of my favorites.
Deborah Levyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
The biggest disappointment of the year for me.
I can't tell - are you a fan?
Those last couple you mentioned in crime and journalism, She Said and Catch and Kill have been published in the UK. Got my copies yesterday.
Ah okay, I'll have to look out for them.
I just finished The Dutch House and thought it was terrific.
😄👍
Loved the fox 😆💖💖
I don't read new books.
Usually wait until all the hype is over. Also I purchased my books from thrift stores or charity shops in my area, so there isn't any new books.
Excellent video thanks for sharing.
Fox is pretty
There is just one book on the list that I had to get.
Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman.
I've read his novel; Life and Fate which is the sequel to; Stalingrad.
How can you have a tie with five judges?
The Booker prize sets rules then ignores their own rules.
A past reciepant of the prize cannot be nominated again.
They tossed that one out the window 😑.
I absolutely love love LOVE The Water Dancer. Get into it asap! :D
It's near the top of my TBR pile!
I'm surprised FranKissStein didn't make the list, one of my favourites this year. I really need to get to those works in translation and The Dutch House.
Yeah, I'd have liked to have seen it on there too. Winterson's novel is so unique.
The Water Dancer was really good. I hope you read it soon!
It's near the top of my TBR!
My ratings for books I read on this list. 5 stars- Ducks, Newburyport; Olive, Again; Normal People; Miracle Creek. 4 stars - Dutch House; Girl, Woman, Other; Red at the Bone; 3 stars: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous; The Nickel Boys. The most disappointing book for me was The Man Who Saw Everything, especially since I adored Levy's Hot Milk.
Last week I listened to Dear Girls by Ali Wong on audio and was surprised how much I liked it. If anyone's thinking of giving it a try I highly recommend the audio version. She's so funny!
Good to know, thank you!
I’ve read 6 on your list below your video.
The Dutch House
Lost Children Archive
Miracle Creek
Normal People
Women Talking
Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of the Dead
Flights is best read via audio 🌟
Oh, thanks for the suggestion of reading Flights on audio. I didn't even know it's available.
Hi! Who’s excited for Christmas!? And thanksgiving. It’s Sam btw
Thanks!
I think you would enjoy the capital by Menasse. It has the EU as a central theme, so might be interesting from your 'living in the UK in this Brexit chaos' point of view. I am not always convinced that translators are doing a fantastic job translating German into English but hopefully this is an exception ;-)
Great video as always btw
Oh interesting! Thank you. I'll look out for that.
If your looking for history books to give to your father then I suggest you go to the Cundill prize. The Cundill prize is an award given out to a author of history.
There is a long list and a short list of books.
None of the books on Time magazine made the Cundill prize list
Thanks for the suggestion!
The Yellow House was one of the runners up for The Reading Women award. Just missed the short list I believe.
Ooh, but it won the National Book Award for nonfiction I see!
Yes it did! I'll be picking that one up:)
I wish I could read 100 books per year....best I've ever done is about 70-75...😑
The farm is very enjoyable but I feel it’s being misrepresented as a sci-fi dystopian and it really isn’t that.
There are plenty of people who think Atwood's Testaments was perfectly deserving of the booker fyi (points at self)
.
So many books I wanna get to! So little time though. Send help
Yes, fair enough!
And I need the same help!
I almost always prefer UK covers to US covers! I mean, look at On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. The US cover (apologies to the designer) is lifeless compared to the UK cover. A notable exception: Normal People. That sardine tin on the UK cover turned me off completely! The US cover is much more palatable. (Still won’t be reading it. LOL)
Ha, yeah the sardine tin was a strange choice. I see they concept they are going for but it's not really right.
Are there really as many as 100 “must-read” books published in a year? That seems like pushing the “must-read” concept a little to far! Having said that, I love book lists! 😉
Yeah, I totally agree and I find it quite annoying when people try to sell books as a "must read" because really how often is that true?
I found the Farm quite underwhelming for the hype it was getting at the time. Might not really be worth your time
Great, thanks for the caution!
Lost Children’s = underrated / Fleishman = overrated / Levy = everything! Read ASAP!
Ah, interesting summaries!
Bit of a biased unrepresentative list. Can't say I trust Time Magazine or what theyre pushing
I'd put Nell Zink on the "Most Overrated Authors of the Decade" list. She's objectively a bad writer. She just got a lot of press for being controversial by having a lesbian and gay man be attracted to each other and have sex and have a baby together. No motivation or depth to the characters. No description. Yawn. Next.
Olga Tokarczuk: one of the few modern voices of reason in Poland, environmentalist, feminist and, nota bene, outspoken supporter for LGBT rights in her country (attends every Pride/Equality Parade there) dismissed as "cuckoo"?! This surely comes as a surprise... :/
You misunderstood. I was clearly describing the protagonist of the novel Mrs Duszejko as cuckoo. This character rigorously consults astrological charts, dresses up as a wolf and speaks to ghosts. That's why I described her as cuckoo. I was not talking about Tokarczuk.
@@EricKarlAnderson My mistake then. Thanks, Eric! :)
@@yvonnerobin9065 No worries!
Well, i didn't understood the hype of Conversations with friend and definitely i don't understand the success of Normal people. I think Rooney cheated on the first one and cheated on the second too. Her characters behaviour is always justified by trauma but she never explains what caused the trauma which seems very convenient. I don't like her writing either.
Ii think The nickel boys was longlisted for the National Book Award.
And i have mixed feelings about Find me, i loved his writing on Call me by your name, but i hated the characters, so probably i will try Enigma variations first and then we'll see.
I'm eager to read The dutch house. I'll do by the end of november
I had the same reaction with The tiger's wife, i found it interesting but not that amazing, but i like the read her new one too
uk covers are always better.