Well, here we are. 2019 is over. This actually took me by surprise, because apparently every holiday/event in my life this year snuck up on me this year. Why not the end of the year itself? Perks of getting old, I guess.

I've read 160 books this year. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Of course, the graphic novels I read helped with that. They do count. 

Anyway, on with my awards for the best books of 2019. I have categories, so maybe it won't be that boring to read.

This isn't for books published in 2019, just to make that clear. It'd be a small list if that was the case. I'm basing this off of my Goodreads Challenge list, so if I've missed anything, I'll blame it on myself.

On with the awards!

Best Middle Grade Fiction

It had to be this one. Always.

If you haven't heard me rave about this book, I'm sorry. But it is absolutely amazing and deserves every award it's gotten.

I do have a funny story about this one. After hearing me rave about it for months, my sister finally stole my copy and read it. Thing is, she thought it was a happy story about two kids and a magical gardener going on adventures in the woods. 

Needless to say, her mind was blown by the actual thing. Now she understands why I love it so much, even if she hates me for not warning her about it (I would have, if she told me she stole it). 😂

Best Young Adult Fiction

I'll be honest, I thought I didn't read any that made the cut. Then, I remembered Fawkes.

A retelling of the Guy Fawkes plot that contained an hidden allegory without being overly preachy? SOLD.

Also I adore the magic system in this book. If you haven't read it yet, now's the time.

Best Adult Fiction Novel

It was either this or The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I spent more time with this one, so it wins. 

Ms. Clarke has written an excellent story with an amazing magic system and characters. There's even a miniseries out that has Marc Warren as the Gentlemen, which was really well done. 

Definitely give this one a shot, even if it is 700 pages long. xD

Best Nonfiction

This is easy. I wrote a paper on CGI animation vs traditional hand-drawn animation last year, so I had to read several books on animation and Pixar. For school. Not that I absolutely adore this film medium or anything. Noooo.

I'm pretty sure my teacher disliked that topic, but I received a 100 for it, so all is well.

ANYWAY, this is my favorite, written by one of the founders of Pixar himself. It's a fascinating look into why this company was so different from other animation studios out there.

Now I want to work for Pixar. Thanks, Mr. Catmull. 

Best Retelling

The first Beauty and the Beast retelling I ever read. 

Yep, still the best one out there. Although the Beast of Talesend is definitely up there.

Best Book Published by an Indie Author

Oh yes, you thought it would be the Afterverse series, right? Well...it's by the author so I suppose in some ways, it is.

If you're a struggling writer, this is the book for you. If you're tired of sitting down, trying to type words on a computer, trying to plot worlds out and inevitably failing, Kyle Robert Shultz has the perfect solution for you! Don't write!

This book helped me cure my desire to write. Now I'm free and don't have characters plaguing me every day. *shoves piles of failed ideas to the side*

Yep, definitely cured.

Best Graphic Novel/Manga

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST. YES, ALWAYS.

READ IT. WATCH IT. HOST WATCH PARTIES. I'm listening to the soundtrack as I write this. It's an amazing series that gets everything right. Plot, world, characters, it even provokes some interesting philosophical conversations.

So...you get the point. Just watch it. I promise you won't regret the hours you put into it. (I spent most of 2019 making my way through both shows and the manga series. Totally worth it. 

Best Book that caused me to lose all faith in its author

Now we're getting to the "fun" awards. 

I was mildly excited for this book. After Secret Keepers was a disaster though, I didn't hold out much hope.

I was right, as usual. This was a tragic failure, made worse by an. extremely. annoying. kid. that. was. not. important. to. the. plot. at. all. If you're rooting for a kid's slow and painful death by the end of a book, the kid's not a good character.

In case you say I'm just a cynical person who loves hating on kid's books for no reason, I reread the first book time and time again as a kid and loved the sequels. The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict is one of my favorite childhood books of all time. I don't hate the series. 

But this one should never have been written.

Best Book That Was Unintentionally Hysterical

Need I even say it?

I'll refer you to my commentary, if you really want to know what I think. I might even get around to finishing the sequel this year. Who knows?

And that's it, folks! On to my goal of 125 books for 2020! 😁