
If you’re curious, here’s the full list of books I read during 2019. When I said “read”, I mean cover to cover as there were certainly a couple I started and didn’t, couldn’t, or wouldn’t finish. Some books just aren’t worth the trouble while others drag over months or years. You’ll also note that I did not write reviews on many of these books. I’m always reading with each of my children so some of the books are of that type. Others I read for work reasons, while still others weren’t worth reviewing. In any case, thanks for reading.
- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles; reviewed here
- A History of the United States in Five Crashes by Scott Nations
- An Economist Walks Into a Brothel by Allison Schrager; reviewed here
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
- Chasing Excellence: A Story About Building the World’s Fittest Athletes by Ben Bergeron; reviewed here
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese; reviewed here
- Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others by Cheryl Bachelder; reviewed here
- Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual by Jocko Willink; reviewed here
- Eldest by Christopher Paolini
- From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
- Good Omens by Neil Gaiman
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
- How To Be a Gentleman: A Contemporary Guide to Common Courtesy by John Bridges
- If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence, and Spirit by Brenda Ueland reviewed here
- Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi
- Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
- Luckenbach, Texas: Center of the Universe by Becky Crouch Patterson; reviewed here
- Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan; reviewed here
- Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
- Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity by Catherine Whitmire
- Rikki Tikki Tavi by Rudyard Kipling
- Seeds and Trees by Brandon Walden
- Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Sourdough by Robin Sloan; reviewed here
- Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith by Henri Nouwen; reviewed here
- Stonecutter by Jon Muth
- The Art of Executive Coaching by Nadine Greiner, PhD.
- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy; reviewed here
- The Difference Makers by Marc Adams; reviewed here
- The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm by Christopher Paolini
- The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google by Scott Galloway; reviewed here
- The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown
- The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History by Gregory Zuckerman
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- The Library Book by Susan Orlean; reviewed here
- The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
- The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It by Neal Bascomb
- The Ranch That Was Us by Becky Crouch Patterson; reviewed here
- The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection by Robert Farrar Capon; reviewed here
- The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton
- Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses by Bruce Feiler
- Way of the Warrior Kid III: Where There’s a Will… by Jocko Willink
Are there any books on this list that you enjoyed this year? Any that should be on my radar for 2020?
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Matt, I admire your ambition in completing as many books as you do. I came upon your blog by way of the Lost Art Press and your review of Marc Adams book. It is on my short list of purchases. My wife purchased The Ranch That Was Us for me as a Christmas gift and I am nearly through it and looking towards procuring Luckenbach, Texas. I’m with you when it comes to reading or NOT reading some things (too much effort) but can really identify with the concept of it taking years to sometimes plow through something. I thoroughly enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work and Happy New Year!
Dean,
As always, thanks so much for reading. The blog is truly a labor of love and I’m honored that anyone would read it. If you enjoy The Ranch That Was Us, be sure and read my interview with the author, Becky Crouch Patterson. She’s a fun lady. Happy New Year to you and yours!