The world is full of books, and yet even if we read every single day of our lives, we would never be able to read them all. So we have to choose which books deserve to take up space in our minds, and everyone knows that the more choices one is presented with, the harder it becomes to make a decision. Amazon has put together a shortlist of the 10 best books of 2019 so far—your next great read might just be on the list.
The team at Amazon Books does the choosing for you, curating lists of the best new books that come out every month and every year. They also categorise the books into genres, which makes it much easier for readers to find a book that strikes his or her fancy.
Business Insider (BI) spoke with editorial director of Amazon Books Sarah Gelman about the books that made it to the top 10 for 2019 so far, and she shared her thoughts on this year’s latest and greatest reads.
Summaries and storylines are courtesy of the Amazon Books editorial team who reviewed the books, and Gelman’s quotes are all from a talk with BI.
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
What the book’s about: “Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love writes about life in the 1940s in a big-hearted and wise novel. Frivolous and fun-loving Vivian Morris arrives in New York with the goal of becoming someone interesting (and in short order she is, but for all the wrong reasons).”
How much it’s going for: From US$14.69 on Amazon
“This was a unanimous pick across the team. Readers know Elizabeth Gilbert from ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ and she’s not as well known as a novelist, but she deserves to be. It’s just a fun book – it’s been described as a champagne cocktail of a book. Everyone read this book and just felt a breath of fresh air.” – Gelman
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
What the book’s about: “The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband―and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.”
How much it’s going for: From US$12.15 on Amazon
“The team got to read this book early on and one of our editors predicted this would be the debut literary thriller of the year. It’s a fun, twisty read with a surprise at the end.” – Gelman
Once More We Saw Stars by Jayson Greene
What the book’s about: “This emotional memoir shines a beacon of light in the darkest of places. In the face of unimaginable tragedy, they say the only way out is through. That’s exactly what Greene learns when his daughter dies from a freak accident. Once More We Saw Stars is a narrative that is as much about hope and healing as it is about grief and loss.”
How much it’s going for: From US$16.89 on Amazon
“This book—which details the author losing his 2-year-old daughter in a freak accident—which helps put words to grief, will help you face tragedy.” – Gelman
Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
What the book’s about: “Weiner’s most ambitious novel yet is a smart, thoughtful, and timely exploration of two sisters’ lives from the 1950s to the present as they struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving world.”
How much it’s going for: From US$12.79 on Amazon
“Jennifer Weiner has been writing books for almost 20 years, and this book is ambitious – deeply researched, personal, and imagining her mother’s life from a fictional point of view. I felt proud of her as a reader.” – Gelman
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
What the book’s about: “Supple and powerful, like the predator that stalks the shadows of Choo’s ensnaring tale, this historical novel set in 1930s Malaysia swirls around a strong-minded apprentice dressmaker and a young houseboy whose destinies collide as they both search for a very unlucky mummified human finger.”
How much it’s going for: From US$12.15 on Amazon
“A gripping historical novel, ‘The Night Tiger’ will win over readers who love to be captured by a great story.” – Gelman
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
What the book’s about: “Presented as a series of interviews, this novel about a young, captivating singer who came of age in the late ’60s/early ’70s will leave you thinking that Daisy Jones & The Six really existed.
How much it’s going for: From US$11.07 on Amazon
“You’ll forget that this is about a fictitious band while reading it. My husband who isn’t a reader read this and loved it.” – Gelman
Underland by Robert Macfarlane
What the book’s about: “A one-of-a-kind book, Underland explores the universe beneath our feet, diving into catacombs, caves, and the land under Greenland’s shrinking ice cap to delve into the darker recesses of our imaginations—a place where artists, adventurers, and criminals have traveled, willingly and otherwise.”
How much it’s going for: From US$15.99 on Amazon
“The author did all of his research for this on his own. It’s a richly rewarding exploration of the world beneath our feet.” – Gelman
The Unwinding of the Miracle by Julie Yip-Williams
What the book’s about: “Julie Yip-Williams’ beautiful memoir speaks to one of our greatest fears, that we would be diagnosed with a terminal disease, and to our greatest hope, which is that we could face life straight on, fully, without squinting, and live each day with honesty, ambition, and true feeling.”
How much it’s going for: From US$9.34 on Amazon
“This book deals with how to come to terms with one of our greatest fears, dying before we’re ready.” – Gelman
Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl
What the book’s about: “Save Me the Plums chronicles how food writer Ruth Reichl came to be editor-in-chief of the magazine she’d pored over as a child, how she transformed it from a stuffy relic of the old guard into a publication that embraced a new culinary era, and how Gourmet magazine met its end. A memoir to savour.”
How much it’s going for: From US$18.49 on Amazon
“A fun, insider look at life during the magazine era. And, while I don’t think this is her intention, you’ll walk away realizing how remarkable of a woman Ruth Reichl is.” – Gelman
Cari Mora by Thomas Harris
What the book’s about: “Thomas Harris’ harrowing new novel of greed and survival, Cari Mora is as cinematic as one might expect (and hope for), charged with smugglers and lawmen, gruesome deaths, and deceit that crisscrosses the ocean between Colombia and Miami. Harris is a masterful storyteller who knows exactly how to get under our skin and into our heads.”
How much it’s going for: From US$16.99 on Amazon
“Harris is the author of “Silence of the Lambs.” This thriller has some gruesome spots. And the editor that loved it read this one twice!” – Gelman
And, the top read in children’s literature:
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
What the book’s about: “An unforgettable middle-grade novel about a girl and her father on a cross-country journey, the people they meet, and how they find their way home again. This is a book young readers won’t want to miss. Coyote’s story is wise, funny, and holds onto your heart long after you’ve read the final page.”
How much it’s going for: From US$8.99 on Amazon
“Full of life lessons, this is the book you want every 9-12 year old to read.” – Gelman
Follow Amazon’s running list of the best books of 2019 so far, and enjoy the team’s recommendations! /TISG