2019 in Review

Here we are at the end of 2019. This year has gone by faster than any other year, but it has been a great year. We have reviewed so many books and discussed some fun bookish topics. In case you missed it, here are some of the highlights from the year.

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Top 10 Most Viewed Posts

10. The Perfect Watch for Steampunk Fans (read the post) - Donna lists 5 steampunk novels that feature time or clocks.
9. Ladies of Gothic Horror edited by Mitzi Szereto ~ a Review (read the post) - MK reviews an anthology of gothic horror.
8. Until the Day I Die by Emily Carpenter ~ a Review (read the post) - Susan's review of this thriller.
7. Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale ~ a Review (read the post) - Susan reviews this thriller.
6. The Forgiving Kind by Donna Everhart ~ a Review (read the post) - Susan reviews a southern fiction novel.
5. A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards ~ a Review (read the post) - Susan's review of a domestic thriller.
4. Witch of the Hills by J.M. Fraser - a Review (read the post) - MK's review of this fantasy novel.
3. March Reading & Blog Wrap Up (read the post) - A look at what happened on the blog in March.
2. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - a Discussion (read the post) - Donna shared interesting facts about this American classic.
1. Whisker in the Dark by Leighann Dobbs - a Review (read the post) - with over 3,000 views, Donna's review of this cozy mystery is our top viewed post.

Girl Who Reads couldn't be a daily publication without the help of the dedicated staff writers. Here's a closer look at their most popular posts this year.

Alison's Posts

Alison DeLuca has been a features writer at Girl Who Reads since 2013. Did you know she is also an author? Be sure to check out her steampunk series Crown Phoenix (the first book is free!) and her stand-alone twisted fairytale Hunted Heart. She has also been published in two anthologies, including Christmas O'Clock. Her monthly column appears on the second Wednesday of every month. Here are her posts for 2019 in case you missed any of her insightfulness.

Birdbox: a Netflix Review (read the post) - She shares her thoughts on the popular Netflix movie based on the equally popular novel Birdbox by Josh Malerman
Games of Thrones and The Woman in White (read the post) - She discusses the books and television series based on those books.
The Hunger by Alma Katsu ~ a Review (read the post) - Alison reviews this horror novel about the Donner Party.
Books and a Movie: The Terror and I am Legend (read the post) - Alison takes a closer look at The Terror by Dan Simmons and the Will Smith starring movie I am Legend that is loosely based on the novel by Richard Matheson.
Hidden Treasures on the Internet (read the post) - There are places of beauty of positivity on the internet and Alison points you to some of her favorites.
Dreamland: The True Tale of American's Opiate Epidemic ~ a Review (read the post) - Alison shares her thoughts on this nonfiction book by Sam Quinones.
Doctor Sleep, aka I Miss the Overlook (read the post)- Ahead of the movie Alison re-read this novel by Stephen King and shared her thoughts.
Summer Date Nights with my Husband (read the post) - She discusses some of the movies she and her husband watched.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (read the post) - Alison read some of the Time's 100 Best Young Adult Books and this was her favorite.
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert: a Review (read the post) - She shares her thoughts on this novel.
The Institute by Stephen King ~ a Review (read the post) - She discusses this novel.
For My Husband - A List of Book Gifts (read the post) - Alison wraps up the year with a list of books she hopes to get for Christmas.

MK French's Most Viewed Posts

MK has been a staff reviewer at Girl Who Reads since 2016. In that time, she has written 385 posts! Here are her top 10 most viewed reviews of 2019.

10. White Stag by Kara Barbieri - a Review (read the post) - MK's review of this young adult fantasy novel is her most viewed post.
8. Goodbye Paris by Mike Bond ~ a Review (read the post) - MK reviews a thriller.
8. Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor ~ a Review (read the post) - Her review of this Regency romance novel actually tied with her review of Goodbye Paris for the number of views.
7. It's Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch ~ Review & Excerpt (read the post) - MK is our only reviewer who reads Regency romance at Girl Who Reads.
6. 7 Horror Novels for Halloween Reading (read the post) - MK loves horror. And so must you since it is her 6th most viewed post.
5. Man vs. Durian by Jackie Lau ~ a Review (read the post) - I think a lot of people were curious about this book because of the title, but it is a great review that you should read.
4. A Hero Born by Jin Yong, translated by Anna Holmwood ~ a Review (read the post) - If you are wanting to add translated literature to your reading line up, then check out this review.
3. Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith ~ a Review (read the post) - MK's review of a young adult novel.
2. Ladies of Gothic Horror, edited by Mitzi Szereto ~ a Review (read the post) - MK is also the only reviewer here that reads horror.
1. Witch of the Hills by J. M. Fraser ~ a Review (read the post) - MK kicked off 2019 at Girl Who Reads with this post on January 1.

Susan Roberts's Most Viewed Posts

Susan also joined Girl Who Reads in 2016. She has written 424 posts in that time. Here are Susan's top 10 most viewed posts for 2019.

10. The Accidentals by Minrose Gwin ~ a Review (read the post) - Susan reviews this story of love and forgiveness.
9. A Thousand Doors edited by J.T. Ellison ~ a Review (read the post) - A women's fiction anthology.
8. The Summer Guests by Mary Alice Monroe ~ a Review (read the post) - This is one of Susan's favorite authors.
7. Clover Blue by Eldonna Edwards ~ a Review (read the post) - This book made her cry.
6. Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank ~ a Review (read the post) - Another favorite author.
5. One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker ~ a Review (read the post) - A beautifully written novel about love, friendship, and survival of the harsh land
4. Until the Day I Die by Emily Carpenter ~ a Review (read the post) - Susan's review of this thriller.
3. Last Summer by Kerry Lonsdale ~ a Review (read the post) - Another highly recommended thriller.
2. The Forgiving Kind by Donna Everhart ~ a Review (read the post) - Susan reviews this southern fiction novel.
1. A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards ~ a Review (read the post) - Susan's review of a domestic thriller.

Donna Huber's Most Viewed Posts

Donna founded Girl Who Reads in 2011. She is also the author of the marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

10. A Spell of Murder by Kennedy Kerr ~ a Review (read the post) - A paranormal cozy mystery.
9. August Reading & Blogging Wrap Up (read the post) - A list of books Donna read in August.
8. Death Comes to Dartmoor by Vivian Conroy ~ a Review (read the post) - This is possibly Donna's favorite cozy mystery read of the year.
7. October Reading and Blogging Wrap Up (read the post) - Given that the monthly wrap up posts link up with two memes it isn't surprising these are among the most viewed posts.
6. The Island of Always by Stephen Evans ~ a Review (read the post) - This was a great book to start off 2019.
5. The Loch Ness Papers by Paige Shelton ~ a Review (read the post) - Donna reads a lot of cozy mysteries.
4. The Perfect Watch for Steampunk Fans (read the post) - As part of a promotion for JORD Watch, Donna compiled a list of steampunk novels featuring time or clocks.
3. March Reading & Blog Wrap-up (read the post) - A list of books read in March.
2. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - a Discussion (read the post) - Donna shared interesting facts about this American classic.
1. Whisker in the Dark by Leighann Dobbs - a Review (read the post) - Another cozy mystery.

Interviews & Guest Posts

We had a few authors stop by this year for an interview or guest post. We thank each one of them for their time and insight into their life and craft.

Interview with Diane May, author of EVO (read the post)
An Interview with Kathy Curto (read the post)
Meet Ana from An Unexpected Escapade by Kandi J. Wyatt (read the post)
A Conversation with Gregory Erich Phillips, author of Love of Finished Years and The Exile (read the post)
Making Time for the Things You Love by CM North (read the post)

Discussions

In addition to reviews, we have offered discussions on various topics. Donna signed up for the Discussion Challenge at Feed Your Fiction Addiction in hopes of writing 12 discussion posts. Here's how she did and all the other discussions that occurred this year.

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton ~ a Discussion (read the post) - Donna shares some interesting facts about Edith Wharton and her novel Ethan Frome.
Sue's 2019 Reading Plan (read the post) - Susan details what she hopes to accomplish reading-wise in 2019.
Literary Realism and Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary (read the post) - Donna discusses the literary movement and Madame Bovary's place in that period.
A Local Classic: Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns (read the post) - Donna talks about this classic.
A Great American Author: Pat Conroy (read the post) - Susan discusses the career of a favorite author.
Book to TV: Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (read the post) - Donna watched Vanity Fair and shares her thoughts ad information on the book.
Remembering Rosamunde Pilcher 1924 - 2019 (read the post) - Susan discusses the career of a beloved author.
The Art of Power Reading (read the post) - Donna shares tips on how she powers through a book when on deadline.
Is Our Reading Obsession Unhealthy? (read the post) - Donna takes a look at signs that our reading habits have become unhealthy.
Vintage Books - A look into literary history (read the post) - Donna takes a closer look at some of the old books she has been using as decorations.
What kind of reader are you? (read the post) - Do you plan what you are going to read or just randomly pick up the next book? Donna wants to know!
Do You Suffer From Tsundoku? (read the post) - Susan tells you what Tsundoku is and how to tell if you have it.
What is it about cozy mysteries? (read the post) - Donna tried to figure out why she loves cozy mysteries so much.
Getting Organized! How to Deal with the Review Pile (read the post) - Donna struggles with her TBR pile and asks for tips on getting it organized.
What my Post-Apocalyptic Book Club is Reading (read the post) - Donna shares what her book club is reading for 2019 - 2020.
Bookstore Event: Movable Feast 2019 (read the post) - Susan tells you about a fun author event she attended.

Best of the Bunch

We started a new feature this year, where the staff picks their favorite read of the month.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Memes We Participated In

Sometimes we forget to link to the memes that we participate in our posts but we wanted to give a shoutout to the bloggers who host these memes. Our participation in these memes boosts our comments and page views. We invite you to participate by linking up your own post or sharing in the comments each week.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by The Book Date
First Chapter, First Paragraph hosted by I'd Rather Be At The Beach
2019 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction. You can sign up for 2020.
Monthly Blog Wrap Up hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction

New Post Images

We experimented with post banners and quote graphics this year. Some are above and here are few others. What do you think? Did the catch your eye when used on social media. Did the lead you to read the post?

How was your year? Do you have any blogging or reading goals for 2020? And as always we greatly appreciate you reading our posts. Happy New Year!


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