Goodreads Staffers' Top Three Books of the Year

Posted by Cybil on December 17, 2019
Gift Guide2019

 
Every December, as we wrap up our annual Goodreads Reading Challenge, we ask our well-read colleagues a simple yet incredibly tough question:
 
What were your three favorite books you read this year?


Oh, the angst we caused our coworkers as they whittled down their lists to just their top few books! Hopefully our carefully considered staff picks will inspire additions to your Want to Read Shelf.

You'll notice that our reading habits run the gamut. But if you look carefully, you can see some office favorites emerge, including multiple picks of the Odyssey-inspired fantasy Circe.

Now it's your turn! What are your top three books of the year? Please share them with us in the comments!


Dana Epstein, Ad Sales Executive
Tony Chan, Senior Software Engineer
Suzanne Skyvara, Vice President of Communications
Katie Boyer, Marketing Manager
Megan Dormoy, Executive Assistant to CEO
Veronica Moss, Goodreads CEO
Cybil Wallace, Senior Editor
Bella Wong, Account Manager
Emily Fortner, Community Manager
Alexander Reyes, Revenue Operations Associate
David Wong, Software Developer
Mahesh Naidu, Quality Assurance Engineer
Danny Feekes, Managing Editor
Sam Julian, UX Designer
Nimmy Mathew, Software Engineering Manager
Lauren Deyce, Learning Coordinator
Lisa Jablonsky, Sales Director
Mimi Chan, Senior Marketing Manager
Margo Throckmorton, Senior Account Manager
Priscilla S. Guido, Revenue Operations
Meg McGill, Experts Program Team Manager
Jon Nguyen, Product Manager
Jaclyn Woods, Content Expert
Eric Asuncion, Account Manager
Shridhar Reddy, Product Designer
Manju Abburi, Software Development Manager
Brooke Ginnard, Visual Designer
Sandy Lo, Experts Program Manager
Steve Sarner, VP Ad Sales
Shaun Ponting, Process Specialist
Roslyn Bristow, Support Expert
Heino Colyn, Program Manager
Brian Colombini, Software Development Engineer
Alta du Plooy, Support Expert
Erin-Mari Kelsey, Program Manager
Robin-Lee Ontong, Support Expert
Your turn! What are your top three reads of 2019? Share them with us in the comments!

Check out more recent articles:
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The Top 40 Book Club Picks of 2019
The Most Read Books on Goodreads in December

Comments Showing 351-363 of 363 (363 new)

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message 351: by Rebekah (last edited Dec 31, 2019 05:13AM) (new)

Rebekah My top 3:

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor


message 352: by Dimma (new)

Dimma Jose Harry Potter book series by JK Rowling
Love and Respect by Emmerson Eggericks
The Lady, her Lover and her Lord by TD Jakes


message 353: by Sarah (new)

Sarah Tummey I didn't know a book had been written about the cave rescue in Thailand! My 3 favourites from last year were all fiction: "Participant" by Carmen Kemp, "Bonnie and Stan" by Anna Stuart, and "The Little Vintage Carousel by the Sea" by Jaimie Admans. I'd never read any of these authors before.


message 354: by Marissa (last edited Jan 05, 2020 03:03AM) (new)

Marissa Kellett I wish that I could do separate sets of recommendations based on genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, YA, middle years, etc), as it often seems unfair to rank exceptional books from diverse genres against each other. But I will do my best to fit with the format. It was a difficult choice not only because of the number of books I read in 2019 (99), but because of recency bias. In the end, I had no shortage of books I wish that I would wholeheartedly recommenced.

Overall:
1. The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead (Fiction)
2. Girl, Woman, Other - Bernadine Evaristo (Fiction short stories)
3. Hot Young Widows Club - Nora McInerny (Grief Self Help)

Fiction Honourable Mentions:
1. The Friend - Sigrid Nunez (Fiction)
2. Putney - Sofka Zinovieff (Fiction)
3. The Other Boy - M.G. Hennessey (Fiction 9-12)

Nonfiction Honourable Mentions:
1. Say Nothing - Patrick Radden Keefe (True Crime)
2. 24/6 - Tiffany Shlain (Self Help)
3. The Order of Time - Carlo Rovelli (Physics)


message 355: by Denise (new)

Denise Grantham My top 3 for 2019
1. the Nickel Boys
2 The Book woman of Troublesome Creek
3:Where the Crawdads Sing.


message 356: by MovieBookNerd (new)

MovieBookNerd My top three would be:

1. The 47 People You'll Meet In Middle School by Kristin Mahoney
2. Spark by Sarah Beth Durst
3. Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones


message 357: by Vanessa (new)

Vanessa Dargain Marissa wrote: "I wish that I could do separate sets of recommendations based on genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, YA, middle years, etc), as it often seems unfair to rank exceptional books from diverse genres a..."

Nice list . You certainly stayed busy in 2019 .


message 358: by Taina (new)

Taina Pomeroy Please unsubscribe me


message 359: by Arron (new)

Arron Hustead Taina wrote: "Please unsubscribe me"
just below the comment box is a couple of boxes you can turn off to stop being notified.


message 360: by Kym (new)


message 361: by Debra (new)

Debra  Lucas My top three books of 2019 are:
1) Deep River by Karl Malantes
2) The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood
3) This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger


message 362: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer My top three books of 2019 were:
1. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
2. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson


message 363: by Gloria (new)

Gloria E Meunier My top three...Broken In The Back Row by Sandi Patty, Educated by Tara Westover and Don't Block the Blessings by Patti LaBelle.


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