I am very excited to report that I met my 2019 reading goal of 50 books! Actually, I exceeded it, coming in on Dec. 30 with #52. Woohoo!

I rarely set goals, and I even more rarely achieve them! (The key is just not setting them.) Last year, I only made it to 45 books, which was still pretty awesome considering I’d probably read 5 or so books the year before that (no idea).

I’d like to highlight a few of my favs from this past year, in no particular order:

• “Becoming,” by Michelle Obama

Duh. I love the Obamas. But what I really treasured about this book were the tearful moments where I got to re-live what I felt in 2008 when President Obama was elected. Given the state of things today, I had forgotten what that even feels like… it was nice to remember, and to remind myself that thankfully I got to go through that in my lifetime, no matter what’s coming.

I’m still trying to get through Barack’s book, “Dreams From My Father,” and by “get through” I mean it’s been sitting on my nightstand for a year. It’s not grabbing me the same way, but hopefully I’ll get to finishing it… eventually.

• “Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman,” by Lindy West

Oh. My. God. I loved this book. I am what you would call a loud woman. My boss is constantly asking me to “talk softer.”

An excerpt: “The ‘perfect body’ is a lie. I believed in it for a long time, and I let it shape my life, and shrink it – my real life, populated by my real body. Don’t let fiction tell you what to do. In the omnidirectional orgy gardens of Vlaxnoid, no one cares about your arm flab.”

PREACH.

Possibly even more exciting than the book itself is Aidy Bryant starring in the Hulu series. GIVE ME MORE SHRILL. I am literally counting down the days to the release of Season 2 on Jan. 24.

• “Daisy Jones and the Six,” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

One of the most anticipated books of the year. I devoured this book. It was gut-wrenching. I’d never read anything quite like it. I definitely researched if this band was real, because this book was real. A friend and I have a theory on who this could potentially be based on. I also think I’m a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid because I really enjoyed “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” as well.

• “Where the Crawdads Sing,” by Delia Owens

One of my favorites of all time. I waited until almost the end of the year to read it, and I both couldn’t get through it fast enough and never wanted it to end. Beautiful.

• “The Immortalists,” by Chloe Benjamin

Another beautiful, at times heartbreaking story. “If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?” And the writer lives in Madison, Wisconsin!

•Red, White and Royal Blue,” by Casey McQuiston

HOT. DAMN. This book! It was #52, so a bit of a bonus read, and in addition to painting a picture of a White House less traveled in 2016 (as in, a woman DID get elected), it is hot, hot, hot.

I’ve decided I’m not going to set a reading goal in 2020. I’m going to take a breather and just track what I do read, and see where I end up. I had last week off, and I definitely chose binging Season 2 of “YOU” over reading anything. My Christmas tree is still up. I regret nothing.