For adult fiction, and a tie for my favorite overall read of 2019 is The Guest Book by Sarah Blake. I’ve already written about it in a previous post, picked it for our birthday sale . . . and tried to sell it to anyone who asks me what the best thing is I’ve read lately. This is the perfect read for anyone who likes historical fiction in several timelines and multi-generational family stories that ask complex questions about complicity and privilege. Nothing has toppled it from my #1 slot yet.
. . .
The book I would tie with The Guest Book for my best read of this year is Frankly in Love by David Yoon. This was like reading my first John Green novel, so taken with the freshness of the voice of the novel and the raw honesty of the emotions. Frank Li is second generation Korean American, high school senior, and self-proclaimed nerd. When he falls for a white classmate, he enlists his fellow Korean American, Joy, who has a secret Chinese American boyfriend, to pretend to be his girlfriend. This way Frank can date Brit, Joy can date Wu and the Korean parents will leave them alone. This might sound like a light teen rom-com, but it is so much more. David Yoon manages to be hilariously funny, heartbreaking and deliver a searing exploration of racial identity all in one book. I was completely swept away. Plus the book is so beautifully designed!
–Lori Robinson, Island Books, Mercer Island, WA
The photos give hints about some of Lori’s other favorites from the year, but you can read the full post here. What are some of your favorite books you read in 2019?