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Our Favorite Books From 2019
Here are some of the best books from the year, according to Scribd’s editors.
Published on December 20, 2019
Trust Exercise: A Novel
Susan Choi“At first blush, ‘Trust Exercise’ seems to be a delicate and introspective novel of troubled teens falling in love at a prestigious performing arts school. As many reviewers have noted, though, this story — addictive though it is — is mere prologue to the novel’s main event: a startling revenge tale that could be plucked from a nightmarish #MeToo headline. This is a novel about power and perspective, and about who gets to claim a narrative. It’s no wonder that such a gripping story told with such poise and generosity won the National Book Award for Fiction.” — Alex
Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster
Adam Higginbotham“Adam Higginbotham’s account of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is an intoxicating mix of personal stories of those who worked at the power plant, hidden histories of the Soviet nuclear program (and its many flaws), and an hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute walkthrough of what happened when Reactor Number Four exploded at Chernobyl. The chain of human errors and the systemic secrecy that led to this meltdown are the heart of the book, and much more frightening than the radioactivity itself. ‘Midnight in Chernobyl’ really makes you feel the terror of the situation, even several decades later, when we’re bombarded with selfies from tourists visiting the exclusion zone.” — Ashley
I Miss You When I Blink: Essays
Mary Laura Philpott“The phrase ‘I Miss You When I Blink’ is one of my favorite titles of any book, ever, and this hybrid of memoir and self-help essays lives up to to the greatness of its name. Mary Laura Philpott writes with humor and sorrow about losing yourself despite having loving friends and family and a rewarding career. The “you” and the “I” of the title are one and the same — a nostalgic longing for who you once were and can never be again. A reluctant acceptance that here and now will soon be there and gone. A triumphant realization that you are still the maker of your own story.” — Ashley
Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity
Felicia Day“As soon as I read the title of Felicia Day’s book, ‘Embrace Your Weird,’ I knew I had to read it. Because I’m weird, and I don’t exactly know what to do about that except hide in the corner at parties. (Just kidding. Nobody invites me to parties because I’m too weird.) So I picked up Day’s book — a guide to living a more creative life by leaning into what makes you unique and slaying any demons of self-doubt that crop up along the artistic journey — and I cried. This is a reckoning for anyone with creative hopes and dreams who’s too afraid to put their wacky and weird ideas out there.” — Ashley
The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina: Separating the Myth from the Medicine
Dr. Jen Gunter“You’ve probably had a friend forward you one of Dr. Gunter’s highly entertaining — and informative — articles taking Goop to task for its dubious, incredibly ill-advised advice on where to put jade eggs, garlic, and hot steam. The super smart and sassy gynecologist has women’s back (and nether regions) when it comes to the facts about healthy self-care, and she puts it all into ‘The Vagina Bible.’ Dr. Gunter is sending a free copy of her book to every member of Congress, because it’s important for all of us, regardless of gender, to be informed about women’s health.” — Katie
How to Date Men When You Hate Men
Blythe Roberson“This isn’t an advice book for millennial ladies constantly wondering if men are flirting with them or if that hangout counted as a date or why that dude decided to ghost them. No, it’s much more than that — full of witty, charming observations on the ups and downs of cishet dating in the age of apps. Blythe Roberson writes. ‘I want to claim the male privilege of being no help at all. Honestly, by default, I will probably be more helpful than Plato.’ And I can promise you, she is, indeed, more helpful than Plato for all the lost and lonely souls looking for love out there.” — Ashley