Credit: Literary Hub

Choose one of the books that made 2019!

In spite of social networks and all the streaming services, books are still very much alive, and we have an excellent selection for everyone’s taste. In case you forgot to buy a holiday gift, or you weren’t into shopping this year, this is for you. Here’s what we recommend based on various interests, all published in 2019.

If you want to surprise someone with a juicy biography full of fascinating gossip, this year’s Elton John’s autobiography Me is a perfect choice. It’s not unlike Life, by Keith Richards, or any other excellent music biography. It’s John’s story plus the royals and some of the most famous celebrities on the planet.

Another music icon published a biography, but it’s a bit more sinister, and some bits and pieces are quite sad. Debbie Harry from Blondie is the ultimate fashionista and punk rock icon. But in the #MeToo era, her story Face It is much more than just another biography. She even escaped Ted Bundy! This book makes you wonder what happened to all the beloved female artists since the beginning of time.

Want to surprise someone who loves the Royals, but you also want to show some originality? Lady in Waiting is the book you need to get. It’s tough, sad, witty and weird; unlike anything one would assume of a book with such title. Hint: it’s a very personal and true story capturing life in a golden cage for a woman with no inheritance.

She Said by Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor is a compelling story by New York Times reporters. These brave women took justice into their own hands and played a crucial role in bringing down the most powerful man in show business. He’s now waiting for the trial. These women will inspire you to find your truth and fight for it.

Of course, you have a friend or a family member who always talks about politics. The Light That Failed: A Reckoning by Ivan Krastev isn’t your typical book on this matter. It’s a history of the last thirty years with particular attention to political balance in the world.

Rhik Samadder’s memoir I Never Said I Loved You is a book about survival. Self-harm, self-loathing, grief, eating disorders, suicide, and sex play crucial parts of this extraordinary, uplifting, and eccentric book. This isn’t a self-help book, far from it. However, it’s a book that will leave you feeling like you found someone who understands your struggles if you ever felt like a failure.

Our last book is Golden Child by Claire Adam. Parents will recognize these struggles, but the secret goes into more profound, scarier waters, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Yes, the story is fictional, but it is far from being unrealistic, which makes it borderline creepy.

Books are made to be gifted, borrowed, but most importantly, read. Technology can imitate many things, but art isn’t one of them. And books are small, yet meaningful pieces of art. It’s not a fancy or expensive gift, but a book can inspire, change someone’s life for better, or make a person laugh or cry, so it is a personal and significant present.