Brainstorm 199: Top 10s of 2019 Part 4

This week we wrap up my Top 10s of 2019. In this final post I share my favorite Young Adult & Adult Fiction reads, plus my favorite Christian books I read in 2019. The books may have been published in any year, but I read them in 2019. I've arranged the lists with my absolute favorites on top roughly in a descending order, though frequently there are many ties and I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite between books next to each other. I will say the one exception to that is Lovely War by Julie Berry. Usually, I'd say picking a very tippy top read of the year is impossible, but that book really stood out for me as the best read of 2019. Click on the titles to see my full review of each book.

Top 10s of 2019 Part 1: Middle Grade Books, Young Adult & Adult Nonfiction, Bios of People of Asian Heritage
Top 10s of 2019 Part 2: Picture Books, Lower Grade Books, and Top Asian Characters/Setting/Creators
Top 10s of 2019 Part 3: Sarah Foit's Top 10s

Top 10 Science Fiction/Fantasy Young Adult Books
(limited to those published in 2018-2019, graphic novels & Christian YA excluded)

Lovely War by Julie Berry

My Plain Jane (Lady Janes, #2) by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton

Starsight (Skyward, #2) by Brandon Sanderson

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson & Eugene Yelchin

Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3) by Neal Shusterman

Impostors (Impostors, #1) by Scott Westerfeld

The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe (not marketed as, but is really Matched, #4) by Ally Condie

The Deceiver’s Heart (The Traitor’s Game) by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Archenemies (Renegades, #2) by Marissa Meyer

Top 10 Contemporary Fiction/Historical Fiction Young Adult Books

Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

The Girl in the Picture by Alexandra Monir

Yotsuba&! 1 (Yotsuba&!, #1) by Kiyohiko Azuma, translated by Amy Frosyth

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo

Genius: the Revolution (Genius, #3) by Leopold Gout

Killing November (Killing November, #1) by Andriana Mather

Grenade by Alan Gratz

Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Silver Spoon 1 (Silver Spoon, #1) by Hiromu Arakawa, translated by Amanda Haley

Skyjacked by Paul Griffin

Top 10 Young Adult/Adult Graphic Novels, Manga, Comics Books
(limited to those published in 2018-2019, limited to 1 per series)

Space Boy 1 (Space Boy, #1) by Stephen McCranie

I’ve Been Waiting for a Squirrel Like You (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 7) by Ryan North, ill. by Erica Henderson, colors by Rico Renzi

Marvel Rising (Marvel Rising, #0-4) by Devin Grayson, Ryan North, G. Willow Wilson, ill. by Marco Failla, Georges Duarte

Invader Zim Vol. 5 (Invader Zim, Vol. 5) by Eric Trueheart, Dave Crosland, ill. by Dave Crosland, Warren Wucinich

Mother Is Coming (FoxTrot) by Bill Amend

Hey Sodapop, by James Point Du Jour

Midas by Ryan North, ill. by Shelli Paroline & Braden Lamb

Giant Spider & Me: a Post-Apocalyptic Tale 3 (Giant Spider & Me, #3) by Kikori Morino

Cheshire Crossing by Andy Weir, ill. by Sarah Andersen

Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Asian Stories edited by Kel McDonald

Top 10 Adult Fiction Books
(Christian fiction excluded)

Dear Mrs Bird by A.J. Pearce

Newcomer (Detetctive Kaga) by Keigo Higashino, translated by Giles Murray

Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

City of Ink (Li Du, #3) by Elsa Hart

Terminal Uprising (Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse, #2) by Jim C. Hines

Legion: the Many Lives of Stephen Leeds (Legion, #1-3) by Brandon Sanderson

The Mortal Word (The Invisible Library, #5) by Genevieve Cogman

Blackout by Marc Elsberg, translated by

Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3) by Martha Wells

Top 10 YA & Adult Christian Fiction Books
(limited to only 1 book per series and per author)

Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

Diamond in the Rough (American Heiresses, #2) by Jen Turano

The Painted Castle (Lost Castle, #3) by Kristy Cambron

Flight of the Raven (Ravenwood Saga, #2) by Morgan L. Busse

Edge of Oblivion (The Chronicles of Sarco, #1) by Joshua A. Johnston

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

The Crescent Stone (The Sunlit Lands, #1) by Matt Mikalatos

Outbreak by Davis Bunn

Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock

Waves of Mercy (Waves of Mercy, #1) by Lynn Austin

Top 10 Christian Nonfiction Books

Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People by Bob Goff

Wreck My Life: Journeying from Broken to Bold by Mo Isom

Opening the Red Door: the Inside Story of Russia’s First Christian Liberal Arts University by John A. Bernbaum

Afraid of All the Things: Tornadoes, Cancer, Adoption, and Other Stuff You Need the Gospel For by Scarlet Hitabidal

Letters to the Church by Francis Chan

Don’t Give Up: Faith That Gives You the Confidence to Keep Believing and the Courage to Keep Going by Kyle Idleman

The Entitlement Cure: Finding Success in Doing Hard Things the Right Way by John Townsend

None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That Is a Good Thing) by Jen Wilkin

Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit: Growing in Christlikeness by Christopher J.H. Wright

The Gift of Wonder: Creative Practices for Delighting in God by Christine Aroney-Sine

Top 10 Christian Lower Grade Books

Who Is My Neighbor? by Amy-Jill Levine & Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, ill. by Denise Turu

Paul Writes (a Letter) by Chris Raschka

God’s Very Good Idea: a True Story of God’s DelightfullyDifferent Family (Tales That Tell the Truth) by Trillia J. Newbell, ill. by Catalina Echeverri

An Unexpected Hero: a Bible Story about Rahab (Called and Courageous Girls) by Rachel Spier Weaver & Anna Haggard, ill. by Eric Elwell

Loved: the Lord’s Prayer by Sally Lloyd-Jones, ill. by Jago

The World Is Awake: a Celebration of Everyday Blessings by Linsey Davis with Joseph Bottum, ill. by Lucy Fleming

Sidney & Norman: a Tale of Two Pigs by Phil Vischer, ill. by Justin Gerard

The Storm That Stopped (Tales That Tell the Truth) by Alison Mitchell, ill. by Catalina Echeverri

Words to Love By by Rick Warren, ill. by A.G. Jatkowska

The Friend Who Forgives (Tales That Tell the Truth) by Dan DeWitt, ill. by Catalina Echeverri