Reading not only feeds the mind, but also develops imagination, forms an assessment of the surrounding reality and simply helps to have a good time. If you need a new book to add to your reading list, we will provide you with all the information you need about the most popular books of 2019.
The bestseller rating was compiled based on data on the best-selling books on Amazon, as well as selections of the best books from Time, The Oprah Magazine, LiveLib and other specialized book sites. All of these books are available in Russian stores.
Electronic versions of books can be found in the best online libraries and read using readers from the 2023 e-book rating.
10. The Silent Patient
Author: Michaelides Alex
Genre: thriller, drama
The life of the famous artist Alicia Berenson was like a wonderful fairy tale. She married a famous photographer, lived in a prestigious area of London in a beautiful house and did not need anything.
However, this whole perfect picture was crossed out with black strokes when Alicia shot her husband in the face five times. And since then she has not said a word.
The mystery of her act has stirred up the public. And one of those who passionately dreams of solving it is Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist. He takes on Alicia's case, trying to get the husband-killer to talk.
9. "A Man Called Ove"
Author: Fredrik Backman
Genre: drama, comedy, melodrama
Probably, each of us is familiar with the type of Uwe. A grumpy, quarrelsome, overly straightforward old man, who gets on his neighbors' nerves with petty quibbles, and considers those around him incompetent (unlike his beloved self). And his loneliness is shared only by a cat, which Uwe never dared to drive away.
But beneath that unattractive exterior, there's a good heart hidden deep inside. You just have to give it a chance to shine. Which is what happens when Ove meets a new family who change his life just as much as he changes theirs.
By the way, if you like comparing books and their film adaptations, watch the film of the same name, released in 2015.
8. Almost midnight
Author: Anthony Combrexel
Genre: fantasy
Six orphans have been given a wonderful opportunity to "rewind" time 10 minutes back. If you approach this wisely, you can do great things. Or great tragedies.
This book is recommended for middle and high school age, but will also be of interest to adult fans of the steampunk style, role-playing games and adventure novels. Yes, Almost Midnight is a solid mix of different genres, where the confrontation between magic and technology, robots and people acquires a philosophical subtext.
7. Red Pill: Face It!
Author: Andrey Kurpatov
Genre: psychology, self-development
Andrey Kurpatov has a unique talent - to talk about complex things in an interesting and accessible way. And in his new book, in his characteristic light and relaxed manner, he will introduce readers to a whole bunch of important facts about the human brain.
"The Red Pill" will be of interest to those who are looking for how to get rid of suspiciousness, self-doubt and cope with "chaos in the head".
6. Wake up, baby! Stop believing the lies about who you are so you can become who you're meant to be.
Author: Rachel Hollis
Genre: personal effectiveness, psychology
One of the most popular books of 2019 is aimed primarily at women. Each chapter is dedicated to a different lie that plagues the lives of millions of women around the world. The author gives examples from her own life that illustrate these lies, and then the methods she used (or would like to use) to turn the situation to her advantage.
The book touches on very pressing and urgent issues, for example:
- How to avoid putting off important things for later?
- How to stop sweating the small stuff?
- How to stop comparing yourself to others?
- How to learn to rejoice in other people's achievements, and not envy them? Etc.
5. What to do if…
Author: Lyudmila Petranovskaya
Genre: educational literature, manual for parents
One of the best children's books for all ages will be interesting not only for young readers aged 6-9, but also for their parents.
It tells in an easy, understandable form how a child should act in everyday situations that often cause discomfort or even fear. For example, how to behave if peers tease and offend, if you get lost on the street, or if you don’t have time to get out of the subway car after your parents.
A large number of illustrations serve as a visual complement to the textual advice.
For older readers (10-15 years old), a sequel to the book "What to do if... 2" has been released. It raises topics that are relevant to teenagers: difficulty studying, poor memory, friends offering to smoke, etc.
4. Sleeping Beauties
Authors: Stephen and Owen King
Genre: mysticism, horror
The action of this book, written by Stephen King with his youngest son Owen, takes place in the provincial town of Dooling in Appalachia. One by one, the townswomen, from infants to old women, are struck by an unknown epidemic. They fall into a sleep and are covered in the thinnest white cocoons.
When attempting to break these cocoons, the sleepers awaken, falling into an inhuman rage, and then fall asleep again.
At the same time as these events, a surprisingly beautiful and mysterious woman appears in the city, unaffected by the epidemic. Who is she, a messenger from Heaven, called to save from trouble or a demon hidden under a sexual shell?
3. Healing with water
Author: Sophie Mackintosh
Genre: dystopia
Three girls and their mother live on an island sanctuary built for them by their father, King, the only man they have ever seen. By his orders, the girls must undergo water treatments to wash away the toxins of the mad, dangerous outside world.
And their life is unchanged until King disappears. And two men and a boy end up on the island.
2. "Black Leopard, Red Wolf"
Author: Marlon James
Genre: fantasy, african mythology
The first novel in a promised trilogy follows the adventures of a mercenary known as the Pathfinder as he travels through ancient cities inspired by African history and mythology in search of a boy hunted by a dark sorcerer.
Man Booker Prize winner Marlon James, who calls his latest book 'Africa's Game of Thrones', demonstrates his impressive ability to combine mystery, magic and history in this thought-provoking epic.
1. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Author: Stuart Turton
Genre: fantasy, detective
The list of the most modern and popular books of 2019 is headed by the story that won the "Book Challenge" held annually on the LiveLib portal. It was read to the end by 1,972 visitors of the portal.
The plot centers on the heiress of the Hardcastle family, the beautiful Evelina, who died tragically during a masquerade ball. And the day of her murder will be repeated over and over again until Aiden Sloan, one of the guests present at the party, finds the girl's killer.
Every time he fails to find the killer, he wakes up in a different body. And each time in a different one.
The Handmaid's Tale: The Testaments
Author: Margaret Atwood
Genre: dystopia
A sequel to the best-selling book The Handmaid's Tale.
The Testaments is set 15 years after the events of the first book. The theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead remains in power, but there are signs that it is beginning to rot from within. At this critical moment, the lives of three radically different women come together.
Two of them live on opposite sides of the border: one in Gilead as the privileged daughter of a commander, and the other in Canada, where she participates in protests against Gilead and watches news of the horrors happening there on TV.
The story of these two young women is joined by a third voice: one of the women who wields power through collecting and revealing important secrets. Long-buried secrets are what finally bring these three together. And force each of them to decide how far they will go for what they believe in.
My best book this year was the autobiographical "Diary of a Forest Yangire" by Alex Murov. Thanks for the selection, I'll read it)