Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Books I Read In 2019

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.


My Top Ten Favourite Books of 2019

I’m stoked that I managed to read 45 books this year. I know that’s not very many compared to some people (I don’t know how they do it), but it’s more than I’ve managed before, and so many of them were fantastic reads! 15/40 five star reads for the year, wow!  Maybe I need to be more picky with my ratings, or I’m just good at picking books I know I will enjoy :). I’ve read lots of indie books the last couple of years, and there are a few authors that I just love who made it onto this list.

Click here to see all of the books I’ve read this year: AB’s year in books 2019.

So here’s the list, in no particular order, except the first two, which are from an author I just discovered and I love and can’t wait to read more of this series.

Guild Codex Series:
I loved Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie (review here), it was so much fun to read! Then the first book in a spin-off came out, Taming Demons for Beginners, and I read that one (even though it’s technically out of order) and I loved that one EVEN MORE. I love the world, I love the characters, the writing is fantastic! I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of this series, and everything else by this author.

The Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic 1, 2, 3:
Slouch Witch, Star Witch, Spirit Witch, by Helen Harper.
Where are my fellow lazybones at? Would you rather get comfy on the couch and read or watch tv than go to work? Do you love smart and witty heroines matched against strong and equally clever hotties? I mean heroes. Do you like talking cats? Do you like to laugh out loud when you’re reading on the train? Then this series is for you! I seriously love these books. Reviews coming soon.

War, The Four Horsemen 2:
Phew! That cover is hawt! I am loving all the feels in this book, it’s violent and passionate and when is the next one coming out?! Laura Thalassa is the queen of enemies to lovers and I am obsessed with this series so far. Do yourself a favour and check out book 1: Pestilence (also with a smoking hot cover).

Cress, The Lunar Chronicles 3:
I think this was my favourite book of the Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Mayer, so far. The plot is getting out of control and I love it. The changing view-points between the three main characters is really fun and I love how their stories intertwine. I just picked up Winter from the library and it's huge!. So excited to finish this series, and I will want to read it again at some stage as so much has happened, and I want to relive it.

Demigod of San Francisco 2 & 3:
Can I just say that the titles and covers of these books makes it look like a trashy romance novel, and do NOT DO IT JUSTICE, like AT ALL. These books were so good! The world-building is amazing with a really cool magic system and an independent heroine with a great cast of motley characters. Also some pretty sexy romance, but it’s so much more than that! Well done K. F Breene.

Wrecked:
This one was quite a surprise for me. I don’t usually read contemporary romance, I much prefer fantasy books in general, but I like Leia Stone’s other series so I figured I should try it. This one is a dark romance with the MC escaping an abusive marriage. It was really good. The suspense, romance and the character development are fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It might even encourage me to read contemp romance more than once a year, maybe.


 Well, there's my list for this year. I'm so excited for all the new books I'm going to read in 2020. Have you read any of these books? What were some of your favourite reads of the year? Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading and Happy New Year! If you enjoyed this post you can follow me on Instagram for updates @iwishiownedabookstore 💗

Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie

Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie
(The Guild Codex: Spellbound #1)
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig.

It went downhill the moment they asked me to do a trial shift instead of an interview—to see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete dickheads, and I was an ***hole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right?

I expected to get thrown out on my ***. Instead, they… offered me the job?

It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I'm exactly the kind of takes-no-*** bartender this guild needs, or there's a good reason no one else wants to work here.

So what's a broke girl to do? Take the job, of course—with a pay raise.

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Book Depository | Available in KU

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This book was so much fun! I read it twice, first the paperback and then the audiobook, which I never do. There is a strong, independent heroine with a motley crew of awesome characters and great world-building with enough explanation so you know what’s going on but also plenty left to be discovered in future books. I’m adding all of Annette Marie’s books to my TBR. I seriously enjoyed this book, I thought it was really well written (though I didn’t like the narrator for the audiobook, sorry), all the characters have strong, individual personalities and I can’t wait to read more of their shenanigans. We learn a little about the MC’s past and there is room for further character development for Tori and the guys. There’s just the right amount of magic and action, the plot is well-paced, and I love the cover!

Dragon Mated by Jaymin Eve

Dragon Mated by Jaymin Eve
Supernatural Prison #3
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It is said that if you lie with snakes for long enough, you either become a snake or you get bitten and die. Makes perfect sense. Except if you are a wolf. If you are a wolf, you lie in wait, you bide your time, and right when their guard is down you kill that f#@king snake.
Jessa Lebron – currently prisoner of asshole dragon king. 

In the epic conclusion to the Supernatural Prison trilogy, Jessa Lebron finds herself trapped in the palace of Larkspur, the dragon king. She will have to play it smart and fight with everything to stay one step ahead of him and while at times it’s tough to keep her focus, she will do anything to escape and reunite with her boys, the Compass quads.
Of course, it’s impossible not to dig deeper into the curse of the dragon mark. As more information is uncovered, she starts to understand why she, of all supernaturals, was the one to be singled out. And this changes everything she thought she knew. Turns out she doesn’t know a damn thing.

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Book Depository | Available in KU

(Reviews for book 1 and book 2 in case you missed them)

This book was the perfect end to the trilogy. Not only was there plenty of action, - Jessa was a very busy girl- but we learned so much more about the origins of the Dragon Marked curse and about the dragons and the Shining ones (the Fae Gods). I was very impatient for answers in book 2, and I got way more than I expected and I love how it all came together. We meet a couple of new characters which round out the story well, and of course the Dragon King is actually a major player in this one rather than some distant threat. Jessa and the Compasses face some big challenges, and kick some serious butt. 

There were so many 'omg wow' and 'wait what?!' moments, and learning all of the forgotten secrets about the dragon king and his curse really filled in the story. I loved it. A very satisfying ending (but with room for some spin-offs 😉). 

If you enjoyed the first two books in the series, you will not be disappointed! Jaymin Eve really knows how to write a good ending.  4.5 stars.

[More details below; no spoilers]

Dragon Mystics by Jaymin Eve

Dragon Mystics by Jaymin Eve

Supernatural Prison #2
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Jessa’s dragon mark is revealed, and she learns that she is a one-of-a-kind dual shifter, both wolf and dragon, she must flee from the Four, the powerful quads who hunt the dragon marked. The only safe place for her kind is a hidden sanctuary in Romania guarded by the dragon mystics, where other dragon marked are awaiting, or dreading, the resurrection of the dragon king, supposedly in one months time. With her impossibly gorgeous and infuriating best friends, the Compass quads, by her side, can Jessa find the answers she needs? Why is she special, can they trust the dragon mystics, and can they stop the dragon king from rising again to rule - or destroy - all supernaturals? 

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Book Depository | Available in KU

Overall I really enjoyed this next installment of the series, probably a little more than book 1 (go here if you haven’t read it). There is great character development and relationship building between Jessa and her friends and family. Things get a little more serious with some emotional ups and downs, but we still get the entertaining banter and interactions between Jessa and the boys. We get some good slow-burn romance in this one. I think the author does really well at building tension and chemistry between the main characters. I wish that Jessa and her long lost twin Mischa got to spend more bonding time together, but that would probably somewhat ruin the plot. The bad guys (actually girls) are creepy and mysterious and I was totally rooting for Jess to punch them in the face, but at least she gets some good snarky comments in;

“I’m going to stop you right there, because the crazy train has already left the station and I think you missed your seat.”

The world-building gets more interesting, but we are still only getting little tidbits of information about the dragon king and the curse which leads me to make up all sorts of crazy theories about what’s going to happen, only to be proven wrong in the next book. I actually found this a little frustrating - which I suppose is good writing because it builds suspense, and I’m just impatient - but don’t worry, all the questions get answered in book 3.

There are a couple of things which bothered me (mainly about Mischa) and some things which I think could have been given more attention, so only four stars. Oh yeah, and there’s a fun cliffhanger ending, don’t we all just love those? (It’s actually a pretty cool ending with a twist or two). I love reading about these characters and I went straight on to read book 3. 

[Continue for more details; contains mild spoilers]

Dragon Marked by Jaymin Eve

Dragon Marked by Jaymin Eve
Supernatural Prison #1
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jessa Lebron is a wolf shifter living in the supernatural prison community of Stratford. A town where powerful supernaturals (shifters, vampires, wizards and fey) guard the prison and protect their secrets from the human world. But things are about to get shaken up when some supes are mysteriously murdered, and when Jessa’s mother (who abandoned her years ago) returns bringing a dangerous secret: Jessa is dragon marked. She was touched by a thousand year old curse from birth. The dragon marked are destined to resurrect the fallen dragon king, and because of this they are hunted. When Jessa finds herself locked up in Vanguard, the prison full of dangerous criminals, she and her best friend Braxton Compass, a powerful dragon shifter, must survive while keeping her secret safe.  

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Book Depository | Available in KU

Overall Impression: I really enjoyed reading this but I only gave it four stars because the writing isn’t the best. This is one of the authors’ earlier works and I keep coming back to read more of her books so she must be doing something right. The characters are really fun, and the story is captivating, combined with some cool world-building and entertaining dialogue, which I think makes up for the sometimes unsophisticated writing style. I still definitely want to read the rest of the series to find out what happens with the dragon king, and what makes Jessa special. There are only hints of romance in this book, but you can tell it’s leading to more, and I’m looking forward to reading that.

Our MC Jessa is a strong-willed alpha wolf shifter who likes cake (I love her already) and kicks butt  when she wants to. She does not back down from a fight and is constantly vying for equal dominance with her four best friends the Compass brothers. They are quadruplets born from hybrid parents, so each one is a different race of supernatural, a dragon shifter, vampire, wizard and fey, (it’s magic just go with it) and all four are powerful, destined to be the next leaders of their community.
Having grown up together the five of them are very close, and the book has some reverse harem vibes going on, even though it isn’t. All supes have one true mate, and are always the same race, so one guess who Jessa will end up with 😉. (If you do want a RH book by this author try Trickery, it’s really good.)

[Mild spoilers below]