Best 4 Star Books of 2019

Yey! Finally on to the good stuff!

And there are forty good books that I have rated four stars this year! Maybe 2019 hasn't been as bad as everyone thought.

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Okay it has, but a hopeful outlook and highlighting the positive in the negative never hurt anyone. For, contrary to what I have already written in my negative book lists, I want to stay hopeful, happy and kind for the New Year. For the new decade after a terrible one. For real progress and love, not hate and ignorance, to take flight and become mainstream, in the 2020s, at last.

Never give up on hope.

But anyway, here are my forty Best 4 Star Books of 2019! In order most enjoyed; which made the most impression on me.





40. I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up by Naoko Kodama

Fun, light yuri manga. Review here.


39. Beowulf by Unknown, Seamus Heaney (Translator, Introduction)

Ageless, epic adventure poetry. Review here.


38. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Crossdressing comedy antics and challenging gender roles - and every role in society. For life is a stage. Clever wordplay. A new favourite of mine by the bard. Review here


37. Heather Has Two Mummies by Lesléa Newman (Writer), Laura Cornell (Illustrator)

Classic LBGTQ children's picture book. Read it. Banned books are the best. Review here.


36. The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Carey Pietsch (Illustrator)

A fun, riff-rolling and rip-roaring - and dice-rolling! - fantasy graphic novel. Very funny. Review here.


35. Feminists Don't Wear Pink (And Other Lies): Amazing Women on What the F-Word Means to Them by Scarlett Curtis (Author) (Curator), Bronwen Brenner (Author) (Contributor), Various

Modern feminist nonfiction text, with many female celebrity contributors. Review here.


34. Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey (Writer), Júlia Sardà (Illustrator)

Dark and gorgeous picture book about Mary Shelley and how she came to conceive of her monster. Dream haunts; dreams haunt. Review here.


33. Suki's Kimono by Chieri Uegaki (Writer), Stéphane Jorisch (Illustrator)

Colourful, sweet, adorable, and incandescent diverse picture book about tolerance and beautiful cultures. Review here.


32. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

One of the biggest surprise pleasantries of the year. Review here.


31. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

A funny and clever classic children's fantasy book that can be read in a day. Review here.



Down to the Top 30 Now:



30. Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood (Writer), Don Wood (Illustrator)

A great and beautifully-illustrated fairy tale from the eighties. Review here.


29. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

A reread. A nostalgic, sweet, imaginative, and clever fantasy dreamland, that's highly appreciated now. Review here.


28. Domino, Vol. 1: Killer Instinct by Gail Simone (Writer), David Baldeón (Illustrator)

A smart, dramatic, action-packed and highly entertaining female-led Marvel comic, by Gail Simone. Underrated. Review here.


27. Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 1 by Sorata Akizuki

A sweet little fantasy/slice-of-life romance manga, featuring an intrepid and witty heroine. Review here.


26. The Borrowers by Mary Norton

A sweet, wholesome, rich, yet quiet and creative children's fantasy classic. Timeless. Small but big at heart. Review here.


25. Goddess of the Hunt by Shelby Eileen

Poetry about Artemis, and about other Greek goddesses talking about Artemis. Heh. Stunning and powerful aro ace rep. Review here.


24. Young Miss Holmes, Casebook 1-2 by Kaoru Shintani

Cute and dynamic shoujo mystery manga, centring around Sherlock Holmes's little niece who is fast becoming his equal. "It's elementary, my dear uncle!" Review here.


23. Satoko and Nada Vol. 1 by Yupechika, Marie Nishimori (Contributor)

Great modern manga about tolerance and learning about people's cultures. Educational and hilarious. Review here.


22. Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal

Another hilarious graphic novel. Adorable. Review here.


21. Girl Friends: The Complete Collection 1 by Milk Morinaga

Beautiful high school yuri manga. So honest and real. Female friendships and companionship are forever. Review here.



Here is the Top 20:



20. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

YA fantasy that's worth liking. An imperfect, heartfelt, action-packed and dynamic dream. For rambunctious bookworms, too. A gorgeous treasure. Review here.


19. The Unstoppable Wasp: G.I.R.L. Power (The Unstoppable Wasp (2017) #1-8) by Jeremy Whitley (Writer), Elsa Charretier (Artist)

The best of Marvel I have read this year. Girl power, indeed. Intelligent and fun girl power. Review here.


18. El Deafo by Cece Bell

An autobiographical graphic novel told through cartoon bunnies, about a deaf child. Review here.


17. Sadie by Courtney Summers

A very dark, harrowing and real YA novel. An eye-opener. Horrifying, deadly, cutthroat, and tearful. You will not be the same after reading it. Among Courtney Summers' best. Review here.


16. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A reread, and I'm glad of it. A precious little classic. A lovely, darling, tender, sad, timeless tale. Review here.


15. The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

Feminist YA sci-fi. Review here.


14. Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers: Monstrosity, Patriarchy, and the Fear of Female Power by Sady Doyle

Feminist nonfiction text. Bloody brilliant, disgusting and disturbing. And vital. Review here.


13. The Princess and the Fangirl (Once Upon a Con #2) by Ashley Poston

Geeky, fab and massively diverse YA sequel to Geekerella. Review here.


12. Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries

A surprise graphic novel. Epic, unassuming feminist fantasy. Bold and strong in story and character. Review here.


11. Sabrina the Teenage Witch by Kelly Thompson (Writer), Veronica Fish (Artist)

Now THIS is the Sabrina Spellman of the 21st century that I can get behind. A fun, colourful, great witch fantasy comic. Review here.



TOP TEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



10. Brave Irene by William Steig

A fantastic children's picture book about bravery and perseverance for those you love. Thrilling and feminist. Review here.


9. Great Goddesses: Life lessons from myths and monsters by Nikita Gill

Startling, starry, spellbinding poetry. An enchantress's cosmic power lies within these pages. Nikita Gill is an amazing writer. Review here.


8. Maiden & Princess by Daniel Haack (Writer), Isabel Galupo (Writer), Becca Human (Illustrator)

A lovely LBGTQ and diversity treasure chest for children. Review here.


7. The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

W/W love - in historical fiction. Wonderful and magical. Lush and sensual. Review here.


6. The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

Important and brilliant. Short, fast and addictive, but not always easy to read. Harrowing, rage-inducing, heartbreaking, yet hopeful. LBGTQ and diversity/Muslim representation, of course. Review here.


5. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Another triumph by Angie Thomas. A worthy follow up to The Hate U Give. Review here.


4. Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

It has a bit of everything that I love. A feminist YA horror and fantasy novel. As brilliant as a Stephen King classic. Raw and brave. Review here.


3. Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

I'll never not be jealous of and rancorous towards Alice Oseman. I love her all the same. Unique, creative and terrific modern YA, and it's so diverse. Review here, my first of 2019.


2. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

One of, if not the biggest book hit of the year. And for good reason. I want to live in the world of this book so badly. Please. As imperfect as it is, it's a million times better than this world. So full of hope and goodness. Life changing, groundbreaking, and revolutionary. Best LBGTQ and diverse rep. Fucking powerful. Review here: be warned, it's very long.


1. Internment by Samira Ahmed

Relevant and powerful YA dystopia that's set ten minutes in the future. It's set now; it's set yesterday. It's worthy of receiving the same praise and mainstream attention as The Hate U Give. It deserves newsworthy scrutiny. Public and political change needs to happen right now. Another long review here.





My next, and final, list of 2019 - the extra positive Best 5 Star Books - is coming soon...