The year 2019 seemed to roll by far too fast!  My last book of the year was Olive, Again A novel by Elizabeth Strout.  I was excited when I found out that Strout had written a sequel to her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Olive Kitteridge, released in 2008.  Her new novel follows the same format as it's predecessor, which is a novel told in stories. The main character and the setting are the same but Olive is older and a little wiser. Characters from another great Strout novel, The Burgess Boys, make an appearance, too. Olive is one of my favorite fictional characters though not the most likeable by far!   It is a stand alone book but I definitely suggest you read Olive Kitteridge first.  I understand it was made into a wonderful miniseries, starring Frances McDormand, as the title character.
 
Below is a list of some of the bestsellers from 2019 in case you missed reading some of them:
 
Where the Crawdad Sings by Delia Owen:  A story of the "Marsh Girl" living in a coastal town in North Carolina.
 
Becoming by Michelle Obama:  An enjoyable read that gives insight to the private lives of a family living very much in the limelight.
 
Educated by Tara Westover:  A memoir recounting the story of a girl who has to leave behind her survivalist family to get a life changing education.
 
The Institute by Stephen King:  The story of kids confronting evil in a sinister institution.
 
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides:  A psychological thriller about a woman who kills her husband and then goes silent and refuses to speak . A criminal psychologist attempts to get her to talk and solve the mystery of why she killed.
 
The Guardians by John Grisham:  A black man, convicted and sent to prison for a murder he did not commit, writes a letter to Guardian Ministries and they accept his innocence case at their peril from the actual killers.
 
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris:  A novel of hope, love and courage told through interviews with a Holocaust survivor.
 
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood:  Another brilliant sequel to one of my favorite books, The Handmaid's Tale.  Atwood picks up Offred's story fifteen years later.
 
Hope you enjoy catching up on some good reading you may have missed.