50
Used, New, and Out of Print Books - We Buy and Sell - Powell's Books
Cart |
|  my account  |  wish list  |  help   |  800-878-7323
Hello, | Login
MENU
  • Browse
    • New Arrivals
    • Bestsellers
    • Featured Preorders
    • Award Winners
    • Audio Books
    • See All Subjects
  • Used
  • Staff Picks
    • Staff Picks
    • Picks of the Month
    • Bookseller Displays
    • 50 Books for 50 Years
    • 25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    • 25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books From the 21st Century
    • 25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Women to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books to Read Before You Die
  • Gifts
    • Gift Cards & eGift Cards
    • Powell's Souvenirs
    • Journals and Notebooks
    • socks
    • Games
  • Sell Books
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Find A Store

PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Lists

We Can't Wait: The Best Reads of 2019

by Powell's Books, January 31, 2019 10:14 AM
22 Most Anticipated Books of 2019

Powell’s new book buyers have the daunting but enviable task of sorting through thousands of books each year to pick just the right ones for our stores. They’re a knowledgeable crew, and our go-to resource for what to read next (plus, they have all the best galleys). Below, our buying team share the spring and summer books that have them feeling good about the state of reading in 2019.
÷ ÷ ÷
Mary Jo's Picks
Mary Jo S. buys literature and science fiction. She firmly believes in the redemptive power of strong tea.
A Memory Called Empire (March 2019)
by Arkady Martine

Space opera is definitely having a moment, and A Memory Called Empire deserves all the moments. Think The Goblin Emperor set in interstellar space with a rich and deeply realized cultural backdrop. Tons of political intrigue, vivid world building, murder, secret technology, and poetic cipher are just part of the glory that is A Memory Called Empire.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (June 2019)
by Ocean Vuong

Believe the hype. This book will shred you. Unremittingly beautiful and horrific, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is filled with beautifully crafted prose that is searing and precise. Told as a letter from a son to his mother, this novel has haunted me for weeks.





Keith's Picks
Keith M. buys history, politics, social science, and business books. He would like to thank Michelle Obama.
Working (April 2019)
by Robert A. Caro

I am one of the many Caro fanatics desperately awaiting the final volume of his Lyndon Johnson series. While we wait, I’m delighted to have this book that will provide insight into Caro’s method for producing my favorite works of history.

Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (April 2019)
by Emily Bazelon

The American justice system gives prosecutors immense power with little accountability. In Charged, Emily Bazelon — one of my favorite legal writers—explains how this disparity has contributed to the mass incarceration crisis.




Corie's Picks

Corie K.-B. is our sciences and tech buyer, and a self-proclaimed DNA nerd.
The Secret Life of Genes: Decoding the Blueprint of Life (March 2019)
by Derek Harvey

Tricky subjects are so much easier to learn when pretty drawings, stunning graphs, and simple basics are provided. Genetics is so popular right now, but not exactly the easiest subject to wrap one’s mind around (based on personal experience, or course). The Secret Life of Genes: Decoding the Blueprint of Life will pave the way to deeper understanding, while entertaining at the same time.

The Lightest Object in the Universe (July 2019)
by Kimi Eisele

I love a good apocalypse title. It’s not the devastation that intrigues me, it’s the rebuilding process. Starting from scratch, the uncertainty, the coming together of people and communities that in a different world would never even share the same dinner table, let alone rebuild civilization together. I suspect The Lightest Object in the Universe will provide me with many “what if” moments.




Leah's Picks
Leah C. has always been a reader and a collector… which means she has basically spent her entire life as a book buyer, even when she wasn’t getting paid for it. Luckily, now she buys for a wide variety of adult nonfiction categories, so she can (mostly) use her powers for good.
Next World Tarot: Deck and Guidebook (February 2019)
by Cristy C. Road

Next World Tarot, an indie tarot favorite, just got picked up by one of our distributors and I couldn’t be more excited! Cristy Road spent seven years creating this gorgeous “Oracle of Resistance," combining traditional tarot symbolism with an apocalyptic theme and images of an incredibly diverse group of real-life activists and revolutionaries. Filled with queer people of color, it’s inclusive, radical, and flat-out AMAZING.

Hollow Kingdom (August 2019)
by Kira Jane Buxton

Hollow Kingdom is set in a Seattle teetering on the edge of apocalypse, now that a new zombie-like virus is spreading. Luckily there’s hope, in the form of a smart-ass domesticated crow that loves junk food, watching TV, and humanity. I found this upcoming novel funny, weird, surprisingly touching, and extremely lovable — there’s something for everyone here!




McKenzie's Picks
McKenzie W. is a romance and true-crime junkie! She spends most of her free time reading, knitting, or listening to podcasts.
A Prince on Paper (April 2019)
by Alyssa Cole

The Reluctant Royals series is everything I want in a contemporary romance: strong, diverse characters who are so much better together than they are apart! A Prince on Paper is the third title in this awesome series, but new readers will have no trouble jumping right in.

The Bride Test (May 2019)
by Helen Hoang

Helen Hoang blew the roof off of romance last year with her debut novel, The Kiss Quotient. In this companion novel, we have an autistic hero, a bold heroine from Vietnam, and the meddling mama who throws them together. I cannot WAIT to read this one!

Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide 
(May 2019)

by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

Look and listen: Georgia and Karen — hosts of the phenomenal podcast My Favorite Murder — are the coolest ladies around. If you’re into true crime, female friendship, and inappropriate humor, then you’ll devour their upcoming co-memoir.





Kim's Picks
Kim T. is the one of the children’s book buyers and the performing arts buyer, and really wants a pet capybara.
Being Edie Is Hard Today (May 2019)
by Ben Brashares and Elizabeth Bergeland

Brashares and Bergeland beautifully illustrate the comfort of being yourself. Edie deals with different emotions that manifest as different animals, depicted in stunning pencil and watercolor drawings with relatable text to help kids talk about their own emotions.

Trees: A Rooted History (April 2019)
by Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski

I’m a big fan of Bees: A Honeyed History by Piotr Socha, and I’m thrilled to see this amazing nonfiction picture book on trees! Explore one of our world's most valuable resources in a gorgeous book packed with practical information that’s approachable for all members of the family.




Leah's Picks

Leah B. buys for an assortment of subjects including art and poetry. She loves making things and is trying hard to keep her houseplants alive.
Vitamin T: Threads and Textiles in Contemporary Art (April 2019)
by Phaidon Press

I love Phaidon’s Vitamin series. So far they have covered a variety of artistic mediums, and I am so excited that it’s finally textiles’ turn! There is incredible work being made in this medium today.

Lima :: Limón (May 2019)
by Natalie Scenters-Zapico

The handful of poems I’ve read by Natalie Scenters-Zapico were extraordinary. I’m really looking forward to this new collection that focuses on immigration, gender, violence, and ultimately healing.






Doug's Pick

Doug C. orders books for Powell’s, has been referred to as a data ninja, and really just wants a nap.
This Never Happened (April 2019)
by Liz Scott

I love the spare and darkly humorous voice of this writer, and I really want to read her memoir. In this age of everyone and their cousin sending off DNA to find their roots, this book sounds like the real thing, the deep and painful beginnings of what makes us what we are.





Madeline's Picks
Madeline S. buys kids' books and foreign language titles, and has been reliably informed that she’s the quintessential Hufflepuff.
The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited! (July 2019)
by the McElroys and Carey Pietsch

I’m sure my coworkers are sick and tired of hearing me enthuse about how The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins was an incredible adaptation of an incredible podcast. Well great news, gang, I’m changing it up: it’s time for book two, Murder on the Rockport Limited! This comedic D&D twist on the classic train mystery was a delight to listen to, and I can’t wait to see Carey Pietsch’s visual take — especially on Angus McDonald, Boy Detective!

Sorcery of Thorns (June 2019)
by Margaret Rogerson

I stayed up until 2 a.m. devouring this brilliant standalone, set in a world where sorcerous texts are kept appeased and imprisoned in Great Libraries — lest they transform into menacing beasts of paper and ink. I have always found the magic of libraries compelling, and I’m a sucker for fantasies that make that magic literal. Elisabeth, main character and Library ward, is a delightful mix of Evie from The Mummy, Kel from Protector of the Small, and Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle — Rogerson’s brilliant writing actually reminded me of Diana Wynne Jones, and since Jones is my all-time favorite author, that’s saying a lot!


Tracey's Picks
Tracey T. is our cookbook buyer. When not reading or weaving or cooking in her tiny kitchen, she can be found in her backyard playing with her poodle, Mathilda. Tracey loves bacon. She has set her kitchen on fire only once.
Husbands That Cook (March 2019)
by Ryan Alvarez and Adam Merrin

This charming couple cooks delicious, healthy, and big-flavored food in their tiny kitchen. I just want to go hang out at their house and snack with them.

Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest (May 2019)
by Lauren Angelucci McDuffie

Appalachian cooking presented with highland country tales and stories. Besides the Southern cooking, this is a welcome invitation to the Blue Ridge Mountain region's beauty and way of life.






Kathi's Picks

Kathi K. has worked at Powell’s for decades and knows all too well… too many books, too little time. Sigh!
The Bird King (March 2019)
by G. Willow Wilson

Set in the last days of Muslim Spain, it’s a rousing, grand, mystical, magical adventure.

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee 
(May 2019)

by Casey Cep

Cep reports the story of a murderous preacher, his assassin, and the crusading lawyer who represented them both. It also chronicles Harper Lee’s attempt to tell this fascinating story that remains a compelling mystery.






Jennifer's Pick

Jennifer H. buys sports books. Her three favorite things are books, basketball, and cats.
Women Talking (April 2019)
by Miriam Toews

After being assaulted by some of the men from their colony, eight Mennonite women hold a secret meeting to plan what to do next. Toews is a gifted writer and gives these women a strong sense of self and hope for the future.




Books mentioned in this post

Goblin Emperor

Katherine Addison

Howls Moving Castle

Diana Wynne Jones

The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins

Clint McElroy and Griffin McElroy and Justin McElroy

Bird King

G Willow Wilson

Husbands That Cook: More Than 120 Irresistible Vegetarian Recipes and Tales from Our Tiny Kitchen

Ryan Alvarez, Adam Merrin

A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1)

Arkady Martine

Women Talking

Miriam Toews

The Bride Test

Helen Hoang

The Lightest Object in the Universe

Kimi Eisele

Charged The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution & End Mass Incarceration

Emily Bazelon

A Prince on Paper (The Reluctant Royals #3)

Alyssa Cole

Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide

Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

Trees: A Rooted History

Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski

Smoke Roots Mountain Harvest Recipes & Stories Inspired by My Appalachian Home

Lauren Angelucci McDuffie

Being Edie Is Hard Today

Ben Brashares

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

Casey Cep

Vitamin T: Threads and Textiles in Contemporary Art

Phaidon Editors and Jenelle Porter

Sorcery of Thorns

Margaret Rogerson

Secret Life of Genes

Derek Harvey

Next World Tarot

Cristy C Road

Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing

Robert A Caro
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##

Most Read

  1. Best Books of 2022: Fiction by Powell's Staff
  2. The Big List of Backlist: Books That Got Us Through 2022 by Powell's Staff
  3. 25 Books to Read Before You Die: 21st Century by Powell's Staff
  4. Powell's 2023 Book Preview: The First Quarter by Powell's Staff
  5. 7 Essential Authors Recommend Their 7 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books by Powell's Staff

Blog Categories

  • Interviews
  • Original Essays
  • Lists
  • Q&As
  • Playlists
  • Portrait of a Bookseller
  • City of Readers
  • Required Reading
  • Powell's Picks Spotlight

One Response to "We Can't Wait: The Best Reads of 2019"

Bonnie Potts February 2, 2019 at 08:24 AM
Sorry,none of these books interested me. Not a Michael Connelly,Jeffrey Deaver,Robert Crais or Lee Child among them. I love the mystery,thriller kind of book. How about a Mark Sullivan? I'm reading Beneath a Scarlet sky right now. A very good book.Thank You for listening to me. Bonnie Potts

Result(s) 1

Post a comment:

*Required Fields
Name*
Email*
  1. Please note:
  2. All comments require moderation by Powells.com staff.
  3. Comments submitted on weekends might take until Monday to appear.
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

  • Help
  • Guarantee
  • My Account
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Security
  • Wish List
  • Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Transparency ACT MRF
  • Sitemap
  • © 2023 POWELLS.COM Terms