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# What I read in 2019: Books
- URL: https://www.andrewliptak.com/what-i-read-in-2019-books-science-fiction-fantasy-history-reading/
- Published: 2020-01-01T15:47:26.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-25T13:26:37.000Z
- Author: Andrew Liptak

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/2025/09/img_2128-format-original.jpg)

2019 was quite the year. Like last year, I made a concerted effort to keep track of what books I read, documenting them in a thread on Twitter. I found it was a good way to keep me on track with my goal, and to generally promote books that I finished and enjoyed.

I set a goal for myself of 52 books (one a week), and I didn’t hit it. Nor did I come anywhere close to what I hit in [2018](https://www.andrewliptak.com/all-the-books-i-read-in-2018-science-fiction-fantasy-horror-history/) (74 books). There are a lot of reasons for this, mainly that I picked up a lot, tossed a bunch aside, and had a bunch of other distractions over the course of the year: readjusting to freelancing, a new baby, a book, and so forth.

I read a lot that I really enjoyed, a bunch that I might not have otherwise picked up, and a bunch that I didn’t like all that much. That said I’m going into 2020 with a solid list of books that I’ve half-finished, and hopefully, I’ll get through that backlog before too much longer. I read a bit more history than I have in recent years, and that’s something I want to do more of this year.

Here’s the complete list of books that I read this year (reviews are linked where applicable):

1. *Outside the Gates* by Molly Gloss
2. *Severance* by Ling Ma
3. *The Consuming Fire* by John Scalzi
4. [*The Black Tides of Heaven*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/3/20750655/jy-yang-tensorate-science-fiction-fantasy-novella-experimental-series?ref=andrewliptak.com) by JY Yang
5. *Vigilance* by Robert J. Bennett
6. *Legion vs. Phalanx: The Epic Struggle for Infantry Supremacy in the Ancient World* by Myke Cole
7. [*Golden State*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/16/18225503/ben-winters-golden-state-updates-dystopian-thriller-fakenews-era-book-review?ref=andrewliptak.com) by Ben H. Winters
8. [*Famous Men Who Never Lived*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/5/18248708/famous-men-who-never-lived-k-chess-alternate-worlds-science-fiction-book-review?ref=andrewliptak.com) by K. Chess
9. *Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson & The Making of Middle-earth* by Ian Nathan
10. *The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Millicent Patrick* by Mallory O’Meara
11. [*The Light Brigade*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/28/18276076/kameron-hurley-the-light-brigade-military-science-fiction-book-review?ref=andrewliptak.com) by Kameron Hurley
12. [*Tiamat’s Wrath*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/20/18295290/james-sa-corey-the-expanse-tiamats-wrath-science-fiction-space-opera-book-review?ref=andrewliptak.com) by James S.A. Corey
13. *Every Tool’s A Hammer: Life is What You Make It* by Adam Savage
14. *The City in the Middle of the Night* by Charlie Jane Anders
15. [*A Memory Called Empire*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/18/18528168/a-memory-called-empire-arkady-martine-space-opera-cyberpunk-book-review?ref=andrewliptak.com) by Arkady Martine
16. [*Waste Tide*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/25/18626394/waste-tide-chen-qiufan-chinese-scifi-science-fiction-class-war-book-review?ref=andrewliptak.com) by Chen Quifan
17. [*Storm of Locusts*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/2/18647318/storm-of-locusts-rebecca-roanhorse-native-american-gods-meets-mad-max-fury-road-book-review?ref=andrewliptak.com) by Rebecca Roanhorse
18. [*Ancestral Night*](https://www.andrewliptak.com/elizabeth-bear-ancestral-night-book-review-space-opera/) by Elizabeth Bear
19. [*Magic for Liars*](https://www.andrewliptak.com/sarah-gailey-magic-for-liars-fantasy-book-review/) by Sarah Gailey
20. [*The Lesson*](https://andrewliptak.substack.com/p/reading-list-the-future-of-stranger) by Cadwell Turnbull
21. [*The Descent of Monsters*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/3/20750655/jy-yang-tensorate-science-fiction-fantasy-novella-experimental-series?ref=andrewliptak.com) by JY Yang
22. [*Alphabet Squadron*](https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/13/20689093/star-wars-alphabet-squadron-alexander-freed-military-science-fiction-book-review-x-wing?ref=andrewliptak.com) by Alexander Freed
23. [*Finder*](https://www.andrewliptak.com/suzanne-palmer-finder-bookreview/) by Suzanne Palmer
24. [Ascent to Godhood](https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/3/20750655/jy-yang-tensorate-science-fiction-fantasy-novella-experimental-series?ref=andrewliptak.com) by JY Yang
25. *The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday* by Saad Z. Hossain
26. [*The Bayern Agenda*](https://www.andrewliptak.com/the-bayern-agenda-dan-moren-book-review/) by Dan Moren
27. *Becoming Superman: My Journey from Poverty to Hollywood* by J. Michael Straczynski
28. *The Moon* by Oliver Morton
29. *Miles Morale: Straight out of Brooklyn* by Saladin Ahmed
30. *The Bird King* by G. Willow Wilson
31. *Rule of Capture* by Christopher Brown
32. [*The Ten Thousand Doors of January*](https://andrewliptak.substack.com/p/reading-list-october-9th) by Alix E. Harrow
33. [*The Future of Another Timeline*](https://andrewliptak.substack.com/p/reading-list-folio-s-game-of-thrones) by Annalee Newitz
34. *Watchmen* by Alan Moore and David Gibbons
35. [*Star Wars: Resistance Reborn*](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/rebecca-roanhorses-star-wars-resistance-reborn-sets-up-the-galaxy-for-the-final-showdown-with-the-first-order/?ref=andrewliptak.com) by Rebecca Roanhorse
36. [*The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth*](https://andrewliptak.substack.com/p/reading-list-november-22nd) by Philip Pullman
37. *These Truths: A History of the United States* by Jill Lepore
38. [*Children of Ruin*](https://andrewliptak.substack.com/p/reading-list-december-19th) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
39. *The Art and Making of The Expanse*
40. *Silver in the Wood* by Emily Tesk
41. *The Magicians: Alice’s Story* by Lev Grossman / Lilah Sturges / Pius Bak
42. [*The Killing Light*](https://andrewliptak.substack.com/p/reading-list-december-19th) by Myke Cole