Best Books of 2019
Last updated: December 11, 2024
Every year, we approach experts and ask them to recommend the best books that have been published in their field that year. Below youāll find all our best books of 2019 reading lists as they are published on Five Books. (Our best books of 2018 andĀ 2017 lists are also still available: those books are also well worth reading!).
For subjects like philosophy, history, economics, and science these book recommendations have been specifically made for Five Books. For broad subjects like nonfiction and fiction, where there are so many books and topics it's impossible for any individual to make a call on what the best books are, we tend to interview the chair of distinguished prizes, as they have systematically gone through all the books published that year to choose the very best.
Either way, we can guarantee one thing: all the books below are very, very good books.
The Best Poetry Books of 2019, recommended by Simone White
New collections of poetry are increasingly pushing the bounds of language and performance in intelligent, creative, perceptive ways, says Simone White, a poet and Assistant Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania. Here, she recommends some of her favorite poetry books published (or republished) in 2019.
The Best History Books of 2019, recommended by Paul Lay
From the most brutal siege of World War I to the renewed significance of an ideology many of us had dismissed as defunct, 2019 was a good year for traditional history books on big themes. Paul Lay, editor of History Today, talks us through his picks of the best history books of the year.
Editors’ Picks: Favorite Books of 2019, recommended by Stephanie Kelley
Looking for captivating, eccentric novels, essays and letters to read at the turn of the new year? Five Books literary editor Stephanie Kelley shares favorites from her year in readingānew and old.
Editors’ Picks: Children’s Books, recommended by Sophie Roell
Five Books editor Sophie Roell selects the best children’s books of 2019, after intense discussions with her family about which books should make the list.
The Best Climate Books of 2019, recommended by Sarah Dry
In an age when we all need to work together to slow down climate change, which books are the most effective in spurring us to action? Historian of science Sarah Dry, author of Waters of the World, recommends some of the best and most important climate books of 2019.
The Best Cookbooks of 2019, recommended by Becky Krystal
Taking in cuisines from Israel to Vietnam and India, Becky Krystal, lead writer of the Washington Post’s Voraciously, recommends some of her favourite cookbooks of 2019. These books stand out for their originality, the accessibility of their recipes and their literary and aesthetic qualities.
Editors’ Picks: Notable Books of 2019, recommended by Cal Flyn
Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn reflects on a year of spectacularly rich literary output, highlighting notable new books from Mary Gaitskill and Robert Macfarlane, as well as sparkling debuts that mark the arrival of exciting new literary voices in 2019.
The Best Kids’ Books of 2019, recommended by Bianca Schulze
While not every book is for every child,Ā for every child there is a book, says Bianca Schulze, editor and founder of The Children’s Book Review and the author of 101 Books To Read Before You Grow Up.Ā She recommends her pick of the best kids’ books of 2019, all books that will make you ‘feel’ something.
The Best of Nature Writing 2019, recommended by Charles Foster
What do we talk about when we talk about nature? Almost everything, says theĀ academic and bestselling author of Being a Beast, Charles Foster. Here he selects five of the best works of nature writing in 2019; books that seek to connect us more deeply with the non-human world.
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1
The Moon: A History for the Future
by Oliver Morton -
2
The Second Kind of Impossible: The Extraordinary Quest for a New Form of Matter
by Paul J. Steinhardt -
3
The Snow Leopard Project: And Other Adventures in Warzone Conservation
by Alex Dehgan -
4
The Gendered Brain
by Gina Rippon -
5
Waters of the World
by Sarah Dry
The Best Science Books of 2019, recommended by Barbara Kiser
The Best Science Books of 2019, recommended by Barbara Kiser
It’s been another fabulous year for science books that make important scientific developments accessible to a general audience. Barbara Kiser, Books & Arts Editor at Nature, talks us through her favourite science books of 2019.