Our 2019 In Books: Sam Cohen

As 2019 comes to an end, we consider the reading that defined each of our years. In this piece, Sam Cohen reflects on reading goals and the titles that stood out.

Photos courtesy of Sam Cohen.

2019 was the first year I decided to set a reading goal for myself on Goodreads. I found myself getting progressively frustrated by the fact that I was choosing other activities — scrolling through Instagram, tuning into mindless television, watching movies I inevitably disliked and felt like I had wasted two hours consuming — instead of spending that time reading. As someone who always rises to the occasion when presented with a challenge, I knew I would read more frequently (and spend less time on tasks I didn’t enjoy as much) if I set a goal of reading 30 books throughout the year. There were times when I found it difficult to read because I was solely trying to reach my goal and wasn’t enjoying the books I was selecting as much as I did in the past. Ultimately, I’m glad I set this challenge for myself because I read more often and had the wonderful opportunity to explore new worlds, meet new characters, and learn new lessons. 2020 will bring some slight adjustments to ensure my goal is more reasonable so that I can gain all the joy of added reading time without any self-induced pressure.

The first book of the year to make me cry:

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong: I knew when setting my Goodreads goal that I wanted to read books written by diverse authors, about diverse subjects, and I was immediately intrigued by the concept of this story. Goodbye, Vitamin is centered around main character Ruth, who is simultaneously dealing with the end of her engagement and her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The book is poignant, sweet, and honest, with brilliant bursts of humor sprinkled throughout. This was the first book of the year to make me cry, as it was so incredibly human and so profound, that I felt myself becoming attached to these characters as if they were my own family.

The book that finally made it out of the TBR pile: 

Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller: This book was at the very top of my “To Be Read” pile since it was released in 2017. Part mystery, part fictive exploration, Swimming Lessons hooked me from the very first sentence. After Ingrid Coleman disappears from Dorset Beach, her husband Gil begins finding thousands of letters she had written to him over the course of their marriage hidden away in the piles of books he holds in his collection. Becoming obsessed with the prospect of finding out how Ingrid’s story really ends, Gil loses himself in the process of trying to discover every secret note. This takes a toll on their two daughters, Flora and Nan, who are equally brilliant. Each girl responds to the loss of their mother differently, and it is through this mysterious web of interconnected family lives that we learn the truth of what really happened to Ingrid.

Claire Fuller is a wonderfully descriptive, honest truth-teller. Swimming Lessons is one of my favorite books of the year and the first that I typically recommend when people are looking for something new to read. From beginning to end, I found myself alternately intrigued and emotional as I began to feel the heaviness of what happens when the ripple effect of loss spreads into multiple directions for one family.

The books from uncharted territories:

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli: Adding to my reading exploration in 2019, I decided to delve into genres previously uncharted. I have always been interested in the subject of science—I love astronomy, and the vastness of the universe—but I did poorly in my science classes at school because I could never quite grasp the concepts that were presented. Since then, I’ve largely stayed away from science despite my silent love for this amazing world. To combat my suspicions that science was not made for me, I selected two audiobooks from Libby to listen to during the day while I worked. This was a new experience on numerous levels, as I was not someone who really listened to audiobooks. I frequently got distracted, which I now realize was merely the result of choosing the wrong audiobooks.

I began with The Order of Time which is brilliantly read by Benedict Cumberbatch. I am a massive fan of his acting, and the experience of listening to him read this book was undoubtedly one of my favorite reading experiences of all time. His voice is soothing and cathartic, and I felt like I was understanding science in a way that I had never understood before. Rovelli’s writing is amazing in that it’s informative but reads like fiction. He doesn’t write down, but he composes his sentences in a way that helps you learn the subject without feeling like your brain is working overtime to do so.

After completing The Order of Time, I wanted to see what else Carlo Rovelli had to offer. I borrowed the audiobook for Seven Brief Lessons on Physics which was read by the author himself. An equally wonderful narrator, Rovelli steadily lays out the basic principles of physics in a quiet cadence. If you’re looking for the perfect audiobooks to listen to in 2020, start with these.

The fastest (most enthralling) read of the year:

The French Girl by Lexie Elliott: If asked to choose my favorite literary genre, without hesitation I would choose Mystery/Thriller. While I love the classics, non-fiction, poetry, new fiction, and horror, nothing grabs my attention quite like thrillers. I have been a sucker for the craft since reading Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series, and each year I try to read as many thrillers as I can. One of the standouts of 2019 was The French Girl by Lexie Elliott. Of all the books I read this year — I ended up exceeding my goal slightly by finishing 31 books by December — I read this book the fastest.

Centered around six university students from Oxford, the story seeks to uncover the truth of one tragic night in the French countryside when the group was on holiday. While sunbathing in France, the group meets the cool and beautiful Severine, a mysterious young woman who ultimately sets events in motion that change the course of each group member’s life forever. I absolutely could not put this book down, and I was immensely satisfied by the ending, which is a feat not often accomplished in this genre.

The book that ended up becoming a new favorite:

The Muse by Jessie Burton: My favorite book in 2019, and now one of my favorite books of all time, is The Muse by Jessie Burton. I’m not sure I can adequately express how much I love this novel. The characters were vibrant and lifelike, and I felt immersed in the story in a way that I had not truly experienced since reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt some years ago. I’ve read numerous books that I’ve loved, but The Muse changed me in a fundamental way once the story was over. After reading the last paragraph, I immediately wanted to begin the book again to understand it from a new perspective.

Burton is a master of the craft, and infinitely underrated in my humble opinion. Her details, characters, and settings are equally convincing. Told from dual perspectives, The Muse tells one cohesive story behind the creation of a haunting painting. Featuring themes of love, loss, and artistic expression, this book is so powerful that I didn’t finish another book for several weeks after I closed its cover.

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Sam Cohen is a writer and editor based in New England. She lives with her wonderful partner Caleb, and enjoys learning new languages, drinking lattes, and spending time with her loved ones. Sam is an avid reader who practices yoga and tries to laugh as often as possible.