To Sum It All Up | My Favorites Of 2019

Hello, friends! Welcome back to yet another episode of Lila Posts Stuff Late! I'm your host, Lila, and today I've got an exciting post for you that was meant to be finished two whole days ago: My 2019 Wrap Up!

Okay, but in all seriousness, we are ten days into the new year and I am already off track when it comes to my blogging resolution to try and stick to a schedule. But, hey, at least I'm getting this post up only two days late!

Anyhoo, enough bemoaning my lack of organization and time management skills and let's get to the good stuff!
I was going to do Jamie's annual end of year wrap up (which she regularly hosts over on her blog, Perpetual Page-Turner), but I found myself repeating a lot of answers, so I decided to do this type of wrap up instead. Besides, I also wanted to talk about my non-bookish favorites! So without any further ado, let's just jump right into it!

B O O K S

My number one choice for my favorite book of 2019 should be no surprise for people who know me and/or follow me on Twitter. It's The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty! Now, this is a sequel, so I can't say much about it, but this series is about a Cairo conwoman who accidentally summons a djinn and is whisked off to an magical city only to find herself at the heart of an ancient, festering conflict. The series is full of magic, adventure, and intrigue and has the best Arab representation I've ever seen. Book two did not let me down and just solidified my undying love for this series. Definitely check it out.

Coming in at number two is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid! Honestly, if you'd have told me that this book would be one of my favorite reads of 2019, I would never have believed you! I sincerely thought I wouldn't like this book. After all, it's all the things I don't typically read: an adult book that's a blend of women's fiction, contemporary fiction, and historical fiction. Yet here we are and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of my favorite books of 2019 and honestly one of my favorite books of all time. The book tells the story of Evelyn Hugo, a bisexual, Cuban woman, and her rise to fame as an actress in the 1950s, as well as her marriages and love affairs she had along the way. Saying it like that, it doesn't really sound like an extraordinary, inspiring book, but it is. This book left its mark on my heart and I will treasure it forever.

Last but not least, at number three is another sequel, book two of The Emperium Trilogy, Kingsbane by Claire Legrand! Now, again, I can't say much about this book as it's a sequel, but what I will say is that this book wild, y'all! The Empirium Trilogy is a dual timeline series which tells the story of two queens, the blood queen and the sun queen, who live centuries apart but who are both destined to change their world. And let me tell you: this series has been a trip! It is so full of crazy twists and turns and full of enough mysteries to keep you craving the next book! Kingsbane answered some of my questions and gave me a heap of other ones! A great sequel that's left me thirsting for more!

M O V I E S   &   T V

Without a doubt, my favorite movie of 2019 was Knives Out! Equally exciting and humorous, Knives Out was a standout among the handful of movies I saw in 2019, largely due to its unforgettable pop of cinematic personality. I enjoy traditional whodunits, but this movie took my love of the genre to a new level. Part of the joy of Knives Out is that it plays with the tropes and cliches of the genre, commenting on those tropes and cliches while playing them out. All in all, it was a brilliant and entertaining film!

Another piece of visual media that I absolutely adored in 2019 was Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher! Now, granted, as of right now, I've only seen the first two episodes (so NO SPOILERS!), but I began it in 2019, so I'm counting it! Anyhoo, I've really enjoyed what I've seen so far! The show seems a great mixture of action and adventure with a hint of romance and a smattering of humor. The characters are endearing, the plot enthralling, and the cinematography is great! Definitely a must-watch for anyone who enjoys fantasy!

In 2019 I finally started watching Netflix's Stranger Things and I am so glad that I did at last! I'm only halfway through season 1 but I'm already so intrigued and invested. I have fallen hard for Hawkins and, honestly, I think it's a love that will last. I know I'm probably the last person on the planet to watch this show, but just in case you haven't seen it yet and are a fan of weird sci fi shows populated by endearing characters, let me jest say: watch Stranger Things now!

M U S I C

This past year was a great one for music! There were so many awesome albums and singles dropped from absolutely amazing artists! Some of my favorites include Ariana Grande's thank u, next, Taylor Swift's Lover, and Harry Styles' Fine Line, all of which I played on repeat throughout the year.

I also discovered Masego and Reyna Tropical and rediscovered Bea Miller (and absolutely fell in love with both of their music). I delved deeper into the music of Mereba and continued fangirling over all of Jessie Reyez's music.

All in all, I had a great musical year and I can't wait to see what 2020 brings!

O T H E R   F A V O R I T E S

One of my favorite discoveries of the past year is the Books Unbound podcast! It's a bookish podcast hosted by booktuber Ariel Bissett and former booktuber Raeleen Lemay and I just can't get enough of it! Raeleen and Ariel are so adorkable and listening to their podcast feels like a having a cozy conversation about books with good friends.

Another awesome podcast I discovered is the TANIS podcast! How can I describe TANIS? It's...weird? But, like, in the best way possible! It follows fictional podcaster named Nic Silver and his search for the mysterious, mythical thing that is Tanis. What exactly is Tanis? Well, no one seems to know. Is it a place? A person?? A thing??? No one can say but whatever it is, Nic is determined to find it. TANIS is dark and eerie (but not too much) and full of mystery and adventure. It easily captivated me and made me a fan!

2019 was the year I branched out from booktube and started watching other kinds of YouTubers. And one of my favorite YouTube finds is tiffanyferg! Tiffany is a video essayist who has this series called "Internet Analysis," where she looks at the effects of internet "culture" on our lives. She looks at fascinating topics and she always tries to really dive deep into the many facets of each subject she explores. I always leave her videos feeling like I've learned something and/or given my critical thinking skills some good exercise.

Another non-bookish YouTube channel I discovered and fell in love with in 2019 is ContraPoints! The channel features trans activist Natalie Wynn discussing the history and various sides of many so-called "social justice issues." Natalie is unafraid to tackle tough topics with her sardonic humor and wit, though she honestly tries her best to remain relatively objective. I never fail to come away from her videos feeling like I've learned something new and can better analyze the issues of today's world. An A+ channel!

My singular makeup favorite is Revlon Kiss Lip Balm, which I discovered this past summer. It's moisturizing, it's light, it adds a sweet hint of color that looks dewy and natural, and it lasts pretty well! I'm positive I'll be sticking with this item for a while!

T E L L   M E   A L L   A B O U T   I T

• What were your favorites of 2019?
• Is there anything (books, TV/movies, music, podcasts, products, etc.) you're looking forward to in 2019?