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Econogal’s Top Ten Favorite Books of 2019

Posted on by Econogal

 

Compiling the list for Econogal’s Top Ten Favorite Books of 2019 is proving quite difficult. One reason is the number of books read. Over the past 12 months, a book read and reviewed each week was the goal. A few weeks I read more, but that was offset by a stray week here and there where nothing was reviewed. And one week where nothing was even read.

Furthermore, if I use the same format as Econogal’s Top Ten Favorite Books of 2018 (Click here to read.) I need five fictional entries and five books in the non-fiction category. Herein lies the problem. I am short in the non-fiction category of books I care to recommend. But, the number of books for the fiction side is too numerous.

Statistical Favorites

Bloggers have many tools at their disposal to analyze the posts they publish. The backside of a website is quite complex, but also useful. Basic analytics include the number of times a post is accessed. The book with the greatest number of clicks is The Only Woman in the Room, a fictionalized account of the life of Hedy Lamarr. Heads You Win was a close second. I enjoyed both and both are on my list, but not at the top.

Debut Novels

I love discovering new authors. So each year I look for debut writings. Quite a few caught my attention in 2019. Allison Schrager’s An Economist Walks into a Brothel leads the way in the non-fiction category. The fictional counterpart listed in Econogal’s Top Ten Favorite Books of 2019 is Disappearing Earth which is the debut work of Julia Phillips.

Other outstanding new voices include Lydia Fitzpatrick with Lights All Night Long, and Maura Roosevelt’s Baby of the Family. Each provide food for thought while entertaining the reader. I highly recommend both.

Almost There

I have six titles that were in contention to make Econogal’s Top Ten Favorite Books of 2019. Each is worth the read. Look for them at your nearest library or book store. In no particular order: Last Woman Standing, Break Point, The Break Down, The Last Second, The Black Ascot and Only Killers and Thieves.

Since I am short on the non-fiction list, I offer one combined list. The designation follows the title. As with last year’s list, Econogal’s Top Ten Favorite Books of 2019 reviews can be accessed by clicking on the title.

 

Top Ten List

 

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips                                                       Fiction

Lights All Night Long by Lydia Fitzpatrick                                            Fiction

An Economist Walks Into a Brothel by Allison Schrager                    Non-Fiction

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center                                     Fiction

Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer                                                             Fiction

Baby of the Family by Maura Roosevelt                                                  Fiction

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman                                                  Fiction

Don’t Stop Believin’ by Jonathan Cain                                                     Non-Fiction

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict                                 Fiction

Firefighting: The Financial Crisis And Its Lessons by Bernanke, Geithner and Paulson, Jr.    Non-Fiction

Last Woman Standing Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

On the surface, Last Woman Standing by Amy Gentry is a novel about the male dominated industry of stand-up comics. But in this case the protagonist and comic is a woman of color. Dana Diaz is the central character of this complex story of fame, success, psychosis, the #MeToo movement and revenge. At the beginning of the story Diaz is on the run from her past. At the end she owns her future. But an amazing tale fills the center.

We meet Diaz onstage at an Austin comedy club. Bombing. Badly. A lone woman’s laughter gets her through the performance. Amanda Dorn introduces herself afterwards. She is a techie who lost her job after filing a sexual harassment suit against a co-worker. As a victim of sexual harassment, Dorn recognizes Diaz as another target of unwanted advances.

Gentry’s plot takes a step toward revenge at this point. The two women engage in payback, with a twist. Each goes after the other’s aggressors. Concurrently, Diaz is achieving success on the stage. Perhaps her accomplishments trigger her consciousness. She begins to regret her actions and tries to cut ties with Dorn.

Austin to L.A.

The re-location of the story from Austin to L.A. mirrors the mental changes in both Diaz and Dorn. Our protagonist becomes more grounded and Dorn more psychotic. At this point in the story, Gentry begins providing twist after twist in the plot.
The revenge extracted by Dorn on behalf of Diaz takes a deadly turn. Moreover, Amanda’s psychosis becomes more evident.

Diaz turns to Jason Murphy, a childhood friend. The two search for a way to combat the control Amanda Dorn has over Diaz. Once again there is a major twist in the plot.

Without giving away too much, a final victim falls to the avengers. But this time someone is held responsible. But is justice served? Read Last Woman Standing to find out. The novel delivers so much more than sheer entertainment.

Many books reflect the current events of society. New York Station reflected the politically influenced 2016 national elections in the United States. I personally think the #MeToo movement served as a catalyst for Amy Gentry’s Last Woman Standing.

Online Cyber Harassment

Sexual harassment has been present for eons. Now the harassment reaches cyber space. Online bullying includes sexting, trolling and stealing personal information from various web sources. These attacks can be every bit as harmful as physical attacks.

Recently, a reader sent me a link with a very valuable article. The website vpnmentor.com published a lengthy, informative article on cyber security aimed specifically at women. The post The Empowering Internet Safety Guide for Women written by Sara Levavi-Eilat provides detailed steps on protecting one’s privacy online.

If I were still teaching at the local community college, I would incorporate this article into the curriculum. The information is comprehensive and very helpful. As an individual who values privacy I cringe at how much information is posted on the various social media sites.

This does not mean one cannot belong to any or utilize the many apps out there. But please use good judgement. The article written by Levavi-Eilat and produced by an all-woman crew will help regain your privacy and offers a way to safeguard against aggressors without resorting to the tactics employed by the key characters in Last Woman Standing.

Sexual Harassment

Contrary to the many jokes heard in stand-up comedy routines, sexual harassment is not a joking matter. The worst case scenario occurs when harassment turns into assault. Protect yourself. Click on and read The Empowering Internet Safety Guide for Women. Then think twice before you upload that next photo onto social media. Women should not need to worry about how our image is used. But the sad truth is we do.

Last Woman Standing is a good vehicle for this message as well as being an entertaining novel. The question posited is who has your back? When it comes to an online presence, each individual can do a great deal to protect themselves. Set limits on your social media apps when possible. Proactive behavior is essential. To steal a line from Sargent Esterhouse on the long-ago T.V. show Hill Street Blues-“Let’s be careful out there.”