I read 140 books this year, but these are the Best Books of 2020. There's a good mix of new and old books, as well as fiction and non-fiction. Get your library cards ready!
2020 felt like the longest year in which nothing (and everything) happened.
But, while we spent a lot of time in a strange limbo over here, I did still manage to read 140 books!
One of my favorite ways to start a new year is to go back through all the books I read the previous year and choose my favorites. I am, however, terribly indecisive so I've separated them into a few different lists.
Here is the first list: the adult fiction and non-fiction books (both new books in 2020, as well as older titles) I loved the very most this year. If you're looking for something great to read, I highly recommend one of these.
By Maggie O'Farrell While it's usually hard for me to pick favorites, this one was an easy pick for my favorite novel of the year. Set in the 1580's, it tells the story of Shakespeare's son Hamnet and his wife Judith. The writing is breathtakingly beautiful and the story weaves together like a fine tapestry. Magnificent! By Ruth Emmie Lang This moving, magical book completely stole my heart. It's a strange story about a boy who was orphaned, raised by wolves, and while he never fits in anywhere, as he grows up his life touches people in unforgettable ways. This one reads like a fairytale for grownups. By Barack Obama 2020 was the perfect year for this book - a look back at the first part of the Obama presidency. I listened to the audiobook version, read by Obama himself, and I loved it. A very compelling read! By Colum McCann This fiction book tells the real life story of a friendship between a Palestinian man and an Israeli man, both of whom experience painful and violent losses in their lives. It's not a straightforward narrative, but rather a blend of stories, quotes, bible passages, and photographs that all connect to tell the larger story. It's an unusual book but it was a stunning read for me and one I'll be thinking about for some time. By Anthony Doerr 2020 may have been the year of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, but it was fun to travel to Rome with Doerr in this book. I loved every single page of this one. By Ibram X. Kendi Given the year we just had, it will come as no surprise that I read quite a few books about racism and inequality - this was the standout book though. This powerful and informative book gave me a lot of tools to help me reframe my thinking about race and really reflect on my own biases and misconceptions. The book is kind of text-bookish, but well worth reading. By James Baldwin The power and beauty of this short book took me by surprise. The book is two letters written by Baldwin on the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation and they are brilliant and moving. This book brought me to tears and I definitely plan on re-reading at some point. By Bessel Van Der Kolk This book changed my life. I wrote a full review here. By Emily Ruskovich This is one of those books that I think people will either love or hate. But, I think you're less likely to hate it if you understand going in that it really isn't supposed to be a mystery thriller (although it is often tagged as such) and all of your questions won't be answered. The book opens with a tragic crime, but rather than presenting a mystery to be solved, the author tells a story that examines the effects of violence, love, and memory. It was an unexpected book and I thought it was very moving. By Kevin Wilson What a weird and wonderful book. I kept laughing out loud as I read this one and was completely delighted by the end. I've never read anything quite like this one before! I think the less said about this book, the better because it's fun to go into it not knowing anything and just be surprised by the quirky turns the book takes. I loved it! Now, could someone just make this into a really good movie, please? By Curtis Sittenfeld This book is very loosely based on the life of Laura Bush. It follows Alice Blackwell through her life, beginning in the 1940's, and her path to becoming first lady. I couldn't put this one down! By R. Eric Thomas I LOVED this book of essays! I mostly read it on kindle, but I listened to a couple of the essays on audiobook and that was wonderful too. This collection of essays is a hilarious and poignant memoir of growing up as Gay and Black in White, conservative, Christian spaces. This book was laugh-out-loud funny, even while it tackles difficult topics and experiences. The Best Books I Read in 2020
Hamnet
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance
A Promised Land
Apeirogon: A Novel
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World
How to Be an Antiracist
The Fire Next Time
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Idaho: A Novel
Nothing to See Here
American Wife: A Novel
Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America; Essays
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (A very twisty mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat!)
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal (A big hearted book that left me with a huge smile on my face when I finished.)
The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry (I have a special place in my reading heart for medieval historical fiction and this one was phenomenal!)
The Body by Bill Bryson ( Very fun non-fiction! I wrote a full review of this one here)
The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey (It begins with a mystery, but turns into a really beautiful tale of a complicated family - loved it!)
I'd love to hear YOUR best books of 2020 - let me know in the comments.
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