The Best Books I Read in 2020

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.