best reads of 2020

I always like to participate in reading challenges. This year, I of course did the Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge (completed in June, thank you very much). But I also created my own challenge by seeking to read 12 or more books from each of the following categories: rereads / re-listens of past favorites, banned books, YA / dystopian, and minority authors. Some books met more than one category and were counted as such (for example, Scythe got counted as minority, YA, and banned since it was in all of those categories). I was able to meet my goal and even exceed it in some categories - 20 minority books! My go to genre is thriller, and those always seem to be written by old white men and (maybe) crazy white women, so this year really stretched me, and I loved it! At the outset of 2020, I also had a goal to read and listen to 55 books. Welp, with a global pandemic and way more time at home, I was able to read and listen to 105 books this year. As always, here is my roundup of my top reads and listens of the year. I typically make a top 10 list, but since there are no rules in 2020, I did 13 favorites. My original plan was 12, but I had a New Year's Adam audio finish that warranted being added to the list after I had this draft written. I am numbering this with the ones I found myself always going back to and recommending to others at the very top.

1. Rodham (Curtis Sittenfield) - What would have happened if Hillary had not married Bill? That is the question this gem seeks to answer. I am not typically a fan of reimagined history (or the family at the spotlight), but I am a fan of beautiful writing, which Sittenfield gave us in spades, and the White House in general. The most interesting part of this was how Bill & Hillary were still in each other's orbits by the end of the book. I devoured this book, and I probably recommended it to everyone I know. This was my favorite of the year by a landslide.

2. Such a Fun Age (Kiley Reid) - This book was a hard read, but all in all it was a delight. A young African-American babysitter is accused of first kidnapping and then abusing the Caucasian girl who is in her care, and the media storm that follows is large. This opened up a lot of good conversations about our perceptions about race relations in America and especially class privilege. There was more language than I would have liked, but I find myself able to skip over that more when I am reading versus listening. Our protagonist was full of growth and strength, and I loved her even more for that.

3. Coast to Coast Murders (James Patterson) - If you've followed my reading for any length of time, you know James and I have an on again / off again relationship. And this one brought my back into his orbit full circle (to the point of getting caught up on the Alex Cross series this month). We see adopted siblings being framed for murder at the outset and later learn the deep affect of their psychiatrist parents' experiments on their lives. I could not put this book down, and I finished the 500+ pages in just over 48 hours. 

4. The Vanishing Half (Brit Bennett) - What are the consequences for passing as white? How is your life different if you choose not to pass as white? Bennett expertly answered that question in this heartbreakingly beautiful narrative that sees twin sisters who are light-skinned follow different paths. One chooses to pass as white and one does not. The ramifications for each are deep and life-changing. I recommended this book for our faculty book club, and it got mixed reviews - mainly for character development. I agree that there could have bene more growth, but the prose in this won me over. I filled up an entire page in my reading journal with beautiful (and sometimes heartbreaking) quotes from it.

5. City of Girls (Elizabeth Gilbert) - The best word I heard to describe this was "razzmatazz," and that hit the nail on the head. Our protagonist Vivian leaves her sheltered life to become a seamstress for show girls in 1940s New York. The imagery and characters were a true delight. There were some blush-worthy moments, but I feel like it kept in tone of what the book was trying to accomplish. Rebekah & I both listened to this on audio and hooted with laughter multiple times. The narrator was a true delight. If you pick this one up, know that about 1/2 - 3/4 it bogs down a bit, but it does pick back up in the end.

6. Mexican Gothic (Silvia Moreno-Garcia) - Set in 1950s Mexico, we find Noemi headed to her cousin's house after she receives a worrying letter about her husband possibly trying to kill her. What is revealed is that the estate she is living in is haunted. Noemi seeks to find the truth to save her cousin while also avoiding the trap of the house. This was the perfect balance of spooky and interesting without going overboard on the scary factor. I listened to this the week of Halloween, and it was perfect for that time of year. Also, the cover gave me ALL kinds of Hispanic Olivia Pope vibes.

7. Know my Name (Chanel Miller) - You may know Chanel's name from her victim impact statement went viral on Buzz Feed following her sexual assault by Brock Turner, an swimmer at Stanford with Olympic hopes. This was a heartbreaking account of the way Chanel's life was impacted by the night of the attack. It was not an easy read, but it was also important in terms of being a voice for victims and proving we really need to do a better job at listening to them.

8. The Stationery Shop (Marjan Kamali) - We find Roya and Bahman, two star-crossed teens in 1950s Tehran and how their lives change and intertwine decades later. I don't want to go into too much detail, because it will spoil the plot. The stationery shop, in itself, is a character here. I laughed, I cried, I talked back to the characters. This was a delight on audio.

9. Big Summer (Jennifer Weiner) - Weiner is hit and miss for me. Sometimes she goes a little too far left into the political landscape, and sometimes we get super sappy stories of friendship and love. This one, however, was neither, and it was a homerun in my book. Daphne, a plus-sized influencer, is asked to be a bridesmaid in her high school BFF's wedding. Drue has everything Daphne wants, and even though they had parted ways because of the way Drue treated her, Daphne can't resist Drue's orbit of influence. While at the wedding festivities though, this turns into a murder mystery. I never saw that part coming, and the remainder of the book is spent determining whodunit in a non-cheesy way. As a FFF (former fat friend) I saw so much of myself in this narrative. It was a delightful summer read, and I tore through it quickly.

10. Ghosts of Harvard (Francesca Serritella) - Cadence feels compelled to attend Harvard to investigate the apparent suicide of her older brother, Eric, who is schizophrenic. As she starts to hear voices and meet ghosts on the campus, she being to worry that she is also mentally ill. As her personal and family life begin to spiral out of control, she attempts to come to grips with her reality. The notes of psychological thriller mixed with mystery and academia so expertly. This was a hefty read, but I enjoyed it even more when I learned the author is the daughter of Lisa Scottoline, one of my favorite mystery writers.

11. Rising Strong (Brene Brown) - I love love love me some Brene. There were times when I wanted to throw this book across the room because she stepped on my toes so much. She dives deep into overcoming failure and setback while also getting better because of it. She really investigates the idea that everyone is doing their best and just needs a little grace and mercy, which is something I know I can give to people way more often than I do. I also have learned a lot from her line, "Here's the awful scenario I'm making up in my head," while in the middle of a hard rumble with a loved one. I want to be BFFs with Brene.

12. The Dutch House (Ann Patchett) - A generational tale of the Conroy siblings Danny and Jocelyn and the house that they grew up in, this one was one of my most anticipated reads this year. I listened to it early in the year and really enjoyed it. Tom Hanks is the narrator, and he is positively divine as the reader. If you read it in print, I highly recommend you listen to it later. The house was basically a character in the book, which I loved. There was not a great deal of plot movement, in my opinion, but the stories were woven together so expertly.

13. Speaking for Myself (Sarah Huckabee Sanders) - This was one of my final audios of the year, and it was a late addition to the list. Sarah is the daughter of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and the former Press Secretary for Trump. She wrote at length about the struggles her family faced when her dad first took office and the bias against Trump as she worked in his administration. It was very informative and candid. She reads the audio, which was nice to hear. Please be mindful of multiple sources of information. 

It was a banner year for my reading - a personal high in books read, in addition to reading things outside of my comfort zone. I will post details for my goals for 2021 reading later, but I am planning to tackle the MMD challenges and The Unread Shelf Project as well. If you read any of these, or just have recs that you think I'll like, leave me a comment. Happy reading, friends.