It is officially the first day of 2021, and as a tradition, Josh and I will be sitting down to reflect over our plans and dreams for 2020 while also setting new ones for 2021. I love this process because it reminds me of all of the things that keep me focused on those difficult days that will inevitably come to us, but if I am completely honest, I am not nearly as excited as the world about the start of the new year. Although 2020 was difficult, it gave me so many opportunities to dive deeply into the things that I love like reading, yoga, gardening, and exploring. Yes, I get to do those yearly, but there was something about being forced into stillness and “isolation” that really reminded me of who I am at the core of my being.
One strong reminder is that my writing is mostly for me, which is why I took such a long sabbatical from reviewing books and following my goals of sharing what I’ve read. I found that I was not reading because of my love for reading, but rather, I was reading to say I read. I was sucking all of the fun out of the thing I loved in order to perform. My book recommendations no longer felt authentic here, so I stuck to personal conversations and many texts about all of the pages I was devouring.
Another reminder that came from 2020 is that reading is so subjective and dependent on our outside circumstances. I have read many books that are beautifully written that did not land with me in this season of my life. I was distracted, needed more fun, or desired deeper concepts. My mood changes and even though my TBR list is stacked with great stories, I realized that I need to choose what is best for me at the time, not what is best for someone else.
So with all of that said, here are the books I was able to read in 2020 with a focus on my top 10.
My Top 10 Books of 2020
1. Giver of Stars
2. Educated
3. In Five Years
4. Writers and Lovers
5. Summer of 69
6. Children of Blood and Bone
7. The Midnight Library
8. Clap When You Land
9. The Vanishing Half
10. The Sweeney Sisters
Everything else, in no particular order:
11. The Family Upstairs
12. The Girl You Left Behind
13. The Wildlands
14. Always Never Yours
15. The Beholder
16. Big Summer
17. Blue Bistro
18. Lost Children Archive
19. Ghost Boys
20. The Forever Summer
21. Surfside Sisters
22. Beach Read
23. Mexican Whiteboy
24. A Novel Approach
25. Queenie
26. 28 Summers
27. Everyday Holy
28. Of Literature and Latte
29. Feels Like Falling
30. Look Both Ways
31. American Royal
32. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
33. Elsey Come Home
34. With Fire On High
35. Troubles in Paradise
36. The Nickel Boys
37. The Hating Game
38. Elizabeth the First Wife
39. We Met in December
40. American Dirt
41. On the Bright Side
42. Recipe for a Perfect Wife
43. Red Queen
44. The Flatshare