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Favorite Books Read in 2020

The books that sparked the most joy for me this year include a classic, a book published this year, two books in translation, and five works of nonfiction. It's been a year when I've sought diversion, too often in the form of Netflix, but when I have read, I've sometimes been fortunate enough to find escape and hope in stories both sprawling and small in scale. I don't think these books have anything in common except that they tell me that some people are who they are...and some people rise to the occasion.  

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl!


My Favorite Books Read in 2020

1.  Middlemarch by George Eliot

My first George Eliot but it won't be my last. Kept me busy for the first few months of quarantine, especially when I didn't know what was happening with my job. Immersive and satisfyingly realistic.

2. Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch

Everyone should read this accessible fascinating book about how the Internet affects how we communicate (imo, for the better).

3. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

A found family story for millenials, by the prolific Swedish author.

4. Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Usually Avoid Books With Words Like "Journey" in the Title by Leslie Streeter

The subtitle says it all. 

5. Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas

Loved this story about finding a planner pre-filled with your perfect year. Translated from German.

6. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

Not the year to be reading this (maybe?) but a holistic theory of the purpose and meanings of gatherings. Honestly, I think it translates well to Zoom and even online classes. 

7. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

Such an uplifting, beautiful novella about exploring other worlds. And hope.

8.The Color of Love by Marra B. Gad

Incredible, inspiring true story. Read it in one day.

9. I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Mr. Rogers by Tim Madigan

Wouldn't have thought of this without book club, but heartwarming stuff.

10. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Also wouldn't have read it without book club, since it was so popular, even though I had no idea what I was getting into. I struggled with whether or not to put this on the list, since although it was meaningful to me, it was a really painful read and I would tell anyone reading it to beware of the intense trauma (I was, ahem, not warned before reading it). Still, I ultimately loved the book and Eleanor, and it definitely had an effect on me. 

Comments

lissa said…
Middlemarch was good but I thought it was too long and a bit too difficult to understand sometime. I kind of liked the mini-series better.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry is fun and I had fun reading that a while back.

I haven't read the others on your list but they don't seem to be for me though I may read #7.

Have a lovely day.
Judy Krueger said…
I like the way you did this with one short statement about why you liked each book. Happy Reading in 2021! My list will be posted in a couple days.

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