Books of 2020: A Brief Analysis

 

One of my new year's "intentions" last year was to read more. I'm not entirely clear on whether the pandemic helped or hurt that goal, but either way, I reached it. I had read very few books - maybe twelve - the year before, so the bar was pretty low. I like that in a bar, though, since it means I can hurdle it with little effort and feel accomplished. Plus, it's not exactly painful to sit down with a good book! 

A note on what I mean by "reading" a book: many (more than half) were physical copies in my hand and the rest were enjoyed on audio, so if you don't consider listening to the audio as having "read" a book, you will no doubt be severely disappointed in me and will dismiss my list forthwith. B'bye! 

But if you agree with me that audio "counts," read on! 

You can see from the list that I much prefer fiction to non-fiction, but the non-fiction I did read was stellar: Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson, Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel, and the compulsively readable memoir Educated by Tara Westover. 

I have a smattering of YA lit - The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyers and Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - and a lot of mysteries - The High Society Lady Detective series (Books #1-3), the confusingly similar Posie Parker Mystery #3, a pair of Agatha Christie classics (incl. Death on the Nile in preparation for the film version by Kenneth Branagh), and The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K.Rowling). 

What else? I made it through one book I've been meaning to read for a long time: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. One book is a retelling of a classic - Tristan: How I Found True Love and Married Someone Else by Luke Robertson reimagines the tale of Tristan and Isolde in 1960s Nebraska. Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo, a Nigerian author, tells a fascinating, strange tale of a troubled family. Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G.Wodehouse is one I've read before, but is always good for some light-hearted "piffle," as Harriet Vane would say. I read (highly recommend listening to this one) a very different kind of classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, by way of review to teach it in my 11th grade American Lit class. I enjoyed two fluffy, summer reads - Beach Read by Emily Henry and Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner - but they're kind of like cotton candy, a little bit is fun but too much is sick-making. I read A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman because John loved it so much and insisted I read it. I perversely steer away from popular books like this, often to my loss, and this was a lovely book, so I'm glad I gave in and read it. Another book out of the ordinary for me was The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, translated from the Japanese; touching, fascinating, and memorable. 

Finally, the slow burn from two of my most admired authors: Home by Marilynne Robinson and Virgil Wander by Leif Enger. Robinson is certainly the better-known, more-celebrated author, but both she and Enger write so beautifully that I have to stop and re-read sentences just to enjoy the artistry and let it sink into my mind and heart. I suppose these are the books where having long stretches of nowhere to go was helpful as they require longer stretches of reading to let them simmer, time to release the deep, rich depths they offer. 

So, that's what I read in 2020. Fiction, non-fiction, classic, brand new, literary, fluffy, American, international, in translation, recommended, stumbled upon, mystery, romance, YA, best-sellers, prize-winners. Not a bad list. Have you read any of these? What did you think? 

Now. I already have a few lined up for the year, but what should I put on my reading list for 2021?