2020 Favorite Books

 

I know I'm not going to be the first one to say this but I am so ready for 2020 to leave. While there have been some high points like being able to spend more time at home and lie low (something that I recognize is a privilege as well a gift for my typically over-scheduled self), there have been a lot of low points. While not the most important low light, my reading has been down the drain, my friends. Pre-pandemic, I imagined that having extra time at home would equal more reading and throughout the past year, it did not always mean that. With the state of the world and everything going on between the pandemic and all of the other news that was made this year, it was so easy to get locked into doom scrolling on my phone. Finally in November (really after the election), I was able to get back to reading but still not as much as I used to read pre-pandemic (who would have ever guessed that I would miss my commute???). The upside of all this is that I still managed to read some pretty great books this year!

In no particular order, here are the ones at the top of my list:

• Drives of a Lifetime by National Geographic Society: Perfect for those suffering from a bad case of wanderlust when we're not able to travel!
• The Last Blue by Isla Morley: Wonderful historical fiction about a little known condition.
  
• And They Called it Camelot by Stephanie Marie Thornton: A fantastic historical fiction that brings Jackie Kennedy to life!
• Untamed by Glennon Doyle: There's power in embracing imperfection. 
• Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid: Thank you to the friend that introduced me to this series and this author. This book was exactly the funny, romantic refuge I was looking for this year!
• 10 Minutes 38 Seconds by Elif Shafak: I loved the way that this book was written: masterful flips back and forth through time. 
• The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune: A wonderful fantasy tale filled with memorable characters and love, so much love!
• When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole: A mystery with a message!
• The Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson: History is messy and never straight forward!
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab: A great story of love with a heavy magical realism element. 
  

What were some of your favorite reads this year?