2020 was a bad year for almost everything, but it was a great year for reading. Pandemics, it turns out, are very conducive to the reading life. Last year I wrote this post about how I resurrected my almost non-existent reading life. Since then I have made a conscious effort to prioritize reading, mostly because it feels like time well spent, and I am certain it makes me a better person. I find that the more I practice this skill (I do believe reading is a skill that requires practice, just like playing an instrument, or learning a foreign language) the easier and more enjoyable it becomes. As a result, 2020 was my best reading year yet!
So here’s what I read, starting with fiction, then spiritual reads, then non-fiction. I give my star review (out of 5 stars) and I’ve linked every title to Amazon (affiliate links) in case any spark your interest. I also listened to a lot of audio-books this year and indicate which reads were via audio. And for your information, it’s very easy to find free audio-books of classics on sites like Librivox. Chirp is another great place I look for deeply discounted audio-books.
Fiction:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: 2 stars. My first read of 2020 was also my least favorite read of 2020. That’s ok. No where to go but up! The story was sweet enough but I found the writing really awkward and the characters flat. The author is Swedish and I do wonder if some things got lost in translation.
Island of the World by Micael D. O’Brien: 5 stars. My second read of 2020 was my favorite read of the year, and one of my favorite books of all time. This is story about a man who lives through the political turmoil of the Yugoslavian government. I love that this book taught me about an event from modern history that I knew basically nothing about, and I love that it portrays the resiliency of the human spirit and that suffering can be redemptive. This book does contain a couple of brutal depictions of torture, but I found I could handle it because the overall tone of the book was so uplifting.
America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray: 4 stars. This was a fun work of historical fiction from the perspective of Thomas Jefferson’s daughter.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: 5 stars. I can’t remember if this was my second or third time reading this book, but it just keeps getting better.
Plainsong by Kent Haruf: 3 starts. A story of some unlikely relationships forming in a small, rural farming community. I really liked the author’s writing style, but some pretty graphic sexual content kind of spoiled this book for me.
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather: 5 stars. I should put a disclaimer that if it’s by Willa Cather it’s probably gunna get 5 stars. This book is about two priests serving the American southwest during much of the 19th century. The characters are so interesting and the sense of place is stunning.
The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde: 4 stars. I listened to the audio version of this book while I painted our dining room last spring. It was a compelling listen from the eco-fiction genre, where issues of the environment are central to the plot. The story bounces back and forth between present day Sweden and France in the year 2041.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: 5 stars. This was my second time reading this book, this time listening on audio. Reading this classic in my 30’s (as apposed to in my teens) I definitely noticed the racist stereotypes that Stowe persists in, even as she was preaching abolition. It’s not a perfect book, but considering the audience she was writing to it is radical.
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin: 4 stars. A semi-autobiographical novel by one of America’s most influential black writers. I read this book during the same time that I was listening to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and though the two books were written 100 years apart I kept thinking, “wow, not that much has changed.” Then, while I was reading these books George Floyd was murdered and my home town became the scene of massive protests over racial injustice and I kept thinking, “wow, not that much has changed.”
Villette by Charlotte Brontë: 4 stars. The story of a young British woman of little means making her own way as a teacher in France. Somewhat inspired by Brontë’s own experiences. I would love to hear from others who read what they thought of the ending!
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: 4 stars. I listened to this on audio-book. Not my favorite Jane Austen, but it still gets 4 stars because, come on. It’s Jane Austen.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: 5 stars. Beautiful and heartbreaking story of two sisters living in a small German-occupied French town during WWII. Get your Kleenex box out for the ending.
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray: 3 stars. From the same author as America’s First daughter, this work of historical fiction is from the perspective of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. I read it in anticipation of Hamilton coming to Disney+. It was fun, but I liked America’s First Daughter better.
Lady Susan by Jane Austen: 4 stars. This was another audio-book for me. It is snarky and humorous Jane Austen and I really enjoyed it.
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan: 5 stars. I had heard good things about this book and came across the audio version for $1 so I thought I’d give it a listen. I’m so glad I did. This book is a series of stories of Chinese women who immigrated to America is the mid 20th century. I love hearing stories from perspectives I know nothing about, and this book definitely fit that description.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: 5 stars. This was another audio-book, and it was really great in that format. What do I even say about this book? It’s part coming-of-age, part crime thriller, it deals with a lot of art history, and even though it gets pretty heavy and depressing in the middle (warning for lots of language and substance abuse) I found the ending very satisfying and uplifting.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger: 5 stars. This book my was second favorite read of the entire year. It’s about a small town Minnesota family working through something hard. I don’t want to spoil anything. if you haven’t read it, take my word, you should. It’s one of those books that will touch your soul.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison: 5 stars. I listened to the audio version of this book read by the author herself and I highly recommend that format. It was like listening to music. It’s the story of a black man living in the middle of the 20th century who journeys to find his identity in his family’s past, though slavery and it’s aftermath sought to strip them of that identity.
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin: 4 stars. A love story set in the racial discrimination of 1970’s Harlem. Baldwin’s writing and story telling are so beautiful and compelling in this book. More thoughts of “wow, not that much has changed.” It would have been 5 stars if not for some very graphic sexual content.
The Dutch House by Anne Patchett: 5 stars. I listen to this on audio-book, read by Tom Hanks. Do I need to say anything else to get you to listen to it? I could listen to that man read the phone book and it would be entertaining. But this family-saga story was wonderful and the first rate narration only added to experience.
Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather: 5 stars. Everytime. 5 stars for Willa Cather! This book taught me how little I knew about 17th century French settlers in Quebec and how much I love them. Like in Death Comes for the Archbishop, the setting of the book plays almost as big a role as the characters themselves.
Spiritual Reads:
The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander: 5 stars. Beautiful reflections on Mary as the instrument of God. My favorite spiritual read of the year.
The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henry J.M. Nouwen: 4 stars. Reflections on repentance and home coming inspired by the Rembrandt painting of the same name.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis 5 stars: This was my first time reading this classic and it was so smart and insightful. I listened to it on audio, and I’d like to read it again someday in hard copy so all the wisdom can really sink in.
The Power of Silence by Robert Cardinal Sarah: 5 stars. This book took me almost the entire year to read. I started it during Lent and finished it a few days before New Years. Every paragraph was like a steak dinner of insights, so I could only read a little bit at a time. It was definitely worth sticking it out to the end.
Nonfiction:
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo: 5 stars. I got this book shortly after George Floyd was murdered and I was realizing my own limitations when talking about race. I learned so much.
The Story of my Boyhood and Youth by John Muir: 3 stars. The childhood memoir of the man who brought us the national parks. I wouldn’t call it a must read, but it was enjoyable and made me want to take up birding.
Inheritance by Dani Shapiro: 4 stars. A fascinating memoir about a woman who finds out, after both her parents have died, that she was conceived via sperm donation. It’s written from a secular perspective, but I found a lot of profound insights into some of the ethical problems with modern reproductive technologies.
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin: 4 stars. I listened to this on audio, and I think it’s a book that would be better in hard copy. There is just so much to unpack in Baldwin’s experience with and perspective on the racial divide in the US during the civil rights era which is still relevant today.
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois: 5 stars. This book should be required reading for all Americans. It was written in 1903 by a black man who lived through reconstruction. As I was reading it I kept thinking over and over, “this explains so much of what’s going on today.” History really was not that long ago and we’re still living out the consequences.
An Infinity of Little Hours by Nancy Klein Maguire: 3 stars. A look at the lives of five men as they discern with the Carthusian Order, the most ascetic of all monastic orders and whose way of life has remained virtually unchanged since the 12th century. The window into monk life was fascinating, though at times kind of dry.
And that’s it! If you may it to the end, thanks for sticking with me! I hope you’ve been inspired to pick up a couple new reads. If you’ve already read some of these, let me know what you think of them!