2020 // Year in Books
Twenty twenty, oh boy. What a year. My reading journey for the year was all over the place. I started the year off strong, and then the pandemic hit and my mind couldn’t focus on anything other than the state of the world. Reading felt like something foreign and I would start and stop multiple books and couldn’t find my groove. I say this because if you found that this entire year was similar for you, I feel you! Once I started going back to the studio and the weather got nicer out, and my brain kind of slowed down and adjusted to the new normal, I found reading again. I loved having an escape from the reality of the world with a captivating book. Especially the ones I was so sucked in by that I finished them in a day. If you haven’t found reading again and hope to, maybe one of these books will be your catalyst! I hope this list serves as an inspiration to find something new to pick up, an author that’s new to you, or helps you to find your next favorite book! I’m also very proud to say all 45 books I read this year were by female authors! It wasn’t totally intentional at first, but it just shows those are my favorite writers! I found each of their voices to be exactly what I needed, when I did, and they all taught me so much, so I thank them all for that.
I picked my 15 favorites, and have them in no particular order here! I also want to mention if you have any triggers or subjects you want to avoid, please google reviews for specific trigger warnings! ♡
Severance by Ling Ma
I re-read this one during the pandemic which was both a great idea and also a horrible one. It follows the story of a millennial New Yorker in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. She finds a group of people to travel and survive with, and her decision to stay with them or escape. It’s really witty, eerily similar vibes to covid in nyc in March/April 2020, and an overall quick and fun read!
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This book has been on every reading list since it debuted, and for good reason! It follows the rise and fall of a fictitious rock band in the 70’s and I WISH this band really existed. All the characters were super complex and their relationships were so interesting. I read it in audio book version and I highly recommend listening to it as there are a few celeb voices, and Robbine Lee (who wrote The Idea Of You, which is on this list) voiced one of the characters too!
The Power by Naomi Alderman
The Power follows a multitude of characters around the world as they all find they have “the power” or other females around them do. "The power” is essentially having super electric strength to harm and kill others with just the touch of a hand. If you’re in the mood for a powerful feminist read this is it. It’s a wild story and definitely one of those books that stays with you for a while.
So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
If there is one book you read this year, let it be this one! Ijeoma explores race, privilege, police brutality, Black Lives Matter, and dismantling a racist system in each chapter. She weaves in her own personal stories, anecdotes, and humor seamlessly. I don’t say this lightly, but this book was truly life changing as a white person who strives to be a better ally daily. I find myself revisiting quotes from this book often, and plan to continue to for years to come.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Hands down my favorite book I read this year! Homegoing spans nearly 250 years of a family tree, starting with two half sisters in the eighteenth century in Ghana and ending in the twentieth century in America through slave trade. Yaa Gyasi did such an incredible job of giving each character such depth, that even if you only met them for a chapter or two before moving to the next decedents, they stuck with you. Each chapter and character could stand alone as a short story, but the way they are all connected, the accumulated rage, familial themes, grow through time, is SO moving. I highly recommend getting very acquainted with the epigraph at the beginning of the book as you’ll reference it often. If you finished it and loved it I suggest listening to Yaa on The Stacks podcast, she’s incredible!
The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica
The Other Mrs is the definition of twisty thriller. This one gave me a total anxiety attack at times. Every time I thought I had the twist pegged it switched on me. Such a good read. I had a bit of trouble with the mental illness part of it, as I didn’t like that it presented as a weakness at times. But other than that I really liked that it kept me guessing, will probably have creepy nightmares. I finished it in two days!
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Elizabeth Acevedo is hands down the reason why I got so into YA reads this year. It was hard picking a favorite from her, as I loved The Poet X as well, but Clap When You Land was just as amazing. It’s written in verse, and the lyrical poetic way she tells stories is incredible. Because it’s written in verse, it reads so quickly. I finished this one in a day or two. It follows the story of two sisters who don’t know of the others existence until a plane crash kills their father and his two lives are exposed and start to come together.
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Okay. If you know me IRL you’ve definitely heard me talk about this book. I also posted about it on my insta stories on a daily basis so yeah, this one is highly recommended. I will start by saying I hate when people refer to books as “guilty pleasure” because in my very humble opinion, reading should never be shamed. Reading anything, even if it’s not your taste, is better than not reading at all! So with that said, this book is total brain candy. It’s where The Bachelor, Hunger Games, and a dystopian America come together. It’s amazing. This is a YA series and reads really quickly, if you’re looking for a book to totally transport you and take your mind off real life, here it is. Also, if you start the first, make sure you have the second and third lined up because you’re going to want to immediately read them without having to wait anytime in between. I read all 5 but I will say the first 3 are the best.
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
I know we shouldn’t judge books by their covers but this cover is GORG. Wilder Girls is a YA horror book that takes place at an all girls school on an island in Maine. The island has become infected with “The Tox” which leads to the school quarantining, and there’s no end or cure in sight. The girls all have different reactions to The Tox, some growing scales, new spines, losing limbs or eyes, it’s all VERY creepy and gory. When one of the main characters goes missing her best friends try to find her and uncover some unsettling things about their island and life outside of it. It’s best described as a feminist version of Lord of the Flies with some terrible adults and horror elements.
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
After I read a thriller or anything heavy or sad I love to follow up with a lighter more fun read. Jasmine Guillorys books are the best kind of palette cleanser. The Wedding Date is a rom-com book about a meet-cute in an elevator that turns into a fun and steamy love story for the two characters. Jasmine Guillory has such a way for blending romance, racial issues, comedy, all in one. I have recommended this one to a few people and they all have said they LOVED it!
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Allegedly, wow this one was a wild read. It’s a YA mystery / thriller about a teenager who allegedly killed the baby her mom was babysitting when she was just a child herself. Even writing that sentence gives me chills! This book was dark and chilling but I couldn’t put it down! The main character lives in a group home in Brooklyn and when she becomes pregnant she has to make the decision to finally tell the truth about her mom in hopes to keep her own baby. This one totally blew me away!
The Idea Of You by Robbine Lee
This book is a cult classic and I’m so mad at myself for waiting so long to read it! It gave me a week long book hangover as I was SO invested in the characters and was SO sad when they were gone from my daily reading. The Idea of You is a romance novel about a single mom who meets a boy band singer half her age when bringing her daughter to a meet and greet with the band. It turns into a passionate love story with lots of complexities in their relationship. I totally pictured Harry Styles as the lead singer of fictitious August Moon. I also LOVE the author, she’s not only an incredible writer but a lawyer, actor, and producer! I listened to her on the Bad On Paper Podcast and was in awe of her talent!
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
If I Was Your Girl is a YA story about a trans girl, written by a trans author, and it was the first book I read with a trans main character. The book follows Amanda who moves to a new town to live with her dad, and enters high school as a female for the first time. She meets a new group of friends, gets her first boyfriend, and the book looks at the intricacies around both. The book explores homophobia, transphobia, and acceptance. The flashback scenes were hard to read at times because of how raw and emotional they were. I really liked this one and hope to read more books by trans authors this year!
The Last Flight by Julie Clark
This was the least “thriller-y” thriller I read this year but it was still a twisty and fast paced one which I loved. The story follows two women who for two totally different reasons are trying to leave their lives behind, and swap plane tickets at the airport. Claire seemingly has a perfect life, she’s rich and married to an influential man, except he’s abusive and controlling and she needs to get out of their relationship alive. The flight she was supposed to be on winds up crashing which complicates all plans. I loved how strong these female characters were despite the adversity and abusive men in their lives. I finished this one super quickly!
This Is All I Got by Lauren Sandler
This is the book that got me over my reading slump during the pandemic! The author is also a dear friend of mine so it was such a special read! This true story is told by author Lauren, who follows a young homeless single mom for a year in NYC. The person Lauren documents is in and out of shelters, trying to maintain a scholarship, and manage complicated relationships in her life. It was a heavy read at times, but a moving one that really stuck with me.
When possible please purchase books from your local independent book stores! My local favorites are Word, Spoonbill, McNally Jackson, and The Strand!
Bookshop is also an incredible option! Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores.
And if trying to buy second hand Thrift Books is a great way to stock up on affordable used books! Use my link for 15% off your first purchase!
Everything I read in 2020:
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Severance by Ling Ma
Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History by Blair Imani
Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
The Farm by Joanne Ramos
My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
This Is All I Got by Lauren Sandler
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Vacationers by Emma Straub
Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity by Felicia Day
Primates of Park Avenue by Wednesday Martin
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Power by Naomi Alderman
The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale #2) by Margaret Atwood
Sadie by Courtney Summers
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
Followers by Megan Angelo
Obviously: Stories from My Timeline by Akilah Hughes
The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Elite by Kiera Cass
The One by Kiera Cass
The Heir by Kiera Cass
The Crown by Kiera Cass
Girl on the Run by Abigail Johnson
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
The Last Flight by Julie Clark
When I Was You by Amber Garza
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica