2020 In Books
I read a lot this year, 65 books to be exact. That’s mostly because pre-pandemic I worked as a bookseller at Parnassus Books. I’ve always written about what I’m reading, but this year I started talking about it on Instagram, which of course, is where everyone is. RIP to my pageviews.
In anticipation of writing this post, I asked my friends what they’d like to know about what I read this year. So many of you sent me questions! Hilariously, they were all the same questions, lolz. But thank you for playing along.
Here are your questions -and my answers!
Did you read any fiction that briefly made you forget about the world?
Yes! The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. My friend Delaney recommended it and I DEVOURED it. Truly, nothing happened except this book while I was reading it. OBSESSED.
What made you laugh and cry?
I’m not sure if you’re asking what books made me both laugh and cry, or what books made me laugh, then what other books made me cry. The good news is I have nothing but time and answers.
Books that made me laugh AND cry:
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb
The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey
Books that made me laugh:
Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby
Here For It by R. Eric Thomas
Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why by Alexandra Petri
Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood by Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova
Shit, Actually by Lindy West
God, what didn’t make me cry this year? Books that made me cry:
File Under: Duh, but seriously Untamed by Glennon Doyle is as good as everyone says
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Stray by Stephanie Danler
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Intimations: Six Essays by Zadie Smith
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
What was a bore?
Oof. I am the only person alive who didn’t love this book, but Writers & Lovers by Lily King took me straight to Snooze Town. I typically love coming-of-age stories, but this one just didn’t do it for me.
What books are like other books?
Man, Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden. It’s fiiiiiiiiine, but other books do it better.
Book that surprised you the most?
That goddamn Mariah Carey book. It’s hilarious that I read it. It’s absurd that I can’t stop talking about it. What can I say, sometimes the internet is right.
Honorable mention: I read a book about ghost sex, which is an obviously surprising topic. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it (that’s what she said): The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons.
Most surprisingly enjoyable read this year?
I picked up a book because the cover is an illustration of a woman wearing a dog in a sling. It turned out to be one of my most enjoyable reads this year: Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman.
Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. I thought I was too old for this book and I was wrong.
What books should I read?
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey
Must reads?
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Greetings from New Nashville by Steve Haruch
Can’t Even: How Millennials Become the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen
Shit, Actually by Lindy West
Fave books by new authors?
My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland
Negotiations by Destiny Birdsong
Luster by Raven Leilani
ICYMI, here is what I read in the first half of 2020. Below is what I read in the second half.
Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat by Chrissy TeigenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Turns out, there's a reason everyone still talks about this cookbook from 2016. It's great! I read it cover to cover and flagged easily 80% of the recipes as ones to try ASAP. It's the cookbook I've always wanted: breakfast, party snacks, and dinners. Also, the intros Chrissy writes before every recipe is legit lolz.
Negotiations by Destiny O. BirdsongMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Beautiful. Heartbreaking. What a gift Destiny, and this book, is to the Nashville writing community.
100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More by Sarah KiefferMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Really cute book. Well put together. Must have for bakers like me without a ton of experience, and a preference for cookies over cakes and pies.
She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah SmarshMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
So good! And short. The audiobook is about the length of two podcasts.
I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflections by Nora EphronMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love Nora Ephron. This is a quick, hilarious read.
The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah CareyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Listen to this on audiobook. It's an audible exclusive and I don't fuck with Amazon, so I bought it on iTunes and listened to it in the Books app. You need to hear Mariah read this book. I can't imagine that it's the same experience otherwise.
Best book I read this year? Kind of. It's also irrelevant how much you like or know about Mariah Carey. Just trust me (and the entire internet).
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif AbdurraqibMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hands-down, one of the best, if not the best, collection of essays out there. My only regret is that I waited this long to read it.
Feel Free by Zadie SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Been reading this off and on for a few years. My favorite collection of essays by Smith. This is the one to get if you're unsure where to start, or don't love her fiction.
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel WilkersonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Beautiful book. The writing is done with such care and skill. I felt so attached to Ida Mae, George, and Robert. I don’t know that I’ll ever stop thinking about them. I was also blown away by reading Wilkerson’s notes on methodology and how she researched and wrote this book. The work is staggering. What a gift this book is.
The Margot Affair by Sanaë LemoineMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
4.5 stars. I read an ARC, so I didn’t have a copy with a summary, or any blurbs. I just had to read it to find out what it was about. I loved this book. It was a slow, yet interesting start for me. But once it gets cooking, it GETS COOKING. There are plot twists where you think you know what’s going to happen, and you’re not wrong, but it’s different than you expected. I found the storytelling masterful. I loved the ending. I think fans of Sally Rooney will like this book.
Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen PetersenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
First disclaimer: I’m a longtime fan of AHP and subscribe to her paid newsletter.
Second disclaimer: this book isn’t super inclusive. If you haven’t already, read Tiana Clark’s “This Is What Black Burnout Feels Like”, Buzzfeed, 2019. Also, read everything by Tiana Clark. Shout-out Nashville!
I’m not going to make this review a list of disclaimers, but I should also mention that I am just over the cusp of being a Millennial, and am a young Gen X-er.
I related to this book very much. My therapist actually diagnosed (diagnosed ?) me with burnout 2 or 3 years ago. Spoiler alert: it’s not better because as AHP points out, society is broken.
I appreciate that AHP purposefully doesn’t give solutions, but rather offers this book as a “lens for you to see yourself and the world around you clearly”. To borrow from what I read in another review, if you’re middle-class, educated, and thinking you’re the reason you hate your job/social media/kids/etc, this will make you feel very seen.
Last thing, AHP’s last chapter on her personal experience as a Millennial is really fucking good.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa GyasiMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is so good. I can't believe she went in such a different direction from her first book and was still able to write an absolutely unforgettable book. There's a lot to identify with here - southern setting, southern evangelicals, family addiction, mental illness, perfectionism as a coping mechanism. It's a fantastic book.
Greetings from New Nashville: How a Sleepy Southern Town Became It City by Steve HaruchMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Well, sorry to everyone I know, but I’m not talking to you until you read this book. To be a smidge less hyperbolic, if you live in Nashville, and maybe especially East Nashville, this book is mandatory reading. Also, please buy it from one of the two local indies in town.
This book is a collection of essays and articles written about Nashville’s transition to an “It City”. It covers 1998 - 2018. The way the editor decided what to include and what order to put everything in is *chef’s kiss*.
I’m one of the rare people in Nashville who grew up here. I can’t believe how much I didn’t know about my own city. If you had forced me to make a list of things I’ve meant to learn more about, or dive into, this book covers it.
Lastly, I’m sometimes shocked when I learn friends have never read Margaret Renkl or Betsy Phillips. If for nothing else, buy this book to learn more about Nashville through the eyes of its two best writers.
Shop local!
Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family by Priya KrishnaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m a big fan of Priya’s writing, and I loved this book. Everything about it is great: the recipes, the illustrations, the photos, but the conversational tone throughout the book is my favorite part. The intros to the recipes are so funny and light-hearted. This book is a joy to read.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham JonesMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
DNF at page 78. It’s a no for me, dawg. The animal abuse/cruelty is a hard no. I wanted to like this book, and I wanted to read something scary, but this isn’t the book for me. If you can stomach dog abuse, and you enjoy horror, read the other reviews. This may be worth picking up.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. KendiMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m grateful for this book, and I definitely learned a lot by reading it. As you’ll see if you scroll through the 3 and 4-star reviews, a lot of people have concerns about some of the issues raised in this book, like racism towards white folks (?). I made a lot of question mark notations in the margins. Aside from that, I don’t know that this is a book written for an average person, with average reading comprehension skills, and an average, or less than average, education. It’s very hard to read.
The Royal We by Heather CocksMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I LOVED this book. It was recommended by a friend as the only book I should be reading during this pandemic, and you know what? She was not wrong. It dovetails nicely into the current episodes of You’re Wrong About about Princess Diana.
Eat a Peach by David ChangMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If for nothing else, this book is worth it for Chang’s openness and transparency around his mental health and journey with therapy and meds. This was an illuminating look into his mind. I’m Gen X, and Kitchen Confidential was the chef memoir of my generation. I suspect Chang’s book is going to be the touchstone for Millennials and Gen Z. It’s a great fucking book.
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli WeidenMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Meh. The writing was a little heavy handed for me. I enjoyed the characters and the setting, but I found the plot too predictable.
Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy WestMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Is this the funniest book I’ve ever read? Possibly. I listened to it on audiobook, and recommend you do the same. I loved hearing Lindy read this book. I walked around my house laughing out loud at this book all weekend. It is truly the brightest spot in the last few months.
Oryx and Crake by Margaret AtwoodMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I don’t know that I needed to read this book in month seven of a global pandemic, but here we are. A friend recommended it based on something else I’d read recently and she was right. I thoroughly enjoyed this truly wild, wild ride. I mean, shit is bad, but at least no one’s cross-breeding our animals yet.
Luster by Raven LeilaniMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m a sucker for a coming-of-age story set in NYC. The details in this book - about Brooklyn, New Jersey, working in NYC - are spot-on. I loved it. It’s described as “darkly comic” and that’s true for the first half, but the second half is DARK. This isn’t the book for everyone, but if it’s the book for you, you’ll love it.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia HibbertMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked this! I liked the first one better, but I love this series and can't wait for the third one to come out.
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka ArimahMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I felt like reading these short stories made my brain stretch, of rather my imagination. I love realizing I have completely misunderstood a genre. Turns out, I have completely misunderstood sci-fi, or just haven’t read enough written by women. The stories are strange, and lovely, and beautifully written.
Solutions and Other Problems by Allie BroshMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Not a book for 2020. There should be a content warning for suicide, suicidal ideation, and depression. Parts of it are funny, but overall it feels like an irresponsible release for Fall 2020. Folks are going to pick up this book assuming it's like the other one and a respite from what's going on in the world right now - it's not.
The Vanishing Half by Brit BennettMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Couldn’t put it down. One of the best books I’ve read. The way Bennett writes women, writes sisters, is so real, and honest, and vulnerable. I appreciate all the different ways she presents family in this book: family of origin, chosen family, non-traditional family, etc. It’s just such a beautifully told story. Read it as soon as you can.
******
Whew, that’s a lot of books!
I posted everything I read in Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov and Dec. If you want to go back further, it’s all on Goodreads. I also contributed to the staff picks for Parnassus Books from July 2019 - June 2020 if you want to go check those out, as well.
Now, tell me, what are YOU reading?
P.S. Don’t forget about audiobooks! Please consider using Libro.fm instead of audible. Libro.fm buys your book through the independent bookstore of your choice, as opposed to audible, who buys your book from Amazon 👎🏼. I have a discount code if you’re new to Libro.fm. Use code LADYLAND at checkout to get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 ($14.99) when you start a monthly membership.
