My Top 10 Reads of 2020
Be sure to get out my husbands top 10 books he read over here on his blog www.boundaryeffects.com!
Every year I think “this year I’m going to actually incorporate more reading into my life.” And at the end of every year, I’ll have a couple dozen books that I thoroughly enjoyed but always wished I’d read more. As a child and teenager, I was an avid reader, eagerly consuming novels that would take me far away, to magical lands filled with adventure. In college I had significantly less time for novels but my classes had me reading plenty of non-fiction to fill the reading hole in my life. Since then I’ve read a smattering of both fiction and nonfiction each year, but always wishing I’d read just a bit more. It wasn’t until this year, however, that I really turned reading from a past time into a practice. Whether it was listening to Audible on my morning runs or reading at least 15 minutes most nights, this year, books became a part of my life, and a time when I wiped my mind from all the thoughts ever running through it, focusing wholly on the book.
Reading has been particularly special over the last couple of years as it is a love that my husband and I share. While dating, we spent a summer long distance, and one of the ways we stayed connected was by picking out books to read together and talking about them. Reading the same books and sharing our thoughts continues to allow us to discover even more meaning through what the narrative and themes meant to the other one, and draw us closer and closer. As the year ends, we both thought we’d share our favorite books we read this year - you can check out Austin’s list here! You might notice a few overlapping books, and discover a few more. Picking out only 10 books from the 72 that I read is certainly no small feat, but let’s go!
Note, this list is in the order that I read them.
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
At the end of the day, this is my hands down favorite book I read all year. As a lover of the musical, I’d been meaning to read Hugo’s most famous work for some time, and with the pandemic changing the landscape of life, quite suddenly my excuse that I didn’t have the time vanished. Like I mentioned, I love the musical, so I was familiar with the story of Jean Valjean and his lifelong conflict with lawman Javert, all set against the backdrop of societal unrest. I read the book in June, and while Les Miserables doesn’t get into the themes of racism, I couldn’t help notice the parallels between the characters in the book, and the unrest surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. As pointed as this book is about revolution, about voicing the hurts of those who have been silenced, what it has to say about the transformative power of love strikes me as the stronger theme.
Stardust by Neil Gaimon
I discovered Neil Gaimon through his book ‘Neverwhere,’ when I moved to London, and he’s been a favorite ever since. Since I read two of his books this year, I had to make the hard choice to write about this one, but if you want to read about The Graveyard Book, which I HIGHLY recommend, check out Austin’s blog. Stardust is one of Gaimon’s more charming novels. It feels like the author took the themes and tropes of all the best fairytales, stirred them up, and produced this delightful charming story, following young Tristan Thorn from the village of Wall, as he crosses the magical separating his village from the mysterious land beyond, as he seeks a fallen star to bring back to his love. While there, Tristan crosses paths with cunning witches, traitorous royals, and the secret of his own parentage, all the while learning what true love really is.
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez
This was one of my nonfiction finds of the year, and if you want to completely rethink how our society functions, check this out! It illuminates how men define the status quo for civilizations - from crash dummy testing to public transportation to vaccine development, and the effects that has on women. It also discusses the different ways this impacts women of different countries and socioeconomic backgrounds. Illuminating and well written.
There, There by Tommy Orange
Speaking of illuminating, this novel reveals the often tragic realities of modern day indigenous populations. Orange weaves multiple narratives together, with a cast of characters ranging in age and gender, culminating at the events of a multiple tribe pow pow in Oakland, California. It’s a challenging book to read, as it exposes the very real and devastating effects the colonization continues to have on the indigenous peoples of this land - addiction, alcoholism, depression, broken families, and suicide. At the same time that Orange shares this harsh reality, he also celebrates the pride of these people in their heritage, creativity, and resilience.
Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley
Continuing in the vein of harsh realities, Esau McCaulley’s book discusses the challenges facing Black Christians, what it means to be a Black Christian in America. McCaulley shares both anecdotes and theological reflection to dig into these challenges. Ultimately, this book seeks to reframe just how we think not only about the Black Church but about Christian mission itself. At its core, McCaulley’s work calls us to rethink our understanding of God and his redeeming work in the world, and the place of the Black Church in that work.
Surprised by Hope by N. T. Wright
You might not expect to see much similarities between a young black American theologian and the leading Anglican theologian on matters of grace and justification but there are plenty. Esau McCaulley studied in England under N.T. Wright so it follows that this book shares similar themes to McCaulley’s. Surprised by Hope is perhaps the most approachable of his works. In it, Wright discusses the paradoxical truth that we are both waiting for a world reborn and already living in a resurrected life. In that knowledge, he calls the reader to join in God’s redeeming work for the world.
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
A dear friend of mine gave this to me when she moved this fall, and from the moment I started it I couldn’t put it down. It’s another novel of multiple narratives woven in and around each other, set against the backdrop of NYC. As a child of the East Village, I was transported to the city of my earliest memories, as I read the stories of various New Yorkers impacted by the same tragedy in different ways, as high above them, an artist attempts the impossible seeming feat of walking between the Two Towers.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
My first love in books will always be fantasy. That said, I’m extremely picky about the fantastical novels I read, and am constantly disappointed in novels that just feel like weak copycats of Tolkien. So when I say that the story of English magicians Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is one of the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read, I want you to understand my full meaning. Clarke clearly pulls from the tradition of English fairystories, much as Tolkien does, but stays true to her own voice as an author. The characters are rich and flawed, as they grapple with magic and both magicians seek, and ultimately fail, to truly understand it, as unbeknownst to them, a cunning and capricious fae seeks to exert his power over English society.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Obama is an incredible orator, and he’s just as great an author. This first part of his memoir of his time in office is filled with humor, regret, frustration, and joy. It captures all his hopes for America, and his desire to do his best for the country. Even if you weren’t a fan of Obama, I do recommend this book, if only to grasp the challenges that face every commander in chief. As someone whose teen years took place during this time period, I found myself thinking about that time in a new way. It’s a masterful reflection on the very difficult decisions faced by a single man, with the future of an entire nation, if not the world, weighing on him.
The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn
It seems only natural to finish this list with this delightful holiday fantasy. Blending both the historical account with Nicolas, Bishop of Myra and the various legends of Santa Claus and Father Christmas, this novel is sheer delight. Nicolas is a gentle soul who cares deeply for children and wants to bring joy to them. Discovering that he seems to have been blessed inexplicably with immortality, Nicholas sets out to give gifts and change lives. Slowly he collects a group of gift givers, changing and redeeming lives along the way, until even such characters as Attila the Hun and british warlord Arthur join his cause. In the end, it’s a story about the magic of Christmas and about how this time of year represents the truth that the power of love has already changed this world.
Notable Mentions
The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimon
