My Reads of 2020
It’s 2021 and that can mean only one thing - I’m chucking my 2020 reading list out at you. This is a few days late because I just cannot stop myself writing long explanations about what I thought about each read, which is even more unnecessary this year because I’ve reviewed a bunch on them here on this very blog. So I’ve attempted to control myself and link to those reviews where possible.
2020 was a pretty good reading year for me because of the whole isolation thing anyway, plus I did a lot of reading outside of my comfort zone both as part of my writing classes at Faber Academy and as part of the Comics’ Books podcast that I started during lockdown. My only real disappointment was that my need to read more books did mean that I felt a bit of pressure which in turn meant me neglecting some of the longer reads I would usually indulge in. I’ve definitely missed reading those types of books.
I’m also aware that a lot of White people bought books in a rush during the BLM protests and there’s been some disappointment, particularly amongst Black booksellers, that many of these books were then not read or only read so they could feature on someone’s instagram page. My household also filled our shelves and Audible accounts with these books and between us, we’ve only managed a couple. Neither of my main reads from that selection (Natives by Akala or Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad) will feature in this list because I have one chapter left of Natives still to read and Me and White Supremacy is taking me a lot longer than the 28 days I planned to complete it in. I’m a little disappointed in myself for that but I do that that the upshot will be that I will continue to engage with it in 2021 rather than attempting to tick it off a checklist.
All that said, here is what I read in 2020.
NB: I’ve linked to as many options to buy the books as possible. However if a ‘Buy It!’ button links to Bookshop.org I will receive a 10% affiliation fee if you purchase through it!
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This was a fantastic read. Ever since reading David Adam’s The Man Who Couldn’t Stop and having that incredible feeling of someone else articulating something about your own thoughts and feelings, I have been absorbed with reading and writing about the otherwise ‘inarticulatable’ (the computer is telling me this is not a word, but the dictionary disagrees). Kissing Doorknobs is a novella based on the author’s own experiences on living with OCD and although there are some questionable aspects (in particular the Mother’s reaction to her daughter’s behaviour), I thought that it was an invaluable resource for parents and children alike.
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One of my top reads of the year, I read this on Laura Lexx’s recommendation for my podcast Comics’ Books and fell totally in love with it. I didn’t really know anything about The Goldfinch in advance but it wasn’t a huge surprise that I loved it so much because it’s everything I most like about literature: a sprawling tale told in the first person, set over many years following one protagonist’s life experiences. From the opening section in which his mother is killed in a terrorist attack at an art gallery, Theo’s life is totally upended and anything but normal. From New York to Amsterdam by way of Berlin, we follow him as he lives with different families, drops in and out of school and forms enduring friendships, all the while missing his mother desperately. The title refers to a small, priceless painting that Theo takes from the museum in the middle of the terrorist attack and which becomes both the one constant in his life and the catalyst for many of his adventures, as well as an ever more dangerous secret to keep. One thing I particularly admired about Tartt’s writing is how she depicts Theo’s mental state without expressly addressing it, instead the reader is able to draw their own conclusions about his behaviour and its relationship to his traumatic upbringing. My review is HERE.
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I know this is currently a UK bestseller so obviously people really are loving it as much as they did in the USA. I’ve since read some wild stuff about Delia Owens and encountered people who hated the book but it’s still a winner for me. Despite early reservations when I felt bogged down in descriptions of nature, I ended up loving this strange tale. I would agree with some of the complaints I’ve heard - particularly that the Black characters can be drawn a little one-dimensionally and only in reference to the White protagonist’s journey - but with that in mind I loved this novel mostly for the world it allowed me to inhabit. A world where the natural world is deeply appreciated and understood that completely captured my imagination. Full review HERE.
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Another suggestion from Ben Bailey Smith, this is the most delicious book written by George Saunders with illustrations by Chelsea Cardinal. Written from the POV of Fox 8 who has learned to speak and write ‘hooman’ (spelling mistakes and all) it’s a heart-wrenching yet funny and hopeful short tale that asks us to think about our environment and wildlife far more than we currently do.
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This was a huge hit for me. Another Comics’ Books podcast read, this was was picked by Jess Fostekew, who in turn was recommended it by Sara Pascoe. Though I expected a Jon Ronson-esque deep dive into the world of sceptics, this book delivered way more. The core of the book was Storr’s exploration of our brain and how its early development can impact the way we see and understand the world once we’re older. This was fascinating but also left me feeling a bit wobbly about the idea that I have so little control over my very own beliefs.
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I loved this! I thought this was going to be a light-hearted rom-com but it was actually a tear-jerking tale about ambition and friendship that kept me rapt. I whizzed through this and loved the twist. Full review HERE.
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I’ve put off reading this for so long and I have no idea why. Perhaps the hype, perhaps the fact that I’m pretty squeamish and freaked out about hospitals. A month into the pandemic though and it felt inappropriate not to at least try and understand more about the NHS and the job that junior doctors do. Although I would have liked a little more consistency - this is written a bit more like a diary and jumps around quite a bit - I thought this was a great read. I learned so much about the job that junior doctors do, as well as being regaled with anecdotes both humorous and devastating. I can see why this was such a hit and I think it’s great that so many people have become more invested in understanding and supporting our health system. Full review HERE.
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A Comics’ Books podcast read recommended by Ben Bailey Smith, I really enjoyed this bizarre read about an ageing Manhattan socialite (Frances) and her inept son (Malcolm) as they flee to Paris on discovering they are beset by scandal and financial ruin. Along with them is Small Frank, a black cat who Frances believes houses the soul of her late husband. Writing all this down now I can’t believe I enjoyed this surreal novel but I really, really did!
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A goal this year was to read my very first Stephen King and right at the end of the year I did it! This was a book recommended by two different guests on Comics’ Books but it was Elf Lyons who finally pushed me to actually buy the book and start reading. Although it didn’t really grab me from the start, ultimately I loved Misery. Although there is an element of horror of course, what really appealed to me was the central plotline of the novel within a novel. As an aspiring novelist I found myself just as intrigued in this element of the tale as I was in protagonist Paul Sheldon’s chances of escape.
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One of my top reads of the year and one of my favourite psychological thrillers. There’s lots going on in this book with the themes of the stories of the two female protagonists interweaving in places, but it’s really Jess’ part of the story that I thought was incredibly well written. When Jess brings her daughter to the A&E where Liz works, the child’s head injuries spark concern and social services are called. As Jess’ story and behaviour start to spiral out of control, even Liz struggles to wonder if her friend is innocent of hurting her child. A masterful thriller about motherhood and mental health.
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For various reasons I’ve been intrigued by the concept of gender for years so this novel about a family raising a transgender daughter immediately appealed to me. Frankel’s own child is transgender, so the book came from a place of experiences and I loved seeing parents Rosie and Penn as they help their child Claude start to live as Poppy. Penn’s fairy stories were a lovely literary addition to the tale that might not appeal to everyone but I particularly loved the dynamics between the siblings as the family make loving, but messy, decisions to support Poppy.
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As a pretty big Jodi Picoult fan her books are usually right up my alley. I love that she takes an ethical issue and tells a story that interrogates it from all angles. This one took me a bit of getting into but ultimately I loved it. A story told backwards, from a number of character’s perspectives, it was a heavily researched novel about abortion set in a women’s health centre during a hostage negotiation. I particularly liked that I didn’t feel in any way lectured, instead I finished the book feeling educated and unsettled. Full review HERE.
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A Women’s Prize Shortlisted novel and one of my top reads of the year! Dominicana is the story of a young woman from the Dominican Republic, getting married and moving to America at the age of 15 in order to help build a life her family can eventually join. Based on the author’s mother’s experiences and laid upon a backdrop of American and Dominican politics, I found this novel - and in particular the character of Ana - crept into my mind and challenged the way I understood history, politics and immigration. Full review HERE.
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This was one of my last reads of the year and was, again, an advance e-copy from Netgalley and it comes out in April this year. Set in a small town in Colorado this is a superb debut crackling with dynamic characters, explosive secrets and violence. Full review HERE.
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Such a beautiful read. I won’t natter on about this now because I have a full review HERE. But this is a really good read if you’re interested in female friendships, growing up and multiple POVs. Full review HERE.
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This was an audiobook listen and, as an eternal Theroux fan, I anticipated enjoying it. I absolutely did, in particular both my husband and I loved how he gave a little backstory of many of his documentaries and we spent days rewatching them all with much of this new information in mind. The audiobook was particularly entertaining (if cringey at times) because of Louis’ various attempts at accents, some of which were better than others!
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Another delight this year! Beach Read felt like a traditional romance novel with a literary aspect thrown in that delighted me as an aspiring novel writer. A literary novelist and a romance writer meet and, both struck with writer’s block, agree to switch genres and compete to finish and sell their manuscripts. A lovely read with some slightly sadder, darker sub-plots that were also consistently engaging. Full review HERE.
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During lockdown my sister-in-law and I sent each other a secret book and this was what she sent me. At first I struggled with this book. Written mostly in note form, it follows Ottila’s attempts to give up drinking, sleeping with her boss and generally messing up her life. While I really liked the notes, letters and official documents that creatively made up much of the book, I found Ottila quite manic and messy and was particularly put off by the strange pacing of the book. However the introduction of her sister Mina, struggling with her mental health in a psychiatric ward, turned the whole book round for me. It was much heavier than I’d anticipated from the title and the early sections of the novel, but I thought the exploration of a family in the grips of grief and mental illness was excellent. I wouldn’t recommend this for everyone as I found much of it very affecting and feel it could be triggering for people in a similar situation to the characters.
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Yes, very very good. I’m a huge Mark Watson fan - both of his stand-up and his novels. Although he’s a very funny man, most of his work has quite dark undertones and this is no exception. It’s a book about one suicidal man who, deeply affected by the path his life has taken, boards a train to Edinburgh and sends a text to his entire address book to say goodbye. While it is of course a very sad premise Watson has a deft touch and beautifully explores all the different facets of this decision and the responses of those who feel responsible for saving him. Full review HERE.
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My book club did a cool thing this year. Since we weren’t going to meet in person for a while, we all chose one book and posted it to each other at the end of the month. Ultimately we will all have read the same bunch of books and be able to rate and discuss them together. This novel was my pick. The blurb on the back of this book was very sparse, giving you pretty much zero in the way of information, so I didn’t really know what I was in for. I have since suggested that the book may not be suitable for everyone, particularly parents of young children, as it’s a very affecting story following a couple whose child is in intensive care inspired by the author’s own experiences. I could say more but since the author clearly wants people to come at the story fresh so I won’t, only that it was the second half of the book that I particularly loved.
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I went into this having no expectations and I’m still unsure quite what I though of it. Our protagonist Ava is extraordinarily introspective, in a way that regularly slips into selfishness and I often found her a bit wearing. That said, I found the novel very readable, with scenes that have stuck in my mind and Dolan has a wonderfully joyous way with language and grammar. She’s also extremely well-read and articulate, and uses her Instagram to share articles, thoughts and book recommendations regularly. Full review HERE.
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Queenie has been such a major hit and, as you can see from my review HERE, I really enjoyed it and recommend it. However, in the time since I’ve read it I’ve had plenty of thinking time and I’m still a little disappointed that a book so focused on representing people correctly and calling out racism, is so negative in its portrayal of a Jewish character. I still recommend reading Queenie, there are plenty of books that struggle with their representation of other characters, but I would like to see a little more conversation around this aspect of the novel. My full review HERE.
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Jane Fallon is one of my favourite authors. She writes real chick-lit, always with a secret or a scandal at its heart and I really need her to write faster so I can more regularly sit in the bath and barrel through one of her novels when I’m in need of escapism. Queen Bee, though not in the least of Foursome or Leaving Matthew, was yet another fun read. Laura, a single mother and businesswoman, moves into a small rented annexe in a fancy cul-de-sac full of money obsessed neighbours, while she tries to find a property she can afford to buy. When she discovers a secret at the heart of snooty Queen Bee Stella’s life, she can’t help but get involved.
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My first Gillian McAllister novel and I’ve already nabbed my second from the library! A super twisty-turny thriller with a family at its heart and a final kick ass twist at its end. My favourite thrillers tend to be based in everyday family life and I particularly liked how rooted in that this one was, keeping me totally invested in the characters and the outcome of events for them.
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This novel comes out in April this year (thanks to Netgalley I received an advance e-copy) and I highly recommend it. There’s a romance that becomes important to the plot but the story is actually about a woman, Birdy, who’s stuck in a bit of a rut and takes a mad gamble! So long as you can handle painfully cringeworthy scenes where our protagonist gets herself into a pickle then I’m sure you’ll enjoy! Full review HERE.
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This was my first read of 2020 and a sneaky purchase before midnight NYE 2019 in order to keep my promise of no new books in the first three months of 2020. HA! That went well. But in my defence…well, you know. Anyway, Lucy Vine is a favourite of mine and her books are an automatic read for me. I found this a light and delightful romp that I sped through. A comedy twist on Eat, Pray, Love, the book follows Alice who, facing 30, as she travels round the world to #FindTheFun and herself. With cringeworthy blog posts and hedonistic adventures it’s a fun read, although Vine’s first Hot Mess is still my top pick of her books so far.
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You can read my full review for Olive here. I thought this was a lovely first novel that really dug around in the experiences of modern day women and the decision they make on whether or not to have children. I particularly liked the way in which each woman in the friendship group was having a different experience which very much reflects reality for my friends and I at the moment. Here’s my review.
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A Comics’ Book podcast read recommend by Tez Ilyas. Tez LOVED this book and found it really personally affecting. Reading it was quite a different experience for me but that made me think much more about authors and novels and intended audiences. Although I found the ending intensely irritating, I’m really glad I read the book because it prompted me to think properly about what it must have been like for Muslims in the USA after 9/11 and, going forward, how to apply that to how we treat people now and in the future.
I love a memoir and this one caught my eye on a bookshop wander. Edelstein, who was living in London when her Father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, packed up her bags and moved back to the USA. Six weeks after she arrived her father died and six months after that she discovered she had inherited Lynch Syndrome from him, meaning she would likely develop the same cancer. I’m drawn to books about real lives and the one is a truthful, touching and hopeful read following Edelstein’s experiences from her early years working in London to her life in the aftermath of everything that happened. Obviously this was difficult to read at times but I really loved how starkly honest her writing is, her perspective coming at times from a distance and at others from right back in the middle of her grief and confusion.
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I joined Scribd for a free trial in 2020 and immediately cancelled my Audible and Readly accounts so I could keep my subscription. Big Summer was my first audiobook on Scribd as well as being my first novel by Weiner. The story was actually a little heavier than the blurb and cover suggested and ended up being a sort of romance novel/murder mystery but I really enjoyed it and have already started my second Jennifer Weiner novel Mrs Everything. Big Summer comes out in May this year in the UK.
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My first O’Leary book and I totally get all the fuss. This was a lovely romance novel with a unique premise and I really enjoyed the note writing format. Also, if you go on Beth O’Leary’s website you can read some extra little notes as a Christmas special.
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I picked this YA book up because I was taking Blume’s class on Masterclass and the way she described this book was horrifyingly close to my novel-in-progress, right down to the protagonist’s name. Fortunately, although there are some aspects in common, the two books are markedly different so I was able to settle down and enjoy the novel for what it was. I grew up with Blume’s books and it was lovely to revisit her work as an adult.
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This was a Comics’ Books podcast read chosen by Sindhu Vee. It felt way overdue for me to start reading Wodehouse but Sindhu’s love for it, and her family history of the books, sold it for me and I dove in. Although I found some of the farcical aspects of the book irritating (as I do with most farce) I enjoyed this way more than I’d anticipated and will probably pick up another Wodehouse when I want some light-hearted laughs.
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I went to see Sophie Kinsella a year or so ago in conversation at Waterstones with Lucy Vine and I realised that I hadn’t read much of her stuff since my early love for Diary of a Shopaholic (which I love to his day). I Owe You One wasn’t quite Becky Bloomwood territory but it had Kinsella’s trademark readability and humour. I loved this tale of family, romance and forever traded IOUs.
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This was my second read for the book club book swap. This is as impressive and well-crafted a book as everyone says it is, with the main character Aidan having to relive a day over and over again in order to solve the mystery of Evelyn Hardcastle’s death. There were many aspects of it that will stay with me and I think it’s one of the most unique novels I’ve ever read. However, I personally tend to get infuriated very easily at books or movies that use the Groundhog Day trope (Groundhog Day included) so while the book impressed me I can’t say I consistently enjoyed it or that I’m running to read Turton’s new novel.
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I reviewed this earlier this year and I pretty much stand by everything I said. With a little bit of time I must admit the book has stayed with me and I am glad I read it but yeah, it was a looooong read! Eventually I’d like to read Catch-22 by Heller but I’m still a bit gun shy at the moment! Full review HERE.
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This was a book club read that was a sweet tale with lots of humour. I really liked the bar setting, the storytelling night and Georgina’s go-getting character. Plus Lucas McCarthy is a swoon worthy leading man so I was totally into the romance. That said, the central plot conceit was a little far-fetched for me to jump fully onboard with!
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This was my first Malcolm Gladwell and, for the most part, I thought it was great. I always step ahead from his books feeling a strange mixture of intelligent enough to get what he’s saying (I think) but also concerned that I’m not clever enough to feel confident that I’m not just taking his opinions on face value. I do think that the title of this book was a little tenuous, with such a huge range of concepts discussed under a banner that didn’t quite tie them all up in my opinion, but I thought the core issue, this idea of how we communicate with each other based on what we naturally believe and accept to be true is interesting. I was particularly interested in his reading of the Chanel Miller/Brock Turner case as I was simultaneously intrigued by his explanation of the issues surrounding drunkenness and concerned that he was giving Turner too much leeway. Miller herself has spoken out against this section of the book. Full review HERE.
A Boy’s Guide to Track and Field by Sabrina Broadbent
This was a really different read for me that I picked up because Sabrina was my teacher at Faber Academy this year. It’s hard to probably review this because we discussed various elements of it within our classes. The structure though is particularly noteworthy. Lem, 25 and recently dumped by his girlfriend Dawn, has moved back in with his mother and her step-father and spends the entire book on a tube ride to work as a teacher. From Walthamstow to Brixton he mulls over his life, arriving in the present, with lots of tube station trivia along the way.
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Another Faber Academy read. We were supposed to have a session deconstructing this book with Doughty but this ended up being moved online. I’m a fan of Doughty’s writing, having previously read Apple Tree Yard and seeing her in conversation with Douglas Kennedy talking about Black Water. I found Platform Seven an up-and-down read. It’s very dark, focusing on suicide, coercive control and living life in the UK as a refugee. The supernatural elements story didn’t quite come together for me but the sections about Lisa and Matty’s controlling relationship were masterful.
I read this for Comics’ Books Podcast on the recommendation of comedian Sikisa. Lucy Thatcher is a friend of hers and she was so proud of her for publishing this collection. I enjoyed this set of musings on Lucy’s experience growing up as a Black woman in South London and you can hear Sikisa and I discussing the book HERE.
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I love a good thriller and this was was ALL OVER THE PLACE for ages. I was actually a little disappointed in it, but I must admit I was really caught up in the hype surrounding it so it’s possible I had crazy high expectations! The set up of a psychiatrist taking a job solely because it would allow him access to a famously mute patient is a great premise and hooked me in straight away. Over the course of the novel however I failed to remain deeply engaged with the story and post-reading have forgotten it pretty much straight away. Again, people did LOVE this one so don’t take my word for it!
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Though I loved Sarah Pinborough’s Behind Her Eyes, I found her second novel pretty forgetttable. This one falls somewhere in the middle for me. It was a very unique thriller for me, set in New Orleans with an interesting cast of characters, particularly newcomer Keisha. I was totally engaged throughout, wanting to know the twist and completely caught up in the womens’ world of voodoo and dangerous secrets, but it also wasn’t one that stuck in my mind much after I put it down. Full review HERE.
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This was another book I read because I adored a previous one by the same author. Araminta Hall’s Our Kind of Cruelty is one of my top psychological thrillers of all time. It’s twisty, clever and realistic. Imperfect Women was a big disappointment for me. Full review HERE.
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This book is so bizarre. Written from the POV of Keiko, a woman who has never felt she fitted into Japanese society, it begins with her working in a convenience store as she has done for the past 18 years and follows her as she attempts to fit the mould. I found this very thought-provoking and I still ponder over Keiko from time to time. Full review HERE.
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A longer review of this is incoming but I’ve been slow to write it due to some conflicted feelings. I listened to this on audio and found it pretty addictive, partly due to each story being bitesize (making a nice change from the longer books I’d been reading) and partly simply because I love true stories. This is compared in the blurb to Humans of New York but it doesn’t quite hit in the same way. The audio version may have been part of the issue as each story was read in a rather strange and monotonous way but I also had a bit of an issue with the way the stories in question were collected and are presented. For now though I’d say give it a listen if it’s your kind of thing but that only a handful of the stories will really stick with you.
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My final read of the year was one that is totally out of my comfort zone and was the next in the book club book swap. Wool is the first in what’s definitely a trilogy (and, if my research is correct, now includes up to 9 books?) and takes place in an apocalyptic world where earth’s surviving population living in an underground silo. For a good 20% of the book (at least) I was pretty disinterested and, if I had been reading for myself, would likely have given up. I’m pleased though that I didn’t. Although I’m not certain to read onwards into the trilogy I really enjoyed the storytelling in this book and thought the world building was fascinating.
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This was such a weird book. Ostensibly a story about a man with three wives, it soon becomes much darker and more twisty turny. There’s lots that’s intriguing about this novel but ultimately I found the ending really messy, pretty untenable and a little distasteful.
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I didn’t really enjoy this book at all and I was quite close to giving up on it. At its heart is a story of a husband and wife, Penelope and Sanjay, trying to save their marriage by committing to complete honesty. There’s also a sudden death and unearthed secrets but it just didn’t all come together for me.
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This may have been my least favourite read of the year. I’m not a romance afficionado but I do enjoy then. However, despite the fact that there were aspects of this book that were entertaining and the characters themselves (particularly Noah) were likeable enough, neither the fake dating romance trope or the protagonist Rosie’s excessive need to compare men with her father, worked for me. I saw loads of positive reviews for this book though so that’s certainly just my opinion. For romance reads though I’d recommend Beach Read or The Summer Job. Here’s my review.