Favorite Reads of 2020

Usually my favorite books are those that grab my heart and twist it in a good way that keeps me up after my bedtime. This year my favorite books are different. I didn’t have a lot of heart twisting feelings this year. The whole world is a heart twist, and if I stop too long to think about it my heart will be wrung dry. Heart twisting was not what I looked for in my books for most of 2020. Instead I looked for books that explained the world to me.

My favorite was Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. I’ve never read anything that made the Vietnam War feel so real. It wasn’t always a pleasant experience- I had to read it slowly from November 2019 to May 2020. I started it right around the same time I read The Great Alone, and I could see a straight line from the soldiers in Matterhorn to the troubled father in The Great Alone. As a child of the 80’s I felt like I better understood a lot of the men I knew growing up after reading this book.

When I read it in May I wrote:

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes - This novel about the Bravo Company, a unit of young Marines during the Vietnam War, is unforgettable. Karl Marlantes is a veteran himself, and the details he incorporated into this book were visceral and captivating.

Clever Books I’m Still Thinking About

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld - What if Hillary had never married Bill? This book got me through some dark days this summer.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - Two half sisters in Ghana separated by circumstances. Each chapter skips a generation until it all comes together spectacularly in the end.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid - The part that struck me the most was how everyone was talking, but no one accurately heard what the other person was trying to say.

Books That Made It Seem Like Maybe Everything Will Be Okay?

Devotions by Mary Oliver - I never thought I’d be a person who reads poetry, but in the last few years I’ve become one. Mary Oliver is my favorite.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker - There are some hard things in this book, but also beautiful things about found families and purple flowers.

All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny - This was a really satisfying continuation of my favorite series.

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward - Sad, dreamy, and magical. I’m so glad I finally got around to this one.

Even Better The Second (Or Third) Time

11/22/63 by Stephen King - If you think Stephen King is all about horror and killer clowns I invite you to read this book that shows the dangers of political extremism.

A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - I’ve loved this play since my Mom brought me to see it in high school. Seeing it on stage again is one of my post Covid to dos. Until then I’m glad I got to read it again this summer.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding - This was a sacred text in my 20’s, and reading it again this year reminded me of how wonderful it is.

So, that’s 2020. I’m hoping for many things in 2021, one of which is that reading feels normal again.

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Walking Wednesday

Just finished up The Third Birds! Any one have any walking goals for 2021? My step goal plummeted when we first went full time remote. I’d like to start building it up again.

This week I listened to:

And I saw:

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Show Us Your Books December 2020

My TBR Shelf

November was a really weird reading month for me. It started with the election (no ability to concentrate whatsoever) and ended with a Covid exposure (complete cocooning with Thanksgiving food for ten people that of course we couldn’t see and tons of reading.) It was really about three months in one. So now it’s December, my house is a complete mess, but at least I have stopped scouring Twitter all night for election news and my reading mojo is back.

Three Great Books

Normally I just pick one favorite book per month, but I liked all three of these in such different ways I couldn’t choose.

Above Us Only Sky by Michele Young-Stone - This book was magical, mystical, and musical. I read it over Thanksgiving and the story of a girl being born with wings tracing the roots of her family with her cranky grandfather was perfect for that holiday.

She Come By It Natural by Sarah Smarsh - Dolly is everywhere these days! This short book about Dolly as a nontraditional feminist and business woman really made me like her even more. They tried to turn her into a boob joke, but the joke is on them.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - This Jane Austen classic is really underrated. It’s funny and Catherine is a heroine you can relate to and root for. If you’re doing a classics challenge in 2021 you can’t go wrong with Northanger!

More Good Reads

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes - This historical novel about a horseback lending library in rural Kentucky had me on the edge of my seat worrying for the ladies in the book. I really liked it, but thought the ending was rushed.

American Royals by Katherine McGee - I surprised myself by how much I liked this alternate history of George Washington’s royal descendants. I didn’t even mind when my dishwasher broke on Thanksgiving and I had to spend hours hand washing because it meant more hours with this on audio. If you read it be ready to turn to part two right away! My copy just came in from Libby and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Savage Summit by Jennifer Jordan - A non-fiction book about the first five women to climb K2. You find out in the first few pages that none survived very long after summiting, and I was left with the question of how someone can be so driven they’re willing to throw their life away to climb a mountain.

That’s it for November reads, but SUYB Best of 2020 is coming on Dec. 29! It’s been such a weird year, I’m not really sure how I can do a wrap up, but I’ll give it my best!

Linked to: Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit

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Walking Wednesday

We have a brief return to normalcy this week before the next holiday’s craziness begins. I’m hoping for a lot of salad and walking!

This week I listened to:

And I saw:

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Serial Reader App

Like many people my reading habits have changed in 2020. I still read a lot, but I read differently. Gone are the days when I would sit for hours and read a novel. Now I need to read in small bites. Short stories, poetry, and chapter a day buddy reads have all been really enjoyable this year. My latest adventure along this line has been downloading the Serial Reader app. So far I’m on day four of Les Miserables - I should finish some time in July if I stick with it.

Have you tried the Serial Reader app? What reads have you enjoyed?

2020 Gift Guide For Bookworms and a Giveaway

I say this every year, but books really are the perfect present this year. It’s going to be a long winter in most cases, but we can make it feel a little shorter by supplying our favorite bookworms with books and goodies to help the days go by.

Books

50 Great American Places by Brent Glass - This is the perfect gift for any armchair historian who is planning their first post pandemic road trip. Written by a director emeritus of the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution, this book hits all the highlights of what a trip around the US should be.

Tomorrow Will Be Better by Betty Smith - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of my very favorite books ever since I read the Christmas scene in my English text book in 9th grade. I’ve always wanted to read this book too, but have never been able to find a copy. I yelled with joy when I found out it’s being re-released. This will definitely be a gift I buy myself this year.

Devotions by Mary Oliver - This is a wonderful book of poems for afternoons spent dreaming.

11/22/63 by Stephen King - The perfect gift for a long winter’s day. This book is for anyone who loves time travel and history. If you think all Stephen King is all gore and horror think again.

Other Gifts For Bookworms

Audiobook Subscriptions - So this is technically a book, but audiobook subscriptions are a gift I give often. Libro.fm is a great choice because some of the proceeds go to local bookstores, but audible.com also works.

Tea and books also go together. My favorite is Irish breakfast from Tea Dude on Etsy.

Turning pages all day makes a bookworm’s hands dry. This lemon scented hand cream from JR Watkins is my favorite.

And of course everyone loves to take a bath with a book. There’s some recipes for homemade bath salts here.

Giveaway! [NOW CLOSED]

I’d like to give one of you a gift! Comment below to win one copy of one of my favorite reads this year All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny.

To enter leave a comment below letting me know what your favorite read (so far) of 2020 has been. Make sure you use a valid email! I’ll be choosing one winner on 12/1. (US only please. I will contact the winner by email.)

This is part of a hop hosted by Reading Reality and Caffeinated Reviewer . Stop by for more giveaways and Black Friday fun.

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Walking Wednesday

We’ve had all four seasons this week. I don’t love that, but at least the days seem a little different.

This week I listened to:

And I saw:

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Walking Wednesday

We had to leave town unexpectedly last week for a funeral out of town. Hence an already messed up week took on a whole new level of upsidedownedness. Thank goodness for nice weather and trails in the woods. I am so looking forward to getting back to normalcy this week.

Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.

I listened to:

And I saw:

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Show Us Your Books November 2020

The sun coming through stormy skies

November 2020, it really seemed like we would never get here! We made it!

I read a ton in October, mostly thanks to a Halloween reading challenge on Litsy. In retrospect it probably wasn’t the best for my mental health to read five Stephen King books in the weeks before the election!

Best of the Month

Self care - a good book and ice cream

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - This was a great book, and so, so clever. It starts in Ghana in the 1700s where two half sisters end up on very different paths- one is kidnapped and sold into slavery and one lives the pampered life of a slave catcher’s wife. From there each chapter skips a generation and we see how the two halves of the family live- one in America and one in Ghana. This will probably be on my best of 2020 list.

It Is A Truth Universally Acknowledged

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding - After reading P&P last month it was time to read a few adaptations. I was obsessed with Bridget Jones in my 20’s and really enjoyed re-visiting with her. This was my first time reading it on audio, and I enjoyed it in that format. If you need something to make you laugh this month Bridget is a good choice!

Pride and Prejudice Graphic Novel by Ian Edington - I’ve become a big fan of graphic novels based on the classics in the last few years and this was no exception. Mr. Darcy just looked so…proud.

Most Mysterious

I spent a lot of October with The West Wing running in the background.

The Best American Mystery Stories 2017 - I grabbed this when I was wandering around the library one day, and liked it more than I thought I would. I’m not usually a short story person, but lately they’ve been perfect for when I can’t concentrate. This was a good collection, and I'm going to pick up another volume next time I go to the library.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger - I’m averaging about a book a month by Krueger since I started early this summer. Ordinary Grace was a stand alone, but I enjoyed it just as much as his Cork O’Connor mysteries. The book takes place in the early 1960’s but is told 40 years later from the point of view of a pre-teen boy. Great book!

The Likeness by Tana French - The second book in the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. It went on a bit long for my tastes, but the mental gymnastics the undercover cop main character underwent kept me mostly entertained. I’m not in a huge rush to get to the next book, but probably will at some point this year.

And Five From The King

A bit too close to current events

The Dead Zone by Stephen King - What would you do if you knew the new popular politician who sold himself as “just a regular guy” was actually a psychopath who would kill us all? I read this as a teenager, and re-read it in October because I started thinking it was eerily close to current events. Thank goodness we live in America and not a Stephen King book so we can take care of these issues with elections.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King - King’s sequel to The Shining, and another re-read for me. Both times I’ve read this I’ve been bored by the beginning and then get about a third of the way in and can’t stop. Read The Shining first.

The Institute by Stephen King - A decent modern King book. Kids with psychic abilities are kidnapped and kept in a secret facility supposedly for the good of the world.

11/22/63 by Stephen King - Another re-read and probably my favorite Stephen King book. In this one a man goes back in time to stop the assassination of JFK. It’s a great story and what King has to say in the afterward about his motivation for this book is almost just as great. It’s a chunkster, but worth the time.

If It Bleeds by Stephen King - A book of four short stories, the best best one featuring Holly Gibney from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. Worth reading, but I’m glad I got it from the library instead of buying it.

One More

Speaking Truth To Power by Anita Hill - This was completely different from everything else I read in October, but I wanted to give it a mention. This is such an important book, and I really think everyone should read it. It really shows how sexual harassment can change the course of a woman’s life through no fault of her own, and how men need to do a better job of listening (looking at you Joe Biden. I think you’ve learned your lesson but giving you the hairy eyeball just in case.)

Linked to: Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit

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Walking Wednesday

I’m writing this the day before the election, and scheduling it to publish because who knows if I’ll want to go online tomorrow. I just pray we have some kind of answer and we don’t go on like this until January. Anyway I got a lot of steps in this week, but that was balanced by all the candy I ate. Oh well!

Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.

I listened to:

And I saw:

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Walking Wednesday

It’s the last week before the election, and I’ve been doing a lot of nervous walking. My neighbors’ Halloween decorations continue to amuse me. I got downtown to see the new Eisenhower memorial (parking and social distancing not a problem when it’s 40 and raining!) Still listening to 11/22/63! It’s a long one!

Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.

I listened to:

And I saw:

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Walking Wednesday

I’ve gotten a lot of walking in this week including a pilgrimage to a local cemetery, nervous pacing around my son’s baseball game, and some random wandering to see my neighborhood’s Halloween decorations. I’ve been flying through audiobooks this month so I started in on a re-read of 11/22/63. At 30 hours that should take me a while!

Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.

I listened to:

And I saw:

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Show Us Your Books October 2020

Reading along the shores of Lake Michigan

It’s my favorite day of the month, Show Us Your Books day! September was a good reading month for me. I read a lot of mysteries which appeal to 2020 me. There’s a problem, everything seems so messed up, then in about 300 pages the mystery is solved. If only.

It’s impossible to read these books without some sort of baked good.

Best of September

All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny - No surprise that the new Louise Penny book was my favorite this month. After so many books you’d think Penny would start to dial it in and depend on a formula to churn out these books, but in this one she takes it to another level. The Gamaches are in Paris when a close family friend gets struck by a car. Gamache must solve the mystery and save the good name of his family. Usual disclaimer: If you haven’t read anything from this series you’ll get a lot more out of it if you start at the beginning!

More Great Reads

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward - Heartbreaking and beautifully written. This book took my breath away.

The Mockingbird Next Door by Marja Mills - I’m always there for a book about Harper Lee. This wasn’t really the biography I was expecting, but more like snapshots of the lives of Harper and her sister Alice as they grew old in their small Alabama town. I liked it a lot.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert - I almost bailed on this about 60% of the way through, but ended up sticking with it and loving it. It starts as a look at the show girl life in a struggling theater in 1940’s New York, which is interesting, but in my opinion the best part is when Vivian gets older and learns to make her own way.

Lake Superior near the Porcupine Mountains

And Some More Mysteries

A Killer in King’s Cove by Iona Whishaw - This post WWII Canadian mystery really worked. The characters were fun without being over the top, and the mystery was compelling. I’ll read more from this series.

Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger - In this one Cork gets himself tangled up in a missing persons case that leads him on a freezing cold trip through the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota. I read this when I was in Michigan and the similarities of the scenes was a great experience for me, but I think I would have liked it at home too. This is a solid series so far.

Back To Pemberly

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Reading Jane Austen’s books a chapter a day has been the saving grace of my reading year. Even though I’ve read P&P many times I still got a lot out of it reading it this way.

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow - This starts off as P&P as told by Mary Bennet, but then moves forward to the future and imagines what might have become of her. I really liked this - it felt true to the original but was a satisfying imagining of Mary’s point of view.

With The Kids

From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg - Why didn’t I read this as a kid, and why isn’t there a sequel? This was a read-out-loud with my daughter and we both enjoyed it very much.

I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis - I read all of these with my son when he was in 2nd grade. He’s a big 7th grader now so way too old for these, but recently we were stuck in the car for three hours with this as our only audiobook option and we actually didn’t mind it.

Also linking to Book Blogger Link Up at Lovely Audiobooks and Quick Lit at Modern Mrs Darcy

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Walking Wednesday

We usually get a second summer heatwave this time of year, but in 2020 apparently we’re getting an actual Fall. I don’t know if we’re all just bored, or if it’s the weather but the neighborhood Halloween decorations are on point.

Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.

I listened to:

And I saw:

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Five Books That Are Perfect For Tent Reading

I learned at a scout meeting last night that camp grounds everywhere are filling up at unprecedented rates. I love that so many people are sleeping under the stars! And with sleeping under the stars comes reading under the stars. Tent reading is one of my favorite types of reading. If you’re new to sleeping on the ground here are five books that are perfect for reading while camping:

In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware- A sinister tale of a bachelorette party gone wrong. A closed door spooky thriller perfect for reading in isolation.

Bird Box by Josh Malerman is a really good book if you’re willing to go with it. If you think too much about it you’ll think it’s dumb. Put yourself in a tent in the woods, and you’ll have one of the best, creepiest reading experiences you’ve ever had.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin is the start of a masterful trilogy. It’s the type of book you’ll want to read all at once in solitude, and when you finally figure out what’s going on, hang on!

Devotions by Mary Oliver is a gorgeous book of poetry that celebrates the little things that happen outside. Read it by the fire or in the hammock.

The River by Peter Heller is a charged and atmospheric wilderness survival story perfect for reading outside. Just don’t start too late at night because you’ll burn out the batteries in your head lamp reading all night.

Happy camping!

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Walking Wednesday

It’s been a wonderful week for walking here in the neighborhood. I even took a new route and met some new cats!

Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.

I listened to:

And I saw:

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Walking Wednesday

They’ve been re-paving my road (again) this week, so it’s slowed my walking down. It’s okay though because we’ve been having a lot of back yard fun, including school in tents. I’ve been audiogardening and am thinking about totally re-landscaping the back.

Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.

I listened to:

And I saw:

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My Back To School Reading Routine

When the school board announced that we would be full time remote this fall at least I knew a little bit what I was in for. I have learned so much about my kids and their work habits in the last seven months, and I wasn’t about to kid myself about what kind of time on my part supporting their learning would take. However, unlike the spring I was not about to let myself go this time.

I really wanted to find a way to get back into my reading projects, primarily my non-fiction interests. In before times I used to read non-fiction on the metro while commuting into work.

I NEVER KNEW HOW MUCH I WOULD MISS A COMMUTE I COMPLAINED CONSTANTLY ABOUT.

So I made the decision that I would get up even earlier and do what I could to recreate commuting conditions in a more sanitary way. It wasn’t easy to trade sleep for me time, but after a few weeks I’ve settled in. When I first wake up I replace my walk to the bus with stretching, strength training, and basic yoga. Then for 45 glorious and silent minutes I read non-fiction. It has made a huge difference to my mental health to spend that time in the morning when my thinking is clear learning about things that have absolutely nothing to do with my kids or my job.

This is what’s working for me right now. Someday I’m sure life will change again, and I’ll need to find some other way!

Walking Wednesday

I’ve been loving all the purple flowers this week. Yay September!

Here’s what I’ve been listening to and seeing this week.

I listened to:

And I saw:

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Louise Penny and Hillary Clinton Book Event

“The Gates of Hell Have Opened
And All the Devils Are Here”

— The Tempest by William Shakespeare

One night I was scrolling through my phone thinking about how the world was sure going to end (as we do these days) when I came across an ad from the DC bookstore Politics and Prose featuring an even where Louise Penny was going to be interviewed by Hillary Clinton. It was so out of the blue and random I figured I must have dozed off and dreamed it. But the next day I decided to look at the Politics and Prose website and sure enough it was a real event. I immediately bought a ticket, and my faith in humanity was restored.

This event (via Zoom) was wonderful. When it started Clinton didn’t have her video on and Penny was on mute, which is such a 2020 issue. But once they got going, wow. Hearing tales of a young Hillary Clinton devouring Nancy Drew novels, and a 22 year old Clinton in Paris was heartbreaking at first (what could have been!) but soon I was drawn in by the pure loveliness of these two women. It turns out that Clinton is a huge mystery reader, and they met in 2016 after Penny’s husband died and Clinton wrote her a letter.

In the discussion the two women got into poetry, how to write a book, and why they love mysteries (Clinton said, “The bad guy gets it in the end which hasn’t always been my experience in life.”) My favorite exchange was Clinton’s one sentence review of Penny’s books:

Clinton: They always delight me and make me hungry.

Penny: My hips are a tribute

Clinton even kicked off the Q&A by asking about the odd print of emus on Penny’s wall which I’m sure all of us were wondering about.

One of the most amazing parts of the whole thing was the chat. Thousands upon thousands of fans were just gushing about the event, how healing it was, and how none of us had felt that happy in a while. It was zoom magic. And a little comic relief- about 3/4 of the way through one genuinely confused person said “Wait, that’s Hillary Clinton interviewing Louise?”

Towards the end the moderator commented on the chat, and asked the two women what their advice is to overcome the despair so many of us are feeling right now. Clinton’s advice?

Read and Vote

(I got to see Louise Penny in person last year. My notes are here if you’re interested.)

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