Top 10 Reads of 2020

 Top Ten Reads of 2020:

This past year has been a lot of things, but it was not a spectacular reading year. In the malay of 2020 I found time to complete and log my progress on thirty-eight titles, far below my goal of fifty-two, however, in this small stack there were ten gems that I cannot wait to share with you all. 

I have done my best to rank these all from number ten right down to my number one favorite book of 2020. This list is going to encompass both fiction and non-fiction due to the small sample size.

10. Not Here by Hieu Minh Nguyen 

    - This poetry collection has stuck with me throughout the year, which is saying a lot about a collection as they usually vanish from my consciousness as soon as I close the book. However, the themes discussed here (love, finding oneself, sexuality, and growing up) combined with the spare and beautiful language gave me chills. The author's struggle growing up and expressing himself is something that we all can relate to, if not directly, we all experience changes that we do not know how to address. Nguyen covers universal human truths in this sparse collection with grace, I would highly recommend it to everyone. It is a great entry point into poetry as there is no rhyme scheme that must be heard for the poem to make sense. 

9. Real Life by: Brandon Taylor 

    - The themes covered within this novel are race, academic integrity, finding ones career, friendship, and first love. Admittedly these themes would not have attracted me to this novel just a few short years ago. However, after graduating with a BS in Biology much like our main character, attempting to build my career, and navigate complex social situations I am able to appreciate the main character's achievements and lows. This book also sheds light on the microaggressions and profiling that occurs in academia, an area that I had not realized the extent to which it plagued society. That said, after a year that exposed many injustices experienced by BIPOC communities I have and will continue to read books addressing the injustices they face and help to bring attention to their stories, aid in their efforts to create a more just society, and become an ally. The prose in this novel is spare and direct, much like an academic publication, further adding depth to the academic setting. This is not going to be one everyone will enjoy, the characters are entitled at times, the themes are difficult, and the writing is a particular flavor, but in my opinion if anything that I said resonates you should try this story. 

8. The Vanishing Half by: Britt Bennett 

    - This book tackles themes of race, identity, family, and forgiveness This story is full of page turning plot, vivid settings and characters, themes that remain relevant to all, and gorgeous prose that will satisfy even the most persnickety reader of literary fiction. I enjoyed this book in particular for the fast paced plot, and beautiful writing. Watching the characters lives come together, break apart, and once again come together provided enough hope for me to get through 2020. Knowing that these two sisters could go through so much heartache, stress and change and remain unscathed reminded me how resilient the human species can be. 

7. Severance by: Ling Ma

    - Many will find it strange that I read and enjoyed a book about a fictional pandemic during a real pandemic, however, I found it fascinating and soothing to see the characters address far worse situations than the one we experienced with COVID19. That said, I read this in the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic and we did not know much about the virus and how it behaved so these situations could have been realistic. The plot is meandering, the characters leap off the page, and the setting is tense. This combination has created a propulsively readable literary thriller that tackles what it would be like to survive a global pandemic that sends the infected into obsessive psychosis. This book is not for the faint of heart or those having a rough time adjusting to life among a global pandemic. 

6. The Fire Next Time by: James Baldwin

    - This classic essay on racial injustice is one that everyone must read. Baldwin's prose is clean, precise, and beautiful. This short, 90ish page, essay packs a lot in for the reader to ponder over the coming days, weeks, months, and years. For fear of "spoiling" Baldwin's work I will refrain from further description. I recommend everyone pickup a copy of this essay in the coming year, read it slowly, absorb its messages, and help to make the world a better place for everyone. 

5. Say Nothing by: Patrick Radden Keefe 

    - This non-fiction account follows the Troubles in Ireland. In particular, this book follows the story of one family and the disappearance of the matriarch, Jean McConville. Exploring the facts of McConville's disappearance, the reader gets a detailed and engrossing history of the Troubles. Admittedly as a United States citizen I know very little about the Troubles and the intricate web that caused so much chaos in Ireland during 1972 and beyond. I enjoyed this non-fiction account in particular because it is written in a narrative fashion, by that I mean it shares the single story of Jean McConville's disappearance with information surrounding the greater conflict woven in. This writing style paints a vivid picture of the people, place, and political turmoil that any reader can find themselves engrossed in. A tragic story of political unrest in Ireland, but one that I think everyone should have a cursory understanding of, and this book provides just that.

4. In Search of the Canary Tree by: Lauren E. Oakes

    - This non-fiction account of one woman's journey to research and bring awareness to the plight of the yellow Cyprus tree in Alaska most accurately captured the awe, joy, and general wonder of field research. Field research brings me a joy and sense of peace like nothing else I have ever experienced. It can be frustrating, painstakingly detail oriented, and at times scary, however, the joy I get from seeing threatened and endangered species in their native habitat while I study them with the aim of conserving their declining populations gives me a feeling like nothing else. This account chronicles the author's experience writing her dissertation on the declining yellow cyprus stands in Alaska, the trials, highs, and findings of her research in an easily digestible format for the general public. Climate change is a fact that we all will be living with for generations, the effects of which will impact a variety of communities in a variety of ways, the Yellow Cyprus being one of many to experience declines. Oakes writes a captivating account of her field work, findings and her personal experiences in this book that will have any nature lover vigorously turning the pages.I recommend this book to those who love nature, want to learn about the effects of climate change on endangered tree species, biologists who because of COVID19 cannot work in the field this year, and those who want to learn how indigenous people's knowledge can be combined with science to create a more full life history for a species.

3. The Count of Monte Cristo by: Alexandre Dumas

    - This book needs very little introduction, it follows our main character, the Count, as he grows old and aims to enact revenge on a group that wronged him many years prior. You might ask yourself why Dumas needed 1,000 pages to tell this story, however, I am here to tell you not to question him and just trust that each page is needed. This story weaves themes of revenge, love, family, friendship, the benefit of storytelling, and good vs evil to create a rich tapestry showing the life of one man and his many misadventures along the way. I fell in love with this book because of the writing style which is equal parts playful and literary, a unique combination by many standards. Dumas recognizes that his themes are dense and tough to digest, therefor the story is injected with ample humor and absurdity to keep the reader engaged. Aside from writing that will make you laugh and cry within the same sentence, the characters and plot are ones for the ages. Each character felt like an old friend by the time I finished reading this book, and many scenes will stick with me well beyond the last page. If you are at all interested in reading this book, please pick it up and stick with it even if you get bored in sections, the novel as a whole is well worth it!

2. The Last thing you Surrender by: Leonard Pitts Jr

    - This book is set during WWII, following the family of a black soldier who saves a white soldier during the sinking of a ship in the battle of Pearl Harbour and how their families cross paths. A seemingly straightforward plot is absolutely engrossing when left in the hands of Leonard Pitts Jr. Pitts Jr creates characters like no other author I have read, they feel as though you have known them for years after only finishing chapter one, and they stay with you long after. To this day I think about these characters and the sacrifices they made to help one another and overcome all odds during a time of racial, political, and economic unrest. The prose in this novel is leaps and bounds above anything else that I have read this year, it is beautiful and full of descriptions that paint a vivid picture of each scene. The pacing of this book is very slow and meandering, allowing ample time for you to become invested in each character's life , however, I would have it no other way. If you think that you have read the best of WWII fiction, I challenge you to top this, it will open your eyes to an aspect of WWII military service that very few know about and will humble even the most hard soul. 

1. Unfollow by: Megan Phelps-Roper

    - This was the second book that I read/listened to this year. This memoire started the year off with a bang! This follows Megan's upbringing in the Westboro Baptist Church, how she came to realize the harm that it was causing, and ultimately how she left the church. The audiobook is narrated by the author and makes the experience even better, her voice is soothing and even handed as she recounts her experience. Prior to reading this book I could not have told you anything about the Westboro Baptist Church, though you all most likely know them from their confrontational picket signs about the LGBTQIA+ community. Hearing a first hand account of this community and what it was like growing up with such an extreme version of reality was fascinating. However, my enjoyment of this book really stemmed from Megan being open and sharing her journey and reasons for leaving the church. Seeing someone who had grown up in such a divisive environment able to step back and see the harm they were causing and remove themselves from the situation gave me hope for society at large. Maybe with just a little distance and self reflection we all will come to see the areas we cause harm in and change our ways. I urge anyone, religious or not, to read this book and experience the journey Megan went on to find a fulfilling life without causing harm to others, she is an inspiration for where we can go as a society. 

Thank you all for sticking around with me this long to see my top ten favorite books of 2020. Like I said earlier, 2020 was a horrific year, but these books were excellent. I urge each and everyone of you to pick something up off of this list and give it a shot in 2021. Here is to turning a new chapter! Let's hope the editor of 2021 is in a better mood than they were in 2020 :) .