Book Lists
Like so many aspects of 2020, my reading life was not great. I set out to read 100 books throughout the year, but only ended up finishing 56, several of which were re-reads because I was teaching them. And out of the books I read this year, there were very few that I really loved, which made it difficult to make this list. However, I still enjoy tracking my reading and sharing book recommendations with all of you, so here are my favorite 10 books that I read in 2020.
1. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland It’s a reimagining of the Civil War, but with zombies! While this wouldn’t normally be my type of book, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this. And it somehow managed to seamlessly combine elements of historical fiction, horror, humor, and political commentary all into one book. 2. Light from Other Stars by Erika Swyler This is the second of Swyler’s books I’ve read, and I have absolutely fallen in love with her writing style. She composes some of the most lyrical sentences I’ve ever read and she’s great at sprinkling slightly unbelievable moments into otherwise realistic plots. 3. Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson I read this after hearing Jackson speak at a conference, and my only regret is that I didn’t read it before. Based on some of her talking points, I figured she was one of those writers who throws in a huge twist that readers either love or hate, but I was in no way prepared for Allegedly. I read this back in March and I am still trying to wrap my head around it. I can’t say more without spoiling the plot, but if any of you have read this one, please talk to me about it. 4. The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate This is one of those books that came into my life at the right time. It alternates chapters between two timelines and two characters, one of whom reminds me of myself and certain aspects of my teaching career. 5. I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom Rachel Bloom is one of my favorite celebrities, so I pre-ordered this memoir the second it was available. While this book definitely isn’t for everyone, I read the entire thing in one night and pulled myself out of a reading slump with it. 6. Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist Apparently zombies were my theme for 2020, which seems kind of appropriate for this year. Also, a zombie western is not something I ever thought I’d be into, but apparently it is. 7. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Why did I wait so long to read this book?! I don’t like many “classics,” but this one will easily go down as an all-time favorite. And it made me ugly-cry in front of my 14-year-old nephew, which is always a plus. 8. Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen Supernatural westerns were also a common theme for me in 2020. The plot of this one is difficult to describe, but if you enjoy westerns and/or supernatural creatures, then this is definitely for you. 9. The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch I read this book back in June, which was probably for the best. Everything was shut down, I’d just finished teaching summer school to the kids who refused to put in any effort during remote learning, I was helping one of the other teachers paint her entire classroom, and I was just kind of pissed off about everything in general. So reading a horrifically violent book about a man who is paid to torture criminals was exactly what I needed. 10. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter You all know that I’m a sucker for an unreliable narrator, and this book gave me two! It was also pretty graphically violent, but it was still a solid thriller. Because of how much my overall reading sucked in 2020, I’m trying to alter my goals for 2021. Instead of attempting to read a huge number of books, I want to focus on enjoying the books I read. So for the first time, I’m giving myself permission to not finish books if I’m not enjoying them. (I think the best way to achieve this is to have my college professors assign them to me, because I rarely did my assigned reading in school. Don’t tell my students!) I also want to read more widely (and more worldly). I’ve kept track of my reading stats over the years and it turns out that 75% of my reading is from American authors, and 90% of my reading is from white authors. So I’m also going to attempt to pay more attention to the writers I choose to read. So if any of you have recommendations, please let me know! Here’s to hoping 2021 is better for everyone and their reading lives.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Jacinta M. CarterProfessional Book Nerd Archives
December 2018
Categories |