Books I Read in 2020

 

I started a blogging practice in 2018 where I kept track of the books I'd read the whole year and wrote out my thoughts on them as a blog post. I enjoyed it so much, here I am continuing the tradition into 2020! This year has been insane, and I tried to keep up with my reading as best I could despite handling Covid-19, the intense US presidential election, BLM protests, civil unrest... it's been hectic. Emotionally, physically, psychologically draining to say the least. Not to mention I bought a house, moved out of state, had a big health scare, got a dog... it was an eventful year and I'm glad it's over! But I am very happy that I still managed to read quite a few books that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

I read 11 Fiction Novels, 1 Graphic Novel, 1 Craft Book on Writing, and 3 Non-Fiction Books.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

The third installment in Gabaldon's Outlander series, Voyager was quite unique in that we get to see Jamie's life without Claire. I enjoyed that, although parts of it were very dark and depressing. I very much loved the reunion of Claire and Jamie as it was so long coming and entertaining as hell to finally read. So far (I'm writing this in March 2021) this is the last book I've read in the Outlander series. I've tried to start the fourth book, Drums of Autumn, several times, but can't seem to get hooked into it as I had with the three before it. Voyager wasn't easy for me to get through, as being spoiled by watching the TV show made the book less exciting. However, fans of the series will find more of what they love in this book and I recommend reading the books before watching the television series and not watching past where you've read in the books!

Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

The Odd Thomas series is one of the most unique book series I've come across in a long time. I read the first book last year and couldn't wait to start the sequel. The sequel is well-paced, fresh, and Odd is still... well... odd! As Odd uses his gifts to rescue a childhood friend who has been kidnapped, the twists and turns of the story are fun but there is a stark difference between Odd fighting a more supernatural enemy versus flesh and blood ones. I enjoyed the story very much, and being inside Odd Thomas' head is a very interesting place to be, indeed!

The Exile by Diana Gabaldon (illustrated by: Hoang Nguyen)

I'm no stranger to graphic novels, but this may be the first one I've read that tells a story I've read as a novel and also viewed as a television show. It was interesting to see a new vision of the physicality of the characters (no shade to the actress who plays Claire in the television show, she's a phenomenal actress) but I always pictured Claire as rather curvy... plus-sized, if you will, and the comic shows her more this way, which I enjoyed. It was fun to see Claire and Jamie's meeting through Jamie's perspective and interactions with Murtagh are always welcome and we get to spend some extra time with him in the graphic novel. Fans of Outlander have to check this one out!

Swan Song by Robert McCammon

So a dear friend of mine recommended Dean Koontz' Odd Thomas series to me and since it was so good and I enjoyed the two books from it I had read so much, that I took her up on another recommendation: Robert McCammon's Swan Song. With the state of the world being what it was in early 2020, apocalyptic fiction seemed almost #tooreal. But this book was absorbing and I couldn't put it down! The characters were very compelling, their struggle to survive against the evil of man as well as... well... EVIL.. was captivating. 

My only complaint would be the length and number of battle scenes. Some enjoy reading them... but they wear on me after a while. They always moved the plot along in some fashion and important things happened during them, but there are only so many times I can read about two sides lining up to do battle before I'm bored of the battling. The vignettes were my favorite part of the book anyway... Swan discovering the Death tarot card and it's significance to her, the apple tree and discovering she can make things grow, the scene where the first mask cracks open to reveal the truth of identity beneath... I loved the small moments that meant so much. Expertly done! 

The book was wonderful to read, escalating toward an ending that felt like a climb up a mountain (literally) and was so satisfying to read. There's a death in the book I won't spoil that had me in tears and it caught me off guard how hard it hit me! Very well done, I loved it, and would recommend it to anyone who loves some good old fashioned nuclear bomb annihilating mankind and the ones left behind crawling along to keep humankind going. With a bit of supernatural spooky stuff mixed in as well... 

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo

I read this book almost in one sitting. So much of it opened my eyes and educated me about my own ignorance and issues, and helped me have conversations with others about prejudice and racism and systemic oppression. I recommend this book to all white people to read, even ones who would proclaim that there is no way they could ever be racist! That's part of the problem. Don't believe me? Read the book and you'll see how!

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

I wanted to consciously diversify my reading, make a concerted effort to read authors of different races, sexes, backgrounds, and experiences. I was at the library, actually just browsing with no specific books in mind, when I saw this one on the New Arrivals shelf. I loved the artwork on the cover and the plot summary intrigued me. This book was so great, I definitely recommend it!

The story flows from a plantation during slavery in the US south, to the time right after slavery was abolished (but slaves were not necessarily truly free and definitely not safe) to freedom-time in the US south. Characters and connected and separated, brought back together and torn apart. There's magic, real and imagined. The characters are layered and complex and I loved how one page describes events in a way that is mystical, then the next page shows a more 'rational' explanation, but then a few chapters later, the moment is revisited and magic blooms anew. 

A beautifully written work that I highly recommend. There is some violence, physical and sexual, so be aware of that, and of course, slavery is a forefront reality of the book. 

The Thorn Necklace :Healing Through Writing and the Creative Process by Francesca Lia Block

Francesca Lia Block has been a favorite author of mine since middle school. Her poetic prose and descriptions of life in California entranced me. She wrote as if exploring the world through a purple haze of dope and cinnamon-scented incense and her images were powerful. Magical. Surreal. Too real. I have always admired her prose and wished I could write like her. So you can imagine I was thrilled to discover she'd written a book about writing!

The book is part autobiography, part memoir, part professional musings, and part craft development. I enjoyed the way she explains her methods and is open when method flew out the window and she wrote on instinct, pulling from the pains of her past and present and future to give her characters depth and nuance and need. A great book on the craft for anyone who loves YA novels, erotica, Block, or prose that comes from a more personal place. And adds fairies!

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

I loved this book. It introduced me to a world I'm not a part of, and I'm thankful for the Coates' open and candid way of revealing his truth and the truth of Black men all over the United States. The book is written in a letter form to Coates' son Samori. Samori is fifteen and Coates wants to be sure his son understands what the world has in store for him. It's at times discouraging, frightening, blatantly realistic and harsh. But at other times, it's uplifting and hopeful. I recommend this book to everyone, no matter your background!

The Black and the Blue by Matthew Horace

This book could not be more timely and relevant. While it was informative and interesting, it wasn't a great book that I couldn't put down. Parts of it were too dry, where the author went too much into his personal background, making the reader sit still and patient to finally be shown something. The insights are sometimes uncomfortable to take, though sadly not surprising. 

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

A long-time fan of the movie, I had somehow never read the book. Despite knowing most everything that would happen, I couldn't put the book down for a second once I started. Hoffman's prose is lyrical and sweet, and I so enjoyed reading about the Owens' sisters and all they go through in the name of love. If you like curses and witchcraft and whimsical prose, this book is for you. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

I must have picked up this book and put it down a half dozen times at every bookstore or library I've been to. I finally gave in to it's call after reading Hoffman's other, more famous work, Practical Magic. I now knew I enjoyed her style and the way she builds her characters and scenery. And this book was no different in that regard. The story of an overbearing father, treating his main freak show attraction, who also happens to be his daughter, like a prisoner in his home and museum, is such a delicate read. Rooting for her escape was thrilling and watching her fall in love was warming even though it was doomed. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction, the mystery and romance were entertaining to read.

The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson

This book was a quick and fun read, with a simple plot about a trio of friends who go on ghost adventures with an uncle. There's a creative twist in the story that I enjoyed, but for the most part, it was just a fun book to read, the type of story that I love! I recommend it for some light, ghosty fun!

Beloved by Toni Morrison

This book, however, is a much deeper, darker, and altogether frightening piece of literature. I adored this book, and couldn't put it down for the life of me! I had never read a work of Morrison's before, and this was a delectable introduction to her work. The story is so heartwrenching, crushing, vibrant, painful. At its core is a ghost story, a haunting. But it's so much more than that! There's a reason Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature, she's a wordsmith and can spin a tale that keeps you gasping for more.

Basic Witches: How to Summon Success, Banish Drama, and Raise Hell with Your Coven, by Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman

This was a book I picked up for fun as there's nothing I love more than pop culture and witchcraft. (For example: my love of the film The Craft, of which there is no equal... well... maybe Heathers, but not enough witchcraft in that). This book is a hodgepodge of modern entertainment references and classic "spells" and advice for young witches finding their way in a man's world. I enjoyed it, it was fun, but nothing to write home about. Much better, useful books on witchcraft out there. 

 The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

I usually don't have high hopes for sequels to incredibly popular books, especially classics, that come so long after the first novel. But Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite authors and so I was very much anticipating this novel. It was a great read! There were enough references to characters from the first to keep it locked in the immediacy of that plot, while also feeling like it's own, very separate story. It didn't come off as dark and harrowing as Handmaid's Tale, but it still kept my heart racing as the girls attempt to flee Gilead. A must-read for Atwood and Handmaid's Tale fans alike.

Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey

My final book of the year was a bit of Viking fantasy smut. This is a vintage book about a woman kidnapped by Vikings after they murder her royal family and destroy the home she loves. Feminist teachings need not apply to this book. It's not the most... empowering read. But I still enjoyed it, and even had a gander at the sequel. Occasionally, Viking smut is just what the doctor ordered, and I refuse to be judged for that.