While others learned how to make sourdough and Dalgona coffee, I spent much of 2020 comfort reading. Without planning it, I read roughly 50 books again this year.
I also finally signed up for the NYC e-reader library system, but to be honest, I’ve been a bit spoiled by the immediate gratification of buying e-books and was disappointed when I would get excited about a book only to be told I was the 97th person in line for it..
Although I read quite a bit in the early days of the lockdown and towards the end of the year, mid-lockdown I was completely consumed by Animal Crossing, so lost some momentum.
Outside of the ones on this list, I also enjoyed several books by Native authors (like The Only Good Indians), a book about one woman’s retroactive discovery and untangling of her ex-husband’s addiction (Smacked: A Story of White-Collar Ambition, Addiction, and Tragedy), and a book that traced the lineage of groceries, written by someone who actually worked at the seafood counter at my local Whole Foods for a bit (The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket).
- Wow, No Thank You
I’d recommend to: actually, I’m having a harder time thinking of people I wouldn’t recommend this one to..
This collection of essays was both laugh out loud funny and deeply cutting. The essays deal with aging & health issues, social anxiety, dating, her cats, and everything in between. Coming out of this book, you both want to comfort the author and plot ways to become her new best friend. - The Cruel Prince
I’d recommend to: anyone who loves a good YA fantasy novel, with serious world-building and very dark undertones
This whole trilogy, so immersive that I couldn’t stop once I started, follows a human girl fighting to make her way within the dark and treacherous kingdom of faeries. Expect epic world-building and deeply flawed characters. - I’ll Be Seeing You: A Memoir
I’d recommend to: people with aging parents who are just beginning to think about how to care for them
What I loved about this book (besides the inhumanly good writing) was that it’s not a manual for how to approach care for aging parents, but rather a firsthand memoir of one woman’s experience. Equal parts moving and scary, it was hard for me to put down. Unrelatedly, I also read her first book (Durable Goods) and its sequels later this year and loved them, without having connected the dots that it was the same author until after. - Exhalation: Stories
I’d recommend to: people who loved The Arrival, or linguistics in general, and overall sci-fi fans
This is a collection of short stories that push the boundaries of what we think we know about the world and how it works. In addition to the story that inspired The Arrival, there are tales that explore what would happen if humans no longer reacted to physical looks in the same way, and stories of super intelligence and its moral quandaries. - Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who’s Been There
I’d recommend to: my friends who are looking to improve their lives and want to hear a firsthand account of how small lifestyle changes can add up
I actually did recommend this to a friend, who similarly enjoyed it. None of her lessons are particularly groundbreaking: things like exercise regularly, drink less, make acts of gratitude and journaling part of your daily routine, and so forth, but something about the way she describes how they fit into her life was refreshing and inspiring. - Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb Trilogy Book 1)
I’d recommend to: people who enjoy intense fantasy with distinctive world-building
I was lucky enough to discover this book right before the sequel came out, so could read them right after the other. These books are dark: they’re effectively a Hunger Games esque world of necromancy where people are vying to become the new righthand of God. - How to Change Your Mind
I’d recommend to: people with an interest in medicine, health, and exploring the lesser known world of psychedelics
Michael Pollan is clearly a great writer, who can tackle any range of topics with ease and grace, but I felt he really shone here when discussing the potential of drugs like LSD, mushrooms, and MDMA, especially for older people. - The Night Tiger
I’d recommend to: people who enjoy a good period piece romance mystery
Set in colonial Malaysia with touches of fantasy elements, this story primarily follows 3 different people who weave in and out of each other’s lives and represent different Confucian values. They chase a murderous shape-shifting tiger and a missing finger, with a festering romance blooming in the meantime. - The Song of Achilles: A Novel
I’d recommend to: folks who enjoy a love story that doesn’t end when the characters get together and people who like Greek mythology
Written by the same author of Circe, this is a tale of a young man close to Achilles over the course of his life, from being exiled to following Achilles to the battlefield. Miller excels at bringing Greek myths to life and this one doesn’t disappoint. - My Dark Vanessa
I’d recommend to: people who enjoy Lolita and thinking about the complexity of perceptions of consent
A story of a young woman’s “relationship” with her teacher, told both in present-day and in the past, when she was underage. What I loved about this book was that it really tackled heavy-hitting topics and the complexity of the protagonist’s feelings towards the whole situation. Having read a few interviews with the author, who alludes to having lived through a similar situation herself and that when she initially read “Lolita”, she considered it a love story, gave me quite a bit of additional context with which to read this.
In 2021, I’m excited for Elatsoe, The Memory Police, and Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America.
