Phew, I saw only the subject at first and knew I couldn’t limit it to just one (just like I can’t pick a favorite child). So my tip-top favorites of this terrible year, books that made me laugh an cry and think, are:
That's hard because so many of the books I read I get from suggestions right here! But I'm going to go with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Fascinating story and I never knew about the family with that gene that made their skin bluish.
The Night Watchman - Louise Erdrich
Cutting for Stone - Abraham Verghese
The Snowman - Jo Nesbo
A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion
Anxious People - Fredrick Backman (This was my MOST favorite)
What if Jesus had been married? Imagine the telling of Jesus' time from a woman's perspective.
The Library Book - Susan Olsen
A fantastic nonfiction account of the fire at the Los Angeles Public Library, and history of libraries in general, and arson investigations. *Interesting side notes: I discovered that anyone can get a Los Angeles Library Card with just a phone number and now I check out ebooks and audiobooks from there. Also, I first learned of the packhorse librarians from this book as well.
The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead
Warning - sad and upsetting, but so, so good. A story about a boys' home in Florida that is based upon a real place, where boys (mostly Black but also wayward poor whites) were housed, put to work, abused, and sometimes killed.
*Have You Seen Luis Velez- Ryan Hyde
*The Rent Collector- Wright
*This is How it Always is- Frankel
*American Dirt-Cummins
*Secrets of a Charmed Life- Meissner
*The Vanishing Half-Bennett
*The Henna Artist- Joshi
*The Yellow Crocus Trilogy- Ibrahim
*Deacon King Kong-McBride
I hope you add this to the Hooked on Books page. A few months of What Are You Reading threads are missing in your absence and I really enjoy looking back there.
The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen and On The Bright Side, both by Hendrik Groen
Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams (pretty much all her books)
Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor
Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Take Me Apart by Sara Sligar
Here are the books I read in 2020 that I rated with 5/5 stars on Goodreads:
The Book of Longings
The Vanishing Half
Night Road
Because of Mr. Terupt
Second Chance Summer
Ask Again Yes
Big Little Lies
Blended
After Anna
Child of a Dream: Memoir of 1963
The Wild Robot
My favorite of all of them is probably Ask Again Yes.
The Comeback by Ella Berman
All the Wrong Places by Joy Fielding
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
Writers and Lovers by Lily King
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
tctrojan, What a coincidence! I just finished listening to The Wives on my walk this morning. All I could think at the end was: THIS WILL MAKE A GREAT MOVIE. And I’m so glad you liked Writers and Lovers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bellringer
Anxious People - Fredrick Backman (This was my MOST favorite)
bellringer, I loved this book so much and am glad you wrote this because I chose it for my book club. I hope they love it, too.
And to everyone, I forgot a really excellent book:
The Splendid and the Vile, Larson
GreenBunny, Ragged Company isn’t listed at my city or county libraries, so I just bought it. Looks good.
Are any of the books listed so far sci-fi? Esp. time travel? Or kinda' 'out-there'? I'm constantly searching for my next book but regular fiction about ordinary people isn't really my cup of tea, so I'm always searching, searching, searching.
Hi annie_g. Good recommendation! Unfortunately, I think I've read all of the St. Mary's books, too - very entertaining and well-written. Maybe I should reread some of the older ones, since it's been a while.
Starr, I don't think I've read anything by Connie Willis, so thanks very much for the recommendation. I'll also check out Spinning Silver.
I normally wouldn't be able to pick just one, but for me, my favorite book of this year was The Henna Artist. It was really spectacular. Sadly, I wasn't super enthused about most of the books I read in 2020 (and I read 65 books according to Goodreads).
“Jesus & John Wayne” by Kristin Kobes DuMez.....this is the book I want to give to everyone I know. If you’ve ever wondered about the evangelical church’s influence on politics and government, this is the book.
“Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson.....read the book then watch the movie, very powerful.
“The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek” by Kim Richardson....a fascinating piece of American history I knew nothing about.
Lots of my favorite books have been listed above. If I had to choose, American dirt would probably top the list, along with The book of longings.
I have to add a few others: Braiding sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
the overstory by Richard Powers
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Girl Woman Other by Bernadine Evarista
The first Mrs Rothschild by Sara Aharoni
And I have to mention one of my favorite books ever, published a long time ago but still a dear old friend : The story of a seagull and the cat who taught her to fly by Luis Sepulveda.
Luis Sepulveda died in April 2020 from Covid 19
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (yes, old, i know--i hadn't read it--historical fiction is not my bag, but it met the requirement of "book made into a movie" for a challenge. i was pleasantly surprised!
The Library Book (again, not my genre, but about libraries--one in particular--and librarians over the years)
brain candy book: An Affair to Dismember (first in a series--a matchmaker--cozy mystery)--wasn't going to be too invested in it since i didn't want to start a series--and it was a little wonky and annoying in places, but the main character was so funny--i looked into getting the next book--OF COURSE my library system doesn't carry any of the others!
youthcantknow--a book i read that was sci fi and definitely not "normal people" was Every Heart a Doorway (no time travel)--but some "travel" is mentioned...it was a bit dark and creepy. it won (or was nominated for a Hugo award, so someone liked it)...i thought it was strange. apparently it was the first in a series--didn't realize that at the time. You might also check out the Strangelings Book Club by The Bloggess (Jenny Lawson)--she has lots of INTERESTING (fantasy, mystery....maybe some sci fi?) books on her list so far. https://www.goodreads.com/genres/fan...ings-book-club
This is a good thread - and it was so hard for me to choose. I went back through my Goodreads list and had a difficult time choosing, so I narrowed it down by category.
Fiction: How Much of These Hills is Gold, by C. Pam Zhang
*Runner up (it's too hard to choose one!): Godshot, by Chelsea Bieker
Non-fiction: The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present, by David Treuer
YA: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika L. Sánchez
The Book of Lost Friends, Wingate
Uncle Tom's Cabin, Stowe
The Boys in the Boat, Brown
The Dutch House, Patchett (PT recommended--thanks!)
The Library Book, Olsen (PT recommended--thanks!)
These are the books I liked very much--only one is a recent release.
These weren’t published in 2020, but here are my favorite books that I read this year.
East of Eden- a reread and I just love it.
A Woman is No Man
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons
An Anonymous Girl
The Silent Patient
Gone With the Wind
Some of my memorable reads this year: The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee The House at Riverton by Kate Morton The Testaments by Margaret Atwood Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Brunt The Dutch House by Ann Patchett My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (this is the only one that I don't recommend unless it's someone whose tastes and tolerance I know well)
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12-31-2020, 05:27 AM
Please share one favorite book you read in 2020. 
