2020 Top Books that I Read and Loved: Part 2
Here we are. End of 2020, aka one of the top dumpster fire years in recent history. It was personally one of the hardest years for me in a really really long time, which led me to grow a lot too. Like many people, 2020 forced me to reflect in myself, where I am at, and where do I want to go from here. I am not afraid to set boundaries and say no, both professionally and personally. It led me to strengthen friendships and let go of toxic ones. I have a much higher self-awareness now than in the beginning of the year. I experienced grief first hand with a passing of a close relative (not Covid related). I cried so much.
Despite all of this, books were always there for me, more than ever this year. It provided me laughter, joy, tears, escapism, reflection, new knowledge, and so much more. Being at home for most of the time and staring at screens, I used books as a break from all the craziness for some moments of peace and quiet with my candle burning nearby.
Hitting my goal of 50 books back in July, I was not sure what my next target was. No matter what, I was going to keep reading. It is fun to keep track of it via Goodreads. By November, I set my eyes on hitting 100 books by EOY. Ambitious yet I knew I could do it. I believed in it. As I’m writing this post now, I am proud to say I have hit my goal of 100 books on Christmas Day, a perfect gift for myself this year. It is an accomplishment that no one can take away from me and I am extremely proud of.
As for me, I will continue to make an effort to read more BIPOC authors and books regarding racism. I also want to read a good series that I have not read before so if you have recommendations let me know. I hope this list can give you some inspirations to kickstart your 2021 reading. Happy reading!
Top Books of 2020 Part 2
In no particular order. Included links where you can get a copy yourself.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
This book….WRECKED ME. To date, it is the book that I have cried the most over reading it. I cried for a good 45 minutes after finishing it. The book is long and contains dark topics (sexual/mental/physical/verbal abuse, self-harm, addiction, etc). Definitely not the most joyful read, but it was beautiful in its own way. Yanahigara’s writing style reminded me so much of Andre Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name, another book that I love, with its long prose. While the story is about the friendship surrounding these four men in their early 20s to 50s, the story is really about Jude, a beautiful tragic character. Without giving too much away, the book highlights the importance of normalizing mental health conversations. Some may argue that the book is torture porn (even Yanahigara has admitted in interviews she wanted to see how much pain she can inflict on readers and the characters), but can we argue the same for real life people who have suffered equally, if not more? Would we call their stories torture porn? If you want to read a longer review, check it out here.
2. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Fantastic read. I regret not doing the audiobook version of this as Noah narrates it; maybe I’ll do that next year. Usually, I have a hard time laughing when reading a book, even if it’s intended to be humorous. I am more of a visual person when it comes to comedy. Anyways, Noah’s book made me LOL so many times as I was reading it as he is a great writer. I was aware of the racism that took place in South Africa, but did not know how severe it was until this book. It gave me a whole new perspective and respect for him. He was humorous when needed and even when it’s serious, he does it with wit and grace.
3. Dear Girls by Ali Wong
I am ashamed to say I still have not seen any of Wong’s comedy special, even though I loved her autobiography. It was a light-hearted, funny, yet introspective read about her career, love, life, sex, etc. What is great was she did not shy away from talking about the gross and embarrassing things that happen in life, like the reality of afterbirth. Wong has two girls and the book is written for them, lessons for her daughters as they grow up. As someone who is first-generation Asian American, I understand and relate to so much of Wong’s struggle with her dual identity. I love how she meshes her identities and creates her own, like her style of loud humor. Maybe I’ll finally watch her comedy specials in 2021…
4. Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
The story for this book was beautiful. It is the first time in a really really long time I read a book based in predominately South America and loved it. Restoked my fire to visit the continent post-Covid. It is a story about a Spanish family in the late 1930s who end up emigrating to Chile to escape the inevitable WW2 in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Elements of pain, love, survival, patience, and longing for the homeland. The book spans across two continents and multiple decades. Allende does a sublime job giving readers an intimate look into the relationship of Roser and Victor, the two main characters. Reading this book reminded me of the line from “Yorktown” in Hamilton: “Immigrants—we get the job done.” Both Roser and Victor leave prominent legacies that leave Chilean society in a better place, even if this is a completely fictional story.
5. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
I have seen this book around since it was published in 2016 and saw this as a recommended read during Covid since the main character, Count Alexander Rostov, is sentenced to house arrest for the remainder of his life in 1922. Rostov clearly understands the struggle most of the world was going thru in the very beginning of lockdown. Initially, I did not really vibe with the book and considered stopping; however, I am so glad I finished it because it ended up being a delightful read. Towles’s writing style, in particular for Rostov, is witty, sincere, and compassionate. The book spans over 30 plus years and it is exciting to see how he grows over the years, along with the people around him. Rostov’s wit is there, all the way to the end.
6. Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
I remember vividly as the Harvey Weinstein case was unfolding, leading to the acceleration of #MeToo movement. I remember reading Farrow’s shattering New Yorker article on this and being speechless, with so many thoughts going through my head.
For some reason, I completely missed the fact that Farrow ended up writing this book about his time building up to the New Yorker article and all the dangers and difficulties he faced. Reading it brought back memories of all that coverage that was happening when it was first exposed. It made me question how much has industries really changed in light of all this. The book is sensationalized to some degree (compared to She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey of NYT, which I also read), but still a fantastic read. I continue to have enormous respect for reporters like Farrow who are dedicated to putting these important stories out there for the world, while protecting their sources and risking their lives. That is why I subscribe to certain newspapers (support journalism!).
7. Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
This book should be a required reading for all. Rothstein does a thorough job providing facts and information about how the American government was instrumental in enforcing systemic racism against African Americans from then and til this day. It mostly focuses on housing policies while covering how some work structures worked against African Americans, specifically for skilled and high paying occupations. This meant that they barely had the opportunity to grow their inter-generational wealth, staying low to middle class. I like how Rothstein included a FAQ at the end, providing answers into common arguments that people have made over the years. Not the most fun comfortable read, but an important one if we want to move our society forward.
8. The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey
One of my last reads of 2o2o (well in this case, listen since I did the audiobook version), I could not have asked for a better book to end the year with. Narrated by the queen herself, it was the first time I got to understand Carey’s childhood, broken family, and struggles that she dealt with, on top of being a biracial woman. She does not gloss over the ugliness of her childhood between the 1970s and 1980s, including stories of racism, bullying, and exclusion.
The book also highlights her songwriting abilities and the hard work that she puts into for her fans aka lamb. Carey is freaking impressive. We know her for her glam, over-the-top, and insane singing range. It is her BTS talent that made me respect her so much more. She goes into details about what it was like to right certain hit songs like “Hero” or “We Belong Together” and what it meant for her. You can tell Carey has so much love for her fans and wants to make them proud.
I HIGHLY recommend doing this as an audiobook because she narrates it, adding her own queen like flourish to it. She even sings along to her song lyrics. Enjoy!
Runner Ups
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
When All is Said by Anne Griffin
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Homegoing by Yaa Gysai