All year I moaned about my lack of attention for reading. I’m too distracted, I said, with everything (insert hand sweep here to indicate: pandemic, racial injustice, election chaos, economic crisis, and crushing fatigue).
But as I look back now, I realize I enjoyed a lot of really good books, and feel encouraged to know when all else fails books can (still) change my heart, mind & mood.
Here are the Good Books I read in 2020:
FICTION
Take Me Apart by Sara Sligar
Art, writing, mystery — all in one engaging story. I could not put this book down; read it in one riveted day.
My Life as A Rat by Joyce Carol Oates
Whew, what a disturbing, haunting, page-turner! Written in second person "you," Joyce Carol Oates is a master of claustrophic hunger that revolts and mesmerizes all at once.
The Nix by Nathan Hill
A funny and touching debut novel about a son, the mother who left him as a child, and how his search to uncover the secrets of her life leads him to reclaim his own. This story is chocked with great lines, like this: “Seeing ourselves clearly is the project of a lifetime.”
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
With an unusual story set up — twin sisters are raised in a small town founded by and for light-skinned black people — this engaging novel stirs ideas on race, identity and home.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Dark, disturbing, compelling. Extremely well-written.
The View from Penthouse B by Elinor Lipman
Easy but not insipid. The perfect read for full and distracted minds (like mine).
POETRY
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
This novel is both long poem and full sigh. Beautiful and unusual. Vivid and sensory, rich and haunted. The writing is, well, gorgeous, line after beautiful line.
Hotel Almighty by Sarah J Sloat
These visual poems are stunning one-of-a-kind mixed-media collage, with each served on a miniature canvas. So visually evocative my only wish is that the book were a larger format so I could absorb its beauty even more.
Gravity & Spectacle by Shawnte Orion and Jia Oak Baker
Inventive, innovative, inspired! This unusual combo of photos and poems is a powerful art project that is silly, serious, fun, sad, and strong.
If the House by Molly Spencer
Layered, textured, rich and deep. A stunning debut. After years of quiet, thoughtful, diligent work, Molly Spencer is finally seeing well-deserved acclaim. Read also: Hinge, just published.
HOW-TO
The Art of Noticing For Writers by Rob Walker
This Kindle ‘short’ is a fun and valuable nugget of inspiration for all kinds of writers. Read also: The Art of Noticing:131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
An unexpected gem! Great writing, pacing, and character development in a self-help ‘story’ penned by an insightful doctor-writer.
MEMOIR
Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl
Another great Ruth Reichl memoir! She's penned several and this is now among my top picks, right up there with her first (and still my favorite), Tender at the Bone.
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Dear Readers & Writers,
In the new year, may your heart & mind make room for reading.
The world is full of good writing, read on!
With love,
Drew