Tag: 2020

Happy New Year everyone! Bringing you 2020 recap of all the books I read 🙂

Anyone who knows me knows I am a voracious reader. And with so much extra time to read with quarantine and isolating, especially this summer while working remotely, I read the most books this year of any year since I started keeping a list of what I’ve read (since 2014). I read 63 books this year (!!!), and below I’m listing them all for you, as well as a little blurb, and my rating. Since the list is so long though, I thought I’d also real quick share my top 6. In no particular order, my top 6 books of 2020 were:

1. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
2. Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman
3. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
4. Miss Meteor by Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia
5. Carry Me Like Water by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
6. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

I also want to note that, while having wall to wall bookcases with a huge book collection is my dream, I am in college living with 5 roommates. So probably 90% of these books I checked out from the library on my Kindle. I have no idea how I would’ve survived this year without Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. But maybe someday I’ll have a house overflowing with books.

Not a food related post, but I wanted to share anyway in case anyone wanted book recommendations (especially my grandma, hi Nonni!)

Each book is linked to BookShop.org or ThriftBooks.com, which support local bookstores. If you want to find an independent bookstore near you, check out IndieBound (and most bookstores will order requests for you to pick up)! White Whale is my fave in the Pittsburgh area 🙂

• Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
  • A classic mystery novel and a nice quick read, 4/5
• I’ll Be There For You by Kelsey Miller
  • For any fans of the tv show Friends, a book about the making of the show! 4/5
• Diary of a Bookseller by Shawn Blythe
  • Shawn Blythe’s diary of a year as the owner of an independent bookstore in Ireland. Truly my dream, 4/5
• Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman
  • I started following Blair on Twitter because she races sled dogs in Wisconsin, and found out she wrote a memoir of her journey to dog racing. Excellent read, 5/5
• The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
  • A quick read, Ross Gay write about the small delights every day (ish) for a year. Perhaps a project I should embark on myself for 2021. 5/5
• Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty
  • While this book is geared towards kids, as it answers questions kids have asked about death, it was actually a really fun, interesting read. The illustrations are also amazing. And it’s written by a mortician who is also a YouTuber! 4/5
• The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
  • A classic noir novel suggested by my dad. A quick, entertaining read. 4/5
• Murder in C Major by Sarah Hoskinson Frommer
  • This book is kind of the equivalent of a Hallmark or Lifetime murder mystery and I loved it. Centers on a community orchestra in a small town. Definitely a fluff read, but a good distraction. 4/5
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  • Classic novel composed of letters, detailing the lives of African American women in Georgia in the 30s. I had this sitting on my bookshelf forever and finally had the time to read it. 4/5
• The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal
  • I’m a big Good Mythical Morning fan, so decided to check out the novel Rhett and Link wrote. I loved it, an exciting mystery set in small town North Carolina (and loosely based on the town they grew up in). 4/5
• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
  • I loved this book so much I read it in one 4 hour sitting. Follows Evvie Drake as she moves on after the death of her husband, set in her small New England coastal town. 5/5
• This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay
  • Diary entries of a doctor in England. Definitely illuminating to the life of a doctor in training, and interesting to see the differences between England and America. 3.5/5
• Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch
  • For some reason this book took me forever to read, but I did like it. About a boy in London who embarks on a ship journey. 3/5
• Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
  • This is a self help book that I actually listened to the audiobook for. Not sure if it was the book, or the author’s voice, but I didn’t love it. Felt very preachy. 1/5
• Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney
  • Loved this book, centers on the relationship between two friends in Dublin. The characters felt very real with the problems they encountered and how they handled them. 4/5
• Girl Logic by Iliza Shlesinger
  • Iliza is one of my favorite comedians, I’ve watched her comedy specials on Netflix so many times. This is her book about life as a woman and I found it so funny and relatable, 5/5
• Normal People by Sally Rooney
  • This book became a popular show on Hulu, and I really loved it (the book and the show). About 2 high schoolers and how their relationship ebbs and flows as the grow up. Bonus points for taking place in Ireland. 4/5
• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
  • This book is WILD. The twist at the end was amazing. About a woman accused of murdering her husband, and now living in a psych facility refusing to speak. 5/5
• You Can’t Tough My Hair by Phoebe Robinson
  • A hilarious essay collection about race, gender, and pop culture.I definitely learned a lot. 5/5
• Writers and Lovers by Lily King
  • I loved this book. It was just the right amount of gentle while still having an interesting plot. About a woman who is a writer in Boston. 5/5
• How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
  • This book was obviously popular back in June, and I’m sure a lot of people have read it, but I genuinely learned a lot about racism and advocacy in America. Very easy to read and understand. 5/5
• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
  • This book follows the life of a girl living in the rural south. I really liked it, 4/5
• The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
  • I absolutely loved this book and read it in about a day. It’s about a reform school for boys that is absolutely horrific. Actually based on a real school that operated for 11 years. 5/5
• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • Another book I loved. Centers on the lives of a couple in love from the same town in Nigeria. One ends up moving to America and one stays in Nigeria, and the book follows both their lives as their relationhip ebbs and flows. 5/5
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
  • This book discusses how Henrietta Lacks’ cells came to be used for scientific research, and the ethical problems with using her cells without her (or her family) knowing. 4/5
• Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
  • I’ve been trying to expand the authors and topics I read to be more diverse in multiple ways. This book is about a Black woman with a chronic illness. I found the plot enjoyable, the characters likable, and felt like I learned a lot that will help me be a more empathetic doctor some day. 5/5
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
  • This book is great, about a Black woman who is a nanny. It takes a look at privilege, particularly when we think we’ve done all we can to recognize our own (but may be wrong). 5/5
• Black Man in a White Coat by Damon Tweedy, MD
  • My friend Liz, who is currently in med school recommended this book to me. A great look at how the experience of Black folks in medicine differs drastically from others, whether you’re a doctor or a patient. 5/5
• Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz
  • Another book about chronic illness, this one about teenagers. Focuses on their relationship with each other, as well as with their families who don’t understand life with chronic illness. 5/5
• An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
  • I’m the biggest Green brothers fan: their podcast Dear Hank and John is one of my favorites, and I’m forever indebted to the Crash Course YouTube channel for getting me through both AP and college classes. This is Hank’s first book, a sci-fi novel that tackles alien invasions and social media fame. I’m looking forward to finally reading the sequel. 4/5
• I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
  • A really great memoir that explores the history of and continued issue of structural racism, and what we can do (particularly as Christians) to break through that. 5/5
• Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippencott
  • This book was actually written after the movie, and by a Pitt grad! Centers on two teenagers with cystic fibrosis, a quick and sweet read. 4/5
• How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson
  • I’ll be honest, I didn’t love this one. Perhaps because I’m in a happy committed relationship? But this book examines dating in your 20s and 30s. 2.5/5
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
  • This book was a wild ride and I definitely recommend it. Follows a social misfit with a traumatic past that is slowly revealed throughout the book. Funny, heartwarming, with a great twist at the end. 5/5
• Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern
  • This is another book about a teen with cystic fibrosis, and another struggling with depression. I really liked the characters and how the story unfolded, 5/5
• Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz
  • This book is definitely intense, it switches between past and present, following a teen girl who has been abducted and held in a basement. It follows her journey in trying to escape as well as in coming to terms with what has happened to her. Definitely a tough, emotional read. 3/5
• MumLife by Louise Pentland
  • I am definitely not the target audience of this book, but I’ve watched Louise Pentland on YouTube since middle school (LOL). She shares all about her life, parenting, crafting, writing books, and styling clothes, and this is her memoir. I really enjoyed the writing, she’s very funny and real. 4/5
• The Magicians by Lev Grossman
  • This is the first book in a series, and elementary school Celia who LOVED fantasy wanted to love it. But college Celia just didn’t. The book felt too long while simultaneously jumping rapidly through the timeline of the book, and I didn’t really connect with the characters enough to care what happened to them. Also a tv series on Netflix, though I haven’t watched it. 1/5
• I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
  • I really enjoyed this book, it follows a nonbinary teen who comes out to their parents and is subsequently kicked out, forcing them to move in with their older sister. I really loved reading a book from a new perspective (and written by a nonbinary author). I definitely feel like it gave me a greater understanding for what folks in this community go through. 5/5
• Carry Me Like Water by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
  • Benjamin Alire Sáenz is one of my all time favorite authors, for both YA and adult fiction. His writing is so incredibly beautiful and I end up sobbing through every book I read. This one centers on a few members of a family, living in different states, and how their stories ultimately come together. 5/5
• The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
  • Another one written by a nonbinary author, this book centers on two families in a decades long rivalry who travel around the country performing (kind of in like a circus sense). I would call the genre magical realism, so the plot takes place in our world with a few little pieces of magic thrown in. This made it easier to get into (for me) because it felt like something that could actually happen. Like Romeo and Juliet meets classic fairy tale. I LOVED it. 5/5
• The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
  • This book follows the life of a (fictional) botanist in Pennsylvania in the 1800s, from birth to death. Lots of cool science and nature, an intriguing family story, and lots of themes of life and death. 3.5/5
• The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
  • I read this book after watching the tv show with my boyfriend before Halloween. While the show is only very loosely based on the book (really just taking the premise of the house and some character names) the book was still quite good. Definitely spooky, and a quick read. 3.75/5
• Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
  • I may or may not have checked out every book by this author after reading The Weight of Feathers because I liked it so much. This book was another beautiful read, about a family of women who can grow flowers, who can’t leave their land or they will die, and who are trying to keep their family and their home safe from those who want to take advantage of them. 4.5/5
• When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
  • Another purely magical read, about a girl named Miel who grows roses from her wrist, her best friend that paints and hangs moons around town, and a family of sisters who want to steal Miel’s roses because they believe them magical. 4.5/5
• Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
  • McLemore’s books feel like modern day fairytales and this one is no different. Switching between Strasbourg in 1518 and an American town in present day, the book follows a “sickness” that has women dancing in the streets until they die. 4/5
• The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emeji
  • I read this book in one day and while it made me very sad, I think it was still an important read. This book starts with the death of Vivek Oji, and then moves through his entire life, from birth to death, to examine what happened and why. 4/5 for being a well written and important book, 2/5 for making my heart ache
• Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
  • Backman is my other favorite author of all time, and I was super excited to see he had a new book out this year. This book is about a hostage situation in an apartment open house, but what unfolds is a story about the lives of everyone involved and how they relate to each other. 5/5, did not disappoint (also everyone should read all his other books)
• The Tour by Jean Grainger
  • This is absolutely a Hallmark movie in book form, but felt like an excellent escape for a year such as this. It centers on a tour guide in Ireland, and all the antics that unfold with his tour group. Not a life changing read, but gentle and heartwarming. 3.75/5
• One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus
  • This is the sequel to a YA book I read a few years ago called One of Us is Lying. While I don’t think you ~have~ to read the first one to understand this one, it definitely helps. The plot centers on the same town a few years after the events of the first book, but now someone has created a “Truth or Dare” game that ends in death… A quick read (I read almost the entire thing in one sitting), and a nice distraction. 3.75/5
• Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
  • Another Sáenz book that did not disappoint. This is about a teenage boy in rehab for alcoholism, focusing on his journey and those he meets while he’s there. Beautiful heart wrenching, real. 5/5
• Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
  • The last McLemore book I read, while it was not my favorite I did still enjoy it. A combination of Snow White and Swan Lake, it features a family that has been cursed for generations, and two sisters who would do anything to save each other. 3.75/5
• Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
  • This was another quick read (although maybe that’s just me + having nothing to do once classes ended) about a Black woman living in London and trying to find love and herself. The characters felt very real with their flaws and I really enjoyed it. 4/5
• The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames
  • This book tells the story of an Italian American woman from birth until death, and everything she goes through in Italy, traveling to America, and her life in America. Having an Italian grandfather and speaking Italian, I definitely connected with a lot of this book. 4/5
• My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
  • This was another extremely heavy book that I felt incredibly angry at (although that’s probably the point). It switches between present day narration, and past narration of a girl who was groomed and abused (although she saw it as a healthy relationship) by her high school English teacher. While I did enjoy the book, I couldn’t help but be extraordinarily angry at the teacher and everyone who allowed him to do what he did (even though it was fiction!). Definitely keep the content in mind if you are sensitive to this sort of thing. 3/5
• The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
  • This book was popular a few years ago and recommended to me by my grandparents and my mom, but I finally got around to reading it. It focuses on the story of the American rowing team that won gold at the 1936 Olympics in Germany, as Hitler was just beginning his horrific reign. I loved this book, particularly for the “team of small town, working class boys become heroes” theme. Also an interesting look at the effect of the Great Depression and Hitler’s reign at the time. It also made me want to join a rowing team. 4.5/5
• Heroines by Kate Zambreno
  • This was a book I didn’t super enjoy, but I understood what the point was. This “stream of consciousness” book looks at the wives of “The Greats” of literature (like F. Scott Fitzgerald), and then compares their experiences to that of the author’s. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I had more background on literary heroes and their wives, and I recommended it to my literature major friend as a result. 2.5/5
• Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore
  • This book was pure magic and I read it in like 4 hours. The story is told from alternating narration of two ex-best friends, and focuses on a small town’s annual beauty pageant. This description doesn’t do the book justice though, so you should really just read it. 5/5
• The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
  • I gave this book to my grandfather for Christmas, but wanted to read it before I did because it sounded so interesting. This book tells the story of the Radium Girls, women who painted glowing numbers onto watches using radium paint, the health issues that arose as a result, and their fight for compensation and to put an end to the use of radium based paint. It was wild to read about how radium was seen as not dangerous; in fact people thought it was a cure all! And it was infuriating how long it took the women to get what they deserved, and to read about all the women who lost their lives before anything was done. A heart breaking but fascinating read. 4/5
• Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
  • This is the book that the new Netffix show “Dash and Lily” is based on, and it was a really sweet, festive little read. It’s about two teens who trade a red notebook back and forth, getting to know each other and going on quests around Christmas time. Bonus points for the importance of the bookstore The Strand. 4/5
• Honest Advent by Scott Erickson
  • I recognize that this book is not for everyone, but it’s the devotional book that my small group leader from college sent to each of us to read during Advent. With a short chapter and corresponding artwork for each day, I enjoyed how easy it was to read and really enjoyed the author’s focus on the humanity of Mary. I don’t think she’s focused on enough in the Christmas story, and I really liked Erickson’s perspective. 5/5 as an Advent devotional
• Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
  • The sequel to Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first, but it was still a sweet and festive read. I also read it in one day on the 30th so I could make my book count 62 instead of 61 lol. 3.5/5
• Thoughts of Dog by Matt Nelson
  • This book is based on the Twitter account Thoughts of Dog (probably the best account on the entire internet) and is a few really sweet illustrated stories from the perspective of a dog. The most gentle, warm, uplifting little book. 5/5