10 Books of 2020
Obviously, what we were all looking for this year was an escape from reality. Despite all the stress, uncertainty, and lack of government leadership that colored 2020, I am grateful for the time I spent at home, reconnecting with the things that made me happy.
Every day was different; the free hours that I’d never had as an adult were spent languidly painting, freestyling elaborate meals, and devouring novels in my yard. My uniform consisted of my swimsuit and banana-leaf hat, the days breaching 102°F. The tan on my front was mismatched from my back, the folds of my stomach striped from the position I’d occupied for hours. The sunlight stretched late into the evening, and I sat outside until the mosquitos started biting.
I found peace in the stillness, entertained by plot lines that weren’t mine. A global pandemic could not infiltrate the pages of these stories, and so for a while, I was able to just be. In no particular order, here are 10 books that successfully distracted me from this year’s reality:
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Just Kids by Patti Smith
The raw recount of one of rock n’ rolls finest, Patti Smith is an artist in all aspects.
Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan
The Girls by Emma Cline
Loosely based off the enigmatic Manson killings, The Girls distinguishes itself from other dark psychological fiction because the women are conniving, intentional, and indifferent to social contracts. The novel does not rely on female trauma to advance the plot, instead exploring the nuanced dynamics between girls- friends, crushes, moms, dad’s girlfriend. The acute awareness that comes with being a woman is weaponized for persuasion in The Girls.
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Tools for Grassroots Activists published by Patagonia
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Disclaimer: Ayn Rand is problematic as fuck. While I staunchly disagree with the conservative ideals drawn upon in this novel, I was enthralled by the larger-than-life characters, and the persistence of Ayn Rand’s beliefs. You can’t tell me that Francisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastián d'Anconia didn’t sound like a hottie! This book sat on my mother’s book shelf for years, and I recall feeling excluded when an old high school boyfriend discussed it with my mother. I wanted to save the book for when I could fully comprehend it, and I’m glad I waited, because I understand how youthful naivety could misinterpret the foundation of the novel to be applicable to real life. I drove from Austin to Chicago to retrieve my mother’s copy, with her notes scrawled in the margins. It was special to share that copy, scotch tape holding the cover in place. I finished it in a week.
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Written with a vibrant vocabulary and complex characters, the division between sentient humans and nature is blurred until no division remains. And that’s the intent. Tree huggers, gamers, veterans, and the lonely are galvanized by distress and environmental destruction.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
This novel was hyped up by all the book lists, so I was expecting some mediocrity. The story, however, was sweet and nostalgic. It was slow at times, but readers were able to see Kya grow into a creative, resourceful, and independent character that surprised even me by the end.
