Greetings! After last year’s goal of 52 books, I decided to up the ante in 2020 and read 100 books. After all, what better time to spend every waking hour in a book than during a global pandemic in which there wasn’t much else to do. Trying to read 100 books was enjoyable albeit stressful at times, such as over the summer when I decided to read all 1,225 pages of War and Peace, which took me 2.5 weeks and set me back from my goal of reading at least 2 books every week. But have no fear, dear reader, I made up the time and ultimately finished over 100 books.
If you would like to increase your reading, my best tip is to always have a physical book and audio book with you. Listening to audio books whilst exercising, cooking, cleaning, and getting ready can result in hours of extra reading time each week. If you have an inkling to read a new book, here are the best books I read in 2020.
Best Memoir to Open Your Mind
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
In Born a Crime, Trevor Noah describes growing up in South Africa during apartheid. He was born a crime due to being the son of a white father and black mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Anecdotes from his early years tell the tale of a determined and independent mother striving to save her son from the cycle of violence, abuse, and disadvantage that has followed her all her life. I found Noah’s story captivating; I laughed aloud, fervently turned the pages to find out what would happen next, and mourned when I finished the final page because I did not want it to be over.
Best Fiction Book to Escape Into
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Where the Crawdads Sing raises questions of what it means to be different, to be an outsider looking in, and to face discrimination for simply being oneself. In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast, when a handsome local boy is found dead, Kya Clark, a social outcast derisively known as the “Marsh Girl” is accused of his murder. Where the Crawdads Sing reminded me of How to Kill A Mockingbird with its beautiful prose, court room drama, and fundamental questions about justice and who it serves.
Best Non-Fiction Book to Enlighten You
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The book is a perfect example of my favourite genre of books, which I like to describe as “non-fiction books that read like fiction books” because they are engaging, captivating, and poignant. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman born to a poor tobacco farmer whose cancer cells – taken without her knowledge – became a multi-billion dollar industry and crucial tool for modern medicine. However, her family did not learn about her “immortal” cells until 20 years after her death and continued living in poverty despite pharmaceutical companies making billions of dollars using her cells. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks makes one ponder the ethics of scientific research and whether it is right to pursue the “good of the many” at the cost of a few.
Best Psychology Book to Make You Think Differently
Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman
Trauma and Recovery is unlike other books I have read about trauma because it addresses the wider social and political domains in which trauma occurs. Taking a feminist perspective, Herman argues that psychological trauma can only be understood in its social context, particularly a context in which female survivors of trauma are treated very differently from male survivors. Drawing on her extensive research and clinical expertise, Herman makes a compelling case for understanding trauma differently and treating survivors with respect, dignity, and compassion.
Best Book to Challenge You
Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari
Few books have caused a paradigm shift in my mind. This is one of them. Chasing the Scream examines the problem of addiction, tracing the history of the war on drugs and the impact this has had on real people’s lives. Told through a series of gripping stories, Johann Hari questions whether everything we have ever been told about addiction is wrong and whether there is a better way forward. After reading this book, I felt enlightened and closed the book with a new perspective.
I hope this has provided some reading inspiration. Books were my constant companion throughout 2020 and will continue to be dearly beloved friends in 2021, so if you have any stupendous book recommendations, please do share them 🙂
~Farewell,
Janelle
Which We Call A Rose 