Every year since 2015, I have set a goal of reading 100 books. Most years I managed to read between 60 and 70 books--falling short of my goal but still reading a decent amount.
But, I did have lots of time to read.
For the first time ever, I reached (and surpassed) my goal of reading 100 books in a year.
Reading was a huge part of the way that I coped during the past year. Despite being stuck at home, I was able to escape for a little while and travel all over the world through these reads.
Here are a few of the books that particularly stood out during the past year.
Fiction
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Yes, the premise of this book is a little morbid. Set at some point in the future, the world no longer has to deal with death. People can live forever, and the scythes are the only ones able to take life. The scythes follow strict guidelines to ensure that death is random and only keeps the population at a certain point, but corruption is growing among the group.
I avoided reading Scythe for a while even though I had seen plenty of my students read the book. I thought that the book would be too depressing. I was wrong though. This YA dystopia was entertaining and not too dark.
I realize that a book about death is an odd choice to read for entertainment during a pandemic, but the story is good.
Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden
Another YA dystopia. This book has been around since the 90s, but I only discovered it over the summer. We have been missing out on this series.
I already gushed about this book in one of my Project Read the World updates, but I'm still obsessed with it.
Unlike most dystopia novels, this one is basically set in the present day. The whole plot seems more realistic. A group of teens goes camping during a school break, when they return home, they find that another country has invaded Australia.
Highly recommended.
The House on the Cerulean Sea by J.J. Klune
Even though this book is marketed to children, I would suggest it for all ages. The main character, Linus, is a government worker who goes to inspect an orphanage where 6 extraordinary (and somewhat dangerous) children are hidden away from the rest of the world.
Throughout the book, Linus gets to know the children and their caretaker. He realizes that perhaps the children aren't monsters. Maybe the world has the wrong idea. This book was an enchanting escape during the past year, but at the same time, it brought up themes that are remarkably applicable in the present.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
I almost don't want to recommend that you read this book. This is the first in the Kingkiller Chronicles, and it's everything that you would want an epic fantasy novel to be. You won't be able to put it down.
The problem is that this book was published in 2007. The second in the series was published in 2011, and the third book has yet to be published and there is no anticipated publication date.
Books can take a while to write, but if the third book isn't ready after 9 years, it seems unlikely that this series will ever have a conclusion. I don't know that I would have read The Name of the Wind if I had known that the series was incomplete. However, it was such a good book that I couldn't leave it off this list.
For the Crown by Melissa Mitchell
If you loved The Selection, then you need to read this series next. The story features a spunky princess who is required to find a mate in order to keep her crown. The main features of this book are dragons, royalty, and intrigue. What else could you want?
There are already other books set in this fantasy world, so you'll have plenty more to read once you finish this first book. Highly recommended to everyone who loves a good fantasy novel.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Full disclosure: I had to read The Hunting Party after hearing comparisons to Agatha Christie (whom you know I love).
In The Hunting Party, a group of old college friends gets together in the Scottish Highlands for New Year's. A blizzard traps them at the lodge, and someone is murdered.
Obviously, the setup is classic murder mystery. The author shines in her choice of narration. All of the characters narrate different chapters in the book. As you read, you know that one of the narrators is the murder and since the author alternates between past and present, you also know that one of the narrators is going to be murdered. You just don't know who or when.
This combination of suspense makes for a very intense read that you won't be able to put down until the end.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Speaking about murder mysteries, I've been making my way through Agatha Christie's novels. While all of the books so far have been entertaining and have also aged surprisingly well, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was particularly interesting.
I don't want to give away the best parts accidentally, so I'll just say that I recommend reading this one.
The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen
Last week, I saw this book available at my local bookstore. The store is incredibly tiny and only stocks a carefully curated selection of books, so that should tell you that this book is good.
I stumbled upon this book while looking for books for my challenge to read a book from every country in the world. This was my pick by Norwegian author Roy Jacobsen. This book is not a page-turner, but it's very much worth reading.
A family lives on a tiny island off the coast of Norway where their survival is made precarious due to the harshness of the environment. The plot moves slowly, but despite this, there is something so captivating in watching the alternating beauty and hostility of life on the island.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Yes, I have read this book before, and yes, it is one of the oldest ones on the list. I planned to listen to more audiobooks in 2020, which didn't really happen, but I did listen to this one.
I remember loving this book as a child. I'm happy to say that the book is just as interesting as an adult. I will say that there were many strange things that happened in the book that seemed perfectly easy to picture as a child that were somewhat more difficult to grasp narratively now, but I still enjoyed the book.
Nonfiction
Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge
Lita Judge has created an absolute masterpiece out of this biography. It's both written in verse and beautifully illustrated. Either one of those things would have set the book apart, but both together is just divine. These additions transform the facts of Mary Shelley's life into so much more.
You wouldn't think that reading the biography of a woman who lived over 200 years ago would be an emotional experience, but that's what happens with this book. If you're only going to read one book this year, this should be it.
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
During a normal year, this might not have made my top reads of the year list. But, this year, we could all use the escape that A Year in Provence offers.
I already plan to move to France approximately once every month. While that isn't likely to happen, I still enjoy vicariously living through someone else's experience of buying an old farmhouse in France.
Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park by Conor Knighton
This book also falls into the vicarious travel category. After a broken engagement, author Conor Knighton decides to spend a year traveling to all of America's National Parks. He is even able to convince the CBS Sunday Morning show to allow him to turn his journey into one of their segments (like this).
Knighton goes further than simply describing the National Parks. He manages to capture the reflective mood that connecting with nature brings up. The book is a perfect combination of a personal journey, a guidebook, and a social commentary.
The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees
Back in February before we didn't see anyone for several months straight, I read this book and loved it. Maybe this is just me, but I want to look like I think about my wardrobe without actually having to think about my wardrobe all that often.
This book is not prescriptive. Instead, the author gives you steps to figure out how you want to look and how to make that happen. This book probably isn't for everyone, but I liked it. Maybe I'll even reread it in the future when I'm actually able to go out to places in public besides the grocery store.
Tell about Night Flowers: Eudora Welty's Gardening Letters, 1940-1949 edited by Julia Echelberger
I did actually read a volume of Eudora Welty's short stories this summer and it was good, but this collection of letters is fascinating. Welty wrote letters to two friends describing her garden from 1940 and 1949.
Even though these letters were not intended for a public audience, Welty's skill at descriptive writing is evident. You can absolutely see the garden and flowers as she describes them. There's also a good bit of other glimpses of Welty's life in her letters - including her travels and her thoughts about other writers.
I'm only halfway through this book, but I am going to assume that the second half is going to be just as good as the first. I'm taking my time because I don't know that I'll be able to find another book like this one once I've finished.
Me by Elton John
This celebrity autobiography was my first read of 2020, and it set things off well. Too often celebrity autobiographies and memoirs aren't as good as you hope that they will be. In this case, though, the story of how Reginald Dwight becomes pop star Elton John is phenomenal.
There's the drama that you expect to find, but it never seems as if Elton John is sharing that drama just to sell his story. The writing is introspective and reflective. It's surprisingly not self-indulgent. And there is such a good character arc, like something you would find in fiction rather than a biography.
Of course, it helps that I am a fan of Elton John, but I would imagine that even people who don't love his music would still like this book. I'm not sure I'd want to meet anyone who didn't like this music though.
*****
Feel free to look at my Goodreads to see all of the books that I've read this year as well as any books that I manage to quickly squeeze in before midnight on the 31st.
Happy reading in 2021!
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