Don’t want to lose me for a few hours? Then don’t let me walk into a bookstore. One of the things I miss the most in this pandemic is being able to roam through a good used bookstore or sale. Tilting my head to read titles. Pulling up my trusty Goodreads app to make sure I don’t already have said titles. Gathering books into a stack in my arm until I finally give in and track down a basket (or in the case of visits to Powell’s, a cart) until it’s time to check out and bring home my new treasures.
There are hundreds of books in my house, most of which haven’t been read. One thing I am committed to is giving away about 95% of the books I read after I’m finished so I can share the awesomeness (and make room for more books). I don’t repeat read too much, so a spot on the bookshelf in my bedroom is a place of honor.
But enough about me roaming joyfully through the aisles of a bookstore, let’s talk about why books are amazing. Now more than ever, an escape into another world or diving deep into an interesting subject is a great way to let your mind have a small break from the difficulty of this year. It’s also been a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the world around us and how we got to 2020.
After a slow reading year while working on school in 2019, I went ambitious on my reading goal for 2020…72 books! Of course, extra time at home already has me at 59, and I’ve read books of all lengths and subjects. Some have been great, and others have been…not. But I love sharing the great things I’ve read in hopes someone else will pick them up and find them wonderful as well. So here, in no particular order, are my favorite six books from this year…so far.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
I lost count of how many times my jaw dropped reading this incredible memoir of Jeannette’s childhood.
The nomadic, chaotic life her parents imposed took Jeannette across the country into difficult situations that grew her into a fiercely intelligent and determined adult. Despite her parents’ deep flaws and glaring shortcomings, she speaks of them lovingly in a way that took me completely by surprise. The situations her family found themselves in would likely have broken most people, but Walls never doubts the love her family had even when everything around her could have convinced her otherwise. One of my favorite things I’ve read in a long time.
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
One of my favorite historical topics is World War II, but this recount of the United States’ ambassador to Germany right as Hitler took power was a new perspective.
Larson writes history like a novel and this is no exception. He reveals these historical figures with beautiful “character” development and a plot that unfolds slowly but builds as more of pre-war Germany begins to reveal itself. The Dodd family was an imperfect family in an increasingly terrifying time, and to watch them slowly come to understand the danger that Hitler posed helps one understand (but does not beg forgiveness for) how the world was able to turn their gaze for so long.
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
This story of what true justice looks like is so beautifully written.
Part memoir, part indictment of our legal system, Stevenson brings the reader on a journey where hope glimmers constantly but is often brutally extinguished by a system that too often serves to make decisions out of hate and convenience than justice.
As a memoir, Stevenson also traces the founding and growth of the Equal Justice Initiative, which is doing vital work every day. Once you read this and love it, check out The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton, a client of Stevenson’s who was exonerated after decades on death row.
Recursion by Blake Crouch
I’m a pretty speedy reader, but this book made me slowwwww down so as to not miss any of the intricate details in Crouch’s book. I read his Dark Matter a couple of years ago, and Recursion is similarly complicated in a sticks-with-you sort of way.
What if what you remember is what makes reality? What if you could go back and recreate those memories over and over? As the lives of the main characters clash in different times, the world as we experience it starts to disintegrate as new memories and realities are created. I won’t give away anything else because I’m still not sure I understand it.
Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham
The subject of Chernobyl is so fascinating. It feels so long ago, but the fact that this international disaster took place in the 1980s has always made me want to learn more. First, I watched Chernobyl on HBO, which I cannot recommend enough. It’s only six episodes, but it’s like being hit by a train that’s moving very slowly.
After finishing up the miniseries, my wonderful friend Brenna recommended this book to me. It dives deep into every facet of Chernobyl, from how it was constructed, to what really happened during the meltdown and its aftermath, to covering how there are many things about this epic disaster that we’ll simply never know.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
As I was pulling this cover image, I read through reviews of this wonderful book on Goodreads. Whew, people did not like that Glennon was finally writing about how she feels like she’s finally starting to get it right. Readers called her selfish, self-righteous, overcompensating. Why do we (FELLOW WOMEN!) hate it so much when women share how they’ve overcome trauma, taken back their own story, become uncaged and actually like themselves?
*shakes fist at the sky*
Anywayyyy. Glennon’s writing is authentically her voice and she finally sounds like she feels comfortable there. She doesn’t claim that she has everything figured out, just that once you decide to not to be scared of who you are anymore, that it’s easier to get there. She feels deeply and loves fiercely and puts her whole heart into that, except on the days when she’s feeling lazy. Which…who among us. As she would say, we can do hard things.
So those are my favorite books of the year as of just past the halfway point. What have you been reading that you love? I can’t get enough new recommendations so drop them in the comments. And now I shall get back to the pile of books waiting for me.