I read 28 books in 2020. Somehow.
The past year had me wading through waves of uncertainty and overthinking – and sometimes allowing said waves to simply wash over me. But it was also an experience that made me incredibly grateful for my trusty reading habit. Reading at the end of a long day soothed my nerves more than I could have imagined, the words on the page knitting themselves into a comfort blanket of sorts, wrapping me up and whisking me away.
And so, in the spirit of sharing the transformative reading bug, I put together a mid-year reading audit in June – a round-up of the 15 books I’d read by that point in the year. Since then, I’ve gobbled up 13 more titles, making it just about time to share another set of reviews with you.
But I’m now doing things a little differently, with what my alliteration-hungry writing self is keen to call The Rapid Reading Review. Funky or lame?
Either way, this ongoing series will keep you up-to-date on my reading life, as I stack up the books and rack up the ratings. I also hope these smaller, more digestible editions will be less daunting than those overwhelmingly long book wrap-ups we tend to consume (yet not derive much value from).
For this edition, we’ve got the first 6 books I read since our last check-in – each rapidly reviewed and recommended with a star rating out of 5.
Happy reading, and happy new year.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb
Despite being the voracious reader I (annoyingly) claim to be, I don’t think a book has ever changed my life. But this memoir of a Los Angeles-based therapist? It may just be the one. Through sharing the stories of her (anonymised) patients, their mental health journeys, and her own experiences in therapy, Gottlieb weaves a powerful and emotive narrative that will transform the way you view life. It’s helped me understand why I’m attached to certain people, circumstances, and dynamics and made me confront a lot of hard truths. While its slightly disjointed narrative means it didn’t quite hit that coveted 5-star mark, I’d highly recommend this book to pretty much everyone. 4*
A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara
Phew. I’m not sure why, but I don’t tend to read books longer than 500 pages. I’m also not sure why I made an exception for this 700+ pager, but I (think) am glad it happened. This novel takes you across decades, following the lives and loves of four young men making their way as struggling graduates and young professionals in New York. Don’t mistake Yanagihara’s tome for your typical post-university bildungsroman in gritty NYC, however, as the subject matter quickly gets far darker and deeper than what may be expected of this particular trope. And it’s the inclusion of these incredibly difficult topics that makes this a distressing read – but an important one, too. Proceed with caution. 3*
The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins
How I feel about this book is what I believe the cool kids are calling an ‘unpopular opinion’ over on Twitter these days. While I was hoping for a pacy, plotty, thriller along the lines of The Woman in the Window, the only real similarity turned out to be in the titles (don’t judge a book by its cover, friends). This particular psychological thriller follows Rachel – your friendly neighbourhood unreliable narrator – as she witnesses a shocking incident and (dangerously) decides to get deeply involved. But as the story unravels we begin to discover that, actually, nothing is quite as it seems (of course). This was a pretty frustrating read – not at all the page-turner I was expecting. 2*
Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas, by Adam Kay
Is it acceptable to read a Christmas book in September? Well, I did – and ended up having the time of my life. Kay’s hilarious (and humbling) debut was one of my top reads earlier this year, and this mini follow-up was the equally delectable delight I’d hoped it to be. While written in a similar vein to its predecessor, this stocking-sized book of entries is served with a decidedly festive twist – think unlikely bauble-related accidents and healthcare professionals sacrificing Christmas with their family to deal with, well, those aforementioned bauble-related accidents. Kay’s writing style is inimitable; I simultaneously wanted to slowly, carefully, savour each page and furiously read it all in one delicious gulp. 4.5*
Trick Mirror, by Jia Tolentino
I’d highly anticipated this non-fiction essay collection by my favourite staff writer at The New Yorker, and it didn’t disappoint. Tolentino writes beautifully on a truly eclectic mix of topics, including overpriced athleisure, the Fyre Festival scam, our incessant (and decidedly modern) need to optimise everything in our lives, and the supposed ‘manufacture’ of tradition by the wedding industry. At times, the writing did get a little overcomplicated, with complex or reference-heavy sentences clouding over the essence of a particular point. But overall, this was an incredibly thought-provoking and interesting read – one that made me think, discuss, and think again. 4*
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson
You know that thriller I was eager to get my paws on? Well, I finally found it, and it was glorious. It all starts with Pippa, a straight-A student on a mission to delve deep into the murder of a fellow schoolgirl in her town. While everyone believes the case to be solved, Pippa is not convinced at all – and so, through a series of (pretty satisfying) adventures, she sets out to piece together what really happened on that fateful night. The best bit? Everything she finds out is guaranteed to take you by surprise. Pick this up if you were a fan of the Serial podcast or in the mood for an addictive mystery novel full of those rare, unexpected twists. 4.5*
Now that we’re done, it’s time for a confession. I almost read 30 books in 2020.
You see, I also ‘read’ two books that we can’t exactly count, as I abandoned them both at just over the halfway mark: Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari) and The Forty Rules of Love (Elif Shafak).
While these are undoubtedly stunning reads, sometimes you’re just not in the right frame of mind for a particular book. I do hope to come back to them soon, perhaps in 2021 (or beyond).
Until then, this is your friendly reminder that if you want to be an avid reader, just keep reading what you want and stop forcing yourself to finish a book you aren’t enjoying. Both are critical tenets of maintaining a healthy reading habit.
What was the best book you read in 2020? Share it with us in a comment below.
Until next time,
S
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Stay tuned for Part Two, in which I’ll be announcing my favourite book of the past year.
Want to embark on the 2021 reading journey together? Let’s become friends on Goodreads.
Cover image captured by Paweł Czerwiński for Unsplash.
