As I write this, I’m in the process of reading my 57th book of the year! More than ever, reading was an escape from the craziness of the world. I’ve been trying to read from a more diverse range of authors and learn more about cultures I didn’t know much about before. When I took a poll on Instagram, most of you voted for a post about my favorite reads instead of just recent ones. So, without further ado, the best books of 2020!
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson: Enchanted is a talented young singer who gets noticed by a popular R&B artist. He takes her under his wing, but life with him isn’t as glamorous as Enchanted expected. She struggles to maintain her sense of self and her grip on reality. This was such a powerful story based on real life events. Definitely worth a read.
Goodbye, Orchid by Carol VanDenHende: Phoenix’ life is pretty great. He’s young, successful…and might be developing a crush on a colleague. But, after a freak accident, his perspective changes and he starts questioning everything and everyone. It made me think about how people react to trauma, and how often we assume how other people feel about us without giving them the chance to prove themselves.
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali: Roya is an idealistic teenager growing up in Tehran. She doesn’t always feel like she fits in…until she starts spending time at a local stationery shop, which leads to a chance meeting that will change her life. I didn’t know a lot about the history or culture of Iran, and this was a fascinating way to learn. It’s sad to read about the decisions people make because it’s what is expected of them, but not what makes them happy…but totally relatable. Also a reminder of how one person’s decision or action can so deeply impact the course of someone else’s life.
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London: Bea is a plus-sized fashion blogger who ends up getting cast in a reality show. I was a little wary because I’ve never been a fan of the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise, but this was different. Bea is a complicated woman with a lot of self-doubt that she’s trying to overcome to find love. This book really made me think about the way we talk to ourselves and how much our self-image impacts. Some parts of the plot were predictable (as with all reality television), but I still feel like this was a really important read.
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré: Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who wants more than anything to get an education. But, when she’s sold to an older man by her father, she finds her dream slipping away. Her journey is a bumpy one, but she learns to stand up for herself and others. Such a fascinating story about the power of education and determination, especially for young women in impoverished communities. Also, major perspective on how much where you live and how much money you have can totally change your life.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett: Sometimes we can’t help but wonder what life would have been like if we had taken the other path. This story follows twin sisters whose choices take them in opposite directions after growing up together in a small, southern Black community. No matter how hard they try to be independent, they are always somehow connected to each other, and they each struggle with their racial identities.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone: Justyce is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. Although it was published in 2017, it’s sadly still incredibly relevant to our current climate of racial inequality and police violence.
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert: It’s 1940, and nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of college after freshman year. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse. It’s such a colorful depiction of the life of a fiery young woman trying to find her place in 1940s New York. It takes her a while, and there are some major misadventures and bumps in the road, but she eventually learns to own up to her mistakes and embrace who she is.
The Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning: Two young girls meet in Shanghai, local Li and Jewish refugee Romy form a fierce friendship, but the deepening shadows of World War II fall over the women as they slip between the city’s glamorous French Concession district and the teeming streets of the Shanghai Ghetto. The descriptions of scenes are so vivid and detailed that you feel like you’re seeing them unfold in front of your eyes. All of the characters went through significant hardship, and although their stories are fiction, they are based on history. Also, I thought I had figured out a particular twist, but there was another layer to it. Definitely worth a read!
Regretting You by Colleen Hoover: Morgan and her teenage daughter Clara don’t have the smoothest relationship. But, something happens that turns their world upside down and makes them reconsider everything they ever knew. Mother and daughter get caught up in a web of secrets and resentment, wondering if they will ever find their way back to each other. I really enjoyed this one. It was heavy, but relatable, just like her other book, It Ends With Us.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb: Really enjoyed this honest look at mental health. Lori shares insight from her work as a therapist, but also what she learned as a patient going through therapy itself. There were so many things that resonated with me, and I found myself highlighting passage after passage. Highly recommend this one, whether you’ve been to therapy or not.
