My Top 6 Reads of 2020

This year I had the pleasure to acheive my goal of reading 25 books (and counting). A few interesting stats about the titles that I pursued:

• 20 were written by women
• 13 were fiction
• 12 were non-fiction
• 8 were written by foreign (non-American) authors

Here’s the list of my top reads from the year.

I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom

I’ll confess, read I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom in less than a day. With brilliant use of humor and masterful storytelling, Rachel Bloom covers a wide range of topics from her life including mental health, relationships, self-image, bullying, and more. If you love all things Rachel Bloom, you will love this book. She’ll have you laughing and cry and everything in between!

The War on Women by Sue Lloyd-Roberts

Speaking of crying, I sobbed through 60% of The War on Women by Sue LLoyd-Roberts. Sue spent decades as a journalist, dedicating her life and career to telling the stories of the most vulnerable populations across the globe. In her book, she transports you to places like Ireland, Saudi Arabia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, and Bosnia, shares the horrible suffering and difficult obstacles women face, and introduces you to exceptional women fighting for freedom and rights still today. The book left me feeling both distraught and fired up. There’s so much work to be done for equality and fair treatment of women.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

The Giver of Stars was also another book I read quite quickly, captivated by the story and deeply immersed in the world of 1930s/1940s Kentucky. The historical fiction novel inspired by a real group of traveling librarians in the Appalachian Mountains, Jojo Moyes crafted warm, relatable characters I felt so connected to, I couldn’t put it down until it was finished.

Educated by Tara Westover

Educated by Tara Westover is easily the #1 book I’ve been recommending to anyone looking for a recommendation, even those who may not normally gravitate towards non-fiction. Tara’s personal telling of her untraditional upbringing in rural Idaho to her completion of a PhD at Cambridge is absolutely captivating, and at times, excruciatingly disturbing. Her journey uncovers the truth hidden behind her family’s radical beliefs, and ultimately, allows her to choose freedom from abuse.

Catch & Kill: Lies, Spies and Conspiracy to Proect Predators by Ronan Farrow

Catch & Kill came highly recommended by a co-worker earlier this year and I’m so glad it made it onto my reading list. The excellent book shares in-detail the background leading up to Ronan Farrow’s famous, Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé of Harvey Weinstein, leading to the #MeToo Movement and Weinstein’s later conviction. The book outlines the extensive research and interview process it took to cultivate and fact-check the stories of alleged abuse, the intimidation, and fear involved, and the political landscape that led the story to be ultimately published with The New Yorker, instead of Farrow’s contracted network NBC.

Syria’s Secret Library: Reading and Redemption in a Town Under Seige by Mike Thomson

I learned about Syria’s Secret Library when the author, Mike Tompson spoke about his new book on the 1A podcast back in May. I’ll be honest, I know very little about the situation in Syria, and hoped that this would shed light on a topic and part of the world I’d never read about. Sure enough, this book exceeded my expectations. Mike Thompson shares the true story of a library established by young people in the town of Darya during the Syrian Civil War. Brought to life through personal accounts from those who built, maintained, visited, and protected the library, I bonded with each character, connected by a passion for reading. For them the books were worth risking their lives, they were symbols of resistance, escape, education, comfort, and so much more. After reading this book, not only had a learned more about the civil war in Syria, but I felt a stronger understanding of the importance of reading and what I privilege it truly is.

In 2021, I’d like to set the goal to read 30 books written by a wider range of authors, including works by BIPOC and LBGT+ identifying writers, as well as writers from more diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Here’s to more reading adventures in 2021!