One positive thing in my 2020 was how many books I was able to get through––I more than doubled my previous ‘record’. It was a touch difficult to get going, because I had a book I was reading but wasn’t making much headway in. Once I got over than (plus, having a bookclub for a few months helped), I’ve just devoured books. It was a lot of nonfiction. As I’ve tried to replace screen time with reading, I still ended up frustrated when I’d get interrupted in my fiction books (kids aren’t great at understanding that it’s an intense part in your book!). But with nonfiction, I can pick it up, and put it down whenever, without being ripped out of an emotional beat.
Fiction
Nathan Pile
This is just a collection of Pile’s comics—which are Todd’s favourite in the world—but it was still nice feel like I finished another book. I was trying to finish Aeronaut’s Windlass for like 6 months. Going from that to this really upped my feeling that I could get through books again. Gwendolyn even looks at just the pictures all the time! The premise is basically just aliens doing regular human things, but they use different words, or are very blunt. They’re delightful. My favourite comic in this book is UEGFUEJSRHGFD
Jim Butcher
This was the book that had me at a standstill. I really, really enjoyed Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera, and Todd had a fun time with this book. However, this book is SO SLOW. It is a b i g book. And 3/4 is just….not that engaging? I really wanted to love this one––I’ve devoured his other series, and there were cats in this one. The end is actually fun, exciting, and has some great moments…but you’re reading h u n d r e d s of pages to get there. Apparently there will be more books in the series. To be honest, I don’t think I’ll read them.
Giavanna & Tom Fletcher
I purchased this for my birthday in 2019, and hadn’t read it yet, so it was the first book in my short-lived book club. I loved it. (Full disclaimed: I’m a loyal consumer of all things Fletcher Tom is a member of McFly, my favourite band since I was 15]. This book reads like a film. It’s fast-paced, fun and engaging, and I clipped through it quickly. It was the most welcome contrast to my previous book, which was Aeronaut’s Windlass. Since it does feel quite cinematic, you do have less ‘moving parts’, and there’s hardly any ‘fat’ to the story (non-essential bits). But for parents of 3 kids to manage to write this, I give them a hearty high five! If you’re looking for a book to really get into, but that won’t be hard to get though, this is a great option.
Nathan Pile
The sequel to Strange Planet, this little book of comics was equally as entertaining. My favourite in this collection is WUUSGFUREFHJBGNB
The Slow Regard of Silent Things
Patrick Rothfuss
I’m relatively late to the Kingkiller Chronicles, but I’ve read both, and l o v e d them. I recently discovered this little aside about a side character, and thought it’d be a fun read. Now, I know I didn’t rate it very high. It’s not that it’s bad. It’s just about a very strange character. The pace is varied, but nothing much happens (I mean, I guess the character finds meaning in things, but I didn’t) Though it was a short book, it took me a little longer to finish, just because there wasn’t much holding my attention. I don’t regret reading it, but it’s one of my least favourite I read last year.
Giovanna & Tom Fletcher
The sequel to Even of Man. I finished this sucker in less than 24 hours—and I slept a normal amount! I just never put it down. Like the first, it’s very movie-like. It’s a page-tuner, and the characters are lovely. I don’t want to spoil things, and I’m not entirely sure what to say specifically other than: it was fun to add another perspective character; the end was surprising in a great way; I think this may be the book that made me the happiest all year—and I read some incredible ones. I had so, so much fun tearing through this book.
Kevin Kwan
The final installment in the series, Rich People Problems did not disappoint. In fact, It might even be my favorite book in the entire series, just because everything came together so well. As usual, several characters were over-the-top, and their experiences and lifestyles extremely over-the-top. But there was an extra dose of heart in this one, too. Overall, just a fantastic end to the series. I had a lot of fun reading this one.
Brandon Sanderson
If you’ve read my previous 2 booklists, you’ll know I’m a big Brandon Sanderson fan. But for some reason, even though Todd gifted me this for Christmas 2019, I hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Though it is my goal to read all of Sanderson’s published works, my least favourite I’ve read of his was his other YA series; and this one is YA, too. Wonderfully, I liked this one much better. The protagonist is a… very unique person, which made for a bit of a different read. The end left me excited for the next book in the series.
Nonfiction
Meik Wiking
Several years ago, when I read Liking’s The Little Book of Hygge, my world changed—I had no idea there was a word for the thing I always aspired to create and experience. So, I was excited to pick up another of his books. I had no idea what was in store. Lykke (loo-ka) is packed with practical ideas, and anecdotes, for creating community. As an introvert, that never used to matter to me much, but having kids, and buying a house changed that a lot for me. Especially after the closed-off-ness of 2020, I feel like it’d be world-changing if everyone found some, even small way, to implement a little more lykke. I immediately reread it with Todd, because he’s all about this stuff, and he l o v e d it. Highly recommend. Thank me later. You’re welcome.
Rupi Kaur
I have a confession to make: the only strong memories I have about reading poetry are from 3rd grade. But I’d heard so much about this book, and I decided to vary what I read a little. I was pleasantly surprised. Though I wouldn’t recommend this book to a non-adult audience, there were many poems that realyl stuck me. It was a quick read, and I think I’ll definitely check out some more poetry in the future.
Girl, Stop Apologizing
Rachel Hollis
Okay, so I had Hollis’ first book on my list for a while, but this one was our second book club book. Before picking it up, I had no idea who Rachel Hollis even was. There were some good nuggets of truth about standing true to your values, and she is very open. However, the overall message that I took away was: ‘I want certain things, and NO MATTER WHAT, I’m going to figure out a way to get them. Even if it means missing out on family moments’. Am I surprised she got divorced? Nope. Is it ironic that this book had a section about how they keep their marriage strong? Yes. I probably won’t keep this one.
So You Want to Talk About Race
Ijeoma Oluo
This year, with race issues garnering wide-spread attention, I decided that I needed to learn more. To be a better ally, to understand better, and to make less mistakes. I have a whole list of books for this subject, but this was my first one, as it made basically every list. Oluo was so good at breaking things down; and being direct, without being unkind to the—likely ignorant—reader. This book taught me so much, and there were so many things in it that I didn’t know about. I think everyone should probably read it. If you think ‘you’re good’, read it anyway. If you e v e r say “I’m not racist, but…” or the like, read it asap. Please, and thank you.
There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather
Linda Keson McGurk
And the winner for the book that made me the most angsty this year is…this one. 100%. Please read it. It’s so good; it’s amazing. If you’re someone who cares about the benefits of outdoor time for kids, and are looking for more ways to incorporate that kind of lifestyle, or you just want to see one mother’s experience with her kids in America vs. Sweden, then this is for you. I don’t want to give too much away, because the book itself is so good. There’s not such thing as bad weather. The indoors lifestyle that is the norm in America isn’t useful (see my first booklist for a review about The Last Child in the Woods). We can do better; we just have to make a conscious effort. One of my new favourite books.
Gretchen Rubin
This book had also been on my list for several years, and, thanks to my book club, I finally got around to it. And I am SO GLAD I did. Rubin is an engaging author who is extremely honest and open about her shortcomings, which is important in a book trying to help you find greater happiness in your life, so you know that your experience is normal and not meant to be totally smooth. Each month, she focused on a new area to improve upon, and then wanted to see if she was happier after 1 year. I’ll let you see where it ends—obviously I highly recommend it, as it, too, is one of my new favorites. I plan to read everything Rubin has written on happiness now.
Robin DiAngelo
I only managed 2 books on race in 2020, but this one is a must-read. It’s around 150 pages, and the author very conversational, so you have no reason to not just read it. The author is a white woman who works with businesses in racial sensitivity trainings. She discusses examples from her job, and her personal life. She is open, and lets you know that, even someone as aware as she is of these inequalities messes up. But you just need to understand what you can do better, and then try to do better. Read it. Go on. Right now.
Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein
If you’ve spent any time on this blog at all, you probably know that I’m religiously ~Kondo~. However, I am mostly a stay at home parent, so I wasn’t sure how much I would get out of this little book. First, I’d certainly recommend it to people who do have a desk or office space at work—but even a home office, or any workflow (volunteering; group projects, etc.) could be improved by the ideas here. A lot of the focus is on making sure you aren’t doing things redundantly, and are able to keep focus, and on task, without struggling to find things, or waste your time. It’s a short read.
Nathan J. Robinson
This title is inflammatory. The author knows it’s inflammatory. He’s not even that keen on it. But if you can get past the ‘scary’ title, there is so much good information there. In politics these days, there’s a lot of people who ‘know’ what the ‘other people’ think, because the news they listen to told them what those ‘other people’ think. The thing is, that’s a terrible way to actually understand people. More likely than not, those ‘other people’ are being misrepresented. If you want to understand left politics better, this can help. If you already know what they’re about (but you are totally right-leaning), then you m u s t read this book. Because you don’t. Robinson makes things very clear, and goes to great lengths to explain why he stands for what he does. He’s an entertaining author, which makes this an easy read, too.
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
John M. Gottman
How I wish I’d read this book sooner! We actually received our copy as a wedding present. I meant to read it, but, at the time, I was in school, and after I graduated I just never prioritized it. I should have. This books is full of f a n t a s t i c information to help you improve your relationship, and know what things to look out for. It even has several exercises in it to help you see where you are. Whether you’re newlywed, or have been married for 50 years, I bet your could glean something valuable from this book.
Stéphane Garnier
This short and cute book was gifted to us by my mother-in-law who just had to get it for us, because, you know, cats. It’s pretty short, and funny. There are many many short chapters, each about a different thing you can learn from your cat. Todd and I read it together over 2 or 3 nights. It was a fun book, though I do dock it points, because, even though the author has very obviously observed his cat a lot, I don’t think he’s ever read a book about cats, so some of his assumptions were just not spot on.
Brené Brown
Everyone could use a little more Brené Brown in their life. When I got to this book—I had been on such a roll, and I enjoy Brown’s work so much—I was a bit disappointed that I wasn’t able to speed through it as fast I had hoped to. That being said, there is so much amazing wisdom in this book. It helped me discover some parenting blocks I was having. And that understanding then allowed me to recognize triggers for my overwhelmed feelings. it’s so good, I gifted to my sister for Christmas. This particular book focuses on vulnerability, specifically in using it to understand yourself, and act in a better way.
Parenting with Love & Logic
Foster W. Cline and Jim Fay
I was excited to finally pick this one up, as it’s recommended a lot in my parenting groups. Unfortunately, it left me largely disappointed. Now, I know it’s a little older, but it just wasn’t the gentle parenting book I was hoping for. Though some of the ideas they have match up with my goals, the way they talk about it, or what they then do were very often at odds for me. There were a couple of things—mostly at the beginning—that were helpful thoughts, but those 2-3 were vastly overwhelmed by the stuff I didn’t agree with. I even tried to implement a couple of their ideas when I was at a loss with my kids, but my husband—every time; and he didn’t even know I was doing it—chastised me for being mean. If you come from a very un-gentle upbringing and are looking to be a different kind of parent, then you may like this book; it might at least be a good intro into more gentle practices. However, I think this book will not have a place on my shelf. Hit me up if you’d like my copy for free.
Euny Hong
To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect from this book, and any guesses were very off-the-mark, or not that good. In a very reductive definition: nuncio is being good at reading people + reading a room. If you can do that well, you can do better in life, and avoid making errors with embarrassing or hurtful consequences. Hong’s voice is easy to read—in fact, I’d like to read more from her—and she gives lots of nice examples. Now we occasionally tell Harry that his nunchi isn’t very good (its a joke, because he’s a baby).
Cal Newport
I was a bit surprised that this was about cutting down extraneous social media time, more than KonMari-ing your digital files, but it was an important read nonetheless. In fact, his method of starting your digital minimalism journey by f i r s t deciding your end goal and intentions in very KonMari. To ANYONE who thinks social media, or just screen time is too much—in the world, or their own lives—please, add this one to your list. It did take me a little longer to finish than a lot fo my other books, but there was just so much information. Newport talks about what you can do with your time, instead of scrolling, that will bring real happiness. He also has a detailed, yet flexible, plan for you to cut your time on your smartphone. Though I haven’t done that process as of yet, I think I may revisit it when the ‘do everything better ahhh it’s the new year’ fades a bit.
Meik Wiking
I know, more Meik. I love him, even if he’s suggested multiple times to be Marie Kondo’s arch-enemy, and seems to have a particular distaste for cats (literally even considered his name for Blythe). Out of the 3 books of his that I’ve read, this is probably the least life-changing. The others were just e v e r y t h i n g, and that’s a very high bar. Still, I found his findings on how to create happy memories to ring true. I discovered that I naturally have figured out how to set myself up for good memories and experiences. And, after reading this book, I have tried to connect memories to a scent, or song, or write them down.
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile
What an interesting read! I’ve always had an interest in psychology. I enjoy thinking about how much more sense people’s actions make once you know more of their background, and ticks. This really blew me away. Several times, as I was reading the different numbers, someone I knew came sharply to mind, without prompting. I am planning to read up more on the enneagram—for myself, and to hopefully increase my ability for understanding and compassion of others. Also interested in seeing how this all works in children. Highly recommend. I’m a 4w3. Please, let me know what you are, if you know!
I’ve already got a few books lined up for 2021, and many, many that I hope to get to, plus a couple of lists, but tell me anyway: what should I add to my list? What were some of your favourite books from the last year?
