A list of the books I read in 2020 (2019’s crop is here) pretty much in the order I read them…
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood – I enjoy it more each time I read it. Was cueing myself in before starting…
The Testaments, Margaret Atwood – a mistrissful work of subtly and genius.
Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams – heartbreaking and inspiring all in one go. Made me so glad I am not in my 20’s.
Girl, Woman, Other, Bernadine Everisto – inspiring and thoughtful exploration of black heritage woven together by twelve beautiful character studies.
The Hot Topic, Christa d’Souza – sassy menopause book covering cultural, medical, personal and ethnographic topics. I only wish I had written it myself.
The Owl Service, Allan Garner – I picked this, looking for cosy reassurance and was surprised by its nuanced layering and poignancy.
Belonging, Toko-pa Turner – as someone who always feels the push-pull of outsider/insider, this really spoke to me.
The Music Shop, Rachel Joyce – sweet story about learning to listen and feel.
Notting Hill Carnival, Candace Carty Williams – a quick read full of well-rounded characters. Loved it partly because I used to live nearby.
The Persephone Book of Short Stories, various authors – a gorgeously bound and rich evocation of women’s fiction from 1909 – 1986. I particularly love the inter-war stories.
The Signature of All Things, Elizabeth Gilbert – fabulous botanist heroine striding the world. (Warning, I am a complete EG fan-girl)
Home Fire, Kamila Shamsie – beautifully written, tense family drama spanning NW London, New England and Guantanamo.
Sight, Jessie Greengrass – meditative fictional account of motherhood, pregnancy and bereavement.
A Year to Live, Stephen Levine – how to be truly alive by preparing for death. Beautiful and life-changing.
Old Baggage, Lissa Evans – touching, witty story about a suffragette who misses her days of glory.
Their Finest Hour And A Half, Lissa Evans – romantic story set in the world of WW2 propaganda films. Highly enjoyable.
White Fragility, Robin Diangelo – trying to get to grips with my privilege and systemic racism.
Reclaiming Feminine Wisdom, Melanie Rossiter – fascinating personal account of coming to terms with hysterectomy.
Wilding, The return To Nature Of A British Farm, Isabella Tree – maybe my favourite book of the year. Inspiring and fascinating affirmation of the earth’s goodness.
Wintering, Katherine May – an affirmation of rest, slowness, letting go and doing nothing while the body heals. Lovely.
In The City By The Sea, Kamila Shamsie – I couldn’t get on with this story, the contrast between the sweet boy and the political violence was too much for me.
A Thousand Ships, Natalie Haynes – brilliant! Puts the women and the goddesses in charge of the action.
When The Body Says No, Gabor Mate – I can’t believe I’d never read this before. A clear, beautifully written body/mind classic.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot – extraordinary exposure of how a black woman’s cells were ‘harvested’ and used for medical advancement and the racism and injustice involved.
Frankisstein, Jeanette Winterson – prickly, chewy, funny and almost too clever. Typically Jeanette.
Brave, Rose McGowan – what a woman! It’s extraordinary how she has used the force for good, despite her challenging upbringing. Everyone should read this.
A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Blackman – the redemption of big-hearted grumpiness. Uplifting.
The Golden Thread, How fabric changed history, Kassia St Clair – exploring textiles through history, or possibly, history through textiles. Marvellous and engrossing.
Dominica, Angie Cruz – uplifting story of a girl finding her voice in her new country.
Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout – a slow burn. I wasn’t sure about this at all when I started but by the end, I loved each and every tender, sweet flawed character. So clever.
Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell – like hot soup after a rainy walk. I loved being immersed in the world of Victorian refined poverty.
Vanished Years, Rupert Evert – very enjoyable second or third volume of autobiography. A bit clunky sometimes but I love how he shows his vulnerabilities without apology. And the name-dropping is absolutely gripping.
Consolations, David Whyte – beautifully written, soulful meditations on being human from ‘alone’ to ‘withdrawal’.
Daemon Voices, Philip Pullman – this man is my god. So intelligent and fierce and funny he almost makes me afraid to pick up a pen at all.
Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer – affirming the ‘person-ness’ of all life. My favourite blend of personal story, history and science.
My Body Is Not An Apology, Sonya Renee Taylor – the radical and lovely idea of fighting injustice by learning to love the body. Our body. All bodies!
The Guest List, Lucy Foley – page-turning murder mystery with a rich cast of characters.
My Grandmother’s Hands, Resmaa Menakem – looking at racism as trauma that exists in the body. A wonderful resource to help us stay with the discomfort as it shows up in ourselves and move towards healing, from our hearts.
I’m hungry to hear what you’ve read, please let me know in the comments what you’ve loved and what I should read next.
