The Best of 2020

Dear friends,

As you most likely know, my book reading and writing was slightly off this year: first, when I was sick with Covid, and then because I just couldn’t read up to speed. I’m pretty much back on track now, with a hopper full of wonderful books and a new-found purpose to tell my story through the books I read.

So, here are my favorites of 2020.

Fiction

The Cold Millions by Jess Walter. Great characters in an historical setting that was unfamiliar to me. This was my favorite book of the year.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. You can’t go wrong with Ann Patchett. The book is a profound look at what makes family.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. Although it was embroiled in reviewer controversy, I found it to be an inspiring tale of migrants moving north.

The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal. You know how I love books about my home state. This delightful book is more about women’s fortitude than it is about beer.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley. Great psychological thriller set on an island off the coast of Ireland.

The Bitch by Pilar Quintana. A profound study of grief and pain distilled in only 155 pages.

A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet. A prophetic allegory about children, fear, greed, and lousy parenting. Fabulously designed and written.

Nonfiction

Nobody’s Looking at You by Janet Malcolm. A series of essays about and interviews with people whose names are familiar, like Eileen Fisher and Rachel Maddow. Extremely insightful and well-written.

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby. Some of the best inappropriate, introspective writing you are likely to find.

We are the Weather by Jonathan Safran Foer. A steadfast argument to take climate change seriously. The Kalamazoo Community Read 2020.

The Hope of Glory by Jon Meacham. An insightful, thoughtful look at the last words of Jesus, from one of America’s prolific non-fiction writers.

And now, we move on to 2021. It’s gonna be a good reading year. Already, I have a big pile of great books—Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz, and Eat a Peach by David Chang.

Happy New Year.