Do we really appreciate the value of books? The way we can be transformed from one world to another by some words on a page? It’s a type of magic when you think about it.
This year in particular, I’ve come to appreciate the true value of words. When I couldn’t even go outside my door it gave me a way to travel back to Ireland, visit a marsh in America, cozy up in an intimate cottage in England and even experience Nazi-occupied Germany in World War II.
Books have provided me with countless friends and new ideas over the years. I will forever be grateful for the comfort they have provided me and the knowledge I have gained from them.
Here are some of the best books I’ve read in 2020. I hope that they will provide you with as much entertainment as they provided me! Also, please feel free to share your book recommendations with me as I am always looking for something fantastic to read.
Seriously, if you haven’t read a book in years, give Netflix a break and feed your brain cells with new ideas before the end of this year! You’ll thank yourself later…
- Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
This book was recommended to me by a lot of people. This is a story set in the marshes of North Carolina in America. It tells the tale of a young girl named Kya who raises herself after being abandoned by her family at a young age. It is a captivating story which explores many themes such as social class, racism, murder, self-discovery and romance.
Although I must say it took me about 80 pages to actually get into this book, it was worth the wait. While the story isn’t the most interesting I’ve ever read, it was the main character, Kya who captured my attention in this book. She is an interesting female lead who managed to overcome many adversities by educating herself and using her passion to make her way in life. Her loneliness is captivating, as is her relationship with nature. I would recommend this book even just to get to know Kya’s charming personality.
2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou
The murder of George Floyd in May of this year was an eye-opening experience for many. It was completely horrifying and shocking, but the fact that it took one man to be killed by police forces before people started to care about the treatment of black people worldwide is a disgrace. I myself will admit that while I am completely against racism, I wasn’t doing anything about it and I wasn’t (still am not) half as educated as I would like to be on the matter. They say ignorance is bliss, well, in this case ignorance is a sin.
I was adamant that I had to do better. I am still adamant that we all need to do better and I will keep trying. So, instead of my usual, easy-going summer read, I decided I wanted to start educating myself on the lives and injustices faced by black people.
Maya Angelou has always been on,me of my favourite poets, so I thought that this book would be a good place to start my education.
In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou describes her coming of age as a precocious but insecure black girl in the American South during the 1930s and subsequently in California during the 1940s. It describes her struggles with trauma, racism, body image, independence and growing up. It shows how her strength of character and love of literature helped her to overcome these obstacles.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this auto-biography of Maya Angelou’s life. It reads more like a novel and as well as educating you on what life was like for black communities in 1930s Southern America, it also leaves you with the impression that you been given the honour of getting to know one of your idols.
3. Little Fires Everywhere- Celeste Ng
Having watched the series starring Reese Witherspoon on Amazon Prime, I was more than excited to dig my teeth into this novel when it was chosen for my school’s October book club.
This main characters in this book are divided between members of two very different families, particularly the mothers of these families.
Elena Richardson is a seemingly perfect suburban American mom, raising her four children; Lexie, Trip, Moody and Izzy, in a huge house with her successful husband, as well as working as a part time journalist for her local newspaper.
On the other hand, Mia Warren is a struggling single mom doing her best to raise her smarter than average daughter Pearl. She is a talented artist who moves a lot for her work, picking up part time jobs on the side to fund her true passion, her art.
When Pearl befriends Moody and Mia takes a job as a maid in the Richardson’s house, their two world’s collide, leading to life changing consequences.
I loved this book as it explored many interesting themes such as family dynamics, social classes, racism, immigration, reproductive health and much more. I finished this book in about two days, I didn’t want to put it down. Definitely a must-add to your reading list.
4. The Book Thief- Markus Zusak
This was my second time reading “The Book Thief” and I was every bit as enthralled the second time. One of the benefits of having the memory of a fish is that I can re-read books over and over again, each time discovering characters and plots as if it were my first.
The Book Thief is set in Germany during the Second World War. I am a history nerd so any historic fiction book is bound to be a hit for me. This book is a little different though. While most books set around this period are told from the point of view of a Jewish person, the Book Thief tells the story of a little German girl as narrated by the Grim Reaper.
We are taken on the fascinating journey of Liesl who is fostered at a young age and sent to live with Hans and Rosa in a small German town. She finds solace from the horrors of war through books (usually stolen ones) and once Hans discovers that she can’t read, he makes it his duty to teach her.
When Max, a Jewish boy whose father once saved Hans, comes to hide in the basement of the Hubermann’s, Liesl embarks on a journey of friendship and discovery.
This book is once of my absolute favourites. The Grim Reaper manages to tell the story in such a beautiful way that by the end, you almost want to be friends with death. Liesl’s path of self- discovery in Nazi Germany is full of fear, excitement, loss and everything in between.
The Book Thief rates a 5/5 from me. It is a beautifully written, thought- provoking book.
5. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse- Charlie Mackesy
At first glance, this book could easily be mistaken for a children’s book that most people wouldn’t even look twice at. However, the moment you read the first few pages and realise the meaning behind each beautiful illustration and short sentence, it is evident that it is something to be read by people of all ages.
This is a short book, only 135 pages long, which tells the story of a boy who appears lost and is trying to find his way. On his journey, he makes friends first with a cake-loving mole, then a quiet fox and finally a wise old horse.
As we travel through forests and storms with these characters, we discover that this a lot more than a simple story of a journey through the woods. This book has a deep, important meaning. Its goal is to teach us stories about finding happiness and meaning in life.
Charlie Mackesy tells us about the value of friendship, teaches us that even the wildest of storms will pass and states that often a positive attitude and a slice of cake with the important people in our lives is all we need to live a happy life.
This short book is something which should be added to everyone’s library. It doesn’t matter if you’re 5 or 50, this story has a lesson for all of us. It is designed to be able to open on any page at any time. So even if you are not an avid reader, you can open any random page when you’re having a bad day and hopefully find that little boost you need to feel better.
La Vita di Lorna 