2020 in Books
In 2016, I set a goal to read 100 books. I have no clue if I reached that goal because I didn’t keep a list of the books I read. In 2017, I started keeping an annual reading list, accompanied by short reviews, on my website. Thankfully, I’ve kept up that habit— and I have read more than 100 books each year.
In 2020, thanks to extra time at home, I read far beyond my previous recorded record. In 2020, I was still using my old website, and I didn’t decide to copy it over until the end of 2023. As I reread this list to fix the formatting, I remembered where I was for specific books. At my grandmother’s house a few miles from the beach when I read Holes, or in the back bedroom at my great-grandmother’s house while reading Loving vs. Virgina— both homes that no longer belong to our family in 2023. In my childhood home, where I lived for five months while I finished college and waited out quarantine, to read Betty and Black Boy and so many more. In my first “big girl” apartment, reading Stamped from the Beginning before sliding it onto one of many bookshelves. Many of the books that I read that year were inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, and ever since I have endeavored to read more diversely— but I don’t think I’ve been as successful again as I was in 2020. There are always more reading goals to achieve.
Rereading this list, I was amazed at how many excellent books I read in 2020. I hope you’ll read some of them!
Inland by Téa Obreht
This was an enjoyable novel. It was a ghost story, but a very ordinary ghost story about how people stick around after they’re gone. It was good to read after losing two grandfathers.
finished January 9, 2020
A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs
I reread this novel, the fourth in the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series, in advance of the fifth novel coming out.
finished January 11, 2020
The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs
This book came out today, and I read it in basically one sitting. It was excellent– probably the best of the series so far. But now I’m frustrated because the ending– while SO GOOD– was a cliffhanger, and now I have to wait at least a year for the next book.
finished January 14, 2020
The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
I read this book about housing segregation because it’s somewhat related to a story I’m working on. This was an interesting read but some of the financial stuff was more in the weeds than I was looking for.
finished January 19, 2020
The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht
I have read a lot of books recently that prove that fiction doesn’t have to follow any rules or conventions and that fiction can be about real life without being totally realistic. I also liked this book because it was about a young woman mourning her grandfather.
finished January 20, 2020
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
A day off from school meant I had time to finish two books I’ve been reading. This is the first prequel book in the Witcher series, which is the inspiration for Michael’s favorite video game, which is why I was interested in reading this book.
finished January 20, 2020
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
My goodness, this was a good novel. The ending absolutely surprised me. Often, the very best books frustrate me when I finish them– because they’re just TOO good.
finished January 27, 2020
Gorilla, My Love by Toni Cade Bombara
I read this collection of short stories for my contemporary African-American literature class. I liked some of the stories, but generally I like novels better than collections.
finished January 29, 2020
Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle
This is a collection of comics but there are words so it definitely counts as a book. Pyle posts these (and other!) great comments on social media and his book is well worth it.
finished January 29, 2020
An American Gospel by Erik Reece
This nonfiction book is by my creative nonfiction professor. I enjoyed it, and I liked how he blended personal experience with history and even science. I don’t agree with the premise of his book, but that made it interesting and thought-provoking to read.
finished February 5, 2020
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
I loved this book. It’s about the Los Angeles Public Library, including the huge fire that occurred there in 1986, and it is basically a love letter to libraries and books. It’s also a perfect, beautiful blending of personal experience, reporting and history.
finished February 9, 2020
Blue Nights by Joan Didion
I read this because it was on a list of best nonfiction. I enjoyed parts of it, but I wasn’t engrossed by it.
finished February 15, 2020
Corregidora by Gayl Jones
I read this book for my contemporary African-American literature class; I’ve read this book for class before. It’s a really good book, especially to discuss in a class.
finished February 15, 2020
A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines
I also read this for my contemporary African-American literature class, and I really, really loved it. It’s a really good novel.
finished February 26, 2020
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
I recently watched the movie based on this memoir. Both the movie and the book are excellent, but they are very difficult to get through. The stories of incarcerated people, and especially those on death row, are heartbreaking.
finished February 27, 2020
Sisters in Law by Linda Hirshman
As you can see, I’ve finally had time in the last few days to read and finish books I started a while ago. This was a really good biography of Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first two female Supreme Court justices.
finished February 27, 2020
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
This is the first book in a new series in the Shadowhunter universe. It was really good, and I’m excited for the rest of the series. I bought this book on Thursday at an event with the author here in Lexington, which was really cool.
finished March 8, 2020
Calling All Witches by Laurie Calkhoven and Violet Tobacco
This fun little book is about women in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Michael got it for me a few months ago because he saw it and thought of me, which was sweet. My only complaint is that this book is based on the movies, not the books.
finished March 11, 2020
Coach Hall: My Life On and Off the Court by Joe B. Hall with Marianne Williamson
This was Joe B. Hall’s autobiography, and it was a good read for any UK and/or basketball fan.
finished March 12, 2020
Tightrope by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
This was a really well-written book about poverty in America. The authors are journalists, a married couple. All of their work is really good.
finished March 13, 2020
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
This has been on my reading list for ages, and I finally read it. It’s so detailed and so good and so haunting.
finished March 15, 2020
The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr
I’m getting more and more into writing creative nonfiction, so I read this book about writing it.
finished March 24, 2020
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
I really enjoyed Gaines’ book that I read for class, so I decided to read another one. His writing style is really enjoyable to read.
finished March 25, 2020
The Sport of Kings by C.E. Morgan
I reread this excellent, very Kentucky novel.
finished March 26, 2020
The Dead Beat by Marilyn Johnson
I absolutely loved this book. It’s about writing obituaries, so it’s about journalism and death, which pretty much preoccupy me these days (not to sound too morbid).
finished March 28, 2020
After the Race by Pamela Dae
This is the debut novel of a woman who was in my community fiction writing class this semester, so it was really awesome to read it. The plot and characters really captivated me.
finished March 29, 2020
Citizen by Claudia Rankine
I read this mixed-genre book for my African-American literature class. Parts of it were very abstract, so I can’t say it’s a new favorite or anything, but it is a really wise book.
finished March 30, 2020
Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi
This is the final book (maybe– she said the third one was the final one, too) in one of my favorite series. As always, Tahereh Mafi’s writing is beautiful, but I have to say this wasn’t one of my favorite books in the series. Still, I highly recommend the whole Shatter Me series.
finished March 31, 2020
Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women by Harriet Reisen
I loved this biography of Louisa May Alcott, just like I love Little Women.
finished April 4, 2020
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
This was a good novel, about the war in Iraq. The writing is very lyrical, which is juxtaposed with the horror of the war.
finished April 9, 2020
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
I first heard about this book in the Gilmore Girls revival, then I read one of Strayed’s shorter pieces in my creative nonfiction class. She’s a remarkable writer.
finished April 11, 2020
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
This was the perfect thriller novel to devour in one rainy day.
finished April 12, 2020
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
This was a really good novel that I’ve waited a long time to read. On what ended up being mine and Michael’s unofficial first date at Barnes and Noble, he said he wanted to pick out a book that he thought I’d like. This is what he picked out.
finished April 13, 2020
God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
I read this for my African-American literature class. Toni Morrison is a goddess of writing but this was not one of my favorites of hers. It’s sad because this is the kind of book that I enjoy discussing in class.
finished April 13, 2020
The Body by Stephen King
We watched the movie version, Stand By Me, a couple weeks ago, so I wanted to read the book. It was also really good. I’m too much of a chicken to read most of his books but I wish I weren’t.
finished April 15, 2020
The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara
I read this book because Michael had to do a book report on it. I was hoping I’d learn a lot about Latin American history and politics that I didn’t know, but I kinda already needed that knowledge before reading to fully appreciate it. I enjoyed parts of it.
finished April 16, 2020
The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis
After reading The Masterpiece, I wanted more fun historical novels to read, so I checked a couple of Fiona Davis’s ebooks out from the library.
finished April 18, 2020
Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie
This was a fun, laid-back anthology of princesses throughout history who were a little too wild to become a Disney princess. It was a good read.
finished April 18, 2020
Suspicious Minds by Gwenda Bond
This is a really good prequel novel to the show Stranger Things. It gives a lot of background information that I wanted after watching the show, and it’s written by a Lexington author, which makes it even cooler.
finished April 18, 2020
Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher
This is the other prequel companion novel to Stranger Things, about Hopper’s time as a cop in New York City. It was really good.
finished April 20, 2020
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
I figured it was time I finally read this book. I enjoyed it. It definitely has a lot to say about the cruel nature of humans.
finished April 22, 2020
Heavy by Kiese Laymon
I read this memoir for my African American studies class. I enjoyed it, particularly because it was in a different form than most memoirs I read, so it gave a good example of how to do something different well.
finished April 23, 2020
Black Boy by Richard Wright
This is an extraordinary memoir. I learned a lot about Wright’s experience as a young African American man in the early 20th century, in both the north and south.
finished April 25, 2020
Weather by Jenny Offill
This book reminds you that the world is ending in beautiful, bite-sized sections.
finished April 26, 2020
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
I needed a comfort read.
finished May 1, 2020
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
This book is written in the same fragmented, clean prose as Weather. It’s really interesting.
finished May 3, 2020
She Said by Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey
This book is about the investigations into Harvey Weinstein and other sexual abusers, written by two New York Times journalists who won a Pulitzer prize for their work. Everyone should read this.
finished May 3, 2020
Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl
I thought it was really masterful how Renkl weaved together nature and grief, and I really enjoyed parts of the book, but I’m not interested enough in birds to have loved all of it.
finished May 13, 2020
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
I’ve been working on this huge fantasy novel for close to two weeks. It was really, really good. Shannon kept an 800-page book interesting for every page, without breaking it into multiple books like other fantasy writers probably would’ve. My favorite part about the book was that though it was medieval, women held every type of position imaginable, and it wasn’t anything special, like “Oh, Brienne has been made a knight when no woman ever has.” Women were just commonly involved in every level of society. Imagine that.
finished May 13, 2020
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
This was a good historical fiction novel about Japanese, Chinese and American relations in Seattle during World War II.
finished May 15, 2020
Normal People by Sally Rooney
This is a really good novel that made me miss Ireland desperately.
finished May 17, 2020
Blackberries, Blackberries by Crystal Wilkinson
I don’t often love collections of short stories, but I really enjoyed this collection by one of my former professors.
finished May 18, 2020
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
I loved this because I love Cheryl Strayed’s writing so much. She writes an advice column, Dear Sugar, and this was a collection of her columns. It was so good.
finished May 19, 2020
Honeymoon by James Patterson & Howard Roughan
This book really hooked me and then didn’t quite deliver.
finished May 20, 2020
Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin by Jill Lepore
I love Jill Lepore’s historical writing. It’s excellent. This was a really interesting book about Jane Franklin, early America, and the disparity between men and women.
finished May 23, 2020
A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
I really enjoyed this return to the world of the Hunger Games. It’s a prequel with a lot of interesting connections to the original series.
finished May 29, 2020
Torch by Cheryl Strayed
I love all of Cheryl Strayed’s writing.
finished June 1, 2020
The Carrying by Ada Limón
I needed something beautiful to read amid current events. Ada Limón’s poems are breathtaking– and she lives and writes in Kentucky!
finished June 2, 2020
Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones
This was a really informative and well-written book about some of the factors that led to America’s opioid crisis. I highly recommend it.
finished June 3, 2020
Holes by Louis Sachar
I started thinking about this movie and wanted to read the book. It was a quick novel to read. [Also, as kids, how many of us thought Kissin’ Kate was a little bit justified in her violent response to the injustice of Sam’s death? I would say a lot of us. Possible application for current events…]
finished June 3, 2020
Am I There Yet? The Loop-de-Loop, Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood by Mari Andrew
I figured this was a good time to reread this encouraging, funny, and beautifully illustrated book.
finished June 7, 2020
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
I already feel like I should reread this book. It’s very practical in explaining white privilege and why we’re not good at taking about race. It’s a must read for all white people.
finished June 9, 2020
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
This was a weird novel that I never really got into. It’s definitely my least favorite of Colson Whitehead’s novels.
finished June 9, 2020
Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson
I loved this book. It is a long, incredibly reported book (that won the Pulitzer Prize for history) about the Attica prison uprising in 1971– a piece of history that I had never learned about. A good nonfiction read and a good storyline to put into perspective how systemic racism has been put into practice.
finished June 13, 2020
Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom
This was a good collection of essays by a black woman. I read essays written through a perspective I don’t have and I learned some craft things about writing nonfiction.
finished June 15, 2020
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
This short collection of Baldwin’s nonfiction work was an insightful read– and a mini lesson in how to write nonfiction, since his craft is so good.
finished June 17, 2020
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
I really enjoyed this book, even though I’m not a science person. Henrietta Lacks’ cells were taken from her cancerous tumor without her knowledge and are still living and multiplying today. Doctors and researchers have used her cells to find cures to many things, including polio. This was one of my favorite type of books– it included personal memoir, stories of family, and really good research.
finished June 18, 2020
In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History by Mitch Landrieu
I was hoping this book would be more historical research and less personal narrative, but it’s still a good read from the former mayor of New Orleans.
finished June 19, 2020
Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell
I absolutely adored this book. It wasn’t what I expected either, but I loved it. It’s a narrative poem with illustrations and straightforward historical context– all about the Supreme Court case that declared interracial marriage legal. I highly recommend this.
finished June 20, 2020
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
Though it took me a little while to get into it, this novel ended up being really good. The omniscient third person point of view really allowed McBride to represent all aspects of a community.
finished June 23, 2020
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This was an excellent novel. The plot is wonderful, but I was just repeatedly blown away by Coates’ prose.
finished June 24, 2020
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book I’ve heard so much about. It’s a really good young adult novel that people of all ages should read.
finished June 25, 2020
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
This was a very informative and practical book about how to think about and discuss race. The prose is so good and straightforward.
finished June 26, 2020
Mitch, Please! by Matt Jones
Obviously this book takes a certain political stand, but the politics aspect is very interesting. Even more interesting for a native Kentuckian is Jones’ descriptions of his visits to all 120 counties.
finished June 30, 2020
Stranger Planet by Nathan W. Pyle
This is such a fun book of comics about the quirks of human nature.
finished June 30, 2020
All Adults Here by Emma Straub
This will a really good novel about the relationships among a mother and her adult children. I was particularly invested in the dynamic among adult siblings.
finished July 4, 2020
Grace Will Lead Us Home by Jennifer Berry Hawes
This is an amazingly reported book about the 2015 shooting at the Mother Emanuel church in Charleston. It’s a heartbreaking but great read.
finished July 5, 2020
I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
I absolutely love Brown’s writing style, and this book is a must read, especially for white Christians.
finished July 11, 2020
All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols
This is a lovely little book of poems and illustrations. Follow Morgan Harper Nichols on Instagram if you don’t already.
finished July 13, 2020
Braver Than You Think by Maggie Downs
My friends and I read this for our book club. For our final meeting, the author joined us, which was wonderful. This is a great memoir about travel and family and grief.
finished July 14, 2020
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
I read this book as a freshman at UK for the honors reading experience. I didn’t remember much about it and probably didn’t appreciate it. The second half of the book especially is excellent.
finished July 14, 2020
Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump
I just had to read this book because so much conversation surrounded it. It’s an interesting collection of family memories.
finished July 16, 2020
Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit by Dane Huckelbridge
As a Kentuckian, I figured I should know more about the history of bourbon. This is a really good, non-dense book that winds the history of bourbon and American culture together.
finished July 18, 2020
A Burning by Megha Majumdar
This isn’t a long novel, and it’s honestly so easy to read, but it leaves you with so much to think about it. It’s very good.
finished July 22, 2020
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
For reasons I can’t even fully express until I read it again, this is now one of my favorite books.
finished July 24, 2020
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
This is a novel beautifully written as a prose poem. I read it as a library ebook but I wish I owned it because the book is also physically beautiful.
finished July 26, 2020
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
This is a good novel with a lot of Kentucky history.
finished July 27, 2020
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
This is a good novel with two really compelling main characters.
finished July 30, 2020
How Kentucky Became Southern by Maryjean Wall
This book does a great job of contextualizing how a state that remained loyal to the Union adopted the Lost Cause myth after the Civil War ended. It’s about horse racing and all of the politics and history that surrounds it– which really appeals to me as the writer of a story about basketball and politics.
finished August 1, 2020
In the Land of Men by Adrienne Miller
I wanted to like this book much more than I did. It’s a memoir by one of the first women to break into the literary magazine world. Worth a read, but not my favorite.
finished August 4, 2020
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
This is a weird, fun novel.
finished August 5, 2020
Girl by Edna O’Brien
This is a harrowing novel about the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. Her writing is so clean; I feel like I just float through it.
finished August 6, 2020
Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen
This is an interesting book that critiques how history is taught (and how history textbooks are written) in the United States. Our history is often taught as if the United States (and, in a broader sense, the Western world) has always been the hero. On the contrary, the United States has been an imperfect project since the beginning, and if we all admitted that, I think we’d be more equipped to make it a better place. Like the Hamilton lyric says, America is “a great unfinished symphony.”
finished August 12, 2020
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
This was such a great, quick read. It was very good but effortless to read.
finished August 18, 2020
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
This was not an effortless read, but it was really good– about the Great Migration of Black Americans from the South.
finished August 29, 2020
The Overstory by Richard Powers
This was a sweeping, beautifully written novel of interconnected people and interconnected trees. I can understand why it won the Pulitzer Prize.
finished September 1, 2020
On Democracy by E.B. White
This was a quick compilation of White’s essays on democracy. He was great with words, and his words still hold a lot of truth today.
finished September 4, 2020
Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
I liked that this book was a mix of memoir and social analysis about friendship.
finished September 6, 2020
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
A weird, fun sequel.
finished September 8, 2020
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith knows everything about everything. And she writes about it so well.
finished September 12, 2020
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
I read this novel basically in one sitting. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon read.
finished September 13, 2020
All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg
I’ve read a collection of his newspaper stories before, but I enjoyed this memoir of his even more.
finished September 16, 2020
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
Christopher Paolini is the author of one of my favorite series, the Eragon books. This book is scifi rather than fantasy; I definitely prefer the fantasy. However, this was a great novel.
finished September 23, 2020
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
I’ve read Maggie O’Farrell’s nonfiction before but never fiction. This was a beautifully written historical fiction novel about Shakespeare and his family, specifically the death of his son.
finished September 27, 2020
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
This is not a book that should be read in the dark. It’s true crime about the Golden State Killer. It’s a really captivating read.
finished September 28, 2020
Intimations by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith wrote this small collection of essays during quarantine, a level of productivity that I can’t imagine.
finished September 30, 2020
Jelly Bucket for Reading 2020
This is Eastern Kentucky University’s MFA program’s literary magazine, for which I am on staff this year.
finished October 2, 2020
The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper
This memoir is by a doctor, so it was kind of like reading Grey’s Anatomy. It was pretty good but not one of my favorites.
finished October 3, 2020
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
This is an excellent novel, with one of the prettiest covers I’ve ever seen.
finished October 4, 2020
The Tyrant’s Tomb by Rick Riordan
I reread book #4 in the series so I remembered at least some of what was going on when I started book #5.
finished October 8, 2020
The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan
This was the last book in Rick Riordan’s multi-series Greek myth collection, which I’ve been reading since I was in elementary school. It made me a little teary to finish something that’s been part of my life for so long.
finished October 8, 2020
Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward is an amazing writer, but this wasn’t one of my new favorite novels or anything.
finished October 11, 2020
Our Rightful Place: A History of Women at the University of Kentucky from 1880-1945 by Terry L. Birdwhistell and Deirdre A. Scaggs
I really enjoyed this book. It was very informational while also enjoyable to read. And I’ve gotten to work with Terry before; he’s excellent.
finished October 13, 2020
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
…also known as J.K. Rowling. This was the latest in her series of detective novels; it was very good.
finished October 15, 2020
Legend by Marie Lu
I started rereading this around 1:30 a.m., when I couldn’t fall asleep. There’s a new book in the series, so I figured I might as well reread them all.
finished October 16, 2020
Prodigy by Marie Lu
finished October 17, 2020
Champion by Marie Lu
finished October 18, 2020
Rebel by Marie Lu
This was the new book. It was a good way to tie up loose ends.
finished October 19, 2020
Begin Again by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
This was an interesting book, combining James Baldwin’s biography and writing with current events.
finished October 23, 2020
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
This was a really good novel. I love everything Fredrik Backman likes.
finished October 24, 2020
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
I reread this for the first time since high school before I read the sequel.
finished October 26, 2020
The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
This was a good book. Mitch Albom has a way of writing that makes you feel hopeful about humanity.
finished October 28, 2020
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
I read this while the first movie was on, just for fun.
finished November 1, 2020
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
finished November 3, 2020
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
finished November 5, 2020
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
finished November 7, 2020
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
finished November 12, 2020
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
finished November 15, 2020
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
finished November 18, 2020
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Wow, this is an amazing book. So well researched and so well written. Every American should read this book and learn from it.
finished November 20, 2020
Circe by Madeline Miller
I really enjoyed this book. It’s like Percy Jackson for grown-ups.
finished November 21, 2020
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
This is an excellent and emotionally devastating novel. It’s about a Cherokee family and all its tragedies.
finished November 24, 2020
Horsepower by Joy Priest
This is a collection of poems by Louisville native Joy Priest, whom I interviewed for the Kernel last year. I’m certainly not a poet, but I know this is an amazing book.
finished November 26, 2020
The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels
I loved this novel by a professor in my MFA program. It’s about the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s– like The Great Believers but set in middle America.
finished November 29, 2020
Ida by Paula J. Giddings
I had long wanted to learn more about Ida B. Wells. This was a good biography.
finished December 5, 2020
She Come by It Natural by Sarah Smarsh
This was a good little book about Dolly Parton.
finished December 6, 2020
Real Life by Brandon Taylor
I think the style of this book makes it very skillfully written, but it wasn’t really for me.
finished December 12, 2020
Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
I really liked parts of this quirky collection.
finished December 15, 2020
The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis
I read this between midnight and 4:30 a.m. in one night/morning. It was excellent. Time to watch the show now.
finished December 16, 2020
Even As We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle
I didn’t like this book as much as I wanted to. It was an interesting story.
finished December 17, 2020
The Answer Is… by Alex Trebek
I really enjoyed this memoir by the longtime host of Jeopardy! It was so interesting to read about his life.
finished December 19, 2020
Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke
I flew through this gripping novel…
finished December 20, 2020
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
…then I realized it was the second in the series and devoured the first book, too.
finished December 21, 2020
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
This memoir was a very compelling and easy read; I read it in one day. However, I think I may actually like the actor less after reading his book…
finished December 21, 2020
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey
This was such a succinct and well-written and sad memoir.
finished December 22, 2020
A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet
This novel terrified me– the end of the world is coming.
finished December 24, 2020
Why I Don’t Write by Susan Minot
I don’t normally gravitate toward short story collections, but this title intrigued me.
finished December 25, 2020
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
I loved loved loved this novel.
finished December 28, 2020
Being Lolita by Alisson Wood
A gripping part memoir, part literary criticism.
finished December 29, 2020
A Simple Human Motion by Jeff Worley
This was a lovely collection of poetry by the current Kentucky poet laureate. Michael bought a signed copy for me for my birthday. A lot of the poems were about cats.
finished December 29, 2020
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
This was a sort of fragmented portrait of a woman. I enjoyed it.
finished December 31, 2020