Today I’m sharing some of my favorite books that I read in 2020.
As I was putting together this list I was surprised that I didn’t have more historical fiction books on it. It’s one of my favorite genres but for some reason I didn’t read a lot of them. I typically read ebooks that I borrow from my library, but at the end of the year I borrowed a stack of psychical books. I hadn’t done that in years. I love the convenience of ebooks but for some reason I was craving being able to hold a book in my hands. If you’re looking for some recommendations for books to read, check out the rest of my post.
Non-Fiction
Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
I read Catch and Kill (affiliate link) early in 2020 and it’s stuck with me since then. It was shocking to me how many ways Weinstein was protected. Ronan Farrow was able to clearly share what happened. If you’re looking for a book that explains everything that happened I highly recommend Catch and Kill.
Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris
I’m a yoga teacher so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m a big advocate of meditation. I picked up Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics (affiliate link) because while I’m all about meditation, I’m not into the woohoo stuff. Jeff brings a very straight forward and science backed approach to meditation. I use meditation a lot to deal with anxiety and to help me fall asleep, so I was able to really relate to how Jeff came to meditation. He had a panic attack on national TV that brought him to it.
Anti Diet by Christy Harrison
This was a book that I had seen on Instagram a lot. I finally got to read it after having it on hold at my library. Anti Diet (affiliate link) was eye opening for me to really learn about how much diet culture and fatphobia permeates so much of our society. Being someone who works in the fitness space, I’ve found that it’s especially pervasive in gyms and fitness studios.
Fiction
Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand
This was the first book of Elin Hilderbrand’s that I read. I don’t why it took me so long to read her books because I’ve really enjoyed them. Beautiful Day (affiliate link) was about a family getting ready for a wedding on Nantucket. Elin does a great job at bringing her characters to life. It’s one of the things that I like most about her books.
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Another new to me author that I now really enjoy is Jojo Moyes. The Giver of Stars (affiliate link) was an ebook that I borrowed from my library. I leaved learning about a part of the US that I didn’t know a lot about before. It’s also not a time period that I’ve read a lot about. If you’re new to Jojo’s books like I was, I would really suggest you check out The Giver of Stars.
Emily Gone by Bette Lee Crosby
I had randomly found Emily Gone on the Kindle store. Typically I’ll read books that have been recommended to me, but I’m so glad that I have Emily Gone (affiliate link) a try. It was a really great read that pulled me in from the very first page.
Historical Fiction
The Gown by Jennifer Robson
One of the few historical fiction books that I read in 2020 was The Gown (affiliate link). It follows the lives of the women who made then Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress. I know a little about sewing, but have never attempted to make clothing. I know it takes a lot of skill, and I can only imagine the talent that’s needed to be able to create a wedding dress – especially for a monarch. It was interesting to get a peak into how the dress was made and realize how many countless hours went into creating it.
The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel
This was a book I read at the end of the year and I have to admit that it was one of my favorites of 2020. The Winemaker’s Wife (affiliate link) follows story of a vineyard in France – from 1940 to present day. It focuses mainly on the people who lived that during World War II. I honestly didn’t know a lot about how wine is made so it was fun to read about how that’s done (or at least was done back in the 40’s). I really enjoyed reading about the characters Kristen created. They all seemed so real. I definitely didn’t see the twist at the end coming.
Thrillers
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
I read The Silent Patient (affiliate link) because it was recommended to me. I’m so glad that I took their advice because I really enjoyed it. The Silent Patient follows the case of a murder. The woman accused of killing her husband is sent to a psychiatric hospital where a criminal psychotherapist tries to get her to open up about what happened. I thought the pacing of the novel was great and Alex managed to keep my attention through the entire book. It was hard to put down!
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
If you ever went to summer camp as a kid – either as a camper or a counsellor – I think you’d really like this book. The Last Time I Lied (affiliate link) takes place almost entirely at a summer camp. The book has two storylines – one from years ago when three campers disappeared, and again in the present day when it opens up again for the first time since the disappearance. The main character was the last person to see the three campers when they disappeared and comes back when camp opens again as a counsellor. I loved the way that Riley brought the two timelines together. This was one of those books where I kept telling myself I would only read one more chapter. Three chapters later I would finally put it down.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Another book that I had a hard time putting down was The Family Upstairs (affiliate link). There were lots of twists and turns and even though I thought I had it figured out more than once the plot took a twist that I didn’t see coming. There were a bunch of creepy characters in this one that I definitely wouldn’t want to meet in real life. The book is written from three different points of view which I really liked.
Now that you know what books I enjoyed reading in 2020, leave one (or three) of your favorites in the comments below.
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