The best books I read in 2020
As we inch closer to the new year, I’m finishing up my 50-book challenge. I don’t know how your year has gone, if you’ve experienced any unexpected difficulties, or if you’ve slipped through 2020 relatively unscathed. But my countdown started on December 1.
In total, I read 36 books this year. 16 of those were fiction, pulled straight from my bookshelves, and 20 were nonfiction. With only ten days left in the year I thought I’d share my top ten books of 2020, five fiction and five nonfiction.
Fiction:
1. War Brides by Helen Bryan
A historical fiction novel with its eye on a small, English village in the countryside, Crowmarsh Priors and the five women brought together by circumstances beyond their control, one of which narrowly escapes the Nazi regime. With World War II as the backdrop and driving force of the novel, the group of young women must support each other in their personal trials, their village as it copes with an influx of evacuees from London, and their country as the war reaches their doorstep. Personally, I found it difficult to put the book down even as I pushed 11 p.m. reading in bed. I became invested in the stories of these women and what they meant for the real women who accomplished this work. It’s a bit on the longer side, but well worth the page turns.
2. The Misbegotten by Katherine Webb
A mystery novel set in England, 1821, follows the intertwining stories of Rachel, Starling and Alice as they unravel the truth of what happened all those years ago. The question on everyone’s mind as you read through this book, What happened to Alice? Laced with the complexities of love, betrayal, abuse and friendship, this story will make you love some characters and hate a few of them too. Katherine Webb layers the story with intrigue, mystery, and the daily activities of a woman searching for love and fulfillment. From the very beginning, I wanted—no, needed—to more about Alice, her story, and what eventually happened to her. I definitely recommend this if mystery novels are your cup of tea.
3. The Bootlegger by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott
I’ll admit this book sat on my bookshelf for years before I finally picked it up. As it happens, this is the seventh book in a series starring Private Detective Isaac Bell. As the title suggests, it’s set in the 1920s in the heart of prohibition when the only way to provide alcohol to the patrons of the speakeasy was to smuggle it in using bootleggers. Although it is the seventh book of the series, it’s not hard to jump in and pick up the story without knowing much of backstory. If you enjoy a good action novel mixed with mystery and a little 1920s flare, this might be a good read for you.
4. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Originally published back in 2001, this book sat on my shelf for almost as long. Written with younger readers in mind, it makes for a faster read through than the others on this list. Artemis, a twelve-year-old boy who finds himself in charge of an immense fortune and the heir to a family of criminal masterminds, takes on a challenge that will move his family back into ‘good’ standing with the criminal underground. Highly intelligent and seemingly unmoved by emotion, Artemis takes on the fairies, but they aren’t the ones from the tales you’ve read. His journey takes him on an adventure down into the forgotten realm of the fairies, where it’s not as old-fashioned as you might expect. If you’re in need of a quick read that’s full of good characters, good storyline, and magic, this might be the one for you.
5. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
The oldest book on the list, published in 1959 and the inspiration for the Netflix series, this book keeps you guessing from the very beginning. If you’re not a fan of traditional horror films, rest assured the book is not as terrifying as the tv series. Shirley Jackson weaves together a psychological web that you may never be able to truly untangle. My husband and I both read this book after watching tthe series on Netflix (which gave me nightmares) and we still cannot agree on what exactly happened. If you need a thought-provoking book that pushes the limits of your imagination, give this one a try.
Nonfiction:
1. Placemaker: Cultivating places of comfort, beauty, and peace by Christie Purifoy
This book will make you want to grow a garden in the backyard, plant flowers under the windows, and learn the names of every tree surrounding your house. Christie takes us along the path that led to her family living in and restoring an old Pennsylvania farmhouse. She shares how they made each place they’ve lived feel like home, imbued with purpose, peace, and beauty. She describes how the land was shaped by other placemakers, whether wrongly or rightly. Seriously, you never knew learning about the names of trees could be so interesting.
2. Breaking the Fear Cycle: How to find peace for your anxious heart by Maria Furlough
Anxiety and fear are buzz words in today’s society, but they’re nothing new. The human race has been afflicted by them for centuries, for as long as we have existed. And for that long, God has known and understood those emotions too. We know God calls to not fear our circumstances or anything at all, but how do we do that? What does it look like practically to not be afraid all the time? Using her own story of fear and heart ache, Maria tells us exactly how to do this. I’ll be honest with you. When I picked up this book I didn’t really think I struggled with fear or anxiety much, but the more I continued to read through it, the more my hidden fears and anxieties were brought to the surface. If you struggle with fear in your everyday, or even if you don’t, this book might be exactly what you need right now.
3. Nothing to Prove: Why we can stop trying so hard by Jennie Allen
We try to prove we’re enough all the time. Many of us grew up believing we aren’t good enough at whatever it is we were doing while growing up. Jennie reminds us that we don’t have to be enough because Jesus is for us. She encourages us to live into Jesus and watch the amazing works He’ll do through you, if only you let Him. Written by the creator of IF: Gathering, Jennie Allen needs no puffed-up language to describe the work she’s done for the kingdom. Her book will draw you closer to Jesus and spark a need within you to share His love with others.
4. Discerning the Voice of God: How to recognize when God speaks by Priscilla Shirer
Priscilla acknowledges right from the get-go a fear I think many of us feel: Can I even hear from God anymore? Isn’t that something only the people I read about in the Bible experienced? I’ll let her give you the breakdown, but the simple answer to these questions is yes, you can hear from God if your heart is positioned to hear Him. And thank goodness, the people in the bible aren’t the only ones who got to hear from God. If you’ve ever wondered if you what you’re hearing is from God, if you’ve ever questioned if you even can hear from God, or if you’ve never heard from Him at all before, this is the book for you.
5. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are by Brené Brown
Brené takes us down a path toward wholehearted living, but along the way we have to make peace with our embarrassments, fears, and who we really are. This book is packed full of her research, but is written in a way that everyone can understand and relate to. If you find the openness of vulnerability difficult in your relationships or friendships, I invite you to turn from your current path and start walking toward wholehearted living. Brené provides ten guideposts along the way to help you. I’m a big proponent of underlining in my nonfiction books, and I underlined nearly the entire thing when I read this book. I cannot recommend it (or anything else of hers) enough.
What were your favorite books from this year? Leave a comment below to tell me!
