It’s book recommendation time! This is a snapshot of my favorites from the year. I always find it fun and useful to hear what other people are reading, I hope you find it helpful too!
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It’s been a weird year in general (I think we can all agree!) and that has effected my reading in interesting ways.
My focus has been poor, which has led to a lot of rereading of old favorites (is there anything more comforting than a favorite book??) and a bunch of easy reads filled with action, mostly Urban Fantasy.
Yet I’ve also been surrounded by excellent nonfiction titles being recommended and provided by my library. (Thank you, public libraries everywhere!)
Here are the best books that stood out to me this year:
Bethany’s Best Books of 2020
Fiction
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Little Prince is a classic and I can’t believe it took me this long to get around to reading it! This enchanting story tells of a prince leaving his tiny planet and finding a fox who teaches the prince what is really important- to be tamed and love something for what it is.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Hate U Give won a bunch of awards, generated lots of buzz, and has been made into a movie, and all for good reason! This book is compelling, provocative, and heartbreaking. It’s an excellent story, but it’s more than a story; it’s a rallying cry, it’s an education, and it’s an invitation to a world some of us don’t understand because of our places of privilege. This book shows the shades of gray, the hard choices people need to make, and the struggle to do what’s right.
The Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Return of the Thief is the final installment of The Queen’s Thief series, so I won’t say too much that may be spoiler-y. Start with The Thief if you’ve never read them before! I’ve been in love with these books since forever and I had to force myself to put this one down a few times to try to savor it.
Non-fiction
Unoffendable by Brant Hanson
Unoffendable was my first nonfiction read of the year and it remained at the top of my favorites list! This book talks about humility and how living with humility leads to a slower, more restful life. And it explores how when we truly trust God and understand grace, it gives us the freedom and security to be unoffended by anything around us so that we can constantly be extending grace to others.
Keep Going by Austin Kleon
Keep Going is filled with all the words I have needed to hear this year both for writing and for life in general. So good!
This book talks about “10 ways to stay creative in good times and bad” and it’s a little book with a big impact. It is funny and true, encouraging and challenging. This is one to keep coming back to over and over again!
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Digital Minimalism presents the idea of “choosing a focused life in a noisy world.” The idea is to live a life formed around our values, instead of being swept away by other things (often technology based, such as social media) and then wondering where our time has gone.
This book articulates many things I’ve thought about but never quite put into words, and it’s an important topic for all of us to examine! I don’t know what digital minimalism looks for me personally, yet, but I think it’s worth the effort to figure it out.
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Just Mercy is an engaging story filled with heartbreaking truths that impact far more than this one story could ever show.
Thought provoking and showing a side of the justice system many don’t want to think about or have never given a second glance, this book should challenge any who feel comfortable with the powers as they are and should inspire activism, or at the very least better awareness and compassion.
So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
So You Want To Talk About Race is just one of several excellent books on racial issues in America that I read this year. It is a timely and important conversation to be having and this book covers it extremely well.
This book is approachable, informative, and quite gracious yet doesn’t shy away from the hard conversations and truths that are so needed.
In process…
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by Dr. David D. Burns
I’m still working my way through Feeling Good, which is a therapy book that could probably be useful to all of us!
This book leads us through basics of cognitive behavioral therapy as treatment for anxiety and depression, showing us how to use these principles to train ourselves to be healthier in our daily lives.
This isn’t meant to replace therapy or medication or your doctor’s advice. If you have mental health concerns especially regarding safety for yourself or someone you know, please don’t hesitate to contact someone for help.
For further reading on mental wellness, check out Wellness for Writers.
What about you? I would love to hear what you’ve been reading and what your favorites are, both new and old!!
After all, there’s a new year just up ahead so it’s time to start in on some new reads 🙂
