The books I read in 2020

Last year was many things. And though it wasn't very relaxing, I found time to read. I became a huge fan of my nearby library branch and treated the online portal as a new social media, spending hours building up a "to read" shelf and bookmarking Instagram posts with book reviews. My good friend Nicole also started an Insta account that serves up equal portions of cozy aesthetics, reviews, and trustworthy recommendations. And I'd be wild not to mention that Maddie is my culture north star and recommends the greatest reads out of my comfort zone.

Here's a roundup of what I read last year.

Bright Dead Things by Ada Limon

I love Ada's poetry. It's grounding, sensory, wild, and perfectly emits the feelings given off by this collection's cover.

Space Struck by Paige Lewis

I'd had this collection on my TBR list for months, but actually holding the poems in my hands was a practice in mindfulness. Each one made me want to stand up and read it aloud.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

The start of this novella plops you in the middle of a war between two characters who travel through and across time. I spent the first third of the pages confused, the second third intrigued, and the last third sprinting to the end to make sense of it all. I think this one is like leftovers; better the second time around.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

I can't not hear this title the way Melissa Lozada-Oliva says it on Say More. I watched the Hulu series based on the book before reading, which made the book feel a little flat.

Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar

I cried many, many times passing through the pages of this, which was recommended to me by a previous coworker (hi, Nathan!). The writing is so special to me that I prefer to keep it in my head than hear it performed via YouTube, which is how I typically follow-up a poetry read.

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

I picked this up after seeing it in ads and as book club picks. I liked it, but it didn't quite live up to the hype for me.

Circe by Madeline Miller

This was my favorite book of the year, so much so that I read it twice (once on audiobook). It holds a really special place in my heart that combines nature, femininity, rage, and magic so eloquently.

The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado (art by Dani)

I dipped my toes into the world of graphic novels this year, and this one amazed me. It was a whirlwind of disgust, entropy, and trust that made me rethink nightmares and legends.

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

Two close friends who don't know each other at all recommended this novel to me within the same week. One gifted it to me for my birthday and I finally took it off the shelf. It was hard to dive into, but partially because I'm new to sci-fi/fantasy. It made me sad and hopeful.

Circle of Darkness by Phyllis M. Newman

I'm sneaking this in! I read this gothic novel several times and edited it myself with my good pal Phyllis, who has written several other novels. In this one, I learned about botany.

The Book of X by Sarah Rose Etter

The imagery and surrealist settings of the vignettes in this book knotted my stomach (hehe, a pun) and left me incredibly wondrous of where the line between reality and surrealism lies. The meat caves have been haunting me since.

Avatar by Gene Luen Yang

I read as many of the Avatar: The Last Airbender novels I could check out of the library at a time. The Search was my favorite because we all want to know what happened to Zuko's mom. I also loved to see Katara and Sokka reconcile with their past in North and South.

The Power of Ritual by Casper Ter Kuile

Gah, this book irritated me. I opened it with high expectations and hopes to get insight about self practices and rituals, but ended up returning it after finishing half and angrily skimming through the latter half. The writing style was not for me.

Homie by Danez Smith

I think this was the first thing I read in 2020, and it was as bright and startling as the color of the cover. Danez created a poetry form based on a childhood game, which pulled me in hand over hand. There is so much depth and history and resilient joy in the writing.

My goal for this year is to read more nonfiction, read more poetry, read more authors who don't look like me, and gift more books.