2020 My Year in Books

2020 on Goodreads by Various
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What can I say about my year in books? I read a lot in quarantine, but not as much as some of my Goodreads friends. The bulk of my reading was fiction, the better to escape during this pandemic year, but I managed some memoir, poetry and art books. I would like to see more classics on my list or at least books from the Twentieth Century other than the one John O'Hara and Annie Dillard. Hopefully, my addiction to the podcast Backlisted.fm will spur me on in 2021 with forgotten titles. I would also like to read more books in translation and look forward again to the groups on GR which offer great weighted suggestions.
My favorite books this year were Shuggie Bain and The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss. I was most affected by What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance. I enjoyed rollicking along with the writer in Writers & Lovers. The poetry of Dorianne Lauxmade a lasting impression. My most challenging read was Milkman but worth it in the end. The most unexpected treasure was The Hanky of Pippin's Daughterwhich reminds me to pay attention to the other titles from Dorothy, a Publishing Project. A Line Made by Walking and Index Cards: Selected Essays with her thoughts on reading were completely unexpected finds, very different but both introspective. The Writer's Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives was fun for a bookaholic particularly with my intention of reading backwards into the 20th Century.

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