It's hard to believe there was a year where I read over 50 books, granted I didn't have a full-time job at that point in my life and I was also on a break from school. There was a part of me that believed I could be so ambitious as to shoot for 40 books this year, but the pandemic had other plans, like making me question everything in my life multiple times a week. Bouts of depression can seriously curb my appetite for reading, and it was frustrating to lose interest in something I love. Despite the struggle, books continue to be something I can turn to when I need comfort with a healthy dose of distraction from the real world.
As it stands now, I will round out the year just shy of my 30 book reading goal, having read mostly books written by female authors as well as exploring genres I'm not as familiar with (I'm looking at you science fiction). There were hits and misses for me this year, along with a selection of books I felt very meh about. Without further ado, here are my favorite reads of 2020. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett If you're looking for a beautifully written, complex story about family, identity, and race, then The Vanishing Half is exactly what you need. The multigenerational narrative follows The Vignes twins, Stella and Desiree, as they grow up in a small, black community called Mallard, struggling with who they are expected to be versus who they want to become. At 16, stifled by the weight of societal and familial expectations, the twins decide to run away from everything they know to start over. Then, Stella suddenly disappears one night, leaving her twin sister without a clue as to where she's gone. Years after fleeing Mallard, Desiree returns home with her black daughter after escaping an abusive marriage, while Stella leads a new life secretly passing as a white woman with a family of her own that knows nothing of her past. The twin's divergent paths go on to shape not only their lives, but the lives of their daughters as well. This book left me emotionally and mentally drained in the best way possible. Bennett crafts a powerful story spanning decades about the way family, expectation, and desire can shape the future, as the Vignes twins face unique challenges related to the paths they've chosen to take. The Vanishing Half explores what can motivate someone to leave behind who they are in order to become someone else, what they sacrifice in the process, and the history of what it means to be passing. The ways race and identity intertwine are much more complicated than they seem, and the story takes care in illustrating how those two ideas intersect. There is so much rich characterization in this story to the point where it's impossible not to feel a connection to the main cast of characters and what they're going through. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia I'm not well versed in the horror or thriller genres, but Mexican Gothic has me interested in what else they have to offer. This book ticked all of the boxes for me: female protagonist, creepy house, mysterious family, and a touch of the grotesque. When Noemí receives a disturbing letter from her cousin, Catalina, accusing her own husband of attempting to poison her, Noemí sets out to investigate. Leaving behind her glamorous life in Mexico City, her journey leads to a dilapidated home called High Place; the residence of Catalina, her husband Virgil, and his unusual family, the Doyles. The longer Noemí extends her stay in search of clues to explain what is happening to her cousin, the more she is pulled into the macabre mystery of the Doyle family. When she begins to have strange nightmares, it gets more difficult to tell what's real and what isn't. This was a slow burn for a good 3/4 of the story, but it's worth it. Moreno-Garcia gives away just enough information as the mystery unravels to keep you interested without handing over the clues needed to solve the puzzle. There is a subtle, underlying sense of dread building up while Noemí stays with the Doyles that crescendos to a shocking reveal at the end of the novel. I found this incarnation of the classic gothic novel refreshing and unique. Mexican Gothic handles horror in its many forms; from a house that seems to have a life of its own to what it means to be a woman whose value is tethered almost entirely to her relation to men.I recommend this to anyone who likes an underrated feminist read, thrillers with a unique edge, and those not easily grossed out. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver It's rare to find a book that can accurately capture what it's like to grieve the loss of a loved one without dipping too heavily into the cliché, but The Two Lives of Lydia Bird does a great job showing the highs and lows of mourning. Lydia was convinced she would spend the rest of her life with her fiancé Freddie, but on her 28th birthday she learns the love of her life has died in a tragic car accident. Faced with the reality of losing Freddie, Lydia pulls away from her friends and family, slipping into the clutches of depression. Then, one night when she drifts off to sleep, Lydia enters a world where Freddie is still alive and well. Lydia begins to exist between the real world and the dream world where seemingly nothing has changed, but each time she goes to sleep it hurts a bit more to wake up. Josie Silver's writing is earnest and humorous, tugging at your heart strings and making you laugh all in the same sentence. There's no one way to process your grief that works, and this book takes you on a journey of healing as Lydia tries to find a way to start moving on from the loss of Freddie. She will do things that downright frustrate you, but you will never stop rooting for her. There are so many complicated feelings attached to loss that Silver is able to explore in an authentic way, like impulsivity, extreme highs and lows, and resistance to change. This book isn't your typical romance, it goes beyond that in showing the many forms love can take throughout your life, including falling back in love with living again. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby I enjoy the occasional non-fiction read when it's something that particularly strikes my fancy, and this collection of essays by Samantha Irby had me laughing so hard I cried. Irby knows how to poke fun at herself in a way that isn't entirely self-deprecating, so you're laughing with her, and occasionally at her, as she reflects on some particularly interesting parts of her life. Her sense of humor is unique, the kind of humor to make you double over because you're laughing so hard you think you're going to throw up...but in a good way, you know? If subjects that are weird, gross, or immature can make you chuckle, then please go buy this book. There is seriously a moment in an essay where Irby recounts frantically convincing her friend to pull the car over so she can relieve herself on the side of the road in a moment of desperation. I loved watching her grow and transform into someone so completely comfortable with herself, flaws and all. Reading this collection felt like a much needed ranting session with a close friend where there is no such thing as over-sharing and no subject is off limits. Emotional memories and complicated family relationships are peppered throughout a few essays, bringing a deeply vulnerable aspect to the otherwise goofy subject matter. It's Irby's success in weaving all of these moments together that makes this collection memorable. Circe by Madeline Miller Circe was not born with the power of her father, or the beauty of her mother, but in time comes to possess a strength of her own: witchcraft. Once considered weak and mocked by the gods, Circe must find her own way when she is banished to a deserted island by Zeus, who is threatened by the potential of her newfound power. This is the story of a woman who learns to rely on herself; an outcast standing alone to face the evils of the world. She forges ahead to create a new life for herself, one where she serves no master but herself and men tremble before her. The theme of my reading this year, and nearly every other year, has obviously been women. I appreciated the way Madeline Miller took the Greek myths we're familiar with and incorporated them into Circe's character arc. Not once did these side quests distract from her personal journey. She is the main character of this story, and Miller is careful in her retelling to flesh out Circe in a way that allows us to connect with her pain and progression as she transforms into a force to be reckoned with. She is the hero of this complicated, beautifully written story. The rich details in the scene setting and descriptive characterization brought this mythological world to life. It took a little while for me to get into the story in the beginning, but as soon as Circe begins her lifelong sentence of isolation, the book begins to hit its stride.
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To be honest, most of this year I've been in a major reading slump. Attending virtual book club has been the one thing keeping me even slightly on track to reach my 30 book reading goal for the year. So, thank you Female Authors Book Club, you have been one of the few bright spots from the past nine months.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was our most recent book club selection, and it didn't disappoint. The story is an updated take on a classic gothic novel, drawing inspiration from the dreary English novels preceding it, and unfolding into a unique horror-thriller standing on its own. When Noemi receives a disturbing letter from her cousin, Catalina, accusing her own husband of attempting to poison her, Noemi sets out to investigate. Leaving behind her glamorous life in Mexico City, her journey leads to a dilapidated home called High Place; the residence of Catalina, her husband Virgil, and his unusual family, the Doyles. The longer Noemi extends her stay in search of clues to explain what is happening to her cousin, the more she is pulled into the macabre mystery of the Doyle family. And when she begins to have strange dreams, it gets more difficult to tell what's real and what isn't. Noemi is a witty, intelligent, and complex character I couldn't help but be charmed by–she's a powerhouse. She is sure of herself and completely trusts her instincts while attempting to uncover the truth about what is really ailing Catalina, refusing to let the Doyles distract or derail her with their odd rules and expectations. Everything Noemi is and believes goes against the Doyles; considering their interest in eugenics, viewing women as inferior, and taking advantage of native people for their own gain, this story has more than a few layers of conflict at its core. Moreno-Garcia deftly crafts a story handling horror in its many forms, from a house that seems to have a life of its own to what it means to be a woman whose value is tethered almost entirely to her relation to men. The first 3/4 of this book was a slow burn, and I don't think I fully appreciated this aspect of the story until after I finished reading it. The slow pace added to the sense of discomfort Noemi feels while staying at High Place, and kept me wondering when something big might happen. Moreno-Garcia knows how to reveal just enough information to keep the reader interested without giving them the ability to put the pieces of the puzzle together prematurely. Despite this, my one complaint about Mexican Gothic is how long it took for the big reveal. I can see how drawing out the days leading to the most shocking moment of the book contributed to the creepy, unsettling atmosphere, but there were a few lulls toward the middle where I skirted the edge of boredom briefly. The twist reveal at the end was *chefs kiss* for me, because while there were plenty of moments that pointed in that direction I was never able to guess exactly what was going on. I give extra points to Garcia-Moreno for originality and creep factor. I can't believe it took months for me to pick this one up for book club, but I'm happy to have this book rounding out my 2020 reading list. Overall, this one gets a 4.5/5 stars, with only a half star deduction because of the very slow pace toward the second half. I recommend this for anyone who likes an underrated feminist read, thrillers with a unique edge, and for those who aren't afraid of a bit of the grotesque. |
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