Best Reads of 2020

Did I just put the words “best” and “2020” in the same title? Why, yes I did! Although 2020 was a difficult year for the whole entire world, there were still moments of solace hidden here and there. For me, more often than not, quiet and peaceful moments can be found in books. 

I read 30 books in 2020, which is not a lot compared to what I usually read. I dedicated less time to reading because I spent less time alone, being in a lockdown and living with my fiancé. Instead, we spent our time talking, often late into the night, and I spent most of the time that I did have by myself writing, trying to dump on a piece of paper some of the thoughts that were whirling around in my head. The fact that I was looking for some kind of comfort definitely shows through when I look at the list of books that I did make time to read: I re-read a lot of my favorite books, I read a lot of classics with familiar stories, a lot of books with a humorous tone, and I read a lot of poetry, as if trying to soothe my soul. Today, I’m sharing the reads that I enjoyed the most throughout 2020. 

Christmas Shopaholic
Sophie Kinsella, 2019.
 
I can always count on Sophie Kinsella’s colourful characters to put a smile on my face. I won’t go into too many details here, because I just did a book review on this novel (find it here), but essentially it is a holiday must-read. This one started the year with a bang for me.

​The Sun and Her Flowers
Rupi Kaur, 2017.
 
2020 was the year I discovered Rupi Kaur (and read all of her books). I had heard of her before, of course, but I wasn’t that interested in the poetry genre back then. I think I just wasn’t ready for it, I didn’t have the capacity to slow down enough to immerse in this style of writing. But this past year... Oh man, did I learn to slow down. I got The Sun and Her Flowers on my last trip to Indigo before the first lockdown. When I saw it on the shelf, I felt a strong pull towards it. I picked it up, flipped through the pages, and couldn’t put it down. It had to come home with me. So I bought it, sat on my couch with a blanket and read the whole thing cover to cover. Rupi Kaur’s carefully crafted words make you think, and cry, and smile, and rebel. I cannot say enough good things about this collection of poems. I read Milk & Honey afterwards, followed by Home Body, but The Sun and Her Flowers stays my favorite. These poems are a testament to how powerful words can be.

​Pride & Prejudice
Jane Austen, 1813.
 
Big Jane Austen fan over here. I adore love stories, and secret romance, and slow courtship... I love love, basically. Pride & Prejudice, a timeless classic, is probably my favorite Jane Austen novel, because it holds a lesson that speaks to me. It’s a cautionary tale about first impressions, and pride, disguised as a romance on a family feud background. There’s a reason why this book is constantly assigned to thousands of students, and why everyone knows that title. It’s a total guilty pleasure for me; I read it at least once a year. I take great enjoyment in following Elizabeth Bennett as she slowly but surely falls in love with the most unexpected character.

Wow, No Thank You
Samantha Irby, 2020.
 
If you’re looking for something funny, this is the book to read. I bought it right when it came out, because everyone was saying that it was hilarious, and I love a good laugh. It is a collection of essays, talking about everything from marriage to work to body image and relationships – all with a fresh and slightly sarcastic spin. Samantha Irby isn’t afraid to call things as she sees them, and that’s what I love about this book. It takes away the pressure of having a Pinterest home, or looking fresh and productive all the time. This is a great book if you just want to have a laugh about how silly we, as humans, can sometimes be.
 
Bonus points for the sweet bunny on the cover of that book.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid, 2017.
 
Once again, I won’t say too much about this book because there is a review that is coming out really soon (keep your eyes peeled!). It was recommended time and time again by Carah Amelie, who is a book/lifestyle/beauty Youtuber. In all honesty, I got it because she was talking about it so much, it was making me feel left out for never reading it. I wanted to be in the know. But lo and behold, when I finally read the book, I started doing the exact same thing; I was telling everyone about this amazing book, and I would read out entire chapters to my fiancé – who got, by the way, really into the story as well. Once you open this book, it starts spilling tales of old Hollywood and dark secrets, and you cannot close it until it is done.

​Heads in Beds
Jacob Tomsky, 2012.
 
This was re-read number 390 for me (I’m barely exaggerating). It was Ingrid Nilsen, another lifestyle Youtuber, who recommended this book and when I heard that it was essentially a memoir about the inner workings of hotels, I was on board. As someone who traveled a lot as a kid, I was always intrigued by hotels. This book is terribly funny and it kind of makes you feel like you’re spying on people, or having restricted access to something no one gets to see. At a time when we can’t really go to hotel ourselves, why not read about them? 

 The Kiss Quotient
Helen Hoang, 2018.
​
Oddly enough, what made me want to read this book was hearing someone say how bad it was. Luckily, I do have my own opinion, and I ended up loving this book. The story revolves around Stella, a thirty-year-old who’s always been single, who decides to hire a male escort to get some practice before she can jump into a “real” relationship. This story is sexy and terribly romantic, but what I liked the most was the character evolution, both of Stella and Michael. It was beautiful to see someone fall in love for the first time and truly grow into who they are. It is a predictable story, there’s nothing earth-shattering here, but it’s perfect for when you need a little bit of comfort. This book is like a warm hug.

I am terribly curious about what other people are reading as well, so let me know in the comments section what your favorite reads of 2020 were. Books make everything a little better, don’t they? 

​Happy reading!

Much love,