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The Best Books of 2020
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Truth Contributor
You've got a little extra
time this month, and you don't want to waste it.
You want to read something
good, the possibilities are endless, and the best place to
begin is with these Best Books of 2020 titles...
FICTION:
Anxious People
by Fredrik Backman
starts out kind of weird, as if it consists of
half-thoughts. Stick around a few more pages, though, and
you'll be rewarded with a hilarious, sweet, wild tale of a
robbed bank, a real estate open house, and heart. Put this
at the top of your list, if you love novels.
Both Beheld by
TaraShea Nesbit and The Invisible Life of
Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab involve women in situations
that are dark and dangerous: In the Nesbit book, a Pilgrim
village holds secrets that are not discussed, and the wife
of the town troublemaker knows too much. In the Schwab
novel, a headstrong young woman makes a decision she might
regret for the rest of her very long life. There's a hint of
feminism in both books, and they'll both give you shivers
for months after you finish them.
Fans of thrillers will eat
up The Last Flight by Julie Clark, a tale of
an abusive husband, swapped identities, and murder – or
maybe not. If you like heart-pounding cat-and-mouse tales,
this is your book... only here, you sometimes don't know
which is the cat and there's an extra, menacing mouse.
A wide, sweeping
experiment in tolerance is at the heart of Under the
Rainbow by Celia Laskey. Acceptance Across America,
an LGBTQ organization, is about to see if they can change
the hearts and minds of bigots in Small-Town America by
moving a handful of gay men and lesbians to Big Burr,
Kansas. This novel, told from the POV of the town's
residents, is full of humor, love, secrets, haters, strife,
and everything else you want in a novel.
NONFICTION:
How to Astronaut:
Everything You Need to Know Before Leaving Earth by Terry Virts
is fun and lighthearted, and will put you back in touch with
your inner child, the one that really wanted to grow up to
be an astronaut. It's filled with inside information, fun
facts, a bit of memoir, and it's timely. Space Force,
anyone?
Pet lovers absolutely
should not miss Good Boy by Jennifer Finney Boylan,
a memoir of life and family told in seven dogs that Boylan
lived with and loved. What lands this book on the list is
that Boylan will make you reminisce about all the Good Boys
(and Girls) you've loved and lost, too. |
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Speaking of books that
make you think, We're Better Than This: My Fight for
the Future of Our Democracy by Elijah Cummings with
James Dale is the perfect book to read at the end of a
tough political year. Written literally as Cummings was
dying, this book is full of calming words that can help
heal. If you feel beaten up by the past few months, this
book is a balm for your soul.
While The Greatest
Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War
by John "Chick" Donohue & J.T. Molloy may seem like a
romp, it's much more. Back when Donohue was a merchant
seaman, he volunteered to take a beer to each of the
hometown neighborhood "boys" in Vietnam. Finding them was
half the problem; war was the other half. This is the
consummate buddy book, and it can't be missed.
Anyone who's a sucker for
a good Mother-and-Child book will love Like Crazy:
Life with My Mother and Her Invisible Friends by Dan
Mathews, who renovated a Victorian house and moved his
mentally-ill, elderly mother in with him. She's charming and
funny, but she's also a handful. Read it. Bring tissues.
Enough said.
CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Readers shouldn't be
surprised that two of this years' Best of books are from
author Nic Stone. First, Clean Getaway
is the story of a young boy whose grandmother takes him on a
cross-country tour of places that held meaning for her – but
there's more than just a "tour" involved in this great
middle-grade novel. Then, older teens will love Stone's
Dear Justyce, a story told in letters from a
young man in prison to his friend, who chose another life
path.
And finally,
eight-to-12-year-olds will absolutely adore Skunk and
Badger by Amy Timberlake, with pictures by Jon Klassen.
It's the story of Badger, an introvert, who allows Skunk, a
definitely outgoing soul, to move in to his quiet house as a
favor to Badger's Aunt Lula. Kids will love the humor in
this book, as the two of them learn to adjust to one
another's peccadilloes and become friends. Hint: you'll love
it, too.
And there you have it: a
baker's dozen of can't-miss reads to get you through the
winter. Season's Readings!
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