At the beginning of the year, I made a goal of reading 22 books in 2020 and today I’ll be sharing my top 10 books of 2020. I love reading but there always seems to be something that pulls me away from reading at certain times of the year — photography in the Spring or Fall, gardening and adventures in the Summer, holiday excitement in parts of the Winter.

When the pandemic hit in March, my reading came to a screeching halt. I couldn’t get through a page of a great book, no matter how hard I tried. I just couldn’t quiet my mind.

Finally, I hit my stride again and I’m hoping to have 30 books read by the end of the year.

My Top 10 Books of 2020

Here are some of my favorites: (In no particular order)

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
   A reclusive Hollywood icon agrees to tell the truth of her scandalous life to an unknown magazine reporter. It’s so well-written and so captivating.
2. The Lake House, Kate Morton
   This novel prompted my love for this author and I’ve read several of her books since then. The book traces the story of a tragic kidnapping of a wealthy English family’s youngest child, retold decades later through the oldest daughter of the family. The character and location descriptions are phenomenal.
3. The Things We Cannot Say, Kelly Rimmer
   A World War II novel of love, family, sacrifice, loss — this book brings so many emotions and is split between the 1940s and present-day. This book stuck with me long after I finished.
4. Untamed, Glennon Doyle
   I don’t always love memoirs that seem like they’re all self-help — but I was wrong about this one. Glennon urges us (as women in this tricky modern world) to strip away all of the expectations and labels thrown on us. Glennon and I live way different lives and yet I still feel like she was speaking my story.
5. Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, Ibram X. Kendi
   I wish I had read this earlier but I am so glad I did. Ibram breaks down how racist is stamped on humans through hundreds of historical examples. I was reminded many times of how I can and need to do better. And, I thought about privilege hard and fast for the first time. I also watched a webinar with Ibram a few weeks after finishing this book and that was so interesting and so important, too.
6. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, Pema Chodron
   My therapist recommended this book to me and I’m so grateful she did. This Buddhist deep-thinker here had been having a hard time navigating what this year brought to me. Pema walks the reader through pain, fear and anxiety. I loved this book — I have dozens of notes on my phone from passages and quotes that spoke to me.
7. The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton
   My second Kate Morton book that I loved this year! This one tries to unravel a complicated mystery that began when a small girl was abandoned on a ship that left England for Australia in 1913. The story is broken down between a handful of characters and timeframes but is not confusing at all. It features some of the most beautiful setting description and loveliest character development. And the ending — WOW.
8. A Good Neighborhood, Therese Anne Fowler
   Oh, this book. It hurt my heart a little but it really explored racism in its truest forms and asked “what does it mean to really be a good human?” (or a good human, perhaps). The book actually begins by telling you that a tragedy will occur but you have to wait a while to figure out what it is and what its impact will be on your characters.
9. Frida Kahlo at Home, Suzanne Barbezat
   I’ve always appreciated Frida Kahlo’s art and have heard snippets of her tragic life story, but this coffee table-style book really offered a more in-depth look into how the two intersected. You learn about what happened at different sections of Frida’s life and then see artwork created by her in that same timeframe — it really opens your eyes into the “why” behind her work.
10. Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen
    I just finished this very, very late last night and I’m still smiling. I don’t know if this book is for everyone but I don’t think you have to be a Bruce fan or even a New Jersey lover to appreciate it. Bruce is an INCREDIBLE storyteller. I also highly recommend his Broadway special on Netflix if you haven’t seen it yet.