My 20 books of 2020
- Kanela Fina
- Dec 31, 2020
- 8 min read
What a year 2020 has been. A rollercoaster of emotions and unheard situations that has stopped the world for a while. Amidst all this chaos, there's no better way to close this year than by remembering the 20 books that have shaped it. These books have helped me explore other worlds beyond COVID-19 and given me inspiration and motivation to start new projects with a fresh perspective.
Recently, somebody asked me what I love about reading and what leads me to choose a given book. I never really stopped to think about "why" I love reading. I simply do. But, reflecting and self-evaluating myself, I replied that one of the things I keep seeking in a book are other worlds to dive into, unexplored arenas, and good, unbelievable stories. But also, I keep seeking ideas capable of shaking "pillars", or mentalities and customs that are so established within myself that I don't realise there are other options and thoughts beyond them. I also like to learn new words and expressions; vocabulary is such a useful tool. So many words and expressions, not only in our mother tongue but in other languages as well 🌎
With regards to how I choose a given book, I replied that it depends. I try to read as many different genres as I can. To me, variety is key to learning; transversal knowledge can really make a difference: being able to combine different subjects and titles makes growth possible. I adore fiction: parallel universes waiting for us to turn a page! But I enjoy memories and auto-biographies, this year I've read quite a few, they are full of examples and lessons I carry with me; these are invaluable. During the last few months of the year, I started to look more into self-help and reference books. Actually, learning to ask for help has been, and still is, a process.
Many books, I discover through Goodreads, and ever since I discovered their App, I can keep track of new releases very easily. I love Goodreads reading challenges! The app makes it super easy to keep track of what I've read, and when I read it. I absolutely recommend it to any book lover out there :)
With no further due, here are my 20 books of 2020:
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express is very famous, that's why I thought it wasn't worth the hype. Wrong. I enjoyed Christie's descriptions more than I care to admit. Her language and the mystery surrounding every aspect and character had me absolutely intrigued until the very last page. Further, I was astonished by the end! I loved Hércule Poirot and how he surprises the reader with such avid discoveries. With Murder on the Orient Express, I understood why Agatha Christie is considered the "Queen of Mystery".
I loved the movie, and I loved the book, which shows aspects of Liz which are hidden in the movie, such as the depressions and her many ups and downs. I enjoyed traveling the world next to Gilbert, and I was very happy when she finally opens up to love. It seems to me the marks from her first marriage were difficult to heal, and so the whole process was a good example of how to treat traumatic experiences.
I had no idea of what to expect with Siddharta... And I was totally taken by the moral of the story. It seems to me that we tend to believe priests and sages are people who have lived a life free of vanity and excess. Siddharta comes to show that we are very wrong. As a user on Goodreads wrote, "this is an elegant allegory about a guy going through different phases as he pursues a lifelong quest to rid himself of his ego so that he can know true peace and enlightenment.!". It was very easy to read, I was attracted because Siddharta is a Brahmin, a branch of Hinduism that is known for being a little more radical.
I saw Little Fires Everywhere literally everywhere! The story was entertaining and I couldn't expect the end, but I had a good time reading it. To me, it's a good read to have during a holiday in a resort or at the beach.
As I said before, I enjoyed Christie's Murder on the Orient Express very much, but personally, The Mysterious Affair at Styles wasn't as good. Overall it's fine and has all the good elements of a crime novel, just not as addictive to me.
A fascinating story through heartbreak, despair, and challenge. Not everybody has the guts to cross the North Korean border into China with the risk of being executed if caught. Further, not everybody has the determination to put an end to brainwashing and fight for life. A very worthy read, every page showcases the difficulties a young woman had to suffer in order to be free.
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother came to me after discussing educational systems with my husband. I was intrigued about Asian education, and after reading some articles I found bitter opinions about Amy Chua's parenting style. Just wow! What this woman believes and what she puts her children through can only be done with such strong convictions. I loved many of her ideas, but many others were too much to me, personally. I liked the contrast in her parenting style as opposed to the "softness" we very much allow in Western societies.
I was disappointed to discover Memoirs of a Geisha isn't a real story but fiction. Arthur Golden was inspired by the story of Mineko Iwasaki, a Geisha from the famous district of Gion, and wrote this novel. Later on, and after a lawsuit against Golden, Mineko Iwasaki wrote Geisha: A Life (Geisha of Gion in the UK), which is on my list of books for next year ✨. This book is, nonetheless, a very entertaining story that explains very well the dirty laundry of being a Geisha. Geisha are still in Gion and other parts of Japan, but the popularity has very much decreased.
While I was reading Le Temps, I came across a little article about sexual abuse and Vanessa Springora's book. I got the book shortly after and devoured it. How a lost child ends up in an abusive and toxic relationship with a man three times her age? According to Springora, and I'm of the same opinion, both her parents are directly responsible. Further, her mother knew of the relationship and approved of it. I mean, it is an amazing read.
Educated tells the story of Tara Westover, a Mormon girl from rural Idaho without a birth certificate who doesn't go to school. Rather, she spends her days reading the Book of the Mormon and the Bible. Her dad has non-mainstream views about the government. He believed doomsday was coming and spent days and days canning peaches so their family would be prepared. They even had road accidents and refused calling the ambulance to avoid interacting with the health system (or the social services). She didn’t step foot in a classroom until she was 17 when realised she didn't want to spend life working at her dad's junkyard.
I was very willing to read a second book in French and L'Étranger didn't disappoint. My opinion in this previous post.
I've been a fan of Oprah for as long as I can remember, and that's how I picked up a lot of English. I've also been a long-time follower of Oprah's book club, but I had never read Oprah's books before. This was a fine read. She doesn't decipher anything new, after all, Oprah is Oprah, but I enjoyed the life lessons and the moral behind many of her stories.
I got to discover Jonathan Van Ness after watching the addictive Netflix show "Queer Eye". This book gives a glimpse of how LGBTQIA people are bullied, and how their lives are so darn difficult: the challenges, opinions, and criticism they have to go through are very intimidating. Three reasons why I loved this book:
I love how Jonathan Van Ness changes the names of most people in his story to Russian given names 💥
It's a story of superation: from a little duck to a swan, from misery to abundance and self-empowerment, from disease to health
Van Ness is hilarious and an example for the LGBTQIA community and the rest of us, I love him.
As my interest in food, dieting, and nutrition increased, I found myself surrounded by data, numbers, and reports. Why is important we reduce animal food consumption? Through this book, Safran Foer explores the meat industry from the bottom to the top, from rural farmers to super-production companies, grasping the pros and cons, questioning the establishment. It's a lecture on today's choices, I recommend it to anybody interested in transitioning to a healthier diet, and to everybody, really.
I've heard of La Sombra del Viento (in English The Shadow of the Wind) for a long time - it was published in 2004 and I was born in 1992. Now I understand why. Carlos Ruiz Zafón's story is set in the Barcelona during the civil and post-civil war era. Daniel Sempere and his father go to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a mysterious place only known by book unions and people working in that sector. Daniel is told to choose one book which he must take stewardship over. He chooses a novel that touches him ans stirs his desire for literature. The author of the book, Julian Carax, seems to have died, very few people know about him. Someone is seeking out all remaining copies of his novels to burn them. Daniel embarks on a mission to solve the mystery of the author's story being watched by a revengeful cop and the book burner himself. It's high-quality contemporary literature in Spanish, and perhaps, one of the best books I've read this year.
Elizabeth Gillbert sends a very clear message: don't be scared of doing whatever that is that you love doing: cooking, gardening, singing... Whatever your art is, do it, don't be scared, and don't set expectations or your passion will disappear through your back door. This was a good book, it has several aha moments and inspiring stories.
The first time I heard about Linchpins was while listening to The Ikonns Podcast. Mimi and Alex Ikonn are a successful entrepreneur couple that have built their dream life through hard work. In an episode of the Ikonns Podcast, Alex started talking about being a linchpin and how that book changed him, he was saying they gift the book to anybody joining their businesses. I see why. Seth Godin's "Linchpin" is about becoming that indispensable piece within a company. It is also about doing your art, or whatever that you are talented doing. The idea is that we are all good at something, the problem is most of us spend our lives doing something we don't like but that gives us security. The book is a beautiful summary of ideas and arguments to let go and become a Linchpin. I'm extremely happy I read it.
Extremely loud & Incredibly Close was highly recommended by a friend who promised me I'd love it. The book tells the story of Oscar, whose dad died during the 9/11 bombing in New York City. It's fascinating to be inside this kid's head: he has thousands of thoughts and does things that, if I was his mom, I'd have a heart attack (like pretending to be sick and sneaking out in search of all the people with the family name "Black" in New York City).
I wasn't sure what to expect with Patria. I was greatly surprised. Aramburu writes sharply about the emotional partition created by ETA in many: how families and friends became enemies overnight, and how important is to say sorry and forgiving. I find Patria ('Homeland' in English), a great piece of Basco-Spanish literature, suitable for all ages.
Nuri explains his way from Aleppo and the apiaries that he and his cousin, Mustafa, growth over the years, to South London through the Mediterranean. Adversity, misery, and pain are what his wife Afra, and Nuri himself, face for all the months they spend without a home, living in the streets, and many times being at the mercy of smugglers. Though fiction, this is a necessary read for all of us in the XXI century.
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