Best books of 2020

 

 

My first thought was : Top 5 ? Top 10 ? Top re-reads ?...Then I figured, just the ones that really struck me, so no limit, here they are by alphabetical order :

Chimama Ngozi Adichie : We should all be feminists

I know there has been a controversy about her, but I don't know very much about that, just the reaction of some people and I'm wary of these instant reactions on social media that seem to happen constantly. This book was short but terrific, so until I know more, I will still list it here.

 

Daphne du Maurier : The doll and The loving spirit

She's a favourite author of mine yet I still was surprised by how much I delved into those books and immersed myself in them and was blown away.

 

Eva Meijer : Bird cottage

I knew nothing of Len Howard until I read this novel about her and she left me in awe. I went to look for information on internet, saw pictures of her and her birds, purchased one of her books with many difficulties (it's hard to find them at an affordable price) and now am officially a fan.

 

Joseph O'Connor : Shadowplay 

I read this one because I'd recently finished Dracula and wanted to find out more about this period, the protagonists, theatre, and devoured this witty book wonderfully written.

 

Maggie O'Farrell : Hamnet

This one left me on my knees. I still feel, months after reading it, that it took me to another dimension and remember the beautiful writing, the poignancy, the atmosphere, so. very. good. There was a buzz about this novel but honestly ? It was completely deserved.

 

Romain Puértolas : La police des fleurs, des arbres et des forêts (in french)

It hasn't been translated in another language (yet ?), your loss, your total loss ! I borrowed it from the library because of the title (the police of flowers, trees and forests), I thought it was poetic. It's not exactly a murder investigation, yet it is a murder investigation, it's a UFO in fact. It takes place in the south of France at the beginning of the 1960s. It's quirky, funny, surprising and the ending is the kind that makes you gasp and re-read the whole book, wondering how you ever could manage to miss that detail ?! A delight of a novel.

 

Patrick Rothfuss : The name of the wind

A fantasy novel, the wonderful beginning to a series that I need to continue. Ah, Kvothe ! Such a fantastic character ! Clever, arrogant, liar, gifted orphan always looking for money and secrets that are forbidden him. I heard about this series before but was dragging my feet, a bit reluctant to read it, yet I inhaled it and want more. The writing is so very good, Kvothe will seduce you and he's a fantastic storyteller.

 

Hallie Rubenhold : The Five

Jack the Ripper, Victorian era, the buzz, I couldn't not read this essay and this time again, the buzz was deserved. I thought I knew all about Jack the Ripper, but that's the point : everybody talks about him, is puzzled by the mystery of who he was, we all forget about his victims. Prostitutes, that's what history made them, but it's untrue. This essay brings the facts to light and I guarantee you won't be able to put it down. I need to read her book on the Covent garden ladies.

 

Donal Ryan : All we shall know

At the beginning, I didn't like the main character. I thought her shallow and selfish, but the more I read, the more I got enwrapped in Donal Ryan's enthralling writing stye and that woman (whose name I forget, I'm writing this from memory) evolves and you follow her life journey like the rats followed the piper. Donal Ryan is one wonderful writer, I tell you, because I would never have read this book if one of my readers hadn't returned it to the library and talked to me about it for 10 good minutes with stars in her eyes.

 

J.R.R. Tolkien : The lord of the rings

Need I sell this one to you ? Nah ! I've seen the films, I know the story, I even  made an exhibition about Tolkien at my library, but I hadn't read The lord of the rings, can you believe it ? I can, because it was more than a thousand pages written in small characters, I was afraid to read it, but it went like a letter to the post, as we say in French. In fact, it was too short. 

Rebecca West : The return of the soldier

I can't believe I forgot this book in my first list, I'm adding it now and let's blame the cat who wanted my attention only on her. This was a novella read for a Goodreads group readalong and I can't thank them enough for introducing me to this beautiful, haunting story, poetically told that I can't still remember now without being moved.

 

Additional categories : 

 

- Best series : Anthony Trollope and his Barsetshire chronicles (The warden, Barchester towers and Doctor Thorne)

Thanks ever so much to Katie from the Booktube channel Books and things who introduced me to Trollope with her usual enthusiam. I don't know why I imagined he would be dry and dreary, he has a wonderful talent for creating delightful, engaging characters, even the bad ones, and boy, does he have a sense of humour that I adore !

- Comic : Book love by Debbie Tung

It's a small comic that a colleague lent to me saying I would love it and I think any book reader can relate to each and every page of it. It's cheap, quickly read and will make you melt.

I wanted to choose a gorgeous cover to illustrate this topic, but it was too hard, I finally chose two :