2020-12-31

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.
 
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. 

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 !

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 :

18 comments:

  1. You had a great reading year. I may read Bird Cottage just for the cover. Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The cover is splendid, but so is the content :) Happy new year, Deb !

      Delete
  2. That’s a great list of books! Of the authors I know, you clearly share my taste.

    Have a great year in 2021.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Mae, those are wonderful books :)

      Delete
  3. Daphne du Maurier is one of my favourite authors too and I really enjoyed both of those books. I also love Anthony Trollope - he does create wonderful characters! I hope you have another good year of reading in 2021.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you love them too, once you open up their novels, you just can't put them down, I'm glad 2020 allowed me to find fellow classic lovers on the net :)

      Delete
  4. You haven't read any of my books on my best list and I haven't read any of yours! But Hamnet is high on the TBR list and I hope I can convince someone in our book club to buy it.

    Lord of the Rings are on my Classics Challenge, so I hope to get to it soon!

    Happy New Year and I see you Next Year!

    Elza Reads

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like that we haven't read each other's lists, it's an opportunity for discovery :) Happy new year !

      Delete
  5. Great that you finally got to The Lord of the Rings and loved it! I read it with my son last year (I wanted to make sure he did read it BEFORE seeing the movies) and it was quite the experience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tolkien is a master storyteller, and a genius for creating languages, songs, alphabets and he was a wonderful illustrator too. Ah, the talent of this man !

      Delete
  6. Great list! Hamnet is in so many best of 2020 lists that I definitely want to read it now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm usually reluctant to read books that are too often talked about, I confess I read this one... because of the cover, partly. I haven't regretted it for one second, I hope you get to read it :)

      Delete
  7. I loved The Return of the Soldier,too. Rebecca West was as famous as Virginia Woolf in her day but seems forgotten now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes ! I knew her name only because I saw her name on books at the library, nothing more, but this one blew me away.

      Delete
  8. Great list of books. I did the same thing - no limit on my favorites. I just listed the ones that stood out. Hope 2021 is a good reading year too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Yvonne, I wish you the same :)

      Delete
  9. Thanks for finding my blog recently & my Goodreads ... and I like your list here. It seems you had a great reading year. I especially want to get to Hamnet sometime this year ... as I've heard such good things... such as what you said about it. Are you in France there? Paris or outside? I'm in western Canada now but originally from the U.S. etc. Wishing you a Happy 2021!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Susan, I work in Paris (when there's no Covid around) and live in Burgundy :) I have a friend who lives in Montreal. Thanks and happy 2021 too !

    ReplyDelete