Top Books of 2020: Moira
Top Books of 2020: Moira
What a year, friends, what a year. COVID touched every part of all of our lives, and reading wasn’t spared. I mourn so many of the small losses in my daily life: wandering in and out of stores, leaving the house without a mask, browsing at the library on a whim, shopping at The Strand on Saturdays…
From the library’s 4+ months long closure, to all the reading ebbs and flows that resulted from COVID-related anxiety, it was often hard to find a book I was excited to sit down and read. However, looking back on the year, I see that I read a great deal of wonderful, memorable books that I’m delighted to share with you. Presented in no particular order below are books that spoke to me throughout this wild, upsetting year.
The Searcher by Tana French (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review)
One thing I did know from the beginning of 2020 was that Tana French’s newest book would make my “best of “ list. For almost ten years now she has been my favorite mystery author. Her two most recent books are out of the “Dublin Murder Squad” canon, and I found this one even more successful than “The Witch Elm.” A retired American police detective moves to rural Ireland only to find himself embroiled in another mystery. The general sense of unease throughout the novel is masterful, and if you can avoid the crazies, it may just make you want to move to Ireland.
The Anthill by Julianne Pachico (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review)
Pachico’s novel is deeply unsettling and has some bizarre elements. I’m not much for magical realism, but the sinister elements of this story of Lina, who returns to Colombia to teach at the daycare center owned by her childhood best friend, Matty. Matty, and in turn Lina, are both concealing a fair amount, and the setting in post-Escobar Colombia provides its share of disturbing material. This was a quick read, but with few neatly tied-up ends, your sense of dread may continue after finishing.
Grown Ups by Emma Jane Unsworth (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review)
A novel for the elder millennials among us, Unsworth explores the dark side of our social media dependence. One of the funniest novels I read this year, the near-implosion of Jenny’s life at her own hands is softened by the sense that even as she struggles to act like a good, upstanding grown up, her occasional moments of insight wry self-awareness may just save her.
Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin (Bookshop | Kindle | Elizabeth’s Review)
I really enjoyed this “ripped from the headlines” story (it borrows heavily from Natalee Holloway), for all the ways it surprised me. While Elizabeth found the writing pretentious, and I totally see where she’s coming from, I was here for the literary elevation of what could have been a pulpy, exploitative story. Claire, the much-younger sister of Alison, finds herself alone in a family, and largely in the world, after Alison’s death. The unexpected relationship she embarks upon in this book was potentially a bit implausible, but explores how our ideas of others are so often informed by our own self-regard.
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review)
It may have been bold of me to read a book about the Spanish Flu mid-pandemic, but ultimately I was struck by how little the way people respond to a global pandemic has changed in the past 100 years. Julia, a nurse in a maternity ward in Ireland, cares for patients in an overwhelmed hospital system. The book takes place over the span of a fateful three days, and is both very sad and filled with hope.
Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review)
This is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read this year: it is lengthy but a quick read, and its stakes are not life-or-death, which was a relief in 2020. Elisabeth leaves Brooklyn after nearly 20 years to raise her family in suburbia, hiring Sam, a student at the town’s liberal arts school, as a nanny. The class difference in the two of them is marked, and Elisabeth fails to acknowledge how being Sam’s employer informs their power dynamic. This is ultimately a thoughtfully written story of a complicated relationship between two women.
Long Bright River by Liz Moore (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review)
A definite contender for my absolute favorite book of the year, “Long Bright River” follows Mickey, a police officer from a working class Philadelphia neighborhood that has given way to a seedier underbelly. As she works to expose what she believes to be a serial killer, she’s drawn into the situation on a personal level when her sister, struggling with addiction and on and off the streets, goes missing.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review)
Emily St. John Mandel is a literary genius. This book is layered so delicately and intricately that it is a marvel to imagine how her mind works. Vincent is a somewhat aimless bartender at a remote hotel whose life is changed by a chance encounter with Jonathan Alkaitis, a Madoff-esque investor. The characters overlap throughout multiple timelines, creating a gauzy, ethereal narrative that will stay with you long after you read it.
Good Talk by Mira Jacob (Bookshop | Kindle | Elizabeth’s Review)
Like Elizabeth, I’m not at all a graphic novel reader, but I was persuaded by her rave review to try “Good Talk,” and I’m so glad I did. This story of Mira Jacob, the daughter of Indian immigrants, and her experience in New York from 9/11 to Trump’s election, as a wife and mother, is truly compelling. It’s funny, heartfelt, gorgeously designed, and continuously unexpected. It is a great rut-breaker if you’re feeling stuck.
This is Big by Marisa Meltzer (Bookshop | Kindle | Elizabeth’s Review | My Review)
This was a much-anticipated 2020 read for me. The origin story of Weight Watchers alternates with Marisa Meltzer’s personal narrative about her struggles with weight. As diet culture past collides with diet culture present, Meltzer faces a strong ambivalence about weight loss. The complicated life of Weight Watchers’ founder, Jean Nidetch, provides an excellent structure through which we understand more about women’s struggles with their bodies through the recent American past.
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