Reading Report 2020

Mark Twain once said: "The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read." These words ring true to me, as I find that the more I read, the more I learn, and the more aware I become of the challenges and complexity of humanity. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, I read 52 books in a variety of genres (full list available on Goodreads), with a particular focus on understanding more about the history, politics, and identify of race in America. If you are serious about confronting, and addressing, both your own unconscious bias as well as the systemic racism that is entrenched in our society, I highly recommend Stamped from the Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, by Ibram X. Kendi; Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, by Trevor Noah; White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo; How to be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi; and Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man, by Emmanuel Acho.

These books, as well as many others I read, were outstanding, so it was hard to narrow the list down to the very best. Several classics, including Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, and Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, weren't finalists even though I enjoyed them immensely. That said, for those who are interested, here are my "awards" for my favorite books in 2020, by category:

Best Fiction: The Spectator Bird, by Wallace Stegner. Runner-up: Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling.

Best Historical Fiction: The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara. Runner-up: Pont Neuf, by Max Byrd.

Best Mystery/Thriller: The Guest List, by Lucy Foley. Runner-up: The Getaway, by Greer Hendricks.

Best Nonfiction: Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, by Ibram X. Kendi. Runner-up: A Pilgrimage to Eternity: From Canterbury to Rome in Search of a Faith, by Timothy Egan.

Best Biography: Oliver Wendell Holmes: A Life in War, Law, and Ideas, by Stephen Budiansky. Runner-up: Without Precedent: Chief Justice John Marshall and His Times, by Joel Richard Paul.

Best Memoir: The Education of an Idealist, by Samantha Power. Runner-up: Halfway There: Lessons at Midlife, by Elizabeth C. Haynes.

Best Audible Book/Performance: Have a Nice Day, by Billy Crystal. Runner-up: Break Shot, by James Taylor.

Best Overall/Grand Prize: The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig.

Happy reading in 2021!