Top 5 Books of 2020

Hello Book Friends. Today is the last day of the year, and what a year 2020 has been, and I’m glad it’s over. I found solace in reading, streaming new movies and shows, and also running. There wasn’t much available to do, but I’m grateful I had my hobbies to turn to this year.

After much thinking, I came up with my Top 5 Books of 2020. A “Top 5” book is a story that made you think about the characters, the plot, and/or the writing well after you’ve finished reading. A “Top 5” is a book that you share and recommend to friends and family. Here’s my list:

5) “The Year of the Witching” by Alexis Henderson. A friend recommended me this book, and when we both finished, we shared similar thoughts about how scary it was. The witch in the book almost manifests in person to the reader. Spooky! (I finished this book and swore she was in the corner of my room, lol).

4) “The Address Book: What Street Address Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power” by Deirdre Mask. “The Address Book” was recommended to me by #Amazon based on my interests. This book was so educational and engaging. I loved it. I thought I had an idea about what an address offers, but I hadn’t even tipped the iceberg.

3) “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett, author of “The Mothers.” This book made its way around #bookstagram, and for a good reason. I couldn’t put it down! “The Vanishing Half” was a unique and lively story about colorism within the African American community. The twists, the turns, the vanishing, it all made for a phenomenal story.

2) “Clap When You Land” by Elizabeth Acevedo. Aye Yai Yai man, ket! This book was astonishing. I read “With the Fire on High,” which was good, but this book made me a true Acevedo fan. Period! The plot is very relatable, especially as a person of Caribbean descent. It felt like I was reading a story about my relatives, honestly. The book is written in prose, which just added intensity to the plot, in my opinion. I, ardently, recommend “Clap When You Land.”

1) My number one book of 2020 is “Anna K: A Love Story” by Jenny Lee. I read this and was upset it was only 382 pages. I loved every page, the characters, the diversity, almost everything. “Anna K” was the best read of this year for me. Lee wrote “Anna K” as a reimagining of Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.” I was so enthralled with this book, I went out and bought “Anna Karenina.” I haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet, but I’m looking forward to it whenever I do.