The 2020 November Reading List

For the second time, we break down our second reading list for 2020, these are a lot of back catalogue reads but no less worth the read.

1. Say Nothing

To those who know about The Troubles, to those who don’t know about The Troubles, this is a must-read. Reading as a thriller, yet immensely revealing, Keefe does more than just lay out the course of events but delves into the very real repercussions that occurred on the families and victims of those who died during this period. Where the book falls down is that it doesn’t go deep enough into the psyche of the victims and those left behind and it reads as more of an overview than a deeper discussion. Still, an important read.

Pick up a copy here.

Rating: B+

2. My Name Is Why by Lemn Sissay

I picked this up after hearing Dolly Alderton talk about it on The High Low. This is a book that stays with you and continues to stay in your heart. Sissay writes so empathetically but also so factually about the mental abuse that he experienced throughout his childhood, growing up in a foster home then being cast out and moving between homes. Where the book is so mesmerising and heart-breaking is in just how kindly Sissay speaks of the people who treated him so unkindly. This is one of the most powerful memoirs I have read.

Pick up a copy here.

Rating: A

3. White Fragility by Robin Di Angelo

I’m shamefully late to this necessary read from Robin Di Angelo. A short but not a quick, immensely powerful and revealing book from a writer who has made it their life’s work to understand ‘white fragility.’  Never have I felt my perspective so changed by a book, even when you thought you understood the pitfalls of ‘racism’ this book helped – as a white reader – to start to understand new facets.

Pick up a copy here.

Rating: A

4. Beloved by Margaret Atwood

I’ve been an avid Atwood reader for years, but this is the first time I’ve read any of her poetry and I was not disappointed. Atwood allows the mundane to rise transcendent through her words. The poems are quick and sharp, packing a punch in every line. 

Pick up a copy here.

Rating: A-

5. Savage Appetites by Rachel Monroe

I’m as guilty as anyone of having a (minor) obsession with true crime, so this felt like the book for me. Monroe, with precision, unpicks the female psyche and obsession with true crime through various lenses and it is an enthralling, engaging read that feels both voyeuristic and scandalous.

Pick up a copy here.

Rating: A-

6. Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman

This may be a case of ‘right time, right read,’ but this will speak to so many people who have experienced both highs and lows in friendship. Written by the hosts of ‘Call Your Girlfriend,’ this joint memoir tells the story of Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow’s friendship – the good, the bad and the ugly. It is so easy to see snippets of relationships smattered throughout the pages and will make you want to call your friends, check in and squeeze them tight. The love letter to friendship we didn’t know we needed.

Pick up a copy here.

Rating: A

7. Home Body by Rupi Kaur

I’ve been a big advocate for Kaur’s poems since her first collection ‘Milk and Honey.’ This one summed up 2020 in its content, it feels a lot darker and her writing a lot more disconsolate than in her previous collections. Kaur is a victim of her own success, as I measure up every collection to the value of the original.

Pick up a copy here.

Rating: A-

8. Trust Exercise by Susan Choi

This was a t-r-i-p of a novel, and quite honestly I still don’t know how I feel about it. Without giving too much away, the twists and turns that it takes you on, leave you feeling unsatisfied and confused, yet the novel is unlike anything I’ve read before. 

Pick up a copy here.

9. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

This is quite simply a deliciously indulgent read, Jenkins-Reid does a phenomenal job of leading you through old Hollywood with all its glamour and nostalgia, yet still making this story intensely poignant. The story tells the tale of Monique, a journalist who unwittingly is asked by Evelyn Hugo – old Hollywood star – to write the story of her life. The story twists and turns and is breathtaking in its speed, sucking you in. If you’ve read Daisy Jones and the Six – this may be even better…

Pick up a copy here.

Rating: A+