2020 in Reading
/— Y E A R I N R E V I E W —
2020, you piece of shit.
Yeah. Reading habits were slightly fucked for awhile there. Thank goodness these are the Kelly Choice Awards and can’t be skewed by pandemics or pussy presidents. On to the books:
Classic and Lovely: Catherine House
Subtle, Scary, Satisfying: A Cosmology of Monsters
The Main Character did WHAT: Fleishman is in Trouble
Plot Twist Party: The Shadows
Stranger Than Fiction: Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident
Fuck Yeah Feminism: Mexican Gothic
Biggest Disappointment: Cibola Burns (The Expanse #4) … maybe done with this series for good
Best Discovery: Horrorstör
Biggest Mindfuck: Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland (honestly I still feel shook by this bleak true story)
Most Satisfying Reread: Abarat
Tried Too Hard: Imaginary Friend
Quintessentially Kelly: Monster, She Wrote
No Regrets: The Stand
TOP 5:
5) My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell is in fifth place not just because it tackles an important subject, but because it tackles that subject with bravery, an awareness of its own complexity and a beautiful quest painting realistic individuals. I am in awe and will return to the passages in this book often.
4) Wolf Hall by Elizabeth Mantel wings in at fourth because the writing absolutely blew me away. I know I’m late to the party but this party rocks. The entire trilogy changed what I know about storytelling.
3) The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer takes third. These books are so special to me - so unique, so thrilling, so full of odd emotions that pushed and pulled at me long after I finished. As I said in my reviews, there are layers of meaning here beyond my reach and I can’t wait to study further.
2) My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris comes in at second because every aspect - the words, the narrative, the subject matter and the art - spoke to me during a super anxious time and I wanted to share the love. Everyone should read this. It’s mindblowing.
1) Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is first because I knew it would be the moment I finished it. This astonishing and gorgeous book is a triumph of a philosophical maze that successfully explores the idea of context, among other wonderful things.
READING CHALLENGE:
Did I complete my 2020 Reading Challenge? Hahahahahaha. I knew I wouldn’t. But I’m so glad I tried because I actually made a lot of progress on series I’ve started and not finished. I feel productive all the same. And it got me in a good mindset about series that I think I’ll carry with me moving forward. I won’t document my progress here anymore but I have a handwritten list that I’ll keep marking off with satisfaction. It’s impossible to ever feel “caught up” on books but this challenge was really useful as an approach.
I COMPLETED: 6 series. Some I started this year because they were buzzy and of interest, others were series that I had started years ago (as in, when I was a child?) and wanted to revisit.
I CAUGHT UP ON: 0 series lol. I tried to catch up on the Wayward Children series but I didn’t get the most recent one from the library in time.
I TRIED AND GAVE UP ON: 1 series. The Expanse books are awesome until they aren’t. I may be done.
Next year’s challenge is going to focus on nonfiction.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!