My Favorite Books of 2020

As I sat down to write this post, I looked back over my year-end “favorite book” posts from the past couple of years. The last line of my post from last year was “Let’s make 2020 a great year!”

I just have to laugh.

No one could have predicted what a year we’d have this year. For me, most of 2020 felt like a slog through the mud, barely being able to drag one foot in front of the other. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, processing, dreaming, and, (mostly) waiting.

And reading.

Last year I increased my Goodreads challenge from 50 to 55—not a huge jump, but significant to me. And when Covid started and lockdown began, I thought I’d complete 55 books by July, but alas, I quickly found out that reading during a pandemic is much different than reading during happier (and healthier) times.

My reading life felt much like the rest of my life—a slow slog through the mud. I had a hard time concentrating throughout the spring, thus, I had a hard time reading. I worried that I’d never make my goal.

Yet, after a few fits-and-starts, I finally found my reading rhythm again.

I did not, however, find that one “Ah-ha!” book this year as I had in the past. Seems like most years I read something that resonates so deeply, with writing that moves my soul, that I tuck away into a special category of heart-felt books. Not so this year. (Although my husband did read A Gentleman in Moscow, which was very good for my soul.)

I didn’t find a Crossing to Safety or The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye this year. Books that stirred me deeply and kept calling me back in my thoughts throughout the year. Maybe it was Covid. Or maybe it was just me. Although I read some very good books, I felt like I didn’t find anything that moved my soul.

Was 2020 a bust? No. Like I said, I read 55 books, and I’m happy with that. And I have high hopes for next year, as I’m challenging myself to read “better” books. (One of my goals is to give Philippa Gregory a try again. I used to love her books, but have gotten away from them because they are so long and involved.)

Let’s just say that 2020 was an anomaly . . . in so many ways.

With that, here are my favorites for 2020.

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Fiction Favorites

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter. This was a re-read, but this time I listened to it. Those of you who have been around for a while know that I put this on my favorites list from 2018. I don’t know what it is about this story, but it pulls me in, intrigues me, and keeps me coming back for more. It’s the story of the Kurtz family—a Polish Jewish family that is dispersed during WWII. Five sibling, two parents, and what happens to them during the war. It’s a story filled with love and hope and, something rare for a WWII novel, a bit of a happy ending.

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon. This is probably the book I recommended more than any other this year, and a book I will definitely re-read at some point in the near future. It tells the story of Nancy Wake, a real-life spy with the British army during WWII. Nancy, however, isn’t her only name. You’ll follow her throughout WWII France as she assumes several different identities. The enemy wants to capture her, but can they find her? I absolutely loved this one so much that I also read I Was Anastasia by the same author and loved that one too. Lawhon has such a gift with historical fiction (my favorite genre) that I’m sure I’ll read more of her in the coming year.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. I didn’t expect to love this book because I’ve only slightly liked the other Ann Patchett book I read, Commonwealth. (I know, I know. I need to read Bel Canto.) But this book surprised me in so many ways, and I ended up liking it a lot. It’s about a family, and that’s about all you need to know. It’s a typical family in many ways, and yet, it’s also an atypical family with all of the sadness and warts and dysfunction that makes the book interesting. But it’s not so over-the-top that it’s unbelievable.

The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton. This tells the true story of Truus Wijsmuller, a member of the Dutch resistance during WWII who reportedly brought hundreds (if not thousands) of children to safety through The Netherlands via the Kindertransport. This was one of those happy finds I discovered while perusing the library shelves. I knew nothing about this story before I picked it up, but I was so moved by Tante Truus’s bravery that I could not put this book down. I’ve thought of it many times since I read it and will probably read it again.

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall. I think I heard about this book on a podcast, and somehow I heard that one of the characters attended Wheaton College in the book, so, of course, I had to check it out. Turns out, this was a story that really gripped me this year. It tells about two pastors of a church in Greenwich Village and how their lives and their faith intersect. It tells of their families—their sorrows, their joys, and their faith journeys. The gorgeous writing didn’t hurt either.

The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan. The only thriller on my list, but definitely worth the trip. This tells the story of generations, of secrets and lies, of loyalties. You won’t know what will happen until the very last chapter. I know I haven’t told you much—just get the book and read it this weekend.

The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher. This one’s a classic. Oh, how I used to love Rosamund Pilcher. I think I read this book sometime after I graduated from college, and then read several of her novels after that. But The Shell Seekers is one of her most famous, most beautiful, works. Getting lost in a Rosamund Pilcher novel is kind of like spending a lazy summer in a hammock—it’s a restful reset and just what I needed during this year.

Glass Houses by Louise Penny. I had to do it. I had to include a Louise Penny novel in this list because she is one of my absolute favorites. I think this is #14 in her Armand Gamache series, so that means I only have three left. Until she writes another one. If you haven’t read this series, please do it. You won’t regret it.

Non-Fiction Favorites

A Prayer for Orion by Katherine James. I have to start with my real-life friend, Kate James, because her memoir is so moving. Kate tells of her harrowing experience of her son’s drug addiction and overdose. It’s a story many Christians are afraid to tell, but a story that Kate handles with wisdom and a little bit of wit. Kate is, without a doubt, one of the most brilliant Christian writers out there right now.

Sex and the City of God by Carolyn Weber. And speaking of brilliant Christian writers . . . Ever since her first memoir, Surprised by Oxford, Carolyn Weber’s writing has moved me. I’ve read every one of her books, and I was thrilled to learn that she had a new one coming out this year. This looks at her conversion narrative from a different perspective—that of love and longing and what it means to choose God above everything else. This book made me cry, which is why it made my list.

The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield. How are we to live as Christians, as neighbors, as humans who interact with each other every day? I heard Rosaria Butterfield talk about this at my church last year, and this book had long been on my shelf, but I hadn’t taken the time to read it until this year. Butterfield tells the story of simply loving her neighbors, even those who are hard to love. It’s a challenge to reach across the street or over the fence to get to know those God has placed directly in our paths. An especially important message for our time, I think.

Searching for Certainty: Finding God in the Disruptions of Life by Shelly Miller. My dear friend Shelly went to meet Jesus on November 1 this year, shortly after her book was released in October. She wrote this book before she ever battled cancer, before she was given her terrible prognosis, before she faced the reality of leaving her husband and children behind. The lessons she learned before her death are lessons I needed to learn this year, too.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. Get the audio version of this book and have a blast. Trevor Noah narrates his own memoir, and he tells it with such passion and gusto. He had me laughing out loud so many times as he honestly recounted his early years growing up in South Africa during Apartheid. It’s an eye-opening read, and I felt like I had learned a lot while having a lot of fun.

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. True Confessions: this is the first Erik Larson book I’ve read. My family chides me constantly for not reading Devil in the White City, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. (There’s too much great WWII fiction out there!) Anyway, because this book was about Churchill during The Blitz, I figured it was somewhat up my alley, and I was right. This was an interesting, albeit long, read. I felt like it took me a while to get into because I read it back in April when we were locked down in our homes and I didn’t have much of a brain for reading. But in the end, I was really glad I read it. It humanized Churchill in a new way, and I loved getting some behind the scenes looks into life in Britain at that time.

The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff. One thing I learned this year is that I love reading oral histories. Combine that genre with the topic of 9/11, and you’ve got the making of a great book. This wasn’t an easy read—I cried in several places—but it was fascinating to read the actual words of people I watched on TV as the events of that day unfolded. Highly recommend, especially since next year will mark 20 years since the tragedy of 9/11.

The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede. My husband and I just listened to this book on a road trip last week, and it jumped toward the top of my favorite books list. This is also a book about 9/11, but from a totally different perspective. It’s about what happened to all of the international flights headed toward America when nobody was allowed to land. Suddenly, the community of Gander, Newfoundland was put into action, hosting over 6,000 stranded passengers. This is a heartwarming, feel-good story that I think you’ll enjoy. (And the narrator of the audio book version is AMAZING!!!)

So there you have it. Sixteen books I heartily recommend. And if you want to see the full list of books I read in 2020 (yes, there are some one-star books there too), head to my Goodreads page.

I’m ready for a new challenge—how about you? In 2021 I’m going to try to read 60 books, only because that’s the challenge my daughter is going for, and I figured I’d try it too. (By the way, have you checked out Kate’s Instagram account, @katesbookparade? Lots of great reads there too!)

Friends, I’ll say it—I’m glad 2020 is over. I’m moving into 2021 with hope and anticipation of much better days. And more great books.

Now I’d love to hear YOUR recommendations. Tell me, what were some of YOUR favorite reads this year? What’s your reading goal for 2021? Leave me a comment below.

*****

I write here occasionally and pop on Facebook sometimes, but I’m spending most of my time on Instagram these days. I’d love it if you’d follow me there: @shellywildman. And check out my new IG account, @discoverwalkabout, to find out all about my women’s retreat trips to Europe.