My Top 10 Books of 2020
By: Emilie Fournier
Tags: 2020, Book Recommendations, Books, Nonfiction, Fiction

Every year when I review my list of completed books there are clear, prominent themes that connect my literary choices. Some are intentional and set by me at the beginning of the year, others are surprises that develop after reading one book on a topic and finding myself yearning for more. Some even span over multiple years, including one of the 2020 themes; I continue to crave the intimate narrative of memoirs, having read eight of them this year and many more in previous years. There’s something about a person willingly baring it all for us to see, that lifts the metaphorical hood in the hope of giving us an unearned look at what makes them tick and why they made their choices that will always attract me. What can I say, I’m a nosier-than-average person.

On the other hand, I found myself reading much less World War II historical fiction with only two on the list this year (and just one that I am recommending), compared to nine in 2019. I think the genre still has much to offer but admittedly felt a little burnt out on the subject after a few years of focus on the same era. There has been a staggering influx of WWII historical fiction novels on the market after All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr was published in 2014 and won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. For what it’s worth, it’s still one of my favorites and if this literary theme is a new interest for you, I would start there.

The final tally landed at 44 books with a roughly 60% fiction/40% nonfiction mix for the year and oddly enough I found myself struggling to stop at five nonfiction recommendations despite having ten fewer books to choose from. Most years the split is much closer, even leaning slightly nonfiction but not commuting for nine months of the year reduced my audiobook consumption, which is always 100% nonfiction for me since the story tends to be more linear and contains fewer characters to remember. Yet another time in which 2020 was different and subtly affected my life in ways I couldn’t have predicted.

Without further ado, let’s get into my recommendations. You’ll find my top five nonfiction and fiction reads of 2020. Not all were published this year (three are from previous years) but all stand the test of time and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did throughout this peculiar year. Want to keep up with what I’m reading throughout the year? Follow me on Goodreads.

Nonfiction

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

I have a confession to make. I still have about 10% of this book left to read so I’m cheating a bit by putting it on here! Seen differently, President Obama’s memoir is so powerful and engaging that the first 90% of it is enough for it to top my 2020 nonfiction list, regardless of what I have left to read. Side note: If I lived in a not-so-hilarious sitcom (think ones that have a laugh track still today) the book would take a wacky turn and I’d somehow end up humiliated for doing this. Luckily, I do not live in a zany sitcom about a wannabe writer who works in tech by day, sends a book newsletter out and gets tripped up by an unforeseeable series of events that will keep you laughing and surprise you (Netflix, if you’re reading this, we have a clear winner on our hands…call me).

In all seriousness, there isn’t much to say about this other than go. buy. it. now. President Obama has a talent for telling stories from an angle you wouldn’t expect and his memoir is rich with behind the scenes details we all crave about his decisions, what it was like to be him, to be the first African American in this position, and the pressure his campaign of hope and change created. In this first of two planned volumes, the reminder of his humanity, kindness and integrity in the times we are living feels like a fireside hug from a beloved friend you’ve missed and have not seen for a long time.

No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram by Sarah Frier

For many of us Instagram is pervasive in our daily activities with any moment of boredom suddenly cured by a quick scroll through the old ‘gram. I chose this because I was curious to learn more about the history of the company, and it has an added bonus of being set in my beloved Bay Area. It must be all of the rags to riches, against the odds tales that birth from the seemingly innocuous, average-looking place that is Silicon Valley but this always seems to add an extra bit of spice for me.

We all know Instagram was acquired by Facebook, but did you know they paid a billion dollars for a company that wasn’t even two years old and had just 13 employees? At the time of acquisition in 2012 that seemed like an outrageous price to pay but it was clearly a wise move by the cunning Zuck. Sarah Frier takes you through it all, from the original idea to the behemoth it became, with some fascinating insight from some members of the founding team. I loved learning more about the story behind the most used app on my phone and the secret negotiations that ultimately led to its huge success.

Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker

Warning: Do not read this if you’re unhappy with your job (aka me in January 2020) and have any interest whatsoever in wine, or else you will come VERY close to quitting and studying for the Introductory Sommelier test. If Seb hadn’t talked me off the edge, you’d be looking at a very different, perma-tipsy wine-stained teeth version of me right now. You have been warned and should proceed with caution if you fit the above description. Journalist Bianca Bosker does an amazing job of unmasking the opaque world of wine evaluation and recommendation as a career (more frequently referred to as sommeliers) by bringing an outsiders’ view to an industry that does not make it easy for the uninitiated to access. I loved this book because it accomplished two goals that are usually at odds: it educated me and made me laugh hysterically. If you’ve ever wondered why people make such a big deal about wine and why it’s so difficult to understand then this book is for you.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson

Fine, my interest in WWII history is not completely dead. Perhaps 2021 is the year I finally move on to a different decade? Erik Larson is the master of narrative nonfiction, which is to say that he makes nonfiction feel like a page-turning mystery thriller that could not possibly be true, and yet it is. His latest focuses on Winston Churchill’s first year as prime minister which was inextricably tied with the war as Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium on his first day in office. Churchill was such a fiery character and left an indelible mark on 20th century history and I had always wanted to learn more about him. Larson leverages private diaries and documents never before seen by the public to paint an image of what life was like for Churchill, his family, key Downing Street players, and the British people during the Blitz, a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941. An Obama Favorite Books of 2020 pick, this one is a must for history lovers and a great introduction to Erik Larson.

Eat a Peach: A Memoir by David Chang

I admit that I didn’t know much about Chef David Chang before picking up his memoir. I knew he was the creator of Momofuku Noodle Bar, a restaurant I like, and that he was the first legitimate chef to give the Impossible Burger a shot — this last fact alone made him a winner in my book. Little did I know that I was about to discover a deeply personal story of mental health struggles that has rarely been told in such a raw and authentic manner by a public figure. His rise to unprecedented stardom and awards (his restaurant Ko was the first restaurant to receive a Michelin star in its first year, and it got two) was tainted by a desire to commit suicide and his crippling imposter syndrome. A love (and sometimes hate) letter to the restaurant industry and his Korean roots, Chang humbly shares his story, lessons and personal growth in a frequently funny and self-deprecating manner that lovers of sarcasm and irony will appreciate.

Fiction

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Originally published in Swedish, this quirky story found its way to the top of many bestseller lists and finished second in the Best Fiction category of the Goodreads Choice Awards 2020 by only five votes! I found the entire premise so odd and charming and when I was part way through I frequently wondered about the characters during the day and for a few days after finishing it — the ultimate compliment as far as I’m concerned. Most of the story happens in one spot and there is no clear protagonist needing to complete their quest. Like most of my favorite fiction picks, it’s character-driven and tells a poignantly human tale of love, loss and growth. It also has a twinge of mystery for those who enjoy a few surprises along the way. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking to get lost in other peoples’ lives and look forward to reading more from this new-to-me author.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

This popped up on my radar after Hulu announced their series based on the book starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. I love when good stories get interpreted in a new medium, an activity that always moves titles up my list of books to read. I rushed to read this before the Hulu series came out in March and was not disappointed. Celeste Ng has previously mentioned that she enjoys setting her novels in the pre-technology era in order to create interesting plot points that cannot be waved away by a quick text or Instagram post and I have to agree with her. There is a comfortable nostalgia and sense of multiple paths the story could take that kept me on my toes. Even if you have seen the Hulu series already (which I also recommend), the book has a few key differences and is absolutely worth a read on its own.

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

The lone World War II historical fiction pick on my list this year, this is a story of wartime of course but of courage and how we sometimes must learn to keep moving forward and make due with the cards life has dealt us. The chapters alternate between Alice (present-day) and Alina (past, during Holocaust), clearly highlighting the weight many carry today still after the events of WWII while also contrasting the challenges women faced then and now. This was one of those stories where I started to predict where it was headed about ¾ of the way through, but the journey was more impactful than the final destination. If you like this genre and have enjoyed other favorites like The Nightingale or The Tattooist of Auschwitz, you should pick this one up.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Switching gears to happier times, this is a classic romance and has the added fun of featuring a romance writer as one of the two main characters. I read a lot of women’s fiction (derogatorily labeled “chick lit” by many) which makes it hard to pick my favorite but this one was without a doubt my top choice for 2020. It has everything I look for in the genre: a picturesque, escapism-like setting, a relatable protagonist, a likeable love interest, a challenge she/he must overcome, and quirky secondary characters that bring the world to life. It doesn’t have as sappy of a HEA (“happily ever after” for the uninitiated) as the genre usually calls for but it’s definitely a tear jerker so I’d keep tissues nearby as you reach the end. While I do think it makes a wonderful “beach read”, if you choose to give this a try I predict you will read it with more urgency than the beach usually imposes.

The Boys’ Club by Erika Katz

For some reason I am certain there is an alternate universe where I am a high-powered M&A lawyer at a big corporate NYC law firm and this novel was a glimpse into what that life entails. Spoiler (not really since this is to be expected), it’s riddled with shady people, little sleep, questionable morals, and wondering if you can live with the decisions this world pushed you to make. Written under the pseudonym of Erika Katz to maintain anonymity, the author is still practicing law in this cutthroat world and pulls from her real life experience to tell a tale that shocked me at every turn and made me grateful for living in this version of the universe. This one did not pick up as much steam as I thought it would from a bestseller perspective but it has already been optioned by Netflix so if you want to be ahead of the trend (unlike me with Little Fires Everywhere) then give this one a go.