Year in Books — 2020. If you don’t like to read, you haven’t…
By: Soumya Tiwari
Tags: Reading, Book Recommendations, Books, Books And Authors, Book Review

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama

This book had been on my TBR list ever since it came out and I was finally able to read it this year. Becoming was my first audio book and I am glad I chose this experience. Michelle Obama’s read in her voice touched me deeply. Becoming is the story Michelle’s life from being a black girl who grew up in a poor family in the south side of Chicago to her overcoming her boundaries and getting into Harvard, working as a lawyer and then her term as the First Lady of USA. I loved how honest, touching and emotional this book was. The book isn’t about politics but political experiences do come into picture. It wasn’t about what Barack Obama did or did not do as a president but rather how a family of four had to still maintain normalcy in a job that was mostly chaos. It’s a book that inspires you push your boundaries and do more. The book is extremely well written and I loved it with all my heart.

2. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

I simply don’t have words to describe how much I liked this book. You know it’s gonna be a sad book when you know that the author died because of lung cancer while working on the book. But you don’t read this book for that, you read this book because that dying man had a lot of important things to say.

We live our whole life planning for the future, what we wanna achieve in 10 years, how you would you wanna shape yourself in the forthcoming years. But a disease like cancer strips you of dreaming and planning. Your life becomes an uncertainty. In one of the chapters Paul says “if you say I have ten years to live I would continue to practice neurosurgery, if you say I had one I would write a book”. With his own experiences he teaches us that death is imminent. And when you know how certain it is, that’s when you start thinking about what you have been and what you wanted to achieve.

In the epilogue of the book his wife wrote, “what happened to Paul was tragic but he was not a tragedy” and that is a lesson in it’s own. Paul didn’t let the disease define him, and though I hope neither of us face something as tragic as cancer, but I do hope that all of us don’t let our tragedies define us.When breath becomes air is a book about life and learning and I think one should definitely read it.

3. The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

By the time I had read twenty pages of The Beauty Myth, I realized that this is one of the most important books I will ever read. Admittedly, I was initially skeptical of Wolf’s central thesis — that the cultural “myth” of feminine beauty is a political and economic weapon used by the male-dominated world to undermine women’s advancement in society — but, by the time I had finished reading the first chapter, I had a changed perspective of the world. This is a book, in my opinion, that should be required reading. It is a book about the very atmosphere women negotiate daily, and from an early age — one in which we intuit the importance of our looks, and are apprehensive about our “beauty” as an indication of our status, competence, wealth, power, and credibility — one in which we are manipulated by powerful corporate advertisers to feel insecure, so we will remain the largest underpaid labor pool, and simultaneously the largest consumers of unnecessary products, in the world.

4. Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by Anne Bogel

This is one of those books that leaves an impression on you. I had so much to learn from this book. Don’t Overthink It is a great reminder that overthinking is a waste of time and energy, and that this gradually wreaks havoc on us and our lives. There are helpful takeaways here for major and minor over thinkers alike — Most people are likely to identify with at least one behavior described in the book. I found myself recognizing a few I am routinely guilty of engaging in, though it’s nice to know I’m not alone and with a little re-framing, I can change my thought process. The book is written in a casual tone too, making its suggestions easy to digest. This is a book where topics will resonate differently with various readers. For me, the most beneficial parts were the chapters on using your values to help clarify your objectives (often simplifying the decision making process), and creating more rituals to build into your daily routine. Alternatively, the chapter on splurging didn’t offer much new insight for me, as I have always been able to justify engaging in experiences/ events that seem interesting. As a perpetual planner, I also appreciated the reminder about building in schedule margins — Not just to plan for the bad, but to do it in preparation for positive, spontaneous opportunities that arise. We can’t change everything in the world but Don’t Overthink It prompts us to get started on what we can impact by taking small steps in the direction we want to head.

5. You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters

by Kate Murphy

This is another book which offers so much to learn. It talks about the simple skill of truly listening and how important it is. In You’re Not Listening, author Kate Murphy explains what listening truly is and isn’t, and how important it is to our connection with ourselves and one another. Not only is this book super fascinating but it is always making me rethink so many things! In our technology-filled world, there are so many new ways for us to interact, yet we are all longing for connection more than ever before. Many of us long for the days of simplicity and meaningful face to face conversations. When we do interact, it is often rushed and interrupted by the distractions of the fast-paced world around us. I loved the balance of informative research and relatable text that made You’re Not Listening both engaging and thought-provoking. I also appreciated that Murphy emphasizes that listening skills are learned through implementation and practice and that it is something we can always learn, no matter how old we are.

6. Know My Name by Chanel Miller

The book is gripping, emotional and intriguing. Public-ally known as Emily Doe, Chanel Miller was sexually assaulted on the campus of Stanford at a frat party by a student, Brock Turner. When you know the premise of the book you know that the book is going to be important. However, that’s not all. The book brings out the flaws and the incompetence of the American justice system. How long and draining it is, to prove a crime that was obviously committed. And it’s more or less the same everywhere. The whole process is somehow based on victim blaming. Secondly, the book is about reclaiming identity. Chanel talks about how her whole personality was reduced to being a victim. She walks us through her journey from the night of the incident to living with it for the rest of her life. She talks about her pain and about her growth. The book is inspiring and moving, and definitely a must read (or must listen!). This book is definitely going to be one of my favorite books for a lot of reasons. I actually chose the audio book experience for this one which is read by Chanel herself. This made it all the more heartbreaking as you can feel Chanel’s voice cracking in anger and shock and tears in the aggressive parts of the book. It makes you feel the reality and the depth of the book.

7. Why We Sleep By Matthew Walker

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker discusses explains the most basic habit of a human — sleep, scientifically. He explains how neglecting sleep undercuts your creativity, problem solving, decision-making, learning, memory, heart health, brain health, mental health, emotional well-being, immune system, and even your life span. He explores the sleep cycle of a human being — and how age affects it. The book also covers the effect of substances such as coffee and alcohol, not in a “it’s bad for you way” but “what it does to you” way. I was surprised by a lot of factors how lack of sleep may make your brain lose productivity or take a toll on your immune system. I don’t necessarily buy into all of Walker’s reporting, such as the strong link he claims between not getting enough sleep and developing Alzheimer’s. In an effort to wake us all up to the harm of sleeping too little, he sometimes reports as fact what science has not yet clearly demonstrated. But even if you apply a mild discount factor, Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book.

8. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

I absolutely loved this book! The book won the Booker Prize in 2019 and tells the story of 12 women, all from different backgrounds and different struggles. All women are black and British and very different characters from each other. She presents us with a broad and diverse spectrum of black women’s voices, all distinct, from differing backgrounds, ages, roots, class, occupations, families, from many parts of the country and sexuality in all its forms.

We have characters who have struggled with homosexuality, sexual assault, being trans, poverty, abusive relationships and characters who have dealt with patriarchy their whole lives. The book is as feminist as gets.

I loved how each story is independent yet there are glimpses of each character in each other’s life. That sends out a message that women can uplift women in so many small ways. The only thing which irked me about the book was it’s unusual punctuation. The sentences end midway and abruptly move to a new line. This sort of makes it difficult to read the book in the beginning but you kind of get used to it.

9. Educated by Tara Westover

Educated is both a tale of both hope and horror. Tara Westover was the youngest of the seven children in her family. She grew up in rural Idaho. Tara’s dad was a diplomat, he never believed in a formal education or doctors or anything developed by the Government. Tara’s siblings believed they were being “home-schooled”. At 17, Tara decided to pursue college after advice from her elder brother Tyler. She went to BYU then to Cambridge and then to Harvard. Tara’s story is touching in so many ways, and how an education helped her escape her predestined future at Idaho. The world in which Tara was raised was one in which a powerful patriarchy, fed by a fundamentalist religious beliefs, applied its considerable pressure to push her into what was considered the proper role for a young woman, namely homemaker, mother, probably following in her mother’s dual careers as herbalist and midwife. It took her years to process her upbringing and to break her mindset out of it. She was abused by her eldest brother Shawn and she had been denying it her whole life. The day she finally decided to confront her family about it, they broke their ties with her. They were deeply fed by misogyny.

Tara’s process of self-discovery is beautifully captured in Educated. It’s the kind of book that I think everyone will enjoy, no matter what genre you usually pick up. She ends the book on the sentence, “You could call this self-hood many things. Betrayal. Metamorphosis. Fatality. Brutal. I call it an education” and that signifies how an education can help you decide a better future for yourself.

10. Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear

James Clear focused on writing a book that goes deep into every single step of habit creation from a practical point of view. At the end of the day, who we are and what we will achieve depends so much on these small habits that we do every day. James Clear argues, that focusing only on improving those habits will lead to much bigger changes and accomplishments.

11. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

This book is not just about a bank robbery, hostage drama or about love between people — it is much more and beyond that — the contents are not similar to one of those “read, enjoy and forget” mystery, crime or romance thrillers — it is important to start this book with the right expectations, as it will make more sense and will be more valuable. This was how a bank robber failed to rob a bank but instead managed to spark a hostage drama. Life doesn’t always turn out the way you expect. This is a story about a bridge, and idiots, and a hostage drama, and an appointment viewing. But it`s also a love story. Several, in fact. But, then this book is for everyone — with a message — Don’t give up on yourself and on your loved ones — there is light at the end of the tunnel.

12. A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

This is one of those stories that will dig in deep and make you want to scream at the cultures that undervalue women. We know we are different — physically — but that’s where it stops. Putting my anger aside, this is a beautifully written story of two women who have migrated to America from Palestine and a daughter born in America. The struggle of upholding traditional customs while assimilating into a new culture. Rum captures voices of traditions, secrets and shame; Loneliness and depression. She is both credible and passionate.Told from three perspectives from three generations, these cultures treat their women as possessions; their intelligence undermined and shame is perpetuated because they are less than their sons, brothers, husbands, fathers. This one made me weep. I cry for you Isra and the other women who continue to be treated as anything other than an equal. May you find courage to defy customs and continue to fight for change.

13. What Kind of Woman: Poems by Kate Baer

It is not often when you come across a collection of poems that just speak to you. What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer is a collection of poems broken up into three parts. Part one is being a woman. Part two is being a wife. Part three is being a mother. While these poems really speak to women, they are for everyone. It can be an experience in the minds of women. This was a short but an intriguing read.

14. No Filter: The inside story of how Instagram transformed business, celebrity and our culture by Sarah Frier

This is the story of the founding of Instagram, with a narrative based on numerous interviews with employees there and at Facebook. And, because Instagram was so quickly acquired by Facebook around the time of the 2016 election, this is also the story of Facebook. It tracks IG’s evolution from a minimalist photo-sharing app to the cluttered mess we see today. It provides a lens to look into the paranoid, growth obsessed world of social media. It is a story about politics, ego, celebrities and culture.

15. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle is a compelling memoir. It’s no stretch to say Walls had an unconventional childhood. It’s part adventure, part how do I live through this and make it to the next day. Walls’ matter-of-fact tone makes an account of her childhood effective and keeps it focused on the events which both brought her family together as well as those which tore them apart. She is not a victim in this memoir. She doesn’t ask for sympathy for herself and she doesn’t blame her parents for how she was raised (much). In fact, she finds parts of her parents’ behavior (when not bordering on outright neglect) admirable. Walls easily could have talked about any of several traumatic experiences and how she was scarred by them (and perhaps is still working through issues). If she had gone that route, The Glass Castle would have been a completely different book. Still, by the end of this memoir, the reader marvels at how Walls (as well as her siblings) escaped their parents while still maintaining a relationship with them. An amazing read!

Thanks for reading. Hope you do pick up a book from the mentioned ones above. What were your favorite books from the year?

Happy New Year!

Complete list of books I read in 2020: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/19940937

Year in Books — 2019:

https://medium.com/amateur-book-reviews/year-in-books-2019-bc2a13b17056

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