A lot can be said about 2020. As much as I felt disillusioned about the world and like I lost some of myself (and still do), I also learned a lot about myself and reconnected with what makes me happy.
I was a kid who loved to read, to the point where I was disciplined by having books taken away. Over time, however, as life became busy, reading became less and less of a priority. Any free moment was instead spent watching TV or engaging with other forms of technology. This year forced me to turn back to reading, often out of boredom, and I fell back in love with the magic of books.
In 2019, I read 7 books. This year, I read 50 books exactly. Guess which year I had more free time?
Yes, there was a drastic shift in the number of books read, but this shift is more than the pages devoured. This shift is representative of reignited passion, of burning curiosity to learn new things and experience other perspectives. With that, I am excited to share a few of the books that impacted me this year and helped me not only to escape the realities of our world, but also process them and move forward.
The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World
by Melinda Gates
The Moment of Lift empowers me to consider all the amazing possibilities of my future and to empower other women too. First, Gates inspires me to define my own success and know my worth as a woman amidst other successful people, particularly men. She writes, “That is why we women have to lift each other up—not to replace men at the top of the hierarchy, but to become partners with men in ending hierarchy." I learned so much from this book about areas of injustice within our world and causes I never knew needed attention. It can be overwhelming to learn of so many areas in need of help, but also inspiring to watch the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation make a difference. I have the power to lift myself up as a woman and lift other women up too, educating myself and directing my attention to make a difference.
Before We Were Yours
by Lisa Wingate
This book reminds me of Where The Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens, another great book I read this year, but I actually preferred Before We Were Yours. It follows two storylines, one in 1939 of four young siblings on the Mississippi River, and one of today. A satisfying novel of piecing together the past, reconnecting with home and history. I highly recommend this book for it is simply a beautiful story with nuggets of life lessons and finding what really matters.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid
This book is amazing and enchanting. I'll keep this short because I do not know how to accurately describe what makes it more than just a fun novel. The characters are real and exciting, even more so because of the Hollywood glamour. Despite the glamour, we get to see important tales of love, and friendship, and loss. Please read this book. You won't be sorry.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
I love when books are nothing at all like you expect, and sometimes better. I thought this book would be about Aristotle and Dante, which technically it is, but not the ones you may think. Two boys in El Paso, Texas, who happen to have classical names, quickly become friends. They deal with guilt, anger, family connection, trauma, love, and discovering independence. The plot details of this book are already fuzzy to me, but key takeaways remain. Growing up, we may search for answers to all of our questions in life. Why are we here? What is love? Why do we love who we love? Why is there pain? Why do good people get hurt? How do we move on? Sometimes, answers may reveal themselves that we do not want to be true. We do not want to acknowledge pain and betrayal. We do not want to be different than the expectations of our friends and family. I guess that my lesson is despite all of the questions of the universe, life is still beautiful. We have to keep living and learning and wondering and accepting the unknown. And especially we have to keep loving.
The Mailroom: Hollywood History from the Bottom Up
by David Rensin
I read this book for a class on breaking into the entertainment industry. While it is quite long and I waited until the last weekend to read it, I read the entire thing. I didn't necessarily enjoy it; rather, I found it disheartening and frustrating to read at times. It is scary to read about the toxic and cutthroat history of the entertainment industry, dominated by white men. Although it made me nervous about finding a career in the industry, it also was very interesting and exciting.
The book follows key players in the mailroom at top agencies and their rise to the top. In my midterm paper, I wrote about one man in particular who stood out to me, Sam Haskell. He advises, “Whatever power I have is only because I’ve lived my life the right way, I’ve worked hard, I’ve had character and integrity in everything I do” (198). This emphasis was a refreshing break from the power of money, connections, and stepping on others to get to the top. Haskell also said he didn’t get into the business to get rich, although that is a nice perk: “I’m in it for the relationships with people I admire and to be able to help people with talent whom I dearly love” (198). I want to experience this same clarity and joy throughout my future career in entertainment. Of course, I hope to make money and be successful, but more than that, I want to be proud of the person I am and the relationships I make.
Girl, Woman, Other
by Bernardine Evaristo
Another short synopsis for this book, because I have no idea how to sum up 12 individual (yet connected) and captivating stories of women in contemporary Britain. An incredibly important read for me to learn about life as a woman of color, covering important social issues, privilege, creativity, love, and connectedness. I also love the unique structure and punctuation. It helped the long book read almost like poetry and kept me at a fast pace. I have so much still to learn, but this was a captivating place to start, exposing me to the vast stories and challenges of POC.
Honorable Mentions
A Little Life
by Hanya Yanagihara
A Very Punchable Face
by Colin Jost
The Song of Achilles
by Madeline Miller
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
by Susan Cain
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
by Elizabeth Gilbert
Looking back on the books I read this year, my reflections don't necessarily have to do with the content of the work, but also what the book meant to me and my life at the time. I am a very sentimental person and like to find a bigger meaning in everything, as well as attach memories to creative works like songs or books. They bring me back to a specific time or place. For example, I read a YA novel, Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone on the beach for my 19th birthday this year, and now combine my memory of the book with real life. The lines between fiction and reality are blurred, creating powerful feelings of wonder and gratitude.
I am proud that I read books across many genres. Fiction, autobiography, nonfiction, poetry, history, chick-lit, self-help, and classics. As I continue to rediscover my love for literature, I want to keep reading anything and everything because, of course, You can't judge a book by its cover.
In 2021, I do not want to put pressure on myself to read a certain amount of books. My goal will be 50, but I am hoping the year will be busier than in 2020. I am ready to make time for reading though, no matter what my schedule looks like because it is worth it. I want to read to learn and to experience the magic, out of love rather than obligation. Here's to all of the amazing reads to come.
Happy New Year, and Fight On!
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