Best 5 (+2) Read of 2020 … so far.
The one good thing about isolation has been the ability to fit more reading in. Sadly most of this was on Saturday nights when I should have been out raving or something equally exciting. Even better there was an unexpected number of 4.5 star reads amongst the pile. I expect a few of them will make my end of year top 10, so for now here are my Best 5 Reads of 2020 (so far) of those books published in the last 12 months. I’ve also included a couple of backlist bumps from books that were released before 2019. What is also exciting about this list — all the authors are women!
Girl, Woman, Other — Bernadine Evaristo (Female, UK // Published May 2019)
It’s funny to think that this powerful, urban feminist book was a tie for the 2019 Booker Prize with The Testaments — a whole other take on the role of women in society. Here, the novel is told through the lives of twelve different characters; mostly women, black and British and each with a tale to tell. There is love, family, gender, race, abuse, and adventure. Also a little bit of mystery. An instant winner with everyone who has read, and one that will engross you during these endless days of isolation.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World — Elif Shafak (Female, Turkey // Published June 2019)
The premise for this one is all in the title. Tequila Leila lays dying, and the science is that the brain stays working for about 10 minutes after a person’s death. So on this basis, it should be a short read, the narrative brings around deep, rich memories as each minute goes by. From a childhood growing up in her quiet Turkish town, her escape to Istanbul through to the Five Friends she meets along the way; the is both a memoir, mystery, and adventure. On the 2019 Booker Prize Shortlist.
Three Women — Lisa Taddeo (Female, USA) // Published July 2019
Holy F**K is on so many levels, the only way that I can describe this book. The only non-fiction title to make the list, Three Women is at first glance the true story of three different women in America and the role that men, sex, and power have played in their lives. More gripping than any made-up narrative, this one had me at the short and curlies from the start and didn’t let go.
A Long Petal of the Sea — Isabel Allende (Female, Peru // Published January 2020)
It’s actually a crime that this is the first book by Allende that I’ve read (quickly followed by reading her amazing debut House of the Spirits). From exiles of the Spanish Civil War through to the Chilean revolution, this deliciously rich narrative that follows a cast of fabulous characters in this great feat of historical fiction.
The Girl with the Louding Voice — Abi Dare (Female, Nigeria // Published 11 February 2020)
For those who know me — the release of this one had me at Nigeria, and I was not disappointed. I’d tipped this one as my top 5 most anticipated reads of the year, and now it’s a strong contender for top 5 of 2020. An incredible debut, it is the story of Adunni, a young Nigerian girl who wants her ‘lauding voice’ (ie to be educated), and what follows is an adventure that takes her from slave to runaway to wife. Narrated in Nigerian patois, this is a fierce book that will grab you from the start. As an aside, it also wins my unofficial best cover art of the list.
Backlist Bump
Where the Crawdads Sing — Delia Owners (Female, USA // Published August 2018)
This one feels like the American ‘Boy Swallows Universe’ in that it’s a book that everyone seems to have picked up in the last 12 months, and there are a rare few that weren’t instantly fans. A tale set in the marshlands of North Carolina, it is part coming of age, part murder mystery. The focus of this narrative is Kya Clark the so called Marsh Girl, and her intense, sad and ultimately fulfilling life often fuelled by incredible hardship.
Half of a Yellow Sun — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Female, Nigeria // Published September 2006)
I’m a little obsessed with Nigerian fiction and Adichie blew me away with Americanah — so this read was to get more of the backlist completed — and didn’t disappoint. Clearly a less polished and Westernised novel from Adichie, this novel focuses purely on the chaos of Nigeria’s history. From Biafra’s struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria in the 1960s and the ensuing violence. Through the lives of three characters, this is a deeply rich story that gives insight into a decade of Nigerian history.
