Everyone loves a good list and there are no shortage of book recommendations from celebrities, media outlets and booksellers. I love looking at my overcrowded shelves and this year I added even more fantastic books. (FYI, the books I have read on the left and books I want to read on the right!) I had the wonderful opportunity to interview dozen’s of authors for the Q & A section of my reviews and enjoyed live discussions with many at my bookclub zoom meetings this year; what an honor to connect with so many brilliant writers and learn more about their stories and the writing process.
In addition to being a reading addict, I love my tv! Many times this year I watched shows that had similarities to the books I was reading and found this to be a fun coincidence! Below are some of my favorite books from this year of reading and some of the shows that complimented them.
Top Book Picks by Category With Honorable Mentions and Complimentary TV Shows
Creepy Relationships
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell – A student gets romantically involved with her professor
A Teacher on Hulu – high school boy gets romantically involved with his teacher
Orphans
This Tender Land by William Kent Kruger – Native American orphans on a journey during the Great Depression
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate – 1930s Tennessee children kidnapped and sold
The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix – orphan becomes a top chess competitor
Settings in Far Away Places
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips – two girls go missing in the rugged beauty of Russia
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy – a woman on a personal journey follows the Arctic terns to Antartica
My Octopus Teacher on Netflix – man on personal journey makes friends with an octopus in the South African Kelp forrest
Love and Fate
The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali – A love story in Iran that was foiled by politics
The Sight of You by Holly Miller – a love story foiled by knowledge of the future
Dash & Lily on Netflix – a love story foiled by timing
Beating the Odds
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré – a young Nigerian slave fights for her future
Fifty Words For Rain by Asha Lemmie – a young African American/Japanese girl fights for her future
Vietnam War
The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai – the Vietnam war and the impact on the Vietnamese people
Mystery/Thriller
Follow Me by Kathleen Barber – the perils of overusing social media
You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen – the perils of trusting people you think are friends
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam – unusual happenings breed anxiety
Honorable Mention
Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle – mysterious dead body and lies
The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim – mysterious dead body and lies
You on Netflix – perils of social media, trusting people, dead bodies and lies
Holocaust
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – tattooist at Auschwitz helped who he could and fell in love
The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner – mother and daughter separate to survive the war
The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer – attempt to save Jewish artists and their work from occupied Europe
Honorable Mention
The Unanswered Letter: One Holocaust Family’s Desperate Plea For Help by Faris Cassell – true story of a Viennese Jew who tried to escape the Nazis in 1939
Holocaust Survivor
The Life Ahead on Netflix – Holocaust survivor (played by Sophia Lauren) takes in a street kid who robbed her
Memoir
Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett – born into a cult and life during and after escape
Honorable Mention
Promise Me Dad: A Year of Hope, Promise and Hardship by Joe Biden – life of the Vice President during the time his son was ill and passed away
Group by Christie Tate – life of a woman who tells the personal benefits of group therapy
Indian Stories
The Shape of Family by Shilpi Somaya Gowda – family, Indian traditions, and a tragedy
Well Behaved Indian Women by Saumya Dave – relationships and Indian traditions
A Burning by Megha Majumdar – three characters and a catastrophe in India
Indian Matchmaking on Netflix – matchmaker sets up Indian Americans to date
LGBTQ
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne – the life of a gay Irishman
Memorial by Bryan Washington – relationship between a black daycare worker and a Japanese chef
The Happiest of Seasons on Hulu – girl tells her parents about her relationship with another woman
Schitt’s Creek on Netflix – family loses wealth and moves to motel; same sex relationship
Pose on Netflix – African American and Latino LGBTQ drag ball culture in NYC 1980s
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Netflix – girl moves across the country for a guy, friends are in same sex relationship
Class and Race
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – African American twins grow up and one lives as a black woman and one as white
Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West – African American family in Chicago; family, faith, race and class
Honorable Mention
Members Only by Sameer Pandya – Indian American college professor, white tennis club and racism
A Good Neighborhood by Theresa Anne Fowler – single parenting a biracial son and wealthy white neighbors
Just Mercy on HBO Max – true story of a young, black lawyer fighting for justice for the wrongly accused
Character Study and Family Dynamics
Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars.by Joyce Carol Oates – American family endures tragedy; touches on race, trauma, class, grief
Bloodline on Netflix – American family with dark buried secrets, mistrust and crime
Honorable Mention – Interesting Characters
What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez – woman agrees to be by the side of her dying friend
The Book of Jeremiah by Julie Zuckerman – short stories about a father, husband, Jew who tries to be the best he can be
Other People’s Pets by R. L. Maizes – an animal empath and her father are thieves
Honorable Mention – Family Dynamics
My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy – community and chosen family in the face of tragedy
The Sweeny Sisters by Lian Dolan – love, sisterhood and surprises
Her Sister’s Tattoo by Ellen Meeropol – family, loyalty and politics
Little Known History
The Third Daughter by Talia Carner – Jewish women trafficked into prostitution in Buenos Aires
Author Interviews 2020
Interviewing an author allows me the opportunity to dive deep into the story and characters with an inquisitive eye. Hearing more about the book from the one who created it gives us greater understanding and appreciation for the written work. I hope you take the time to check out some of the Q & As in the two links below to see what the authors have to say!
Book Nation by Jen Author Interviews
Author Interviews During the Pandemic
Popular Lists of Best Books of 2020
New York Public Library Best Books For Adults
Amazon’s Best Books of the Year
I’ve read many of these this year, and look forward to reading some of the others and also going back to your list when I’m looking for something new to binge on TV. Happy New Year and thanks for the terrific suggestions! Best, Christy Colasurdo
Thanks so much, Christy! Happy New Year to you too!