My Favourite Books of 2020

In this post, I will run through some of the best books I’ve read this year. I loved all of these for different reasons- some were educating, some funny and others were just enjoyable reads. I hope you enjoy my short reviews and might consider picking up some of these yourself. Enjoy 🙂

1. The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

I got this book out of my school library early in the year and thoroughly enjoyed it from the start. The book is set in 1920s New York and is narrated by Nick Carraway, a young man from Minnesota who is introduced to the enigmatic Jay Gatsby- who throws extravagant parties yet appears extremely lonely. I really enjoyed it and I loved the storyline and watching how Fitzgerald developed the character of Gatsby throughout the book.

2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Annie Barrows, Mary Ann Shaffer)

I watched the film of this last Christmas with my family and fell in love with the story immediately. It is set in the 1950s and follows a writer called Juliet Ashton who recieves an unusual letter from a pig-farmer in the recently German-occupied channel island of Guernsey. She eventually visits the island and it changes her life. Its such a warm and wholesome story about friendship and finding your true self. The film is brilliant but the book is even better- it gives you even more backstory and character development than you see in the movie. 

3. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)

This is my current favourite book of all time. It is a classic story about four sisters- Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy and their childhood friend Laurie- and it goes through a period of several years where the girls develop into women and their interests and ambitions fluctuate. It is a wonderful, warm and entertaining book that kept me gripped. I first watched the Greta Girwig film (2019) in January and read the book a few months later. Whilst the film is excellent, the book is even better- diving into even more detail about the personalities of the girls and their experiences growing up. My full review can be found at https://reginaldsramblings.com/little-women-a-review/

4. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

I read this classic during the height of the UK lockdown and what a read it turned out to be. It is set in 1920’s Alabama- a highly segregated and racist society- and covers the story of a black man wrongly accused of the rape of a white woman. It is told from the perspective of the defence lawyer’s daughter- Scout. It is a powerful and striking novel which shows the extent of racist beliefs that the community held, and how unusual this seemed for a young child like Scout. In her innocence and youthfulness, she presents her experience of living in this society with an interesting perspective- that of someone who hasn’t been alive for very long. The racism in the book, especially during the trial, is shocking and upsetting to read about, but it also clearly shows the historical struggles of the black community, and inspires us all to do more for racial justice. I highly recommend this book if you have not already- it is extremely thought-provoking and powerful. My full review can be found at https://reginaldsramblings.com/to-kill-a-mockingbird-a-gem-of-a-novel/

5. Neither Here nor There (Bill Bryson)

This is a piece of travel writing by Bill Bryson- an excellent author who has wrote several travel and science books. The book documents his travels across Europe- from Hammerfest, the northernmost town in Europe, to Istanbul on the Asian border. It is an extremely funny book and made me laugh out loud many times! For some light reading, I highly recommend any Bryson travellogue, but this is one of my favourites.

6. Little Fires Everywhere (Celeste Ng)

I read this as part of the ‘Ruby Reads bookclub’ on Facebook, which I am a part of. It is a book I usually wouldn’t consider but I read it anyway and it turned out to be amazing! It is set in a rich Cleveland suburb in the 1990’s and revolves around two mothers of different backgrounds and classes and their respective families. The novel looks at the relationships between the two families and how they get on and fall out with differing values and backgrounds. It is an excellent novel- thought provoking, enjoyable and informative and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

7. Freakonomics (Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt)

This was my favourite non-fiction book I read this year. It simplifies economics into basic problems that anyone can consider and understand, including why teachers provide false test scores to their pupils, information control and how this has been operated by the Klu Klux Klan and real estate agents, the economics of drug dealing and the differing socioeconomic consequences of naming your children. It is an informative and enjoyable read that explains strange issues and ideas through basic economics. I’d highly recommend this to anyone interested in economics, sociology or just how the world works.

8. Magpie Murders (Anthony Horowitz)

This is a murder mystery with a twist- its a story within a story- and it works to perfection. I don’t read many mystery novels but I listened to this on Audible with my dad. I thought it was brilliant- it contains a short murder mystery by writer Alan Conway which is missing the ending. After this, the novel switches to the view of the editor- Susan Ryeland. Alan Conway is then found dead and what ensues is Ryeland’s attempt to find out what happened, and if it relates to the murder mystery he wrote prior to his death. It is a fantastic, gripping read and I highly recommend it to anyone, whether they’ve read murder mysteries before or not. My full review can be found at https://reginaldsramblings.com/magpie-murders-an-intelligent-murder-mystery/

9. What a Flanker (James Haskell)

This is the autobiography of recently retired rugby player James Haskell. He used to play the same position as me, played at my favourite team (Wasps) and I’ve also met him in real life at his fitness book launch- he’s really friendly too! Haskell is one of rugby’s biggest personalities and shares the highlights of his career with us in this wide-ranging and hilarious book. He shares memories of his childhood, his failures and successes, tours with teams and his life as a professional player. It is a brilliant autobiography and a great read for any rugby fan.

10. Les Misérables (Victor Hugo)

Victor Hugo’s epic also makes it onto the list. It is a huge book- over 1200 pages- but it was totally worth it. I have watched the film but not the musical- though this is definitely on my bucket list! The book takes us through the life of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict in late 18th and early 19th century France and how he changes from the depths of crime and poverty to benevolence and weath and back again. Valjean is one of my favourite fictional characters ever- his morals, inner values and quality of character are unparallelled. He turns his life around and becomes the mayor of the town, only for his past to become realised and someone falsely arrested in his place. Valjean then escapes and starts a new life with Cosette- his adopted daughter. Marius then comes into the story- he is my favourite character in the novel- and then revolution is described in detail. At times Hugo’s immense digressions can be frustrating, but in my view they only add more value to the novel. I love the story and the detail and effort Hugo puts into the epic and it is definitley one of my favourite novels of all time.

11. The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding (Agatha Christie)

The final book on the list is one I read right at the end of the year. It is a collection of short murder-mystery stories by Agatha Christie- five with Poirot, one with Miss Marple. It is actually the first Christie book I’ve read, but I will be sure to read more. The mysteries are entertaining, intriguing and the solutions often lie in very unusual places. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and I’m sure any murder-mystery fan or beginner would too.