Can we all agree that January was just a 2020 practice session? Just some gentle stretching to prep us for the main event? I feel like I’m still getting my bearings, and that’s okay.
Since February is the new January, let’s talk goal-setting. I’m a big fan of the “look back in order to look forward” method. Elise Blaha Cripe shared this lovely structure in her newsletter:
Ask yourself
In the past year,
1. What did I do?
2. How did I feel?
In the next year,
3. How do I want to feel?
4. What will help me feel that way?
I love the emphasis on how do I want to feel instead of what do I want to DO. Our goals have a purpose in shaping our inner lives, not just achieving our outward accomplishments.
Today, I’m applying this to my reading life. In 2019, I read across a wide variety of genres and found some literary elements that really work for me. This made me feel like a well-rounded reader, and I’d love to carry that into 2020. So instead of just sharing my favorite books of 2019 (albeit a bit late), I’m also sharing what’s on my 2020 to-be-read-list, with a few notes connecting the dots between titles.
The fun part? This is a thread, which means you can add a comment and share one of your favorite books from 2019, and based on that, which book(s) you’re going to read in 2020. Struggling to find a readalike? We can reply and recommend books on this thread, building the 2020 TBR list of your dreams.
With the perfect combination of personal memoir and cultural analysis, strong voice, and feminist themes, these two essay collections were impossible to put down. I want to read more incisive-yet-sincere exploratory essays, so in 2020, I plan on picking up My Time Among The Whites by Jeanine Capo Crucet.
I had a hunch that investigative journalism would be my sweet spot in nonfiction, and this book verified it. My favorite part of Bad Blood, other than the completely bonkers true story, was when the POV switched to John Carreyrou detailing his experience breaking the story, the hurdles he jumped, and the lengths he went to bring truth to light. She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey is at the top of my 2020 nonfiction list for the same reasons: investigative journalism with a focus on justice.
Give me all of the mystery novels that explore important social issues in the most brilliant, character-driven ways, PLEASE. I found the Highway 59 series so compelling. (You can listen to a discussion on it here). I already enjoyed Long Bright River by Liz Moore, and I plan on reading more of Ausma Zehanat Khan’s work with The Language of Secrets.
Fairytale, myth, and classic literature retellings have fascinated me since I was just a little mini bookworm. There’s no shortage of titles in this category, but I’m really looking forward to House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, one of my favorite fairytales.
Most of my audiobook picks are YA or romance or mystery, something plot-driven and attention-grabbing. But I loved Lager Queen on audio. The story and characters captured me, the setting felt like home. Next I’ll try The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, since several friends have enjoyed following the main characters through Tom Hanks’ narration.
Hibbert landed herself on my auto-read authors list with this charming, bright, hopeful, contemporary romance. I plan on checking out her backlist this year, starting with The Princess Trap.
If you’d like to hear more about my favorite books of 2019, you can listen to this episode of He Read She Read.
Your turn! Click the button below to join in.
How did your reading life feel in 2019?
How would you like it to feel in 2020?
I can’t wait to see your 2019 favorites and 2020 TBR.
Loved The Lager Queen of Minnesota!!