20 Books to Read in 2020

20 Books to Read in 2020

Earlier this month I came across a blog where the author listed 20 books she planned on reading in 2020. What a great idea, I thought. I can do that too!

I usually read upwards of 45 books, so choosing twenty shouldn't be too hard. Of course it has taken me a while to get around to compiling that list, but I finally have a few titles selected. There is no guarantee that I will read or complete all of these books, and a pretty good chance that I will pick up several more novels over the course of the year, but this seems like a pretty decent place to start. Some of these are classics, some are brand new books just released, and others are books that friends have lent me. All of them are worthy of a spot on my bedside table though.

What are you planning on reading this year? Do you have any other suggestions for me?

A collection of books on my 2020 TBR pile

New Releases by Authors I Like

1. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern - I am already on my way with this one. Erin Morgenstern stole my heart with her first book The Night Circus. If her prose is anything like in her debut novel, I am in for a treat!
2. The Testament by Margaret Atwood - The queen of Canlit not only has a new book out, but it is the long awaited sequel to wildly popular The Handmaid's Tale. And so far, people are raving about it. Enough said.
3. The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs - This is the 5th book in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Series and definitely on my TBR list. I loved all the other fast paced YA novels and can't wait to get my hands on this one too.
4. Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak - When I come across an author that leaves an impression and see a new book by them, they often end up on my TBR list. Zusak wrote The Book Thief, which was also turned into a great movie. I hope this book is half as good as that.
5. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes - I can't help but like Jojo Moyes. She wrote Me Before You and several subsequent books in the series and they tugged on my heartstrings. A little romance and life changing pauses every once in a while are a good thing too.  

Book Club Picks

1. Educated by Tara Westover - Another book club selection, so I will be reading this one later this spring. I have heard great things about it this memoir, so I look forward to it.
2. The Overstory by Richard Powers - Not only is it a book club pick this year, but a good friend of mine highly recommended this book. Plus, it is about trees. Who doesn't love trees!
3. Even Weirder Than Before by Suzie Taylor - I am excited by this book, as not only will we be reading it in book club, but the author plans to Skype in when we meet to discuss her book. That always makes for an exciting meeting and adds depth to the book discussed.
4. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline - I have actually read this book before, but am quiet happy to revisit this excellent book again with my book club this spring. Thumbs up for anyone considering this one.

Recommended Titles

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - I know this isn't a new book, but it has great ratings and was at the top of a tonne of TBR lists a few years ago. Plus, my daughter has a copy of it, so we can swap notes on it once I'm done.
2. The Library Book by Susan Orlean - This book is based on the devastating fire at the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986 where hundreds of thousands of books burned to dust. It is also a deeper look into libraries as essential institutions and sounds like a fantastic read (especially for book lovers out there).
3. Lion by Saroo Brierley - A friend lent this book to me a while ago, so I have to push this closer to the top of the pile in the next little while. Based on the true story of a five-year-old boy who got separated from his family in India and managed to find them 25 years later sounds astounding.
4. The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff - This one was a Christmas present, so gets a spot on the list too. Set in World War II, and a New York Times bestseller, I suspect I will breeze through this novel in no time. 

Classics

1. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - Full disclosure, this book has been on my bedside table for several months already, but I do pick it up and read it on occasion. It is a classic and for all accounts, should be read. But I suspect it will still be sitting on my bedside table at the end of the year still. Hopefully many more pages in by then though.
2. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - Here's another book that many people have raved over, but I have never read. It is another thick one that might take a while to get through, but if the reviews have any merit, it should be a page-turner.
3. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald - I read this classic years ago, but figure this classic set in the roaring twenties is worth a revisit since we have re-entered the twenties all over again. How different does the world look 100 years on?
4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon - Another book lent to me by a friend. This one was also a Pulitzer prize winner, so definitely needs to read sometime soon.

ARCs

1. Real Life by Adeline Dieudonné - A few other books will have to wait their turn, as Real Life just arrived, but has inched its way to the top of my reading list. I will share a little secret, but don't tell. I will be part of a book blog tour for this one later this winter, so need to get reading on it soon.
2. Roxy by Esther Gerritsen - Grief with a twist. I can't resist. Plus, this book in translation is part of this year's Boekenweek tour, so on to the TBR pile for me. 
3. The Darkness that Divides Us by Renate Dorrestein - Another Boekenweek title worth reading. It has rave reviews, but we shall see what I think. You will hear tell this spring!

I have to admit there are more books on my book shelf waiting to be read, but these titles inch them out for one reason or another. There is always room for more books though!