Hey readers!
I am so excited for today’s newsletter because I love reflecting on my reading life and putting great books into your hands. Today I’m doing both by sharing the best books I’ve read so far in 2020.
Before we get into that list, I have some important audiobook news. Starting in July Libro.fm will change their new listener offer from three audiobooks for the price of one to a two-for-one offer. They’re doing this to make sure more money gets to independent bookstores (which is great!), but if you’ve ever considered signing up, now is the time to do it! Use this link until June 30th to get three Libro audiobooks for $14.99 or use code “FICTIONMATTERS” at checkout.
This week in books.
This week I read…
The Odyssey by Homer. Okay, I didn’t read the entire book but I revisited the most important sections for a recording of Novel Pairings. I read Emily Wilson’s translation and it’s absolutely wonderful. She emphasizes how the original language of the Odyssey was casual, conversational Greek so she keeps her translation extremely readable and colloquial. I actually enjoyed the sections I read and was able to get caught up in the story in a way no other translation has done for me. That Novel Pairings episode drops on Tuesday, July 7th. Amazon | Bookshop
Three Aspen Lit Prize submissions. I read an intense novel about Japanese internment, a book that featured an Indigenous community in the Pacific Northwest, and a story about the Arab Spring. One of these I loved and the other two were pretty good. I’m very excited to keep reading through these books…they’re all so different and I’m enjoying the reminder of how many fantastic books are published each year that don’t get the same attention as the Big Books of the year. I’m also finding that I enjoy not thinking about what to pick up next, but just going down the list and pretty much going into these books blind.
Now I’m reading…
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi. Still moving through this one and learning so much. Amazon | Bookshop
Real Life by Brandon Taylor. I’m switching from audio to the paper copy of this one because the language is so lovely that I want to be able to savor it. Amazon | Bookshop
The Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein. I’ve never read the Lord of the Rings trilogy in spite of having a sister-in-law and two very close friends who love and adore it. We’ll be featuring the first book in Tolkein’s epic fantasy on Novel Pairings on August 18th. Amazon | Bookshop
My favorite books I’ve read this year.
I’ve read 65 books this year, which is insane. I set my 2020 reading goal at 75 books because reading 100 books last year felt like a little too much, but I’m now set to surpass last year by far. While I have read many wonderful 2020 new releases, I’ve also read some great older titles in recent months, so with that in mind, these are my favorite books I’ve read in 2020 so far.
The Best of the Best (my absolute favorites, new and old)
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. Amazon | Bookshop
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Amazon | Bookshop
Favorite New Releases (my favorite books published in 2020)
Favorite Backlist (best pre-2020 books that are new to me)
Favorite Nonfiction
Favorite Surprises (the books that exceeded my expectations)
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. Amazon | Bookshop
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Amazon | Bookshop
Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera. Amazon | Bookshop
Favorite Rereads
Beloved by Toni Morrison. Listen to the Beloved episode of Novel Pairings. Amazon | Bookshop
Emma by Jane Austen. Listen to the Emma episode of Novel Pairings. Amazon | Bookshop
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson. Listen to me discuss Jacob Have I Loved on the SSR podcast. Amazon | Bookshop
Passing by Nella Larsen. Listen to the Passing episode of Novel Pairings. Amazon | Bookshop
You can shop all of my favorite books of the year on my Bookshop.org storefront
Bookish reading.
This list of 25 books to read for Pride Month is a great one to bookmark and come back to as June comes to a close.
Read It Forward has some great summer reading lists up. This list of books to help you escape and this collection of novels that will transport you through time provide some great ideas for vacationing while staying at home.
I added a few books to my reading list from the New York Times’ list of 16 books to watch for in July.
Summer is thriller season for a lot of readers and these psychological thrillers sound intense.
Any Jason Reynolds interview grabs my attention and in this one he shares his reading list for young people in a time of crisis.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading James Baldwin and Langston Hughes reviewing each other.
Vox book club is reading Curtis Sittenfeld’s Rodham in July. If you’ve been waiting to read it, this could be the moment.
This article about Flannery O’Connor’s racism is an essential read for English teachers or anyone thinking about how to reckon with beloved author’s racist ideas.
Sally Rooney’s first novel is coming to the screen!
Novel Pairings.
This week, Chelsey and I are toppling your reading lists by sharing backlist pairings for 2020’s hottest summer releases. The following week, we’re getting really nerdy and talking all about Homer’s Odyssey.
End notes.
Watching: Lots of interviews with Brit Bennet! My friends Jaime of @absorbedinpages and Paris of @parisperusing got to chat with Brit on Good Morning America. And Jamise of @diversespines had a wonderful IG live with Brit that’s still available to watch on her account. I’ve loved learning more about how this novel came together.
Listening: I really loved this week’s SSR podcast about the first book of the Percy Jackson series. I was too old for this series when it came out, but I know I would have adored it had my childhood come a few years earlier.
Alright readers, wish me luck that I’m able to finish reading anything beyond prize submissions this week!
Until next Sunday, stay safe and happy reading!
Sara
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