Gen’s 2020 Reads: Another Book on the Shelf Year in Review

Looking back at 2020, I just kind of sigh and think, “Well, that happened.” It’s been a weird one, not just because of the obvious challenges, both personal and collective, that we’ve all faced this year, but because it also had some really good moments tucked in amongst the bad. Including some really great reads.

For one thing, so many incredible books came out this year! I’m normally way behind on new releases, but I managed to get my hands on some (and actually read them!). My TBR list exploded and I have so many new authors on my radar, which is amazing. I also wrote quite a bit and at the very least hammered out some more of the details of the novel I’m working on. And of course, the podcast, which has allowed me to maintain some semblance of human connection, creativity, and, importantly, a schedule amidst unemployment and varying levels of lockdown. 

Here are some of the highlights.

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3 Favourite 2020 Reads (In No Particular Order)

1. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

This book. THIS BOOK. Ever since I was a kid I have been obsessed with the idea of finding doors to other worlds, so I was probably always going to love this one. But the addition of stories within stories, like a Russian nesting doll of tales wrapped up in a mystery was more than I ever could have asked for. This one is truly, “For those who feel homesick for a place they’ve never been too.”

2. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

I can’t wait to continue reading everything Kacen Callender has ever written. I don’t normally go for contemporary YA, but I’m so glad I decided to read Felix Ever After. Reading it was a pure delight. It’s a story about navigating identity alongside the final stretch of high school when we spend so much time looking forward. It’s about friendship and found family, alongside a slow burn friends to lovers romance. It grapples with the difficulties of gender and sexuality in a world that can be hateful, but wraps it all up with queer joy by the end. 

3. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist and a member of the Potawatomi Nation. In this collection of essays she combines science, memoir, and an Indigenous worldview to interrogate the ways we relate to the natural world. She asks questions, provides some answers, and offers hope in a world that capitalist colonialism continues to destroy. I already know I’m going to read this one again. It reawakens a child-like wonder for the world in prose so lovely that it aches at times.

2 Good Things That Happened in 2020

1. While it’s been a year of seeing my friends far less than usual, it’s also been a year of finding creative ways to hang out. I marked summer and fall by outdoor afternoon dates with my friend Riley. We met at a lovely spot on a fallen tree in one of Toronto’s many wooded areas. In November, I spent a weekend at a cabin in Haliburton County with my sister and my friend Rachal. It was the perfect break from the city. And it’s probably not something we would have done if we’d been able to travel like normal.

2. I have been talking about rearranging my bedroom for literal years. This year it finally happened. It turns out that spending months on end in your apartment with nothing but time is the perfect motivator to finally arrange your room the way you want it. I still have a few things left to do, but I got a new dresser unit and added a desk. It’s made a world of difference. Now I love spending time there.

1 Book I read Because Bookstagram Made Me Do It

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I was actually a bit late picking this one up compared to the rest of Bookstagram, but I also wouldn’t have read it if I hadn’t seen it all over my feed. Usually, I don’t go in for contemporary romance type books, but oh, man, did this one deliver. I loved every bit of this book. I read it poolside at my parents’ house this summer and I can’t think of a better summer book. The relationship between Alex and Henry develops so naturally and I’m generally not sappy at all, but I can’t think of anything more romantic than sending love letter emails back and forth with snippets of historical love letters woven in. As far as 2020 reads go, this was one of the highlights.

2020 Goodreads Goal

My goal this year was 50 books (set after my overreach of 75 books last year). I hit that goal in September and for a moment thought I might actually hit 75 this year. No dice. My reading fell off significantly mid-way through October. It usually does, but I thought I might avoid it this year, what with being substantially less busy than I have been in past years. Maybe it hasn’t been year-end busy-ness that slows down my reading, but has actually been the loss of daylight this whole time. Still, I will very likely hit 65 books this year. That’s more than I’ve read in past challenges, so I’m filing it under 2020’s small victories.

Writing in 2020

I went into 2020 with the intention of finishing the first draft of my YA witch novel and for the first couple months of pandemic lockdown I actually managed a fair chunk of it. I wrote more in April and May than I did in all of 2019. The summer, as it always does, ground me to a halt. I am not a warm weather creature. Still, I worked out most of the main plot points for the latter half of the book. I’m feeling prepared to bang out the rest. I’ve also, very tentatively, started journaling again. We talk a bit about this in our NaNoWriMo episode, but I’m determined to make this a habit. Let us know your journal habit tips if you have any! Drop us a comment below or email us at hello@anotherbookontheshelf.com

Looking Back at 2020 as a Whole

If I were going to sum up 2020, I’d say it’s been a year of missing people. This will be only my second Christmas ever not in Ottawa. Jette and I have only seen each other in person twice (!!!) since February. I’m thankful for the way technology has allowed me to stay connected with people, but I’m looking forward to seeing people in person. Hopefully soon!

Another thing I miss is bookstores. I miss browsing the shelves and tables and staff picks. I miss picking up books just because the cover caught my eye. Bookstagram has been great for discovering new titles, as always, but I miss the serendipitousness of finding something unexpected on a shelf, like it was waiting there for you. 

2020 also gave me a chance to slow down, which is something I’ll always appreciate, even if it also came with loneliness and restlessness at times. I have a greater appreciation for the simple enjoyment of things like popping into your favourite cafe and hugs from friends. As soon as we can do those things again, I’m going to indulge whole-heartedly!