12 books I read in 2020
In 2019, I was on fire with my reading and I achieved my goal of reading 24 books in the year. I boldly set my reading challenge for 2020 at 24 books again and I epically failed. In theory, it should have been a great year for reading as we spent so much of it unable to do much – no travel, no socialising – but it seems a year has been swallowed whole by Zoom meetings and hand sanitiser. I didn’t even bake any sourdough. Did I even lockdown?
However, I did ‘read’ 12 books. I put that in inverted commas because some of them legitimately had more pictures than text, but hey, they are still words pulled together around a theme. And I can mark them as ‘read’ on Goodreads and, therefore, they count.
1 The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray
At the end of 2019, I made a decision to actively cut back on my alcohol consumption. It had become increasingly clear to me that drinking disrupted my sleep, made me feel anxious and left me feeling lethargic the next day. To kickstart my #mostlysober2020, I read The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober and found it to be a interesting and informative read which really aided my mindful drinking.
2 The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse by Charlie Mackesy
If you haven’t seen Charlie Mackesy’s drawings yet, I’m pretty sure you must have been living under a rock. His feel-good pen and ink sketches with inspirational and heartwarming quotes have been doing the rounds of social media for a while now… and for good reason. This book is a beautiful, magical ride, but maybe don’t buy if you don’t like inspirational quotes or cute drawings (you monster).
3 Draw Your Day by Samantha Dion Baker
I have forever wanted to be that person with a journal sketchbook. Samantha’s book is a practical guide on how to create drawings of each day based on the everyday things around you – the idea is that something monumental doesn’t need to happen for you to capture it, it might just be a sketch of your morning coffee. I’ve actually seen some great examples of this in lockdown, where individuals have documented their lockdown experience or the changing view from their window. Great for people with a little more time than me – I definitely have too many hobbies.
4 Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
This is the second book in a series by Austin, which gives straightforward practical (and motivating) advice on how to be a creative and not get too caught up in your own head. The first book is called Steal Like An Artist – I read this last year (cx, link blog). This book is about putting yourself out there. All the books are quick and easy reference books, which you could easily read in one sitting or dip in and out of for short bursts. They are designed to get you thinking.
5 Irreplaceable by Julian Hoffman
I don’t cry easily at books, but this book by Julian Hoffman set me off. It’s a dive into the natural places, habitats and species around the world that are under threat and the people working hard to save them. You can read my full review here.
6 Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
It’s hard to explain the creative process, but Elizabeth Gilbert captured it perfectly for me. But this book is not just a description of that magic moment when inspiration hits, it’s a blueprint of what to do when it doesn’t and how to shed the preconceptions of what a creative person should be (you don’t have to be tortured, guys). You can read my full review here.
7 This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
This book based on the work life of a junior doctor was eye opening. I laughed, I gagged, I was horrified, I was sad – it was a whole wheel of emotions and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend not reading if you are pregnant or planning on ever having children.
8 Jog On by Bella Mackie
Every year, I read at least one book that should inspire me to take up running. I don’t really know why I do this to myself, but so many people love it I think it annoys me that I can’t find the joy or benefits to this (honestly) torturous activity. I enjoyed Jog On because Bella was a relatable narrator – unlike other running books I’ve read where it’s turned out that the central character actually used to be a track athlete or a trail running child prodigy, Bella is a running newbie who discovers running after a breakup. It turns out it helps her qwell her anxiety too. What I particularly enjoyed was the lack of focus on tracking how fast or how far she ran, and that when she saw something interesting on a run she’d stop to look or to get some cake. This is the type of running I can get behind.
9 The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
This is a story of loss, grief, acceptance and resilience. Raynor and her husband Moth unexpectedly become homeless in their 50s after a life together on their farm raising their two children. At the same time, they are working through a devastating health diagnosis. They decide to walk the South West Coast Path, partly because they don’t really have anywhere to go. Their journey and Raynor’s emotional arc make this an engaging read.
10 Keep Going by Austin Kleon
The third book in the Austin Kleon creative series mentioned above. A follow on from ‘Show Your Work’, this little book places the spotlight on how to ‘Keep Going’ when things might not be going to plan or you feel like giving up.
11 Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
I started reading Invisible Women knowing in general terms that we weren’t equal with men, but what I wasn’t expecting from this book is to have the data that backed up the anecdotal experiences of living in a world designed for them. Some of the things in this book will blow your mind. Women are more likely to be injured and die in car accidents, for example, because the safety testing is based on the average man or if you are lucky a mini version of the average man (spoiler: we’re made differently to the average man). Regularly prescribed drugs have not only not been tested on women, but some of them are now shown to have adverse effects in women for the illnesses they are handed out for. We work more hours for less money, but carry society through the unpaid work completed to keep everything working through family and care work. And don’t even get me started on the lack on intersectional data on women of colour. It’s bonkers, eye opening and absolutely enraging. Read it.
12 The Adventure Gap by James Edwards Mills
I’m continuing to lean in on my learning around diversity, adventure and the outdoors and this book has been on my reading list for a while. The predominantly African American ascent of Denali is documented in this book, but it’s also a deep dive into the varied backgrounds and motivations for being out there on the mountain. You can read my full review here.
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