Books! Books! Books! (Lots of Books in 2020)

In this most unusual year, I immersed myself more than ever in books—physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks. They provide an escape, food for the imagination, topics for conversation, and prompts for further thinking.

More than ever I am grateful for my public library, which quickly moved from shutdown to contactless pickup. It’s pretty amazing to request a book from the entire library system and within a few days get a "ready for pickup" email. Some books entail a longer wait, but that just adds to the enjoyment—you get the anticipation as well as the actual experience!

I recognize that I am not a very ambitious or intellectual reader. Most of my reading is pure escapism (detective stories!) with some general fiction, historical fiction, and nonfiction thrown in. As always, my list includes a number of re-reads. Sometimes I just needed the stories that are like a warm blanket, predictably comfortable and comforting.

This is the first year I hit 100 (plus), but it wasn’t an intentional goal. I simply found more occasions to read and immense joy in reading.

So here it is—My Year in Reading (2020)

FAVORITES

• THE LOST MAN, Jane Harper. Totally enthralling thriller/mystery, at heart a family drama and so well written. Tragedy, personal challenges, beautifully drawn and believable characters, and a hopeful finish. I absolutely loved this book. (And the setting in the Australian outback brought back my teen years devouring Australian romance novels.) My only regret is that I have now read all 3 of Jane Harper’s books (all wonderful), and it will be a long wait before I can read another!

• THE COLD COLD GROUND, Adrian McKinty. First in a detective series set in 1980s Belfast, amid the Troubles, featuring the flawed but fantastic police detective Sean Duffy. Very, very good! Dark but with flashes of humor based on a cast of (mostly) likeable characters. The entire series was outstanding.

• SAY NOTHING: A True Story Of Murder And Memory In Northern Ireland, Patrick Radden Keefe. A wonderful companion to the Sean Duffy series. Complex, mesmerizing slice of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland, featuring both prominent and little-known people who were active and/or affected and great investigative reporting. This recent history (1960s–2000s) has already been rewritten, so it is relevant and powerful to uncover the story and the people involved. I listened to the audiobook, read in a Belfast accent that added more power and authenticity. (Thanks to Kit McCarthy for the recommendation.)

• THE WORDS OF EVERY SONG, Liz Moore. An unusually structured novel—really a series of independent vignettes of characters that overlap from one story to another. The central theme is the music scene in New York, and the protagonists are musicians or producers or otherwise entangled in the industry along with their friends and families. I loved how additional stories deepened and rounded out the characters of people who’d been previously introduced. A very satisfying read.

• AN ACCIDENTAL DEATH, Peter Grainger. I feel so fortunate to have discovered this British detective series—not just for the absorbing police procedural details, intricate plots, and wonderful characters, but for the truly excellent audiobook narration. The main character, DC Smith, is a somewhat curmudgeonly police veteran with a nice line in irony. Surrounding characters are just as good. Landscapes and interiors are richly described, and each mystery unfolds slowly, just as I expect is normal in much police work, with each additional detail painstakingly uncovered and added to a growing pile of evidence.

• THE DUTCH HOUSE, Ann Patchett. This book was an immersive experience, much of it told in conversations that unearthed memories and revealed the characters. The story threads are woven together most satisfactorily at the end. There is some sadness, anger, hurt, but also a great deal of love in this family saga. Bonus—I listened to the audiobook, which was beautifully performed by Tom Hanks.

• LONG BRIGHT RIVER, Liz Moore. Sad but ultimately hopeful story about a Philadelphia family wracked by addiction and how it affects two small girls who grow up with very different coping mechanisms (one a cop, one an addict). Pretty good mystery story, characters I rooted for, and a few rays of hope at the end. (Recommended by Kathy Cotnoir.)

• IRON LAKE, William Kent Krueger. First in a series … former sheriff Cork O’Connor deals with a troubling mystery in the small town of Aurora in the Boundary Waters area of Northern Minnesota. This expansive series (I’m still reading!) offers fascinating insights into Native American culture and I’ve found every one to be a rewarding read.

• THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE, Erik Larson. Larson is a master at uncovering personal details that illuminate historical figures (in this case, Churchill, Roosevelt, Hess, even Hitler along with a host of lesser-known but fascinating people)—their strengths, quirks, frailties, and connections—so that we see them as humans in the context of world events. With engaging characters and short chapters, the book is a delight to read and held my attention for all 500+ pages.

• ANONYMOUS SOURCES, Mary Louise Kelly. This fast-paced mystery features an intrepid reporter and her adventures in Boston, England, and Washington as she uncovers and foils a terrorist threat. (Bananas … who knew.) The author is a reporter/NPR anchor, so she has the background (her reporting specialty was national security), and it was fun to hear her voice in my head as I was reading her book.

• ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE, Louise Penny. It is such a joy to immerse myself, once again, in the world of Inspector Gamache. This time, though, we are not in Three Pines, Quebec, but in Paris for a rich, deep, absorbing adventure that, at its heart, is a family love story.

• CHANCES ARE …, Richard Russo. This was such a good read! It’s a tale of 3 college friends, reuniting 45 years later and uncovering a mystery from their past. All about becoming who you are (it’s never too late!) and the power of love and friendship. My favorite quote appears almost at the end of the book: “He’d loved her then and loved her still … regardless … in spite of everything. Mickey and Lincoln, the friends of his youth? He loved them, too. Still. Anyway. In spite of. Exactly how he himself had always hoped to be loved. The way everyone hopes to be.”

HISTORICAL FICTION

• TRUTH LIKE THE SUN, Jim Lynch. Absorbing novel about the evolution of the city of Seattle as seen through 2 main characters: a charismatic politician who was the driving force behind the World’s Fair in 1962 and, 40 years later, an ambitious journalist who tries to uncover the truth about the fair, the politician, and the forces that shaped Seattle.

• ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS, Ronald H. Balson. Well-told tale of WWII Poland and present-day repercussions. Heartbreakingly sad in places but uplifting in many others. Wonderful characters. I really enjoyed this book and have added Zamosc, Poland, to my bucket list of travel destinations. (Thanks to Cindy Kraft for the recommendation.)

• THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES, Kristin Harmel. This book drew me in immediately … I loved the feisty current-day narrator and quickly became absorbed in her WWII story of forging papers to help French Jews and others escape to Switzerland. I did find some of the plot to be a bit convenient, but the story is well told and the ending very satisfying! (Recommended by Wendy Enelow.)

• THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM, Marie Benedict. Fictionalized account of the life of Hedy Lamarr, famous 40’s actress who escaped Austria before WWII, made a big splash in Hollywood, and—surprisingly!—co-invented a frequency-hopping radio-guidance system that later became the basis for some Bluetooth and wifi technologies. The book was OK, not deeply insightful, but I enjoyed learning about her.

• FAST GIRLS, Elise Hooper. Fictionalized telling of women on the 1936 Olympic team—how they strived and struggled and (mostly) succeeded in athletics in a time that was not kind to women or minorities. Not to be confused with nonfiction—some shifting of facts and lots of assumptions and characterizations—but well told and enjoyable.

• ORDINARY HEROES, Scott Turow. A WWII story, told from the POV of a soldier/JAG lawyer and, in modern day, his son who discovered old records that unearthed a most interesting history. I enjoyed the characters, especially Gita. The depictions of war (Battle of the Bulge) were horrifying and realistic.

GENERAL FICTION

• CONCLAVE, Robert Harris. Never would have thought a novel about electing the next Pope would be so riveting! Harris is one of my favorite authors and I devoured this book in just a few days. Intrigue, interesting characters, and fascinating details about the conclave process.

• INNOCENT, Scott Turow. I do love a good legal thriller/courtroom drama. This one is very skillfully told, and the characters are well painted. I understand this is one of a series of books featuring the same town and recurring characters, but it was perfectly enjoyable as a standalone.

• THE HOTEL NEVERSINK, Adam O’Fallon Price. Mostly absorbing and very well written, this book ultimately was quite depressing. It’s a family saga with long-buried issues and a puzzling mystery of missing children. I did like the literary technique of using different narrators to expose different experiences and viewpoints.

• THE LIKELY RESOLUTIONS OF OLIVER CLOCK, Jane Riley. Light and rather predictable tale of a middle-aged man finding his spine and improving his life. I really liked Oliver and the other assorted characters so enjoyed reading the book. The ending felt a bit rushed, much less developed than the other plot points.

• TWO STEPS FORWARD, Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist. A story of walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, told from points of view of 2 main characters who have issues to resolve. I found it difficult to keep track of the people who appeared along the journey and would appear again chapters later. Both main characters were appealing, and in their journey they grew and changed (and fell in love).

• A TOWN AND COUNTRY SEASON, Joyce Harmon. Surprisingly enjoyable Regency romance.

• YOUR PERFECT YEAR, Charlotte Lucas. Somewhat predictable but enjoyable tale of a rigid and fussy German man who learns to love and let go. A bit darker in spots than I had expected, but overall it’s a happy tale.

• EVENING CLASS, Maeve Binchy. This was such an enjoyable (re)read. The diverse characters are charming. As always, Binchy lets each person’s story shine in its turn, with connections crossing throughout the book.

• MARY STEWART: Pure pleasure re-reads of one of my favorite writers who sets each of her adventure/romance novels in a different land. While reading can’t replace traveling, in 2020 it had to do.

1. NINE COACHES WAITING. (Haute-Savoie, France … I read this book (again) just after I returned from that gorgeous region! It was early in the year, before travel restrictions.)

2. WILDFIRE AT MIDNIGHT (Isle of Skye, Scotland)

3. MY BROTHER MICHAEL (Greece)

4. THE MOON-SPINNERS (Crete)

5. MADAM, WILL YOU TALK? (Southern France)

6. AIRS ABOVE THE GROUND (Austria)

7. TOUCH NOT THE CAT (England)

NONFICTION

• A CITY SO GRAND, Stephen Puleo. Hugely enjoyable history of Boston from 1850–1900 and how it became a leading global city through the character, vision, enterprise, and inventiveness of its diverse people … how the city was shaped by enormous and transformative ideas and events (abolitionism, filling the Back Bay, first subway system, recovering from a major fire, discovery of telephone, medical advances, educational leadership). My husband was happy when I finished this book because I kept reading bits of trivia to him—fascinating to me, not so much to him!

• WHAT IT FELT LIKE: Living in the American Century, Henry Allen. This is a slim book of 10 essays, one for each decade of the 20th century. Evocative of an era, each essay brings forth the smells, sights, trends, foods, fashions, and feelings that (according to the author) represent the times. I loved the early chapters but felt some disconnect with essays from the last half of the century—my half! While I was aware of what the author writes about, I certainly didn’t feel the angst and despair that seem so prevalent to him in the latter decades. A thought-provoking read.

• NOBODY WILL TELL YOU THIS BUT ME, Bess Kalb. A touching recapturing—in stories and conversations—of a grandmother-granddaughter love story. An uplifting, sometimes tear-jerking read.

• THE WORLD IN FLAMES, Jerald Walker. Subtitled “A Black Boyhood in a White Supremacist Doomsday Cult,” this is a wonderfully written memoir. I found it when the author was interviewed in a weekly feature in the Boston Globe that asks writers what they’re reading. When he mentioned that he grew up in a cult, I was fascinated! The book did not disappoint. Written from the perspective of a child growing into adolescence, it details his family’s experience as members of a religion led by one of the earliest televangelists. While I can’t understand the submission to that authority figure, I do get that it provided a sense of belonging, structure, and sureness about the future that could be very attractive. By his mid teens, he stopped believing and currently teaches creative writing at Emerson College in Boston.

• LIFE ISN’T EVERYTHING: Mike Nichols, as remembered by 150 of his closest friends, Ash Carter and Sam Kashner. Not a straight biography, this book is an organized collection of reminiscences and anecdotes from the many actors, writers, directors, and others who knew or worked with Mike Nichols—from his earliest days as an improvisational comic with Elaine May through an incredible number of Broadway and Hollywood successes. Very interesting guy, very effective storytelling technique. I read the 300-page book in about 2 days over the holidays—what a treat to immerse myself in a fascinating read!

MYSTERY STORIES

• THE SENTENCE IS DEATH, Anthony Horowitz. A twisty, highly entertaining tale in which the author plays a key character in his own (fictional) murder mystery. I loved all the London and U.K. settings. I guessed a key plot twist but not the final outcome, so I was riveted all the way through!

• FORCE OF NATURE, Jane Harper. Wonderfully written mystery/thriller, greatly enhanced by the audio narration so that I could hear those Australian voices and picture the harsh bushland.

• THE BULLET, Mary Louise Kelly. Well-told and twisty tale of a long-ago secret come to life. Lots of action, many surprises, a satisfying ending—if not typical of most suspense novels that tie everything up in a neat package!

• THE GIRL BENEATH THE SEA, Andrew Mayne. Quite exciting story of a police diver and a stealth sub with half a billion dollars in drug money. I liked the characters and the south Florida setting.

• DEATH OF A PERFECT WIFE, M.C. Beaton. Delightful detective story featuring Hamish MacBeth, the amiable constable in a village in the Scottish highlands. Colorful characters and a well-paced plot. Listening to the audiobook was great … those Scottish accents!

DETECTIVE SERIES

• IAN HAMILTON (Ava Lee series). I continued my progress through the Ava Lee series, featuring a forensic accountant/martial arts master whose adventures take her around the world (mostly in Asia).

1. THE IMAM OF TAWI-TAWI

2. THE GODDESS OF YANTAI

3. THE MOUNTAIN MASTER OF SHA TIN

• JOE IDE (IQ series). What a treat to find this series starring private detective IQ—Isaiah Quintabe, a super-intelligent black man who lives in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles and gets involved in cases small (neighbor’s lost cat) and momentous (murder, coercion, gangs, and general mayhem).

1. IQ

2. RIGHTEOUS

3. WRECKED

• PETER GRAINGER (DC Smith series). As mentioned under “Favorites,” this author is one of my top finds this year. In addition to “An Accidental Death,” I completed all of the other titles in this extremely satisfying series.

1. BUT FOR THE GRACE

2. LUCK AND JUDGMENT

3. PERSONS OF INTEREST

4. IN THIS BRIGHT FUTURE

5. TIME AND TIDE

6. A PRIVATE INVESTIGATION

• PETER GRAINGER (Kings Lake series). Good news! While DC Smith has retired, the Kings Lake police force continues, with many familiar characters and some new ones. The author is particularly good at resolving all the strands of a mystery while still leaving character/personal story threads loose so that further books in the series continue to tell the characters’ stories. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

1. SONGBIRD

2. ON EDEN STREET

• M.M. KAYE. Another return to an old favorite, who creates atmospheric mystery stories set in British Empire outposts around the world during the 1950s.

1. DEATH IN BERLIN

2. DEATH IN KENYA

3. DEATH IN CYPRUS

• JACQUELINE WINSPEAR (Maisie Dobbs series). In this series, a woman in 1920s–30s Britain uses psychological insights (and detecting skills) to solve mysteries. Flashbacks to WWI add insights to the characters and the story.

1. MAISIE DOBBS

2. BIRDS OF A FEATHER

3. ELEGY FOR EDDIE

4. PARDONABLE LIES

• GEORGETTE HEYER. These are standalone titles rather than a series. It’s always a deep pleasure to revisit these witty and entertaining murder mysteries from a favorite author I’ve been reading since my teens.

1. BEHOLD HERE’S POISON

2. DUPLICATE DEATH

3. DETECTION UNLIMITED

4. THE UNFINISHED CLUE

5. WHY SHOOT A BUTLER?

6. DEATH IN THE STOCKS

• ADRIAN MCKINTY (Sean Duffy series). I was sad to finish because I absolutely loved every one of these books.

1. I HEAR THE SIRENS IN THE STREET

2. IN THE MORNING I’LL BE GONE

3. GUN STREET GIRL

4. RAIN DOGS

5. POLICE AT THE STATION AND THEY DON’T LOOK FRIENDLY

• WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER (Cork O’Connor series). The author does a great job of introducing new characters and settings without losing the people and places that are the core of this series. The good news is that I have quite a few more to read!

1. BOUNDARY WATERS

2. PURGATORY RIDGE

3. BLOOD HOLLOW

4. MERCY FALLS

5. THUNDER BAY

6. COPPER RIVER

7. THUNDER BAY

8. RED KNIFE

• LYNDA LAPLANTE (Anna Travis series). A series of British police procedurals from the author of the Jane Tennison/Prime Suspect books and amazing TV series.

1. ABOVE SUSPICION

2. THE RED DAHLIA

• AGATHA CHRISTIE. The master. Somehow I had missed these books of hers.

1. THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD

2. AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

3. CARDS ON THE TABLE

• ANN CLEEVES (Vera Stanhope series). I was very happy to dive into the life of the unconventional British Inspector Vera Stanhope. All of the characters—not just the recurring police—are fleshed out, given histories and motives and emotions that are entirely believable.

1. THE CROW TRAP

2. SILENT VOICES

3. THE GLASS ROOM

4. HARBOUR STREET

• SHERRY THOMAS (Charlotte Holmes series). This reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes legend is clever and good!

1. A CONSPIRACY IN BELGRAVIA

2. THE HOLLOW OF FEAR

• DICK FRANCIS. I got all-new enjoyment from listening to the audiobooks of these old favorites. The mysteries are excellent, the characters very likeable, the racing details fascinating.

1. ODDS AGAINST

2. WHIP HAND

3. SMOKESCREEN

4. IN THE FRAME

5. RISK

6. HIGH STAKES

7. BANKER

8. ENQUIRY

9. DECIDER

10. BLOOD SPORT

• PETER GRAINGER (Willows and Lane series). A new series from a favorite author. The main characters (both women) are interesting and the plots are action-packed. I like how the author doesn’t show all the cards … there is more to learn about the characters and their back stories in future novels in the series.

1. LANE

2. ONE-WAY TICKETS

WHAT'S ON TAP FOR 2021

More books, of course! I keep a running list of "possibles," and I typically have 2 or 3 books going concurrently—an audiobook that is my exercise companion, an ebook that I can read while waiting or (hopefully) traveling, and a "real" book that gives me the physical pleasure of turning the pages, marking my progress, and (sometimes) taking a sneak peek at the ending. One thing I know for certain, I will never run out of things to read. (Thank you, authors everywhere!)