Hello Bookworms! Have you run out of TV shows to watch? Are you feeling bored being at home? Instead of binge watching, try binge reading! Reading is not only great entertainment but also an excellent stress reliever that will take your mind off things. According to Real Simple, reading has been scientifically proven to increase one’s intelligence, empathy, and fight against Alzheimer’s disease. It’s true, those who read regularly and stimulate their brains are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Since the start of the global pandemic, several people have adopted new hobbies or resumed old ones, such as reading. With technology at our fingertips, we forget the feeling of holding a real book, and the smell of a real book which can stimulate the senses, and bring back nostalgia and fun memories! To kick start your reading habit or to add to your future reading list, here are 7 must read books of 2020 recommended by our Zaftan team.
1. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. This coming-of-age novel will make you never want to stop reading. Barnes and Nobel describes it as “a story of identity, family and home…” as it is the story of twins and the dynamic of both of their separate lives and families. The novel even makes you think about your own life and where you are going with it. HBO has picked up on this buzzing bestseller and is planning to create a series out of the novel. Definitely, pick up or order yourself a copy of The Vanishing Half so you can read this novel before the series comes out!
Photo Credit: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/576782/the-vanishing-half-by-brit-bennett/9780525536291/readers-guide/
2. A Burning by Megha Majumdar. This thriller will keep you on your toes, page by page! The story is set in India and addresses the intensity of power and the limits people will go to get it. It opens your eyes to humanity and the faults that accompany it. GoodReads highlights that A burning has a “…components of a thriller: class, fate, corruption, justice, and what it feels like to face profound obstacles and yet nurture big dreams in a country spinning toward extremism”. Overall, Majumdar’s novel is a definite contender for one of the top books of 2020 and should definitely be added to your read list.
Photo Credit: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46250106-a-burning
3. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. This New York Times Bestseller is a story about about race and privilege. It focuses on Alix Chamberlain, a mother, and Emira, the young black babysitter that watches Alix’s daughter. One day Emira is accused of kidnapping Alix’s child. This novel shows the complexity between Alix’s and Emira’s relationship and how they deal with the problem at hand. The novel also has lighthearted tones with the the introduction of romance with Emira’s love interest. Such a Fun Age is an entertaining meaningful story that is impossible to put down.
Photo Credit: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43923951-such-a-fun-age
4. Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener. This modern memoir dives into the lives of the millennial and their pursuit for a meaningful career. The novel follows Anna in her transition from a publisher in New York City to dropping it all for a data start up in Silicon Valley. This memoir is a peak into the life and environment of Silicon Valley and the hunger for success and power within the circle of “start-ups”. GoodReads calls Uncanny a “cautionary tale, and a revelatory interrogation of a world reckoning with consequences its unwitting designers are only beginning to understand”. This story is a very interesting read and a great look at the start up and tech world.
Photo Credit: https://www.amazon.com/Uncanny-Valley-Memoir-Anna-Wiener/dp/0374278016
5. Weather by Jenny Offill. Weather is a novel highlighting the worlds battle with climate change. The story is about a librarian and her family as they are stuck in their Brooklyn apartment quickly. Lizzie Benson the librarian quickly obsesses over climate change and the world outside her windows. Not only is this read entertaining but it is also awakening. Vanity Flair claims “…its call to action and slightly hopeful conclusion place it in the pantheon of literature on the already-arrived climate crisis, a canon that will only grow more urgent as time goes on”. If you enjoy a mix between fiction and nonfiction, this novel is the perfect read for you.
Photo Credit: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37506228-weather
6. The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. If you are looking for a fun read, this is it. The Heir Affair is a fictional tale inspired by Prince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship. This novel is packed with love triangles, scandals, secrets, and of course day to day royal life. Vogue comments how the two authors, Cocks and Morgan seem to have a habit of “…predicting real-life drama” in their novels. If you are a fan of the royal family, non-stop drama, or even romance, The Heir Affair is the book for you.
Photo Credit: https://www.amazon.com/Heir-Affair-Royal-We-Book-ebook/dp/B07YSNBRV7
7. The Nightwatchman by Louise Erdrich. All history lovers listen up because this story is the perfect fiction novel with a historic touch. The Nightwatchman is a story about the author’s grandfather who was a night watchman and as GoodReads explains “carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington D.C.”. This novel evokes all emotions and illustrates love, death, humor, and time. The Nightwatchman is the perfect story to keep you on your toes and never want to stop reading.
Photo Credit: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Watchman-Louise-Erdrich/dp/0062671189
This is the perfect time to pursue a new reading hobby if you aren’t already an avid reader. Put down your phone and put down the remote, crack open a new book and enjoy! Reading takes your mind off the stresses of life and is a great way to stay entertained when you are stuck at home. These 7 books are some of the bestsellers of 2020 and are all unique in their own way. A great way to to read these novels is to start your own book club. Reach out to your friends and family and start you club via zoom or social distanced gatherings. Visit book stores like Barnes and Noble or order your favorite book from this list online! Share your favorites with us on social media!