This is the biggest flex of my 2020, but this year I have finished 35 books so far and hope to finish 40 (plea to myself to stay disciplined). Honestly, this is the best habit I integrated into my quarantine routine. I was intentional about keeping my mind stimulated over the summer and finally checking things off my list to mitigate the feeling of being stuck at home. Reading felt like a better use of my time than Netflix and gave me something to do in the long hours at home with nothing to do.

I lost my Kindle earlier in 2019, so I asked for that in return for missing the rest of my study abroad (how many times will I write about my study abroad in this series?).

Here’s a list of what I read, my ratings (out of 5 stars), and the links to the books!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I was happy to finally finish this monster of a book, not one that I would recommend to start your dive into reading again, but I loved the movie and managed to push through. I found that reading books with movies allowed me to consume more time out of the free time that I had, but also be more excited to read.

Becoming by Michelle Obama (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I also tried to diversify my genres. I was intentional in choosing interesting non-fiction pieces. This book has been one I’ve been meaning to read, so out of my long book list, I thought this one would be able to sustain me and empower me to read more. I am glad that I did wait some time to get the book instead of waiting over 20 weeks on Overdrive for a copy.

They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

This one came highly recommended from my younger sister. I tried to read books that I already had at home or ones that I could donate after having read them. Of course my sister decided that to counter this effort, by buying brand new books with colorful covers. To stop myself from going on a book spree, I just decided that this now counted as a book that was at home and read it. I understand its ratings and quick rise to fame, but it was an easy read that I finished outside on a Saturday day in July.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

This was actually a book I had at home, so I was relieved to read it. Honestly, I don’t know where it came from, but it took me at least 100 pages to get into the book. I had to read some reviews online to finally understand that the book is narrated by Death for a portion of the book. It ended up being one of my favorite books thus far. I am glad I read this and added a historical fiction onto my list.

The Assault by Harry Mulisch (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I don’t think this is a very popular book, but this is a novel I read in high school and one of those things where I wanted to see how the story changed after a few years of having forgotten about it. I was also starting to go through a slump, so reading a book where I already knew the story, helped me keep my reading momentum. It’s still a fantastic read and I went back to read some of the essays I wrote about it, I have to hand it to my eleventh grade English teacher for not roasting my writing abilities. I nearly sent him an email apologizing, but refrained, because I know he would say to value the growth I have experienced since then, and he would have said something about the state of the Denver Broncos (long story).

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I had bought this a couple years ago after reading TKM in ninth grade, but never got around to reading this book. This was at the height of the BLM protests in the summer. I was really conflicted about what to read, and this was one that opened my eyes organically to the systemic racism in America. I think I identified with Scout a lot, I was quick to react and never analyzed the whole situation. I resonated most with this quote….

“I was taught never to take advantage of anybody who was less fortunate than myself, whether he be less fortunate in brains, wealth, or social position; it meant anybody…”

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

I made me reflect a lot about my own beliefs and policies and facilitated a lot of conversations with my parents.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (⭐️⭐️)

This was one that we had at home. It was fine, I didn’t enjoy the story enough to watch the movie. It was a fine story, all about an apocalyptic world, but it isn’t a genre that I love and I don’t find it that interesting. Glad I am reading more books at home, but this was one disappointment.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I admit, I wanted to read this because of the Hulu show that came out based off of this book. My sister read this first (one of her book purchases, mentioned in #3) and liked it a lot. I didn’t have the same experience. The plot was underwhelming and I didn’t find it particularly well written, but I did want to read more books from AAPI authors and this was on my list. I am hoping to read more books from this author and hope it will be a better experience.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

This was a book that I skimmed in 8th grade. Nothing left an imprint on my brain and I basically read it for the first time. I think my school had an event with Maya Angelou, I’m not sure what it is, but it is something that sparked my interest to read this book I had in my Kindle library. This is about when I discovered my local library card/OverDrive/Libby. It opened up myself to more books to read and began most books on my list.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I thought this was interesting to read after having read The Book Thief earlier in the year. I ended up reading this on my Kindle. I liked how this had a love line because many of the books I have read up until this point didn’t include a love story. It was a nice change of pace. I found the writing really familiar (in a good way) and it was easy to read. I loved the ending. I hope to visit Auschwitz one day when we can all travel again.

PART 2 COMING SOON

Happy Reading

JLee