It's Halfway Through 2020. Here are 10 Books That Have Helped Me Survive.

2020 has been one wild, crappy ride. Between having major surgery, tornadoes, a pandemic, and a moment of racial reckoning, I have managed to read 44 books in the first half of the most tumultuous year my generation has ever born witness to.

That's why I chose books that wind up all over the place. I leaned heavy into fluff fiction and rom-coms, trashy memoirs, and ridiculous thrillers.

 

And I am not ashamed! Actually, given what I've learned this year, I am proud to recommend all of these books because there is a time when we just need to read for fun or read to escape.

 

Here are 10 books that have helped me survive the first half of 2020

(And because I don't think you need to read a full review to be enticed to read it yourself, these reviews are super short.)

Hollywood Park

by Mikel Jollett

If you want to feel very literary and hip, read this memoir by the lead of Airborne Toxic Event about his cult upbringing.

The Guest List

by Lucy Foley 

If you want an Agatha Christie whodunit that keeps you guessing until the very end, this is a fun one.

Such a Fun Age

by Kiley Reid

If you want to learn about racism through fiction, this is a quick read with a fab story that will leave you thinking.

A Witch in Time

by Constance Sayers

If you need a fantasy escape, this one you'll read like you did Twilight (in other words, super fast).

Station Eleven

by Emily St. John Mandel

If you want a literary escape from this current pandemic by reading about a worse pandemic, this one is for you. Plus, read it before you watch the HBO miniseries.

Beach Read

by Emily Henry

If you want a true rom-com beach read, then look no further than the aptly titled Beach Read.

The Wives

by Tarryn Fisher

If you want a can't-put-down over-the-top thriller (with polygamy), then The Wives will have you gasping and laughing at its absurdity.

Open Book

by Jessica Simpson

If you want the complete opposite of a literary memoir like Hollywood Park, then dive into Jessica Simpson's fun and scandalous memoir.

 

The Wedding Party

by Jasmine Guillory

If you haven't started the terrific rom-com series by Jasmine Guillory, what is wrong with you?

Be the Bridge

by Latasha Morrison

If you want to learn more about why racial reconciliation is so important, then this Christian perspective is a great starting point.