What a year! 2020 was a pretty messed-up time, and even if the world situation didn't directly affect me in a big way, it did weigh on my mind a lot. And that in turn often affected my focus on the little things, like simple pleasures to pass the time. Books, for example.
While I read about thirty books or more the previous several years, I only finished eighteen books in 2020. It was simply a tough year for finding good books that I wanted to spend time with. I had several false starts... I'd buy something, get only a handful of pages in, then put it away for one of several reasons. Sometimes I'd be on my fourth or fifth sci-fi novel, only to realize I'd had enough of that for a while. So I'd give up on that book and seek out a genre I felt more in tune with at that moment. Sometimes it would take me a week or two to locate something. One or two weeks lost. That's a whole book (at the rate I read).
Other times, I would be partway into a good book, but then an even better one would come along. The anticipation of starting the second book would be killing me. I'd be so distracted by the thought of that new book that I'd set aside the first one and get going on the fresh one. I did that more than a few times in 2020. But in most cases, I made a point of going back to wrap up that unfinished book. I did abandon a few entirely, though.
So, between a general malaise, dissatisfaction with my choices, gaps of no reading (of books; I did keep occupied with magazines and newspapers), and distractions, it was inevitable that I'd fall far short of my old goal of thirty books per year.
Anyway, I suppose that looking on the bright side of this, I was at least picky enough to end up with a lot of very good reading entries in my book log. Whereas I might have read only a few exceptional books in previous years, 2020, even with its leaner book count, provided me with far more great reads. Over half of the books I read were really good, and well worth recommending.
Here are the highlights of my book reading year:
Motherless Brooklyn, by Jonathan Lethem - very fun detective novel about a NYC P.I. with Tourette's Syndrome
The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn - WWI female spy story set in France, based on true events
Exhalation, by Ted Chiang - compelling short stories by this modern-day sci-fi master
Hyperion, Dan Simmons - released in 1989, this stands among the giants of the sci-fi genre
Anthem: Rush in the 70s, by Martin Popoff - a cool & revealing bio of the Canadian power trio who invented progressive hard rock
Shadowplay, Joseph O'Connor - imaginative historical fiction about Dracula creator, Bram Stoker
Rust in Peace, Dave Mustaine - analysis of the metal album classic by Megadeth founder, singer and guitarist, Mustaine
Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music - fascinating autobiography; perhaps the best I've ever read
Old City Hall, Robert Rotenberg - fun & intriguing crime fiction by this Canadian author I just discovered
Arise, Sir Sean Connery, by John Parker - fascinating & revealing bio of my favourite James Bond actor
Confess, Rob Halford - Judas Priest vocalist (the Metal God) tells all in his absorbing memoir
No comments:
Post a Comment