Its been an interesting year, to say the least. Transitioning to full time remote work, socializing over Zoom virtually, masking up and social distancing, and trying my best to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Amidst all the chaos, there is one positive and that’s been more time to read. In 2019, I read two books. Yes, just two! Deux, Dos, Do. In 2020, that number slightly went up to 33. Wow, I’ve read 33 books since March 15, 2020. Even I can’t believe it at times. My initial goal was 12. Once I surpassed the initial goal, I kept upping that number from 12 to 15, 15 to 20, 20 to 25 and then finally 25 to 30. Proud to say (and brag) that I have surpassed my goal. I’ve gained a ton of general knowledge in the process. I’ve also read books I’ve had on my To Be Read (TBR) list for a few years. The mental break from electronic devices was a plus as well. Yes, I am part of that camp that still prefers physical books to electronic e-readers. For the record, I do own a Kindle e-reader but rarely use it.
I tried my best to read an eclectic range of genres and topics. From non-fiction to fiction and romance to blockchain, I tried to read about it all; did not try to limit myself. I asked friends for recommendations and also sought out recommendations online by notable people like Bill Gates. Reese Witherspoon’s book club was another inspiration. I also signed up for Book of the Month in the August; the subscription service opened my eyes to many more books and genres, more than I could have imagined.
Reading was my escape in 2020. My way to “travel” and “explore” from the comfort and safety of home. I often found myself staying up way past my bedtime to read just a few more pages or to finish off an intriguing book.
Like many others, recapping some of my favorite reads is a great way to reflect back on 2020 and how I spent a large chunk of my free time.
Now presenting a few of my favorite reads from 2020. Its hard to stick to just five or six. I may (or may not) have to come back with a second part featuring additional favorite reads of 2020. To be continued or not, let’s see.
- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
During the pandemic’s lock down in March, many of us found ourselves confined to our homes for an extended period of time. We were still able to go outside though even though a lot of non essential businesses were closed. Life was mostly indoors. Now imagine being confined inside your house for many years because your life depends on it, without a breath of fresh outdoor air. This is Count Alexander Rostov’s life in “A Gentleman in Moscow”. He is under “house arrest” and confined to the four walls of the luxury hotel called the Metropol. The Count attempts to make the most of his situation though. He enjoys the fine dining at the hotel (what a food connoisseur he is!) and forms important friendships with hotel guests, some life changing relationships. I think foodies will really enjoy the finer details and descriptive language detailing the Count’s various meals at the hotel. Daily rituals such as visiting the seamstress are seen as the highlight of the Count’s days, an attempt to have that human connection.
The Count is a prime example of someone making the best of their circumstances. This is a historical fiction read. I learned a lot about the Russian history, concepts such as the Gulag. The book was recommended by Gates and it lived up to every expectation. I think historical fiction emerged as one of my favorite genres in 2020. Love the blend of history with imagination.
2. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
I read A Man Called Ove a few years ago. I remember picking it up randomly and it became one of my favorite books. I recently watched the film by the same name on Amazon Prime. It was entirely in Swedish with English subtitles and true to the original story. I highly recommend watching it but only after reading the novel.
Similar to Backman’s other books, this one has subtle comic undertones but also deals with fairly serious issues such as mental health, marriage, relationships and isolation. It centers around a bank robbery that did not really happen (read the book to understand what that means) The actual focus of the story is on the relationships between total strangers confined to a single apartment building. This novel emphasizes that things are not always as they appear and that everyone is fighting their own battle. Super relevant in our current modern times. It encourages empathy for yourself as well as others. Backman’s writing and narration style is also unique. The testimonies at the police station can be a quite a fun riot and quite entertaining. Another win from Backman. I have to warn you that it does start out slow with a lot of build up to the main plot but stick with it – you will be rewarded.
3. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Another historical fiction read. Another book that takes place in a different culture and country. I had no idea what pachinko was prior to reading the book. I learned a lot about the game and the stigma and perception around it in Japanese culture. While this one is classified as a historical fiction novel, it does give a realistic glimpse into the lives of Korean immigrants in 20th century Japan. Like many immigrants, Koreans left Korea for Japan in search of a better life and economic well being. The book covers the trials and tribulations they faced when trying to assimilate into Japanese life. The novel spans many generations, focusing on Sunja’s life and relationships throughout the years. How she falls in and out of love and works hard to make a better life for family. Her relationship with her sister in law Kyunghee is one of the highlights of the novel. Its a wonderful display of female friendship and bonding, contrary to what many consider a typical sister in law relationship to entail.
I had this book sitting on my shelf for about two years before finally picking it up back in June. I’m sad that I waited this long to finally read it. Lee is a gifted storyteller and at some point, this book became a page turner. I couldn’t put it down and that’s always a sign of a good read.
4. Range: Why Generalist Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
Another Gates recommendation, this non-fiction read takes everything you read about in Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and flips it on its head, 360 degrees. This book counters the opinion that narrow specialization, specifically early specialization, is what leads to success in any given field. Epstein gives many notable examples of athletes and artists that had late starts in their given fields, that followed non-traditional and non-linear paths to success. For every Tiger Woods, you have a Roger Federer who played several different sports before focusing solely on tennis. Fun fact is that Federer was encouraged by his parents at an early age to play different sports. You’d be surprised at the non-linear trajectory and generalist path of the world famous artist Picasso. Throughout the book, Epstein gives many examples of when inter disciplinary domain knowledge led to ground breaking discoveries and bridged the gap between unrelated disciplines.
In my profession of Software Engineering, there is a never ending discussion on whether to specialize or generalize. Technology is constantly changing. Is it best to focus on one specific technology and go super deep into it and expand one’s knowledge across different technologies? Its an ongoing and continuous discussion. Personally, I’ve found expanding my horizons and learning different platforms and languages have made me a better technologist, have made me better as evaluating different types of software and discussing pros and cons. But I still need to prioritize what I want to focus on and deepen my knowledge on. So I prefer the specialized generalist track.
5. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Nothing like a bit of fantasy to escape the reality of 2020 and the “The Invisible Life…” helped us escape just a bit. What stood out for me is the time travel (over 300 years) and across many different continents. I love to travel but haven’t been able to in 2020. So I go to live a bit vicariously through Addie. Her life isn’t easy. In the early 1700s, she is trying her best to avoid a settled down basic life of marriage, husband and children. She strikes a deal of a lifetime and unfortunately it isn’t what she had expected. Addie finds herself immortal but forgettable. Imagine living forever and no one remembering who you are. It makes for quite an adventure. Until someone does finally remember which is what happens to Addie.
The novel was one of the hyped reads of 2020 and has pretty rave reviews on Good Reads. If you like fantasy and a bit of suspense, I think you’ll enjoy this as much as I did. On a personal note, there’s a lot of New York City in the story in a pre-pandemic world. Reading about the city, the subway, the parks and coffee shops made me miss the city and its vibrant energy even more.
6. Becoming by Michelle Obama
I don’t know why I waited so long to read this one. This was another one of those books sitting on shelf, waiting to be read. I am glad I finished this off in March. It is an eye opening account of the former First lady’s life and world. We may know and see a lot of her now but it was great to learn more about her early life – her humble upbringing, her parents, her hometown Chicago, the challenges she faced as a black woman at Princeton University, how she met Barack and was his senior at the law firm where they both worked. I think I enjoyed those historical tidbits the most. I also appreciated her honesty and her initial skeptical nature towards politics and Barack running for the presidency. Michelle supported him but was worried about her family at the same time. She faced a lot of challenges everyday women face in trying to balance their life between work, family and personal time. For example, Michelle talks about her challenges early on in finding enough time to exercise in the morning and eventually had to make it a priority for herself to find time for herself.
I can’t say anything else that hasn’t said about this non-fiction biographical read except to just read it. After reading it, do check out the Michelle Obama Becoming special on Netflix. It reiterates some of the points brought up in the biography but in a live action setting.