My Top Books of 2020
There’s a great quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that I love:
I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.
And so each year’s tally of books read make up my year as well. I’m always excited to look back and remember what I’ve read and how it’s shaped me.
Not surprisingly, 2020 was a pretty chaotic reading year for me. Only 37 books read, which might be an all-time low. Mostly this is because I spent nearly as much of my reading time thinking as reading—which is a testament to the books.
I didn’t move the needle tremendously on any of my reading challenges. No Pulitzer Prize winners read. And the only classics were Lord of the Rings. But I did read a few books on my histories-of-all-the-countries list, including books on Iraq and (currently) Egypt.
Most of what I read this year was research for my upcoming blog series on archetypal character arcs. It’s one of those subjects that, one you get started down the rabbit hole, you don’t want to stop. But I’ve nearly finished my pile. I’ve mentioned a few of my faves below.
Following you can find my top books of 2020: 5 Fiction Books, 3 Writing Books, and 5 General Non-Fiction Books.
But, first, the stats:
Total books read: 37
Fiction to non-fiction ratio: 10:25
Male to female author ratio: 15:22
Top 5 genres: Social Science (with 16 books), History (with 6), Fantasy (with 4), Romance (with 4), and Writing (with 4).
Number of books per rating: 5 stars (5), 4 stars (24), 3 stars (5), 2 stars (2), 1 star (0).
Top 5 Fiction Books
This wasn’t my best fiction year by any means. I sought out a lot of comfort reads, which although nice weren’t particularly memorable. Those that will be remembered are as follows (all links are affiliate links):
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling—Read 2-13-20
Excellent, beautiful, amazing ending to an incredible series. The ending, especially, is fantastic.
2. The Yellow Admiral by Patrick O’Brian—3-13-20
Wandering, as most of the books in the series are at this point, but still utterly beguiling and wonderful.
3. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien—8-27-20
Lacks something of the film’s multimedia majesty and some of the characters come off as less dimensional that I’d like—and, frankly, it’s a bit dull—but it’s a charmingly written and undeniably powerful entry into the trilogy.
4. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien—11-20-20
While totally bowing to the majesty of the story as a rightful and beautiful classic, I have to admit the first half about the Battle of Helms Deep did not live up to what I was expecting. The second half, however, chronicling Frodo and Sam’s quest with Gollum gripped me on every page.
5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab—5-28-20
Everything about this book is delicious—the setting, the characters, the magic. That said, it did feel a bit underserved and rushed. I felt like I read the first act, rather than an entire story.
Top 3 Writing Books
Although I always try to have bookmark in a writing-craft book, this year I counted all my archetype research as “writing,” even though most of the books were about psychology or personal development rather than writing. Those books included Joseph Campbell’s Hero With a Thousand Faces and Maureen Murdock’s The Heroine’s Journey. Of the books I read that were specifically about writing, I have three to recommend:
1. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron—2-19-20
A transformative and wise book that speaks to healing and growth that goes far beyond any particular pursuit of an art form.
2. If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland—11-12-20
Such a beautifully inspiring book on so many levels beyond just writing. The middle chapters get a little boggy with examples from Ueland’s writing students, but even they have insights to offer.
3. The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass—10-21-20
Solid as ever from Maass and full of great advice. One thing I always appreciate from him is that he never softsoaps the truth about what makes a story engaging—or not.
Top 5 General Non-Fiction
My non-fiction interests these days—aside from the archetype research—tend toward depth psychology, philosophy, and history—all of which are reflected in my favorites from this year.
1. A Little Book on the Human Shadow by Robert Bly—10-16-20
It is indeed a little book, but packed full of interesting psychological insights from the unique viewpoint of a poet. Chock full of thought-worthy ideas.
2. The Doctor and the Soul by Victor E. Frankl—11-22-20
The book in a nutshell: Life always has meaning. As so many have over the decades, I found this book deeply inspiring, thought-provoking, and reassuring. The (translated-from-German) language is dense and the subject is often technical, but I found it extremely readable and enjoyable.
3. Awakening the Heroes Within by Carol S. Pearson—8-9-20
Excellent. Twice as good as her first book The Hero Within. Full of insight into life archetypes and arcs.
4. The Dream of Reason by Anthony Gottlieb—3-16-20
Interesting and informative overview of early philosophy. Highly enjoyable.
5. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown—1-4-20
An incredibly exciting and charismatic story that is very well-told. It’s begging to be a movie.
My Books
And if all these goodies aren’t enough to fill your To Be Read pile this year, here’s a few more! 
