After a phase of not having much time to read due to university work, 2019 and 2020 were the years that I really got back into books and I'm so glad I have! With the disaster otherwise known as the year 2020 A.D drawing to a close, I thought I would share my thoughts on all the books I read from this year in case you're looking for a story to pick up.
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Mythos by Stephen Fry
Published: 2017
Genre: fiction, fantasy, history
My interest in Greek mythology began the same way as for most people my age: by reading Percy Jackson. Since then, I have wanted to learn more about the actual Greek myths themselves though after Rick Riordan's delightful interpretation of the stories, I wanted something equally as accessible but more suitable for my age. Enter: Stephen Fry's Mythos.
As Fry mentions at the beginning of his book, Mythos does not aim to analyse the Greek myths but instead to retell them in an entertaining way. And that it does. It's a completely non-pretentious, fascinating and often humorous re-telling of the most famous Greek myths and I really did not want it to end!
(Side note: I cannot wait to pick up Fry's follow-up book, Heroes, published in 2018.)
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Published: 1985
Genre: science-fiction, dystopia, fiction
I finally got around to The Handmaid's Tale, a 1985 novel that regained popularity after its 2017 TV adaptation which stars Elizabeth Moss as Offred, a woman trying to survive in Gilead which is a totalitarian society that treats women as property. Ripped away from her family and forced to become a 'handmaid', the book recounts memories from Offred's life both past and present. Atwood's style of writing is thoughtful and impactful, and often speaks volumes without having to say all that much. The novel's ending is especially thought-provoking and Atwood's use of ambiguity creates a brilliantly dark and timely dystopian science-fiction story.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Published: 2014
Genre: fiction, science-fiction, dystopia
I ordered Station Eleven, a story about a world devastated by a global pandemic, just a few months before the Covid-19 outbreak so there's that bit of remarkable foresight from me... Nevertheless, Station Eleven instantly became one of my favourite ever novels. Stunningly written and with a tragically poignant tone, Mandel's decision to root the story around the death of a Hollywood actor, whilst flicking forwards in time to a travelling theatre troop that entertains the remaining bands of human civilisation seems, at first, a little random. However, as the various story threads progress, they interweave to create a thoughtful story about society, memories, art and story-telling itself. As I read it, I found myself longing to discuss it with someone else, to dissect and unpick its various intricacies.
This is a book that I can see myself revisiting several times in the future and would highly recommend for those who enjoy melancholy disaster stories in the vein of The Last of Us or The Leftovers.
Crooked House by Agatha Christie
Published: 1948
Genre: mystery, thriller
ntinuing my on-brand obsession with murder mysteries and desire to work through Agatha Christie's collection, Crooked House is one of Christie's best stories.
Forming the inspiration for last year's Knives Out, Crooked House follows a young detective named Charles Hayward as he investigates the mysterious death of the wealthy and eccentric patriarch of the Leonides family. Unusually for me, I watched the film adaptation of the story on Netflix first and, whilst I was slightly underwhelmed by it, the audacity of the ending made me want to read the book as soon as possible. This is a classic murder mystery with an eclectic bunch of characters, a detective protagonist and a surprise ending. Christie named Crooked House as one of her own favourite works.
Educated by Tara Westover
Published: 2018
Genre: autobiography, memoir, non-fiction
Educated is an incredibly powerful memoir written by Tara Westover and recounts the story of her childhood, where she had to overcome the challenges of living in a survivalist Mormon family whilst also suffering both emotional and physical abuse by some of her family members. Westover writes in an intelligent, self-reflective fashion, never shying away from the horrific details of her hardships whilst also highlighting her own inner strength, vulnerability and intelligence in a way that always feels incredibly truthful and authentic.
Inspirational stories like this might be construed as pretentious, however Educated is far from that and is instead a personal story of inner strength that happens to be an engrossing page-turner by virtue of the absolutely jaw-dropping childhood stories that Westover recounts through the book. One of the best non-fiction books I have ever read.
La Belle Sauvage by Phillip Pullman
Published: 2017
Genre: fantasy, adventure, fiction
a Belle Sauvage is Phillip Pullman's prequel to the acclaimed His Dark Materials series, a trilogy that I massively enjoyed in my teenage years. This particular story takes place shortly before baby Lyra's arrival at Jordan college and follows Malcolm Polstead, a boy who gets caught in the middle of a secretive battle between the Magesterium, Lord Asriel and other shadowy players. With a really likable protagonist and a darker than expected story, this was one of the better prequels I have read and it was nice to dip back into Pullman's wonderful world of daemons and witches and alethiometers (in addition to the currently running BBC adaptation!).
(Side note: I love this cover art, it's what drew me to picking the book up in the first place.)
Sapiens/Home Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
Published: 2011/2015
Genre: non-fiction, science, history
Sapiens and its follow-on book, Home Deus, are eye-opening 'Big Science' type historical and speculative non-fiction books that explores the history of humanity, from the cognitive and agricultural revolutions to the digital age, and then posits where humanity will go in the hundreds of years to come. These books are incredibly accessible looks into complex concepts targeted towards anyone and everyone, which is no doubt why they appear in many best-seller lists.
Harari writes masterfully- each sentence is purposeful, concise and edifying and his explanations of complicated concepts are engaging and eye-opening. As someone studying Biochemistry at university, I like to think that I am reasonably well-educated however a lot of the information in this book genuinely shifted my mind-set about the evolution of society, science and culture and definitely provoked a thirst to learn even more. (If anyone has any recommendations in the same vein, that would be much appreciated!).
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Published: 1890
Genre: classics, fiction, gothic
Dipping into classics now and The Picture of Dorian Gray was available for free on Kindle which gave me the opportunity to take a chance on a well-loved classic that I did not personally know a lot about. As with a lot of classic books, I may not have understood all of the minute details here, especially some of the contextual references of the time, however the story itself was an extremely thought-provoking exploration of beauty and morality wrapped up in an eerie gothic story. I can see why this is a firm favourite for both literature and philosophy students, as Wilde's prose and ideas feel much more modern than its 1890 origin.
This is a book that, like Station Eleven, I loved exploring literature analyses about online. Also, that ending is honestly iconic and so haunting- I loved it.
Mr Mercedes by Stephen King
Published: 2014
Genre: fiction, thriller, mystery
t wouldn't be a book list without a couple of disposable mystery-thrillers, would it? Stephen King's Mr Mercedes is definitely one of the best of that sub-genre, with a core cast of memorable characters, as is King's MO. Most comparable to David Fincher's Mindhunters, Mr Mercedes is the story of a retired detective who reignites his investigation into a brutal and genius serial killer who torments the former detective with a series of letters and emails.
I loved the use of dual perspectives here and the titular Mercedes killer is a well-realised, chilling character to add to the concerningly large group of memorable pop-culture psychopaths.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Published: 2019
Genre: fiction, mystery, thriller
Another addition to the disposable mystery-thriller genre is The Silent Patient, which I would recommend for fans of twist endings because, though this twist definitely exists mainly for shock factor, Michaelides constructs a solid mystery with an instantly intriguing premise.
The story follows Theo Faber, a psychotherapist who works to solve the case of Alicia Berenson who was an artist that wrote a diary as an outlet to work through her anxieties until one day, out of the blue, Alicia shoots her husband five times and refuses to speak another word.
Even from the brief plot synopsis above, the comparisons to books like Gone Girl are instantly apparent. Even if it doesn't reinvent the wheel, this is a neat little thriller that I would recommend for fans of the genre.
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Published: 2013
Genre: science-fiction, fantasy
Vicious is the perfect book for comic book fans, though it is not a typical superhero story in any way. Instead, Schwab redefines and plays with the tropes associated with good vs evil, morality and rivalry. Think of it as a play on the dynamic between characters like Charles Xavier and Magneto from the X-Men. The story follows the friendship turned rivalry between Victor and Eli, who, due to a research project gone wrong, end up with supernatural powers. Ten years later, Victor escapes from prison and vows revenge on the man who put him there whilst Eli journeys to find other powered people like him.
Schwab paces the story masterfully, flicking backwards and forwards from past to present and consistently redefining our preconceived notions of right and wrong, and everything in between.
(Side note: I wish I had the above edition of Vicious, because I love this striking cover art!)
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Published: 2018
Genre: mystery, thriller, fantasy
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is perhaps one of the most intelligently conceptualised timelines I have read. It also feels like a story tailor made for me. On one hand, it's a murder mystery which, as we have established, I am a bit of a fan of. Aiden Bishop must solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle which happens during a party at the secluded Blackheath manor. The twist is that Aidan is stuck living the same day over and over, waking up in the body of a different guest each time and also at different times during the day.
If anyone knows me, they would know that time-hopping concepts such as the one used here are another love of mine. And if you are like me and love movies like Memento or Edge of Tomorrow, Seven Deaths might be the book for you. Even thinking about Turton planning out the timeline in this story gives me a headache, let alone delivering a murder mystery worthy of Agatha Christie herself.
Thank you for reading, I would love to know your thoughts on any of these books or if you have any recommendations because I am always looking for those!
I do not own any of the images used in this post.