The year 2020 has been like a rolling, burning dumpster fire. I’m home all the time with my babies, and while I’m grateful to be protecting my family, the constant headlines and reports have me feeling perpetual dread. Luckily, I have had time to myself to read and I wanted to share some suggestions for books to get you through 2020. Some are educational, some are uplifting, some just make you think. But I’m a better person for it, and I can’t wait to hear your suggestions too!

I do have affiliate links in this article if you choose to buy the books through me. I’ll make a small cut but you don’t pay extra! Please also look into supporting local bookstores, or used online bookstores. Thanks for helping us help each other!

Here I’ll list some of the books I’ve read in 2020, with a brief description and affiliate link. I also keep track of the books I want to read, and have read, with the Goodreads app. (No affiliation.) They also occasionally have book giveaways, and the whole app is totally free! Get your reading list growing.

The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia

This book is beautifully written and really captured me. It was refreshing and different, slightly dark but ultimately hopeful. The descriptions of nature and animals are intoxicating. And I adore Simopio!

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I’m new to the world of Gaiman but this book was a really enjoyable trip. I loved reading references to gods of different religions, from Christ to Anansi (and I even felt that I wanted to go look some of them up!). But this story is definitely fantastical, so don’t read if you’re not up for quite a wild ride.

Here’s my list of books you may (or may not) know about for your kids!

The Incomplete Book of Running by Peter Sagal

So, this book is not about running. I mean, it is a little bit. But not really. (And I was disappointed that there wasn’t a chapter called “Right, Left, Right, Left.” But I digress.) I felt that it did let you in to the soul of Peter Sagal a little bit, but at times it made me feel he just made a smartass joke instead of delving deeper, and I wanted him to. But it’s an amusing and quick read, and I liked learning about his interesting life!

The Green Mile by Stephen King

I’ll start by saying that I’m a lifelong King fan. Hell, I started reading Christine and Nightmares and Dreamscapes when I was in sixth grade! But I’d never read this book (or seen the movie) until 2020. And holy crap this tore my heart out and ran it through the ringer. I was sobbing at the end, and it physically hurt me that the ending didn’t resolve well with me. But I feel like all of humanity needs to read it at least once. And because King injects something addictive into me every time, I know I’ll have to read it again.

The Autobiography of Malcom X, as told to Alex Haley

I am trying to be more of a co-conspirator, and an ally to the Black Lives Matter movement, and I realized that I knew next to nothing about Malcolm X. So I wanted to read about his life, from his own words. This book is exhaustive and hurtful at times, to a white woman. But that’s exactly why I needed to read it. I can’t say that his experiences weren’t valid, or he’s not allowed to have the opinions he has, without hearing it from his voice. (And once I quieted my own mind and listened to his, I couldn’t have argued with most of his points anyway.) I almost gave up without finishing the book, many times. And his transformation through life is really inspiring, but it’s not the typical happy ending. Now I know more, and I know I need to do more.

The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This was a story that I read with my kids at bedtime. It has a quite slow beginning but the story is absolutely beautiful in its own simple way. While there are certainly little conflicts throughout, there is not a traditional “good guy bad guy” scenario. Every character is pure and flawed at the same time, and it was such a great experience to see my kids grow along with Mary and Colin!

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson

This novel is fascinating for many reasons: One, it’s based on the real life “blue people of Kentucky” who had a blood deficiency. Two, it addresses racism and sexism but in a rather unique way. Three, it manages to give us a rather happy ending without wrapping everything up nicely. Some people will have integrity and always do what’s right, and others will not. But it was a really original story and a quick read.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Oh, how I adored this book. It’s extensive but felt like one long, beautiful conversation with a woman I admire. It’s chronological and biographical, but so much more than a walk through the life of Michelle Obama. It’s empowering for women. It gives me hope, and makes me feel like I made a new friend in the midst of its pages.

This Is How It Always Is, by Laurie Frankel

As a parent and a teacher and an empath, this book tore me up. It’s a wonderful insight into parenting and acceptance as a family goes through life with one of the children being transgender. The author, Laurie Frankel, loosely bases this fiction on her own life. It’s a great discussion book for a community group like a moms club, and it really makes you think about how you treat other people and how you could speak to your own child. It’s so well written and caused me stress and lots of tears, but I loved it and I needed it to be a better ally for the LGBTQ+ community.

Speaking of wish lists, here are our favorite family-friendly Christmas books! This list grows every year and I’ll have more to add this winter!

A Year of Biblical Womanhood, by Rachel Held Evans

First let me say that this book is not just for Christians, or just for women. Rachel Held Evans is a brilliant, candid author who is a Christian feminist. She spends a year going literally through all the Bible verses which involve what a woman should be, do, and say. So many things in modern American Christianity have really messed up views on what women “should” so she compares that to actual Scripture. This was my first book by Evans and I want to read it again, and take notes in the margins.

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

This is not a book to read through quickly, like downing a meal when you’re starving. This book needs to be chewed and digested slowly, especially if you’re not a person of color. Mrs. Brown is so brilliant and well-spoken, and I hope that her words are heard around the world. She has the power to unify white people to help end racism. I never felt like she is being insulting or overly emotional or accusing anyone of anything unjust. She is absolutely right: racism is not the problem of Black people, and whites can’t expect Black people to fix the problem. I have so much to learn but I am even more motivated to try to be an anti-racist. And I will come back to read this book again and again.

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate

This book was such a beauty. It’s a super quick read, well-written and beautiful as well as heartbreaking. Loosely based on a real caged gorilla, the novel takes the perspective of Ivan the Mighty Silverback, who was taken from the jungle as a baby and put in a mall circus. I would venture to say that it would be appropriate for older-elementary and up, too. (Looks like it also may be on Disney Plus, so keep an eye out.)

The War of the Worlds, by H. G. Wells

Don’t be fooled! I know that this list is about books to get you through 2020 and this is not a mistake. I had never read this book in its entirety, though I had heard about how infamous it was at the time it was published. While the book can be haunting and downright terrifying at times, the narrator does an incredible job of making you hope in humanity, in survival, in rebuilding.

Books to Get You Through 2020: My Wishlist

These are the books that are on my list that I can’t wait to dive into! They’re next for me to read in 2020. What about you?

Untamed, by Glenn Doyle

I keep hearing about this book and so now damnit it’s on my list! As I listen to more podcasts and work on fixing everything from my sleep to my anxiety, everyone seems to have something good to say about Glennon Doyle and her newest book. (And let’s face it, if Brene Brown drooled all over her copy, I guess it’s good enough for me too.)

I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai is a young Pakistani woman who has become a world-famous advocate for education and anti-terrorism after being attacked by the Taliban. She is articulate and hopeful, brilliant and unafraid, and I think she’s just wonderful! I can’t wait to read her story and I wish her continued health and success.

If you’re like me and love getting books for cheap, consider using my affiliate links throughout the article (no cost to you but I get a small cut, so thanks!) or checking out Thriftbooks. Most of the paperbacks I order are $4-5 each and you get credits for free books! So far it’s been a great (and affordable) experience. If you’re a new customer, you can use my Thriftbooks code here for 15% off. Yay!

Shoot Like A Girl: One Woman’s Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and On The Home Front, by Mary Jennings Hegar

I’m not gonna lie, I can’t wait to read this book written by MJ Hegar, who is currently vying for a seat as a Texas State Senator. She’s an Air Force pilot who has been battling sexism in and out of the military, and now she’s fighting for equality in my state. I’m excited to see what happens in her future and I’m eager to learn more about her!

An Autobiography, by Angela Y. Davis

I’m ashamed to admit that I only recently learned about Angela Davis, the amazing brave Black woman who is a professor, protestor, and an advocate for civil rights. I want to listen to her more, learn from her, and fight for the cause with her.

How to Be An Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi

This is another highly recommended, influential book that I’ve been wanting to read. Ibram writes that white people can’t just be not racist, because that implies that you stay on the sidelines of civil rights conflicts and don’t do anything. Instead, you must actively fight injustice and racism, and use your white privilege to make a difference (instead of just hide in the shadows). Of all the anti-racist books I have on my list, this is the one I am the most drawn to, and I’ll read it soon!

Which books have you read in 2020? What books give you hope, entertain you, and make you a better you?