Flora on Friday

 

Flora on Friday

 

Single Photo Saturday

 

Flora on Friday

 

Single Photo Saturday

 

Flora on Friday

 

2020 in Books ~ A very long list of my best reads in 2020

 

My goal for the year was 52 books. Thanks to the advent of audio books in my life, and a lot of driving, as well as two weeks of quarantine and 7 weeks away from home I read 416 books this year. Maybe 30 or so of those I didn't finish because they were SO bad. :-) My list of read books is here on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/25575479?shelf=read 

One note- I will be really pleased when this stupid trend for putting swear words in titles is over. The first was amusing and also appropriate for both the author and the title (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Pub 2016). But it has now been done to death.

The book I loved the most this year and am least likely to recommend is: Infinite Splendours by Sofie Laguna. 

It deals with child sexual abuse and the reviews seem to be love or hate- with the hate reviews based on peeople's inability (or otherwise) to cope with the complexity of the subject and versus viewing it as black and white. 

Here's my review from Good Reads: I loved this book despite the fact, or maybe because, it left me broken-hearted and in tears at the end.

I think Sofie Laguna has developed such an amazingly nuanced and rounded character in Lawrence and shows beautifully that no one is wholly good, bad, broken, or whole.

It is hard subject matter and I am not surprised that people have felt uncomfortable as the book progressed. But for me, I had such empathy for Lawrence and such admiration for the way he sees the world.

Thank goodness for writers like Sofie Laguna her books continue to be infinite splendours for me.

Here are some of the years other highlights: 

General Fiction:

At the time of reading I only gave '10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World' four stars but this story has really stayed in my head and it probably deserves five stars. A very impactful read.

5 Star reads:

Infinite Splendours by Sofie Laguna It's hard to say you love a book like this... but I really did.

Blood by Tony Birch *Loved this!!

Common People by Tony Birch Short Stories- Love the Characters in these stories.

The Yield by Tara June Winch **Love the way this story feel.

One Foot Wrong by Sofie Laguna **I might be a little in love with Sofie Laguna. 

The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott ** Loved this. 

Bruny by Heather Rose **This was great: Australian, Dystopian, Thiller, Believable.

4 star reads:

The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale #2) by Margaret Atwood 

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak, Natalia Wiśniewska (Translator) **Really Good

Beartown by Fredrik Backman, Neil Smith (Translator)

Heart of the Grass Tree by Molly Murn **Loved the relationships and the Australian flavour of this one.

The Promise by Tony Birch

Rest and Be Thankful by Emma Glass

Maggie's Going Nowhere by Rose Hartley 

We Live in Water by Jess Walter (Short Stories)

Daisy Miller by Henry James ** I listened to this one as well- I rather liked Daisy she's a bit of a rebel.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

Olive Kitteridge Series #1&2 by Elizabeth Strout **Really enjoyed both of these. I listened to the audio books and loved the voice of Olive. Short Stories- technically. Maybe should have been a five star!

Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore **Another striking read that has stuck with me- maybe a five stars.

A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu

The Spill by Imbi Neeme

Here Is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson **This one was cool.

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Mammoth by Chris Flynn

The Mother Fault by Kate Mildenhall **Dystopian, and local.

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams **Interesting facts aout the creation of the Oxford Dictionay.

The Living Sea of Waking Dreams by Richard Flanagan

If you like a big long saga: Then The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley may be for you. These were three star reads for me but I liked them well enough that I listened to all 6 and await the 7th

Fantasy

Jay Kristoff was my big discovery at the end of 2019 and I read everything of his and his co-writer Amie Kaufman that I could get my hands on. He does not ever, never disappoint!! He has Vampire books coming out this real- first time I have a Vampire book on my Must-read list!

5 Star reads:

The Nevernight Chronicles, Jay Kristoff ** SO MUCH LOVE

The Illuminae Files, Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufmann YA **Fun

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow YA **Really good

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune **Funny!

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman **Loved!

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi **I thought this was a novel and interesting way to look at the African American situation through history. 

4 star reads:

Come Tumbling Down, Seanan McQuire (Wayward Children #5) YA **This is a great series.

Follow Me to Ground by Sue Rainsford *This one was really interesting and possibly should have been another five star read. (I do wish Good Reads let people do halves!).

Science Fiction:

5 Star reads:

The Aurora Cycle Series # 1 & 2 by Amie Kaufman, and Jay Kristoff **Love

Recursion by Blake Crouch

4 star reads:

Consortium Rebellion Series by Jessie Mihalik. **Fun, light, a bit romancy. I thoroughly enjoyed all three.

Radicalizsed, Cory Doctorow (Short Stories)

Rogue Queen Series #1&2 by Jessie Mihalik **Same as the Consotium Rebellion above.

Mortal Engines Quartet Series #1-4 by Philip Reeve

 

Ghost Species by James Bradley **There has been a bunch of Climate Change Fiction this year- this was one of the better ones that I read.

Crime/Mystery/Thriller:  

I am a big crime fan. Police procedurals being my favourite sub-genre. Micheal, Robotham, Michael Connelly, Stuart MacBride, and Jeffrey Deaver are always on my crime reading list and will generally get a solid 3.5 or four stars. This year I added: M.J Arlidge whose first novel was pretty good in terms of a story that made me feel squirmy- that said MJ hasn't become a must read for me the other 6 books of hers I read were just so-so. I read the first of Helen Fields this year. Perfect Remains is her first book in a series and I am looking forward to getting into the rest and seeing if they are just as good. And finally Garry Disher a long time Australian crime writer who is relatively new to me. I enjoyed his series feature Contable Hirchhausen- which is now at three books. I have started reading his back catalogue including the Wyatt series- which is kind of fun as this one features the criminal as the main character.

5 Star reads:

Ghost Child by Caroline Overington **Interesting story

I Came to Say Goodbye by Caroline Overington 

When She Was Good by Michael Robotham

4 star reads:

Perfect Remains, Helen Fields 

A Darkness More than Night, Michael Connelly 

Suicide Run, Michael Connelly and five others by MC; Angel's Flight, Black Box, Angle of Investigation, Two Kinds of Truth, and Dark Sacred Night.

The Steel Kiss, Jeffery Deaver and The Sleeping Doll 

The Millenium Series #1-3 by Stieg Larsson (This is The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo etc)

My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellwood

Missing William Tyrrell by Caroline Overington (Non-fiction) Interesting look into a lot of the background and side avenues of this case.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Watching You by Lisa Jewell

Logan McRae Series #9 -12 by Stuart MacBride

Paul Hirschhausen Series #1-3 by Garry Disher

Silver by Chris Hammer 

The Octopus Nest by Sophie Hannah **Super short, well written

The Kingdom Where Nobody Dies by Kimberley Starr

Funny Stuff: 

5 Star reads:

Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle ~ Love, love love!!!

Stranger Planet by Nathan W. Pyle ~ Love, love love!!!

4 star reads:

I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf  by Grant Snider Love this Comic writer/artist.

Non-fiction (including Art books):

5 Star reads:

The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire by Chloe Hooper **Really interesting read re the Arsonist who started the black Friday Fires in Victoria

Eggshell Skull, by Bri Lee **Super interesting look into the 'justice' system and crimes against women.

Beauty, Bri Lee

Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson

Dare to Sketch: A Guide to Drawing on the Go, Felix Sheinberger 

Create Your Life Book: Mixed-Media Art Projects for Expanding Creativity and Encouraging Personal Growth by Tamara Laporte

Tall Man: The Death of Doomadgee by Chloe Hooper Crime... ah, Australian race relations- you suck! Interesting read though.

Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy

How to Watch a Bird by Steve Braunias **Older Kiwi book about bird watching through NZ's history. Interesting!

Melbourne University Press 'On' Series inclu: On Father, On Us, On Doubt. Short-ish Essays, very interesting. 

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell **This was really good. It's not about doing nothing- it's about doing better things. 

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Movie Tie-In): Neighborly Words of Wisdom from Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers, Tom Junod **Loved this- super good advice for parents and other people delivered in such a lovely down to earth way.

Extraordinary Things to Cut Out and Collage by Maria Rivan **Great Resource!!

4 star reads:

Gentleman Jack: The Real Anne Lister by Anne Choma, Sally Wainwright Really interesting Historical biography of a remarkable woman- who was also homosexual. From her diaries.

Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up by Jerry Colonna

The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store by Cait Flanders

Offline: Unplugging Your Brain in a Digital World by Imran Rashid, Soren Kenner

True Vision: Authentic Art Journaling by L.K. Ludwig

Everyday Watercolor: Learn to Paint Watercolor in 30 Days by Jenna Rainey

Art Journals and Creative Healing: Restoring the Spirit Through Self-Expression by Sharon Soneff

Art Journal Courage: Fearless Mixed Media Techniques for Journaling Bravely, Dina Wakley

Creative Wildfire: An Introduction to Art Journaling - Basics and Beyond by L.K. Ludwig

The Art of Noticing: Rediscover What Really Matters to You by Rob Walker **This one has some very cool ideas for noticing the world around you.

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson **I realise this guy is fairly controversial for *some* of his views. But a bunch of this makes sense- hence the four stars. 

Self-development/care:

5 Star reads:

The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage by Kelly McGonigal ** Really interesting lots of great ideas and research.

I Am Definitely, Probably Enough (I Think): Revelations on the Journey to Self-Love by Tori Press **Love this, simple, pretty and right on.

4 star reads:

Healthy as F*ck by Oonagh Duncan

This Is Not A Diet Book: A User’s Guide to Eating Well by Bee Wilson

The Resilience Project: Finding Happiness through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness by Hugh van Cuylenburg

Get Your Sh*t Together: How to Stop Worrying About What You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You Want to Do (A No F*cks Given Guide) by Sarah Knight

How to Fix Your Sh*t: A Straightforward Guide to a Better Life by Shaa Wasmund

The FastDiet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting by Michael Mosley, Mimi Spencer

How to Be Fine: What We Learned from Living by the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books by Jolenta Greenberg, Kristen Meinzer

The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor

The Key to Happiness: How to Find Purpose by Unlocking the Secrets of the World's Happiest People by Meik Wiking

Find Your Sparkle: Embracing the magic of life by Meredith Gaston

How To Fight (Mindfulness Essentials #6) by Thich Nhat Hanh These are all pretty darn good if you like mindfulness.

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté 

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World by J. Mark G. Williams, Danny Penman **This is great- especially the audio book as it has a bunch of practices that you can use over and over.

Memoir

Note to self- should read more memoir. :-)

5 Star reads:

Your Own Kind of Girl by Clare Bowditch Loved Clare Bowditch's memoir- great with regards to anxiety and mental health! 

Any Ordinary Day: Blindsides, Resilience and What Happens After the Worst Day of Your Life by Leigh Sales *An excellent read!!

 

Stuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters *This is a bit heart-breaking. But worth it. If you can listen to the Audio Book Edition then even better!!

 

Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming

Jack Charles: Born-again Blakfella by Jack Charles The audio-book for this one is read by the author- I seriously recommend listening to it rather than the written version.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle **The first half of this book was five stars for me- the second half was only three- I still plan to revisit it again because that first half was gold.

Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor

Gratitude by Oliver Sacks

Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott

Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir by Rebecca Solnit **Learnt a lot from this one. Sigh.

4 star reads:

Becoming, Michelle Obama

The Honey Bus, Meredith May

Hard Pushed: A Midwife’s Story by Leah Hazard

Enough: Notes from a Woman Who Has Finally Found It by Shauna M. Ahern

The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz by Jeremy Dronfield

Fake: A Startling True Story of Love in a World of Liars, Cheats, Narcissists, Fantasists and Phonies by Stephanie Wood

 
The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir by Steffanie Strathdee 

Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran

 

Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay

A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen

For the Kiddos including YA:

5 Star reads:

What We'll Build: Plans for our Together Future by Oliver Jeffers **Lovely picture book!!

The Illuminae Files, Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufmann YA Love these!

The Weight of Water, Sarah Crossan

Lifel1k3 Series #1-3 by Jay Kristoff Sci-fi Fun! 

The Bogan Mondrian by Steven Herrick

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

4 star reads:

Come Tumbling Down, Seanan McQuire (Wayward Children #5) YA

Invisible Boys Holden Sheppard  YA

 The Ottoline Series by Chris Riddell

The New World by Patrick Ness YA

The York Series Book 1 & 2 by Laura Ruby YA + Mys + Sci Fi

Goodbye, Mr Hitler (Hitler Trilogy #3) by Jackie French Middle-YA

One by Sarah Crossan YA

The Hunger Games Series #1-3 by Suzanne Collins YA

The Book of Dust Series # 1 & 2 by Philip Pullman YA+

Starbound Series # 1-3 by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner YA + Sci Fi + Romance Light hearted read.

Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card

Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby YA

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More by Roald Dahl Short Stories - Will and I listened to this and really enjoyed some of the stories. 

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott YA

Lighthouse Girl by Dianne Wolfer

Girl Running, Boy Falling by Kate Gordon

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe  

Cinderella Liberator by Rebecca Solnit, Arthur Rackham (Illustrator) **Loved this retelling both Cinderella and the prince were much better off in the end. Middle-YA

Hunted by Meagan Spooner

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Poetry: 

5 Star reads:

Inward by yung pueblo (Poetry)

4 star reads:

Poems to Fall in Love With Illustrated by Chris Riddell 

Time of the Icebergs: Poems by David Eggleton by David Eggleton

Single Photo Saturday