Stuff I Read in 2020

I don’t think it’s controversial to say that last year was a wild ride.

From nearly going to war with Iran, to months in quarantine amid a pandemic, there was nary a dull moment in 2020. And while we all agree that the less we talk about last year, the better we are for it, I do think it’s worth noting the stuff we did and learned at the start of a new decade. Some of us learned new culinary skills, some people started businesses. Some of us learned that we can’t keep plants alive. Most of us learned that early 20th century thoughts about work and employment is obsolete in 2021, and that we need new ways of thinking to combat it.

That’s a problem for the incoming President.

I took the time to read a bunch of fiction. I got through 10 books in 2020, all of them reviewed on the site. And if you missed them, here are the highlights. And if they catch your interest, click on the titles to link to the full reviews.

The Paris Diversion by Chris Pavone: The Paris Diversion does a marvelous job of layering multiple plots and weaving them together. There are four separate and compelling stories all happening at the same time, and when they intersect, it never feels forced or contrived. As usual with Pavone’s work, it’s expertly plotted and once the plot gets moving, it never loses momentum and barrels its way to a satisfying finish. Also, he hints at a connected shared universe by dropping bits from his other spy novel, The Travelers.

With slick action, past pace, and a tense and compelling plot, The Paris Diversion is a thoroughly entertaining read that rewards fans by resolving leftover plots and dangling a few Easter eggs. Chris Pavone lays a bold claim as king of the espionage-thriller mountain.

Pros: Well-paced, well-plotted, action-packed balancing act, pulled off with style.

Cons: Definitely need to read The Expats first.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson: This is my first Neal Stephenson novel. He comes highly recommended by someone I respect, and he said that this is the best place to start. I can understand why. Most of his characters are strong and capable women, and that’s shamefully rare in literature. Beyond that, there is a situational PTSD that is present on every page, in every scene. This vision of the near future is bleak and yet realistic in an uncomfortable way, and I am here for it. Stephenson has no use for government, religion, consumerism, or any of the other distinctly American creature comforts—aside, of course, for the internet. The fact that so much of the first two-thirds of the novel uses social media as a tool to control the narrative around this extinction-level event tangibly hits home. I mean, just look around.

Seveneves’ ambition is dizzying. I had a hard time connecting with the last third of it. That’s more my issue than an issue with the writing or the quality of the story. Don’t be intimidated by the size of the book. The tale of humanity through the death and rebirth of our home planet is essential reading, especially in these strange days.

Pros: The end of the world in a fantastic, yet scientifically accurate way; solidly built characters; women carry most of the narrative; ambitious storytelling.

Cons: Last third of the novel has all-new characters; rushed explanation of 5,000-year time-jump; could have told even more story.

Troika by Adam Pelzman: A young stripper’s life is forever changed when a wealthy man walks into her bar. A Russian orphan with a dark past achieves the American Dream but causes irreparable harm to the people he loves. And a woman finds herself distanced from the love of her life after a tragic accident. Three stories form one enthralling, beautiful narrative in Adam Pelzman’s 2015 debut, Troika.

Troika is a unique and tragic love story, a solid read about the women in one wealthy man’s orbit, and the relationships they share. On the surface, that’s fine, but it could have been so much more.

Pros: Likable characters; solid storytelling; sexy without being vulgar; immersive description of waist-down paralysis

Cons: POV characters are not as appealing when they aren’t interacting with the main character.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont: It’s amazing what people will endure for their children’s sake. Some will take on extra work at terrible jobs, working double and triple shifts to avoid having their kids struggle. Some will suffer the indignities of a broken relationship, sweeping the indiscretions of a spouse under the rug to maintain the image of a happy and unified home. And most will do it with a smile to protect their children from the complex realities of being an adult. But what happens to the effort when that illusion is broken? That’s the question that drives Julia Pierpont’s much-heralded 2015 debut, Among the Ten Thousand Things.

Among the Ten Thousand Things is a technically impressive novel by a clearly gifted writer. It starts out well and promises characters and a story filled with nuance and dimension. For all it’s promised depth, though, the story is ultimately too shallow to float my boat.

Pros: Well-written, great concept.

Cons: Odd stylistic choices, story falls flat.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Positive by David Wellington: Similar to The Girl with All the Gifts, Positive puts a motley crew of survivors on the road in the aftermath of a zombie plague. This book is more road novel than zombie horror, and I found that both surprising and enjoyable. The rumination on what humanity becomes when our society breaks down is timely, even though this book is five years old. And while most zombie novels lean in on the horrific depiction of undead predators, Positive has a broader focus than just zombie gore, and for the most part, it works. The main character, Finn, is the perfect answer to the question of what the next generation would look like if we didn’t have the technology we’ve relied on. He starts off as a sheltered boy, unaware of anything beyond his community. After going through several hellish experiences, his demeanor hardens and he becomes gradually—and believably—more capable as a survivor, fighter, and leader. He’s whiny at the beginning, which can be annoying as he’s the first-person narrator, but you wind up rooting for him by the end.

I did find that Positive was a little long, with slow stretches throughout the novel that went on for pages at a time. That’s a problem inherent in road novels—sometimes you’re on the road and nothing happens—so it’s not a deal breaker unless you hate that type of story. Make no mistake, though, this is a road novel. It just happens to be set in a zombie universe.

Positive is a solid read but be warned. Like most zombie novels, it examines what humanity becomes when you remove society from the mix. The only thing that’s really missing here is the zombies.

Pros: Well-constructed world, main character grows on you, solid road novel.

Cons: But where are the zombies?

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I’m not going to waste your time with a summary. If you haven’t read this brilliant beast of a novel, buy it. If you have, read it again because it’s just that good, and rejoice in the upcoming adaptation on Amazon Prime. Maybe we’ll get an album out of this after all.

Pros: Well-drawn characters, great interview style, believable, top-notch storytelling and high-level songwriting.

Cons: Umm…

Rating: 5 of 5 stars.

Robogenesis by Daniel L. Wilson: Robogenesis drops us right back in a future world that seems just plausible enough to be terrifying. The aftermath of a war that changes civilization is evident in everything, from the landscape to the soldiers and survivors. Arayt Shah is the kind of villain whose clinical understanding of humanity will send chills up your spine, and the fact that this rogue AI scared Archos R-14—who basically ended the world—says something. The narrative is familiar, like a favorite chair that holds your shape. The minor gripes from Robopocalypse (bloated cast) have been addressed, with everyone all but two characters playing a part in the endgame.

Robogenesis is a fun return to the Machine Uprising. While it doesn’t exactly break new ground, an expanded view into such a richly developed world is never a bad thing.

Pros: Return to the universe, compelling new villain, reframes the previous villain’s motivations and plot.

Cons: More of the same; hard to understand if you haven’t read the first one

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Rage by Jonathan Maberry: I make no secret of my affection for the Joe Ledger series. When it ended in 2017 with Deep Silence, I mourned. Sure, the last book wasn’t as innovative as the first. It was still fun. They’re not high art or capital-L Literature. They’re popcorn-lit, filled with explosions, badasses, and fast-moving plots that aren’t meant to be examined too closely. Losing that wasn’t fun, as that sort of reading is a great outlet; when I found out the series had been rebooted, I cheered out loud and ordered a copy. This is big, dumb fun, and was the perfect thing to help pass time during quarantine.

Jonathan Maberry refreshes his Joe Ledger series with a fresh coat of paint. But underneath it all is the same action-hero we know and love, with the same story as the previous 10 iterations. And you know what? That ain’t a bad thing.

Pros: Joe Ledger is back with a new bio-threat, new villains, and a darker storyline.

Cons: For better or worse, it’s still the same old song.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore: Over the last 14 years, Christopher Moore has become my favorite author, and everything he releases is appointment reading for me. His novels have ranged from highbrow, thoughtful humor to slapstick comedies of errors. Shakespeare for Squirrels falls into the latter category. A Midsummer Night’s Dream reimagined as a murder mystery featuring a bawdy conman as its lead detective, Squirrels continues Moore’s takedown of The Bard’s most beloved works. And it’s a damned entertaining read.

Christopher Moore’s reimagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is on-brand for him: bitingly funny with well-drawn characters you (mostly) like in spite of themselves. And while I may have personally developed a bit of “Pocket fatigue,” it’s still a fast and amazingly fun read.

Pros: Fast, fun read that’s laugh-out-loud funny in parts

Cons: Main character/narrator can be a little grating.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars.

This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero: The last thing I read from Edgar Cantero was Meddling Kids, a spoof/homage to Scooby-Doo, revisiting the character types as adults. It was clever and laugh-out-loud funny. This Body’s Not Big Enough For Both of Us spoofs hard-boiled noir (with a reference to Elmore Leonard on the first page) hilariously. There is clear respect for the genre while ripping it to shreds. With the Kimrean twins, Cantero puts together an effective buddy cop dynamic as these two vastly differing personas struggle to coexist in one small space. Think Lethal Weapon’s Riggs and Murtagh if they were handcuffed together and forced to live in a microstudio. At the core of this is a solid mystery, and gripping detective fare. The setup is brilliant and only enhanced by the frequent winks and nods to genre tropes and cliches. However, those nods come frequently, and I can see how they could take you out of the story. That’s a minor gripe for me, though.

I dug This Body’s Not Big Enough For Both of Us from the first page. It was an inventive, quick, and fun read with fascinating characters and fun set pieces. It was a highly entertaining read. But be prepared to answer questions about what you’re reading, as the cover and title are sure conversation starters.

Pros: Fun story with great leads. A solid noir comedy.

Cons: Snarky asides acknowledging genre tropes can be distracting.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

And that was last year’s haul! Some were funny, some were poignant, but the best book I read last year was Daisy Jones & The Six.

What did you guys read last year? If you have any recommendations, let me know!