The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica. When I saw this book my first thought was “I’ve already read this, right?” This seems to be its own genre now!? (The Wife Between Us, The Last Mrs. Parrish, The Silent Wife) but I gave it a shot because I really liked The Good Girl. I’m going to be completely honest and say I’ve already forgotten the plot of this book and I read it 2 weeks ago. So I guess I don’t recommend it.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley. I listened to this entire book in like 2 days because I couldn’t stop. It’s about a high profile wedding on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, told from the perspectives of the bride, her younger half-sister, one of the guests, and the wedding planner. It has SO MANY TWISTS, I would almost argue too many twists, but it was so entertaining and I highly recommend.

Majesty by Katharine McGee. This is the sequel to American Royals which I listened to last year and enjoyed but felt that it was best suited to be made into a TV series aired on Freeform. My conclusion after reading the sequel is that it should be a movie that goes straight to DVD. It was pretty cheesy and I’m kind of over it. The Royal We is better.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. I LOVED Homegoing and sometimes still think about it because I’ve still never read anything like it. This one is a totally different vibe. It’s about a woman whose parents immigrated to Alabama from Ghana. It flashes between her childhood/teenage years and her young adulthood as a Ph.D. fellow in neuroscience studying addiction. It was beautifully written and a good story but not as engaging as Homegoing.

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler. An 80-something white woman asks her 30-something Black hairdresser to drive her from Texas to Ohio for a funeral. It’s a little corny, Green Book vibes for me. I didn’t end up finishing it because it wasn’t holding my attention so I listened to other stuff and then it expired.

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh. I put this on hold at some point (probably a Skimm recommendation) without having any idea what it was about. I spent the first third of it trying to figure out if it was dystopian or just a cult, and then ultimately gave up. And my friend Kate said she read another one of her books that was unimpressive, so that confirmed my decision to quit.

Atomic Love by Jennie Fields. This is about a female physicist who was on the team to build the atomic bomb during WWII, and some of the fallout afterwards. It’s also kind of a love triangle. It was good not great. Too long.

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore. I LOVED this book. It took me a bit to get into it but it’s about a woman who is turning 19 on New Years Day in 1983, but wakes up in 2015. And then 1995. And then 2004. She has no idea what year she’ll be in next, and she wakes up physically in the appropriate body (i.e. in her 50s in 2015) but mentally as if she’s just another year older. It’s super thought-provoking and unpredictable and I really liked it. Highly recommend.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. This book is getting a lot of hype. I liked it but it wasn’t in my top 5 of 2020 or anything. I listened to it and it definitely held my attention, but I don’t feel strongly about recommending the audiobook over the physical book like I sometimes do.

Twisted Twenty Six by Janet Evanovich. Now THIS you must do as an audiobook. I say this every time I recap a Stephanie Plum book. I really can’t recommend these enough to listen to as you’re cooking or cleaning or running errands around your house. They are so lighthearted and fun and SHORT and Lorelai King is a true genius. Also, don’t worry about listening in order.

Only 74 books in 2020 which is lower than my average but it was kind of a crazy year. Plus there’s just so much good content out there on podcasts that I spend a lot of my listening hours on that! If you haven’t already, check out Sway with Kara Swisher and No Stupid Questions with Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth. Those are new ones I’ve subscribed to in 2020 in addition to Armchair Expert, Second Life, My Favorite Murder, Committed, Unlocking Us, and Office Ladies.

Happy New Year!