My 5-Star Reads from 2020
Oh, hello. What a year, amirite? Good thing I wasn’t committed to a weekly positive post anymore… I’m also working with a broken keyboard so this post could take me another year to complete.
So, I read 107* books last year — surpassing my goal of 100 — thanks to living without Wi-Fi for a month and without a social life for nine.
If you’ve started (or abandoned!) a reading goal or are stuck on what to read next, here are the books I gave 5 stars to after reading them this past year. It’s a pretty even split between new and not, but I trended more toward enjoying nonfiction because I’m a glutton for pain and reality.
Are you on Goodreads? If so, you can check out a neat recap of my reading here.
As always, I’ll happily discuss books with anyone, anytime, but I don’t need to hear your thoughts on why a book “sucks.” We all have our preferences; if some (or all) of these aren’t your style, simply share your faves so I can try those out, too 🤓
Without further delay, presenting…
Fiction
- Circe by Madeline Miller
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (re-read in anticipation of the prequel)
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (re-read in anticipation of the prequel)
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
- American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Nonfiction
- The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West
- Know My Name by Chanel Miller
- Do You Mind If I Cancel? (Things That Still Annoy Me) by Gary Janetti
- Me by Elton John
- Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow
- She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey
- All The Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership by Darcy Lockman
- Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Georgia Hardstark & Karen Kilgariff
- New Year, Same Trash: Resolutions I Absolutely Did Not Keep by Samantha Irby
- Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle
- Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
- Wow, No Thank You. by Samantha Irby
- Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee
- The Vanity Fair Diaries: My Ride Through the Cash, Flash, and Trash of the 1980s by Tina Brown
- Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
- Pretty Bitches: On Being Called Crazy, Angry, Bossy, Frumpy, Feisty, and All the Other Words That Are Used to Undermine Women by Lizzie Skurnick
- How to Be an Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
- Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America by John Robert Lewis
- Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from the Original Epicenter by Fang Fang
- Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West
- We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence by Becky Cooper
- Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco by Alia Volz
- Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo
- Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh
*I read 107 books from cover to cover. I allowed myself to abandon books I wasn’t enjoying. I listened to some samples in audiobook format, but did not make it through any from start to finish. </end disclaimer>
WO: Weekly Obsessions
Oh hello, 2020. We’ve been expecting you.
Between the resolutions and the parties and all of the holiday hoopla, it’s kind of incredible to think another decade is upon us and what the next 366 days will bring (thanks, Feb. 29)!
What am I most excited for? Possibly the Olympics, or following my 15-year HS reunion’s inevitable drama on Facebook, or meeting my reading goal of 100 books. Seeing my nieces grow, achieving new goals at work, moving back into a space of my own… the possibilities are endless, but it certainly won’t happen overnight.
I mentioned I’d be taking a hard look at the things that serve me and don’t, so I’ll also be stepping away from these WOs. It might be for a little while, or it might be forever.
But I’m excited about some projects I have in mind and to give myself the space to create those things — and share my progress with you, too.
Thank you all for reading and sharing your stories with me these last 8+ years of WO and 9+ of the blog. Lots of love — here’s to the next chapter!
WO: Weekly Obsessions
In case you haven’t heard, it is Jesus’s birthday and there’s no better time to spend with family, friends, and those you love. I’m doing just that with my friend’s family, who’ve graciously opened their homes to me the past two days.
However you spend the holiday season, I hope you find peace and joy during what isn’t always the most wonderful time of the year.
Spread love, lend a helping hand, do your part to make the world a better place. And if you can find some time to relax in there, too, that’s all the better.
WO: Weekly Obsessions
Truth be told, I just finished baking 4 dozen cookies and crashed into bed thinking “Ah, day is done.” And then my brain alarm went off like a GD nightmare siren as I realized it was, in fact, Wednesday and I hadn’t posted (again).
As much as I’ve enjoyed entertaining(?) you all for the last 8+ years of weekly picks, I’ve found it so much more difficult to keep up with (1) since my job changed to being a tastemaker for my company, and (2) since so much of my “free” time is spent catching up on the ~3h I’m out of SF for each day.
I’m so grateful for those of you who’ve stuck through it and continue to read faithfully, but I’m taking a long, hard look at all of my commitments — virtually and IRL — to better understand what serves me and what drains me.
This isn’t a farewell, per se, but a new chapter is on the horizon for Wittyburg, the site, and Wittyburg, the human. As that continues to shape up, you’ll be among the first to know.
Cheers to cookie fever and chasing your dreams!
WO: Weekly Obsessions
What do a 5:35am alarm, a 7:30am should in class, six meetings, a 2h 10m evening commute, and a girls’ night at Olive Garden have in common?
They’re all elements of this particular Wednesday. Woof.
Just when I thought I couldn’t get any hangrier, my fellow commuters managed to pull all the annoying stops out, but a lot of laughs with some dear girlfriends and some snuggles with an infant really helped bring me back down to earth.
WO: Weekly Obsessions
Hello, it’s December. Of 2019. The last month of the 2010s… how in the hell did that happen?
My brain cannot process this information, nor is it capable of looking ahead to the next decade (or day, or week, or month, or even the yeeeear).
Instead, I’m curling up to binge seasons of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and Google holiday card designs and basically avoid all sense of reality until the NYE ball (or other shoe) drops.
Blame it on the jet lag or lack of sleep or meeting marathons but I simply cannot werk any longer to deliver the goods tonight. Promise you won’t hate me for it?
Now, I’ll sashay away. Xoxo
WO: Weekly Obsessions
‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving, and all through the house, all the creatures were stirring: three nieces under 6, six adults, two dogs, a TV, an Echo, countless phones, this very laptop… To say I’m having sensory overload is an understatement. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
It’s my first time in Florida for Thanksgiving in seven years. The last time I was home for it, my dad was alive. We visited his aunt in the nursing home and her dementia had her believing I was my mother. I was scheduled to go the following Monday to Raleigh, N.C., for a job interview — but I’d just received a job offer from macys.com in New York City, instead. My brother and sister-in-law were newlyweds, without children. My grandpa was still alive and hadn’t yet reconnected with his sister, who would later become my Thanksgiving hostess while living in NYC.
While seven years doesn’t seem like that long ago, it’s clearly been one heck of a time for change in our family. We’ve had ups and downs and highs and lows and all of the normal everyday nonsense that comes with daily life and changing seasons.
So as usual, I’m thankful for this crazy circus I call my family. And I’m especially grateful to be in a position to come home for a few days, meet my newest niece, await the arrival of my SIL’s SIL’s son, and spend a few exhausting but fulfilling days with them in person. As much as I love SF and my life there, some things can’t replace the feeling of being home for a holiday.
Wishing you and yours the happiest of Turkey Days tomorrow, and if you are in need of love, don’t be a stranger! We have more than enough cheer (and food!) to go around.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com
WO: Weekly Obsessions
Hi, it me.
I wrote this long, heartfelt post about a cause that means a lot to me — and wouldn’t you know it? I hit Publish and all the content disappeared.
The gist is that I’m raising awareness and money for Movember and would love your support. Whether that’s through making a monetary donation here (MasterCard donations of $10+ are matched) or taking a virtual walk with me, it would mean a lot to me to have your support.
Since I can’t grow a mustache, this is the new best thing I can do to change the face of men’s health.
WO: Weekly Obsessions
Well, well, well. This week is markedly better, if not simply for the fact that it’s not last week.
Oh and possibly because I’ve been able to reprioritize some things and also take a step back to look beyond my ever-so-rare temper tantrum to just… breathe.
And celebrate. Why? Because the biggest project I’ve worked on in nearly 10 years is LIVE and needs your votes!
Tell us what your favorite book, movie, game, and app were from 2019 and your votes could help crown Google Play’s Best of 2019! How cool is that?
Click here to vote and share with your friends, too 📚🍿🎉
WO: Weekly Obsessions
I know this month is meant to be all about gratitude, and I’m fully aware of my privilege to even acknowledge that.
But.
This month has been a kick in the ass if ever I’ve had one.
Aside from a crushing amount of work in preparation for the holidays, my personal life also seems to have taken a swan dive south. And even as I type this, I stretched out on our couch only to knock over an entire cup of soda on our (thankfully washable) rug.
Sigh. I’m finding some comfort in books, friends, food, family, and soda wine … you know, the ingredients to any well-balanced life.
In the meantime, I find myself trying to get just 10 minutes of alone time where I’m not glued to a screen or answering someone’s questions. Again, I know I’m in a place of privilege that these are my biggest problems right now, but they’re problems nonetheless.
What do you do when you need to get away mentally — or do you just push through it? All advice is welcome! Namaste, friends.
Where I wish to be… photo by Jeremy Bishop on Pexels.com
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