My 2020 Reading List

Currently, 11/18 books read for the year!

I will be updating this as I read this year. Notice ✅ when I've completed a book and I will give my thoughts below! (last updated 6/21/20)

If you enjoy reading and haven't downloaded the GoodReads app, drop what you are doing (unless it's your phone... don't drop your phone) and download it. This is a great way to stay in touch with what your friends are reading and what's new in the literary world! The app allows you to categorize books into want to read, read, and currently reading "shelves". Once you've begun a book and then completed it, your book moves from currently reading to the read shelf. It's a cute task that helps show you what you've accomplished but can also help you organize what you plan to read what you've already read.

A couple of years ago they began an annual reading challenge where you can set a personal goal for how many books you plan to read that year and I attempted said challenge. I set a goal of 12 for the year, figuring that 1 a month isn't that difficult. I failed. I think I may have raid 5 or 6 books that year. The next year (2019) I was determined to read one book a month. I ended up meeting my goal by October and read 13 books! This year I am hoping to read 18 books. I figured that doubling my goal would be WAY too aggressive, so 1.5x last year's goal is the plan!

I've decided that I want to map out my bookventure and try to read as many books that I already own as I can. If you're anything like me, you pick up a beautiful book, read about 2 sentences, and decide that you must have it and bring it home to pile it on top of about 40 other books that have seen the same fate. So I have perused the titles I own and want to let you know what's on my list in case you want to follow my book journey or are looking for something to read!

1. Over The Top by Jonathan Van Ness ✅

I will say that I LOVE Jonathan and am an avid Queer Eye fan. I've purchased a few other QE books but hadn't settled on reading his until I learned more about his life journey through stories that had made the rounds when it was finally released. He announced that he was living with HIV and had a difficult past. As I grow older, I want to broaden my understanding of life and culture, especially in the realms of LBGTQ+. I'm about halfway through and excited to learn more about his life and experiences.

I really enjoyed this book. Something about getting to know another side of someone that you feel like you grasp is very interesting. I love knowing that he's been able to blossom and thrive despite his struggle with mental health, HIV, and unfortunate circumstances. I would definitely recommend for fans of JVN.

2. The 5 Love Languages - The Secret To Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman

I am a firm believer that we are all different, but yet the same. Does that make sense? No. So I am looking to this ever-popular book to help me decipher more about how I function in my relationship and hoping that both my boyfriend Walter and I can learn more about each other and the way that we interact and strengthen our bond! We currently possess his and his copies and I have required that we take the corresponding quiz on the official website and utilize a highlighter so that we can have meaningful discussions about the book later. We will see how that goes.... haha!

3. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng ✅

This book was on a million must-read lists last year, so I am eventually getting to it! Something that has me really excited about this book is that it's being made into a film/series starring THE Kerry Washington and it will be produced by Reese Witherspoon. Beyond excited!

This book was enjoyable. I will say that it seemed to hit a lull toward the center, but I trekked through because I wanted to read it before watching the show. I will say the show brought the book to life in a way I didn't expect. Definitely worth reading for those who liked the show.

4. Broke Millennial by Erin Lowry

So I don't have a GREAT relationship with money at the moment and would love to change that, so I found this book that is aimed at my generation that shares stories and examples of how to manage your finances and make smarter fiscal decisions. Bring it on 2020!

5. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Beyond being totally gorgeous, Trevor Noah has received lots of praise for his autobiography. Every person that I know that has read it has nothing but great things to say, so I am really looking forward to finding out more about what made him that cute, smart and funny man he is today!

6. The Dakota Winters by Tom Barbash

I honestly don't know too much about this book beyond the fact that it drew my attention while browsing the shelves at Half Priced Books, so I got it for about $4 online and it is now in the pile.

7. The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

As an English major in college, you could often find me snuggled in my bed with a lovely Young Adult book (majorly the Twilight or Hunger Games series) trying to enjoy my light break from 19th Century Literature. After seeing the commercials for this movie, I knew that I would cry and that I needed to read the accompanying book. I've held off on seeing the film until I read the book because I love book to film adaptations!

8. The Shining by Stephen King

It has been a goal of mine, bucket list item if you will, to read at least one Stephen King book. Every time a new one is released, I am ever so tempted to pick it up and read it, but I feel as though I need to savor a classic King before moving on to his newer works.

9. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

I've always wanted to read another Jodi Picoult book! I vividly remember that I took my library copy of My Sister's Keeper to the room for when I was finished taking the TAKS test and GASPING at the end of the book (which is severely different than the movie and I hold a minor grudge... but it's still a good movie and I sobbed). So after seeing many of my friends read this book and say that it made a strong impact, I decided that it needed to be on my list!

10. Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman

As I stated in my New Year's post, I am aiming to live more intentionally in 2020 and that will help me grow both personally and professionally. Part of that includes trying to expand and grow in my relationship. After being together with Walter for almost 7 years, it seems like we are such different people than when we first started dating. This is a great thing, as we've both grown, and I want to dig a little deeper and strengthen our bond!

11. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston ✅

So when I was younger, gay fiction was not something that was readily available. Only more recently have gay stories become more common in everyday culture (i.e. the HBO show Looking, Love, Simon, and various others). That makes this cute and laughable romantic comedy fiction book about an American man falling in love with a British prince a must-read for me.

I posted about this on my Instagram page, but I loved this book! It may not be the most thought-provoking or educational, but it definitely serves a purpose. Exploring a love that blossoms between two young men, in a way that seems to mimic all of our treasured teen rom-coms, is something that really fulfilled me in a way I didn't expect. I had a hard time putting this down and I heavily suggest for gay men who felt like they weren't represented to give this light-hearted book a chance. I would also suggest for Allies to take an opportunity to appreciate a story that differs from their own but is just as valid.

12. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

This is basically the "Little Fires Everywhere" of 2020. It's popped up everywhere and has quite the amount of buzz. Therefore, it caught my eye and is on the list!

13. The Keeper Of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

This book seems to be about a man who is a hoarder because he is trying to make up for something that has happened and he leaves all of his possessions for his personal assistant and she is attempting to return the items to their original owners. This sounds like a pretty phenomenal movie plot, so it made the pile.

14. Beautiful On The Outside by Adam Rippon

You might notice that there is a trend in my reading autobiographies from gay men, but we are in a time where these are in abundance and I couldn't be more thrilled! Adam has such a great sense of humor and has become such a big part of pop culture, making his book an obvious choice.

15. The Woman In The Window by A.J. Finn

This was one of the most talked-about thrillers of 2019 and my mom purchased it, and being that she churns through crimes and thriller novels on a daily basis, I added it to my list of reads for the year!

16. Naturally Tan by Tan France

Of all of the Queer Eye cast members, Tan's book was the one I was most anticipating. The bits and pieces of information that he's given about his past and growing up as a gay person of color intrigued me. I'm excited to learn more about his past!

17. Supermarket by Bobby Hall

Apparently the author of this book is the musician Logic, so that makes it more intriguing. The plot of this book is that a man ends up moving back in with his mom and is struggling to stay afloat. He then happens upon a crime scene at the supermarket that he works at. The last line of the teaser is "Who knew you could find sex, drugs, and murder all in aisle nine?" which makes it an obvious choice to read.

18. TBD

I wanted to save a spot on my list to host a poll for what the 18th and final book that I read for should be. As you have made it all the way through this long list of books I plan to read, I feel I owe you a little control!

Keep an eye out on my social media pages for more information on the selection of my last book. Also, let me know what you are reading and plan to read this year!

P.S. I went off-book (haha!)

For a multitude of reasons, including racial injustice, the Black Lives Matter movement, Pride month, and more, I opted to take a more stream of consciousness experience picking my most recent reads.

Open Book by Jessica Simpson ✅

I saw that Jessica Simpson was writing a book and had a slight urge to read it. Then, she announced that she was going into information about her addiction to pills, alcohol, and more. This must be read! I love a celebrity memoir, but this one rang a bit different than the usual. I guess it has to do with the times we live in, but it seems as though celebrities are struggling and willing to speak about their experience to help others. Something about the vulnerability with such a high pedestal is very interesting to me. I appreciate that Jessica was willing to share the murky stuff in order to show that she truly has come out of the darkness to be a better woman, Mom, and Wife. It really makes me appreciate her as a person.

Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli ✅

I attempted to read this book a year or so ago after the movie came out and it just wasn't happening. I don't know if I am now in a more chill place due to stay-at-home orders thanks to the lovely COVID-19, but I am finally getting around to some of the books that have become more furniture than reading material. This book was enjoyable! I think it differs a bit from the movie, but I appreciate both. It's a quick and fun read.

White Fragility by Robin Diangelo ✅

After being outraged by the underlying racism that has been unearthed in the past months, I felt it important to go on a journey of my own. I needed to become more open to the idea that this isn't just someone else's problem. I pride myself on being compassionate and not one to spew hatred or be unsupportive, but sometimes that isn't enough. This book was phenomenal. It walks you step by step through a journey of understanding and opening your eyes to the injustice that is ingrained in ourselves and our country. After finishing this book, it felt as though the rose-colored glasses had been removed from my eyes and I could see that things weren't as great as people claim them to be. We have a lot of work to do and I think this would be a GREAT start for those looking for a way to be more understanding of the plight of Black community and the ignorance that is instilled in the white population.

More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth ✅

This woman. She is amazing. It was as though we opened a photo album of her life and she walked me through the good and bad times and I felt like we were friends. This was a great read after White Fragility, as she loosely touches on many of the topics that were discussed. It reinforced the message that these are not just conspiracy theories or isolated occurrences. Not to spoil anything but the fact that a woman who was the editor of Teen Vogue (or even just a human being) would be belittled to the point of being told that she was not allowed to board her flight on a plane and have her possessions strewn across the floor of an airport as a white couple was politely allowed through the terminal, is gut-wrenching and mind-boggling. Elaine is a powerhouse and she shares a lot of valuable gems for women, POC, and anyone who is willing to listen. You SHOULD!

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon ✅

As you can tell, I am a sucker for book-to-film adaptations. This is one that I've wanted to read for a while but finally nestled into. It took me less than a day to read and it was enjoyable. It was more YA than some of the other books that I have delved into, but worth a read if you have the time or interest!

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones ✅

Continuing my efforts to shine a light on underrepresented voices and immerse myself in a culture that is not my own, I decided to read An American Marriage. To be concise, this book is the story of a Black couple who get married and only a few years into their marriage are thrown for a loop as the husband is wrongfully accused by a white woman that he raped her at a hotel that the couple was staying at. It then unfolds as a series of letters back and forth from the couple and others and how being wrongfully imprisoned, married to someone in prison, and family makes an impact on how stories play out. This was yet another opportunity to experience an all-too-real story about how the justice system has underlying issues that negatively impact and target Black Americans. I couldn't put this book down and I think you would be spending your time wisely to read it!

The Infinity Son by Adam Silvera ✅

It's currently Pride month (June)! After many conversations with a good friend about LGBT+ literature and being in the throes of trying to offer a larger platform for Black voices, I felt it important to read a gay book by a gay author. This is the first book in a supernatural saga that follows a set of twin brothers in a futuristic world of various magical beings and the chaos that ensues. It only loosely discusses the LGBT nature of the character, but the fact that we don't devote an excessive amount of time to this is almost a gift. It should not need to be beaten like a dead horse or treated extra special, as it is normal and should be treated as such. I was definitely drawn to parts where the main character, Emil, is stuck in his head about his body issues and the pressure to be perfect in the gay community. It was a very concise point, but it was made and it hits home. A good read for those into YA!

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta ✅

I loved this book! It was yet another opportunity to put myself in someone else’s shoes, albeit fictional, and experience racism, LGBT+ issues, drag identity, gender identity and more. It’s so interesting to be able to explore these topics that I feel should be instinctually understood but come out knowing so much more and becoming more aware of others‘ journeys.

Interested in following my reading adventures? Follow me on GoodReads!

- Taylor