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What are the best new books in 2020? And how about surprisingly good older gems? A year of reviewing books led me to some very engaging books.
These are my highlights and surprises of 2020. While I haven’t read all books that were published – not even all of the popular ones – I found many engaging books among those that I did read.
A year of reading and reviewing books… I read over 100 books this year and reviewed half of them. Many of the books I read are now on my Korea, Japan, Finland, Malaysia, or Hong Kong book lists.
While I read books from all over the world, I still have some blindspots. So my resolution for next year: read a book originating from or set in Africa and South America. If you know a good one, please suggest it to me in the comments below.
Back to 2020. Many of the books I read were released in 2020 or will be released in 2021. But aside from my more recent picks, I also read some classics or other books that are still getting a lot of attention around the world. Some of it deserved, the rest – in my eyes – baffling. That’s what is so great about the vast amount of books that exist in the world: there is a ‘right’ book for everyone.
I see it as my mission to raise awareness of all the good stories that exist in this world.
So here they come: the best, most engaging, unique, and inspiring stories of 2020.
Feelings
My Wow books of 2020
- Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin (Review): a beautiful story, wonderfully crafted with a deeper layer underneath.
- What Makes a City? By Park Seongwon (Review): deep and moving, and above all, intriguing stories that discuss heavy themes in a dark humor kind of way.
- Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (Review): a mix of humor, rich fantasy, and survival on top of everything that is wrong in society. I like books with (dark) twists in the end.
- The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun (Review): a perfect blend between reality and imagination. Who doesn’t love to read about traveling to unique places?
- No One Writes Back by Eun-Jin Jang (I didn’t review this one, check it out on Amazon): even though the plot might not come as a surprise, the journey there is beautiful to read.
Engaging my mind
- Dead Money by Srinath Adiga (Amazon, 2021 release date): what if the economy of your present life and afterlife would mingle? My review of this book will be published on January 18th.
- The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov (Amazon): this book feels so 2020 when talking about the difference between seeing and viewing, and the characters living alone on their estates.
- Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo (Amazon): painful and confronting. The last chapter from the doctor’s point of view was brilliant.
- There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumara (Review): a book that is funny at times, deep at others. An excellent read about passion and finding meaning.
This one holds a special place in my heart
- Children of the Cave by Virve Sammalkorpi (Review): I have no rational explanation for liking this book. The book is not very exciting, yet it made me feel a lot.
The three unfortunate books that I expected more from
- Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (Amazon): Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors and I’ve read and enjoyed most of his books. This book just didn’t work for me.
- Free Food For Millionaires by Min Jin Lee (Amazon): I read this book because the Dutch translation was published this year. Nothing in it inspired me to write a review. Too underwhelming.
- The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (Amazon): Why couldn’t I like this book about traveling through doors? 🙁 Fortunately, many other people do like it very much.
Extra spotlight for my favorite books of last year (pre-review era)
- The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (Amazon): fun, engaging, and refreshing fantasy book.
- Beside the sea by Véronique Olmi (Amazon): painfully real, just painful.
- Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Amazon): Dutch horror book of my favorite Dutch author. The English translation will be released in 2021. His earlier book Hex has already been translated into English. I’m looking forward to the Dutch release of his new book Orakel in January 2021.
- No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai (Amazon): my favorite Japanese book.
Travel and Art
The two books that resembled travel guides the most
Imbued with the spirit of art
- Conception by Özgür Uyanık (Review): a thought-provoking read, humorous, but in a morbid way. Conception is about an artist who challenges society with his conceptual art.
- Girls Against God by Jenny Hval (Review): a book that fascinated me, but that I didn’t necessarily enjoy. Still, after rereading my review: maybe I’ll read the book again someday.
Fascinating because of its uniqueness or topic
- Girls Against God by Jenny Hval (Review): a book that fascinated me, but that I didn’t necessarily enjoy. Still, after rereading my review: maybe I’ll read the book again someday.
- Land-Water-Sky by Katłıà (Review): a magical story collection inspired by Dene (Canada) legends and myths. I really enjoyed reading about legends and myths I had never heard of before.
Broadening my mind with some poetry
- I’ll Fly Away by Rudy Francisco (Review): a poetry collection about language barriers and (mis)communication. This one didn’t resonate with me as well as the next one.
- Some Are Always Hungry by Jihyun Yun (Review): wonderful poems that read like stories. You sympathize with the characters, but sometimes, you sympathize even more with the food.
Best cover art
- Some Are Always Hungry by Jihyun Yun (Review): wonderful poems that read like stories. You sympathize with the characters, but sometimes, you sympathize even more with the food.
Otherwise interesting
Most popular reviews on WheretoKim in 2020
- Almond by Won-pyung Sohn (Review): a touching story about two vastly different boys that grow closer by talking.
- Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton (Review): that book with the very cryptical paragraph hinting at the ending. When you see it, you just have to read the book to know what it means.
- Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (Review): a mix of humor, rich fantasy, and survival on top of everything that is wrong in society. I like books with (dark) twists in the end.
- A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami (Review): the second Haruki Murakami book I ever read! I know, I should read the rest of them as well. But at least I am now a member of the sheeplessnessclub!
- Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (Review): an interesting book about breasts, eggs, periods, and getting pregnant from a Japanese perspective.
Golden oldies
- The Underground Village by Kang Kyeong-ae (Review): a storybook that gives insight into the lives of those that came before us. Placeless stories, sometimes timeless, showing the harsh reality of life.
- Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki (Amazon): a Japanese classic quietly contemplating feelings and relationships.
- Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata (Amazon): another Japanese classic that is highly praised. Unfortunately, I didn’t like it all that much. I couldn’t ‘feel’ what it was about.
A big role for animals
- The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa (Amazon): sometime this year I got fascinated by the vast amount of Japanese books featuring cats. This is one of them. Even better: it’s about a cat that is traveling!
- The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna (Amazon): animals are great companions that can have a large impact on your life. Who would have thought that meeting a hare could be this life-changing?
What is the most interesting and engaging book you read in 2020? Any books you’re looking forward to in 2021?
