LibGuides: Any Book Book Club: Favourites We Read in 2020

Favourite Books We Read in 2020

These are some of the favourite books we read in 2020, not necessarily published in 2020 - linked titles are available to borrow from BCIT Library

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count's endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose. - From the publisher
Greenwood by Michael Christie
A magnificent novel of inheritance, sacrifice, nature, and love that takes its structure from the nested growth rings of a tree, Greenwood spans generations to tell the story of a family living and dying in the shadows cast by its own secrets. With this breathtaking feat of storytelling, Michael Christie masterfully reveals the tangled knot of lies, omissions, and half-truths that exists at the root of every family's origin story.- From the Publisher
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowing together to reveal what it means to see humans as "the younger brothers of creation." - From the Publisher
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
One of the comedy world's fastest-rising stars tells his wild coming of age story during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed. Noah provides something deeper than traditional memorists: powerfully funny observations about how farcical political and social systems play out in our lives. - From the Publisher
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Thought-provoking, wise, and deeply moving, Owens's debut novel reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps"-From the Publisher
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
Indian Horse unfolds against the bleak loveliness of northern Ontario, all rock, marsh, bog and cedar. Wagamese writes with a spare beauty, penetrating the heart of a remarkable Ojibway man. - From the Publisher
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata; Ginny Tapley Takemori (Translator)
An international sensation that has sold more than a million copies in Japan and was named a Best Book of the Year by U.S. publications from Buzzfeed to the New Yorker,
Still Life by Louise Penny
And all the Louise Penny mysteries!

Shock and fear shudder through the village of Three Pines when one of their own is found dead in the woods, an arrow wound in her heart. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache knows that in every Eden lurks a snake - and as he probes the baffling murder of a seemingly innocent woman, the village begins to give up its dark secrets... (book cover verso).
Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham
Midnight in Chernobyl is an indelible portrait of one of the great disasters of the twentieth century, of human resilience and ingenuity, and the lessons learned when mankind seeks to bend the natural world to his will--lessons which, in the face of climate change and other threats, remain not just vital but necessary--Publisher's website.

The Porpoise / Mark Haddon

In a bravura feat of storytelling, Mark Haddon calls upon narratives ancient and modern to tell the story of Angelica, a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship with her father. When a young man named Darius discovers their secret, he is forced to escape on a boat bound for the Mediterranean. To his surprise he finds himself travelling backwards over two thousand years to a world of pirates and shipwrecks, of plagues and miracles and angry gods. - From Publisher Website

Rules for Visiting / Jessica Frances Kane

With simplicity and honesty, Jessica Francis Kane has crafted an exquisite story about a woman trying to find a new way to be in the world. This nourishing book, with its beautiful contemplation of travel, trees, family, and friendship, is the perfect antidote to our chaotic times. - From Publisher Website

I Must Be Living Twice: New and Selected Poems 1975-2014 / Eileen Myles

A collection of thrilling verse, including both new poems and beloved favorites, from the celebrated poet, modern cult icon, and author of Chelsea Girls.

Transcendent Kingdom / Yaa Gyasi

Gifty is determined to discover the scientific basis for the suffering she sees all around her. But even as she turns to the hard sciences to unlock the mystery of her family’s loss, she finds herself hungering for her childhood faith and grappling with the evangelical church in which she was raised, whose promise of salvation remains as tantalizing as it is elusive. - From the Publishers Website