2020: A Year in Books

In keeping with tradition, I'm once again presenting to you the 25 books I tackled in the past year. As usual, my picks were all over the place, including pulpy thrillers, analytical nonfiction, YA bestsellers, and even a Nobel Prize winner. They are presented in the order I read them, with letter grades next to each reflecting my personal opinion (and my absolute favorites are highlighted in blue). 2020 was a uniquely terrible year, and reading helped me simultaneously escape and analyze the madness. I strongly encourage you to pick up a book and do the same in 2021. Enjoy!

1.) How to Fight Anti-Semitism by Bari Weiss ... A-
2.) The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck ... A
3.) Wake by Lisa McMann ... C+
4.) The Diversity Delusion by Heather Mac Donald ... B
5.) Gwendy's Magic Feather by Richard Chizmar ... D+
6.) The Smallest Minority by Kevin Williamson ... B-
7.) The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn ... A
8.) The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal ... B
9.) The Stand by Stephen King ... B
10.) Don't Burn This Book by Dave Rubin ... B+
11.) The Triumph of the Spider Monkey by Joyce Carol Oates ... B
12.) The Problem with Everything by Meghan Daum ... A+
13.) How Did We Get Here? by Robert Dallek ... B
14.) Double Standards by Larry Elder ... C
15.) Sh*tshow! by Charlie LeDuff ... A
16.) The Populist's Guide to 2020 by Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti ... C

17.) Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay ... B+

18.) The Death of Truth by Michiko Kakutani ... B- 

19.) Suicide of the West by Jonah Goldberg ... A 

20.) The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt ... A

21.) The Final Solution by Michael Chabon ... B- 

22.) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury ... A+

23.) The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King ... B+

24.) The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins ... B

25.) The Curse of Madame "C" by Gary Larson ... B