My 2020 Reading List

Updated: Sep 3, 2020

I have always had a passion for stories. When I was younger, reading was both my relaxation activity and escape. In college when it was required for my literature major, I read a lot (some books that I will never read again), and then I would spend the breaks reading other works from authors I had discovered in my classes.

Spring 2020 has been more hectic that I would have ever liked and I realized that something that used to grant me solace, I had unintentionally pushed to the side. Normally I would read on the commute back from work, but I have been doing stay-at-home since March 14, so reading basically stopped overnight. Not a great step toward positive self-care during a hard time.

Moving forward, my plan is to replace some of my screen time with reading time: specifically before bed, and in the morning if I wake up early and can't go back to sleep (or don't want to!). The lack of screen time will not only benefit my sleep schedule, but also my eyes. They are always so tired from staring at screens all day long, and yes, I do have blue light glasses.

I went ahead and pre-decided books for the remainder of the year. No more will I use the excuse of being overwhelmed by my "To Read" section that I just don't choose and have weeks between books. I placed all the books by category, in order I plan to read on/in my bedside table, so as soon as I am done, I know what to grab next.

My book selections can be categorized into three areas: 1) Personal Development and Lifestyle, 2) Pleasure (usually novels), and 3) Professional Development (mostly media/entertainment/small business). The plan is to average a book a month for the first two categories, and a book every three to four months in the last category.

Here is my 2020 reading list!

[Personal Development/Lifestyle]

[Pleasure]

[Professional Development]

All books linked below:

In Praise of Disobedience by Oscar Wilde, $22

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehsi Coates, $12

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, $5

How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith, $15

White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in American by Nancy Isenberg, $12

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, $2

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt, $13