These are the books I read in January 2020 with a rating reflecting my opinion on them. I am leaving books not in English out for your convenience. At the bottom I will be sharing some recommendations that fall under the category fiction, non-fiction or non-fiction political. These recommendations are books I have not read myself, so proceed with caution as I cannot speak to their actual quality.
Read
The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy
I had to read this one for college. It was alright, some thought-provoking and funny poems, but unnecessarily crude language was occasionally present.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Also had to read this one for college. It was pretty interesting to read the actual story of Frankenstein, although the melodrama was a bit too much for me at times. That and the fact that reading this was not my free choice.
Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff
This was a fun read, although definitely not written in the most serious or reliable way. It does offer interesting characterizations of the White House staff in the first 9 months of the Trump Presidency.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
I really enjoyed this book, a political Young Adult romance novel centered on LGBTQ characters. If you are interested in getting lost in a fictional world where people who are different can get a happy ending, this is the plot-twist-filled story for you!
Hazards of Time Travel by Joyce Carol Oates
I really wanted to love this book as it had many elements I thoroughly enjoy: time travel, a dystopian future, politics, history and philosophy. The book was a massive disappointment for me, especially since I had such high hopes based on the plot description.
Only Americans Burn In Hell by Jarett Kobek
I picked up this book mostly because of its cover and title. It was one of the worst books I have ever read, a terrible mix of autobiography, lazy “satire”, hyper-cynicism and hot takes that one could easily find on Twitter.
Recommendations
Fiction
A List of Cages by Robin Roe
When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he’s got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn’t easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can’t complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian—the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years.
Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes
When her fifth-grade teacher hints that a series of lessons about home and community will culminate with one big answer about two tall towers once visible outside their classroom window, Deja can’t help but feel confused. She sets off on a journey of discovery, with new friends Ben and Sabeen by her side. But just as she gets closer to answering big questions about who she is, what America means, and how communities can grow (and heal), she uncovers new questions, too. Like, why does Pop get so angry when she brings up anything about the towers?
Non-Fiction
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene
Brian Greene, one of the world’s leading string theorists, peels away layers of mystery to reveal a universe that consists of eleven dimensions, where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter—from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas—is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
In Bryson’s biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand—and, if possible, answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us.
Political
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham helps us understand the present moment in American politics and life by looking back at critical times in our history when hope overcame division and fear
Impeachment: A Handbook, New Edition by Charles L. Black Jr. and Philip Bobbitt
Originally published at the height of the Watergate crisis, Charles Black’s classic Impeachment: A Handbook has long been the premier guide to the subject of presidential impeachment. Now thoroughly updated with new chapters by Philip Bobbitt, it remains essential reading for every concerned citizen.
The Congressional Report 